Diving For No Cost

[Hillmorton Scubie]

Diving can be expensive - especially now, as my lady has taken up diving.
We have been to a well known "all inclusive" in Jamaica (Couples). We dived twice everyday at no cost - its part of the all inclusive package. (the cost outside the hotel was $150 / day). This was certainly not challenging diving (never went below 100 fsw), but was fun and relaxing.
Can anyone give us details of hotels / destinations that also do "all inclusive" diving as it works out great value for us.
Also any other comments on "all inclusive diving".

 

[DivingPrincessE]

Here is an example of all inclusive deal in Bonaire. It's through SB, but you can probably find a similar deal on your own if you don't want to go with a big group (of course it's always cheaper if you go with a big group)

It is for shore diving, but I've heard there is a lot to see from shore on Bonaire.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/dive-ny/329439-bonaire-dny-invasion-reserve-now.html

THE DEAL:

7 nights at The Plaza Resort
6 days unlimited shore diving
4 door go anywhere truck for every 4 divers
Free Nitrox
Free Breakfast
Rum Party
BBQ
Transport to and from Bonaire Airport
(non divers are @$142 less)

The Price.........$620 PP, or less! For every 8 people we have paid at the beginning of the trip we are comped 1 space (except for @$145), and we are going to split this equally, so we all should be getting money back just before we go. ( This $ comp is the profit most lds and tour ops get to keep, but it will be used to lower everyone's price for the Invasion!)

 

[dwhthediver]

I have dove with the Couples Resort in Ocho Rios, loved the resort, the diving...it was fun, I was happy just to be blowing bubbles in the wnter without a guideline and drysuit on. The staff was very accomodating, but I do enjoy doing more than a tank in the morning, and another in the afternoon

 

[reefduffer]

Funny you should ask ...
We went to "Swept Away" Negril a number of years ago, a sister resort to Couples.
This really was an all-inclusive. Our first dive trip after OW cert.

I'm not much of a drinker. When we were taken to our room, I did a double-take at the pretty lavishly stocked (in my perspective) bar in the room. Must have been a couple of dozen bottles of beer and spirits. I have some experience with stateside minibars in business travel hotels, which I scrupulously ignore.

Knowing it was an all-inclusive, but never having stayed at one before and expecting that meant the bar and dining room, I asked the porter "is this free?".

He replied "No mon. You paid for it."

That has become our family catch phrase for any add-on / "freebie" that comes packaged with something else - shuttle service for your car repair, cookies with your hotel room, ...

So you're not getting any "no cost" diving. No mon. You paid for it.

(Or as Heinlein put it: TANSTAAFL.)

 

[austin.takahashi]

Well yeah, the title was somehow misinterpreted but i think OP was well informed about how he has payed for the cost of the service already -- and is willing to spend as long as that's how it was presented.

Sorry OP honestly, I dont know any resort with that service but I too am interested in what youre asking. So ill keep a sharp eye for more posts in your thread

 

[charlesml3]

Yea, you're paying for it one way or another. There's no such thing as "no cost" unless you're mooching off of someone else.

Personally, I've never found the "all inclusive" dive deals to be all that great. They're getting paid very little so they do very little. If you do some research and find a dive op that suits your needs I honestly believe you'll be happier getting away from all inclusive.

-Charles

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

There's no such thing as "no cost" unless you're mooching off of someone else.

While one might follow an apparent moocher and find that the mooched does get a reciprocal mooch of some sort, there are perk's that approach "diving for no cost" without stooping to mooching.

If I pick up tank pumping shifts at an occasional employers dive operation, I am paid $10/hr to baby sit 30 o-rings and 30 burst disks, for ~5 hours (~120 tanks). Non-divers have been tank pumpers, for the same pay, but as a diver I can fill all my tanks, every time I pump. I own more than 2 full sets of gear and there is plenty of great shore diving here, so IF you don't count all my gear purchases, that "free" fill shore diving costs me/us nothing, except the time and vehicle fuel, wear and tear. I can also go "free" on the operators boat (space available).

I HAVE paid for these perk's of nearly no cost diving by continual financial suffering in the scuba industry, a mutual bond that is so strong it can get me the same perk's early in my next dive industry relationship.

I will say that the "inclusive" packages allow hard core divers to reduce their cost per night/meal/dive to numbers that cause very wide smiles, even though the wallet did still shrink!

 

[Hillmorton Scubie]

Thanks for your replys. To clarify Couples resorts in Jamaica don't offer specific scuba diving trips. Everyone pays the same and over 90% of guest do not utilise the inclusive diving effectively subsidising those that do.

 

[Damselfish]

Everyone does not utilize everything, diving or otherwise. Those who drink less subsidize those who drink more too, if you want to look at it that way.

I think most people on here are very aware how the mass market AIs work and that Couples and similar resorts don't "offer specific scuba diving trips." If it works for you great. Just do the math of what you pay and what you get and if you're happy with the bottom line that's all that matters. But it's still not free diving unless you've gotten the trip for free.

 

[DiverG]

Diving can be expensive - especially now, as my lady has taken up diving.
We have been to a well known "all inclusive" in Jamaica (Couples). We dived twice everyday at no cost - its part of the all inclusive package. (the cost outside the hotel was $150 / day). This was certainly not challenging diving (never went below 100 fsw), but was fun and relaxing.
Can anyone give us details of hotels / destinations that also do "all inclusive" diving as it works out great value for us.
Also any other comments on "all inclusive diving".

Check out CocoView Resort in Roatan, Honduras. Its all inclusive including the diving. If I remember correctly there is a 2 tank boat dive in the AM and 2 tank in the PM plus unlimited shore diving 24/7

Welcome to CoCo View Resort