Gilboa Cost??

[northen diver]

I was doing a little snooping regarding the cost of camping at Gilboa vs the cost of camping at the closest KOA. It's $32/night for a tent site for 4 people at the KOA unless you buy a KOA card for something like $15 then it takes a couple bucks off the cost. That particular KOA doesn't seem to have tent sites without electric so I checked a KOA that's near my home and they want $31/night for a non-electric site for 4 people. Mike charges $8 per person to camp so for a party of 4 people that's $32/night. The kicker? If you don't HAVE 4 people with you it's only $16 per night at Gilboa where it's still $32 per night at the KOA. I couldn't find the per person charge at KOA for additional people.

I too was unaware of the "day people are supposed to use the dock tables" rule. Somebody with some artistic skills make the man a sign he can post that explains the parking policy to everyone
Ber :lilbunny:

I wasnt complaining about the camping fees. What I was complaining about was that you could park by the dive docks and pay four dollars per person OR you could drive back to the docks, drop off your gear and then park in the main parking area with out the four dollar charge. I show up and now they wanted four dollars per person just to drive back and drop off your gear. I get my air fills for 5 dollars here local, so I bring around 6-8 tanks for two divers to save money. There is no way that I am going to be 'Walking" my gear back to the dive sites. If the cost is 19 dollars per person, so be it. BUT, post it on the web site so that people knows it. If Mike is upset about where people are placing thier gear, have signs up so people know.

In all fairness to Mike, he did reach out to me, and he did say that he is going to need to do something different other than charging people just to drop off their gear. We did talk about the 15 dollars entrace fee and talked about Portage and whitestar and he said that because of these two sites it is the biggest reason why he hasnt raised his prices. He wants to be competitive, which is totally understanding. I like Gilboa and I think that Mike has done an outstanding job with the quarry. Make no mistake that Mike is making the improvements in HIS BUSINESS to turn a profit. That is what a business does. Reinvesting to improve profitablilty, while being competitive with thier prices for services rendered. I like Portage also, for Jeff Rice runs a decent dive spot also. I personally like to dive Portage during the winter months (more room to set up a tent right off the waters edge with mcuh more ease of entering and exiting the ice). Jeff isnt as intense as Mike is, but sometimes I wish Jeff was more stricter with the party's on certain weekends during the summer months.

 

[DudleyNMU]

We had a group of divers that was going to go to gilboa on sunday but we decided not too because of the quipment hassle. I can see charging 4$ per car load not 4$ per person. If Capt. Mike Williams wants to raise the price, then just raise the price...but dont put an ***** H@le TAX on it and tell everyone that its because people were not following directions.

 

[Diver Lori]

I've been going to Gilboa for a long time....way before Mike bought the place. Yes, he's made fantastic improvements and I applaud his work.

He could settle this whole mess rather quickly over just one winter of slow business:

1. Mark ALL the camping spaces with signage and a place to hang your registration
   
2. Chain the tables to a slab of concrete in each site
   
3. Have some of those sites that are reservable for shops/clubs, the larger sites. Charge a premium, refundable fee with a time limit of arrival, too late? You didn't call to cancel 72 hours in advance? you lose. Set up a PayPal account for this purpose.
   
4. Have sites, possibly those less desirable (smaller), that are first come, first served.
   
5. Limit the amount of cars parked in each site, based on the size of the site. Smaller sites: 1 car. Larger sites: 2 to 3 cars. All others can drop and park up front. Provide the proper amount of parking passes to each site.
   
6. Post a guard, kid, employee at the bend heading back to the docks to check passes like they do at Ginnie. Do periodic checks to make sure the droppers are complying and not parking in the camping area. No pass? No park.
   
   When all the sites are sold; EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO PARK IN THE LOT.

I would gladly pay a premium price to not be hemmed in on a Saturday afternoon.

 

[Randy43068]

All good but the time limit. If I pay for the spot it's mine if I'm there late or not.

I've been going to Gilboa for a long time....way before Mike bought the place. Yes, he's made fantastic improvements and I applaud his work.

He could settle this whole mess rather quickly over just one winter of slow business:

1. Mark ALL the camping spaces with signage and a place to hang your registration
   
2. Chain the tables to a slab of concrete in each site
   
3. Have some of those sites that are reservable for shops/clubs, the larger sites. Charge a premium, refundable fee with a time limit of arrival, too late? You didn't call to cancel 72 hours in advance? you lose. Set up a PayPal account for this purpose.
   
4. Have sites, possibly those less desirable (smaller), that are first come, first served.
   
5. Limit the amount of cars parked in each site, based on the size of the site. Smaller sites: 1 car. Larger sites: 2 to 3 cars. All others can drop and park up front. Provide the proper amount of parking passes to each site.
   
6. Post a guard, kid, employee at the bend heading back to the docks to check passes like they do at Ginnie. Do periodic checks to make sure the droppers are complying and not parking in the camping area. No pass? No park.
   
   When all the sites are sold; EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO PARK IN THE LOT.

I would gladly pay a premium price to not be hemmed in on a Saturday afternoon.

 

[dok407]

I know it's been said a few times, but a "carpool" price for a day pass could help lower the number of cars in the back area. I understand "per person" charges on everything else (camping, diving, etc.), but the per person on the "day parking pass" might be able to use some work. My dive buddy and I frequently drive separate because for the same price we get double the space. Don't mean to incriminate myself there (appologies to those who haven't been able to find camping), but it is the truth. In fact if you were to ask around I bet you would find others in the same boat (or should I say car! lol).

 

[MikeFerrara]

I was doing a little snooping regarding the cost of camping at Gilboa vs the cost of camping at the closest KOA. It's $32/night for a tent site for 4 people at the KOA unless you buy a KOA card for something like $15 then it takes a couple bucks off the cost. That particular KOA doesn't seem to have tent sites without electric so I checked a KOA that's near my home and they want $31/night for a non-electric site for 4 people. Mike charges $8 per person to camp so for a party of 4 people that's $32/night. The kicker? If you don't HAVE 4 people with you it's only $16 per night at Gilboa where it's still $32 per night at the KOA. I couldn't find the per person charge at KOA for additional people.

I don't know if that's a good comparison. I don't know who would want to camp in a KOA but when we camp, we camp in the national forest and it doesn't cost anything and we get into some really gorgeous places.

You can get a motel room for not much more than $32.

I too was unaware of the "day people are supposed to use the dock tables" rule. Somebody with some artistic skills make the man a sign he can post that explains the parking policy to everyone
Ber :lilbunny:

I used to just pay to park back by the docks (I don't remember what he used to charge). Unfortunately, the parking is just too far from the diving and on a summer weekend, it's just too crowded. No matter how much he charges, there just isn't going to be enough room.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I don't know if that's a good comparison. I don't know who would want to camp in a KOA but when we camp, we camp in the national forest and it doesn't cost anything and we get into some really gorgeous places.

You can get a motel room for not much more than $32.

I was picking what was locally available for camping (KOA in Lima) as an alternative to camping at the quarry. We only stay at KOA's when there is no other choice, I've seen some of the ones out west charge as much as a hotel room back here.

I used to just pay to park back by the docks (I don't remember what he used to charge). Unfortunately, the parking is just too far from the diving and on a summer weekend, it's just too crowded. No matter how much he charges, there just isn't going to be enough room.

Unfortunately he's stuck with a little driveway on some land between a river and the quarry so you're right, there will never be enough room.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[MikeFerrara]

Unfortunately he's stuck with a little driveway on some land between a river and the quarry so you're right, there will never be enough room.
Ber :lilbunny:

I haven't been there for a while but, last I was there, it just doesn't matter how you get your gear to the docks/tables. There just isn't any room once you do get there. As I said, I always paid to park close so I could just work out of the back of my truck.

For what it's worth, if it were me I would put parking where the camping is and put in plenty of TABLES for gear and gearing up. There aren't that many camp sites and it isn't some kind of premier place to camp. It's a dive site and the camp sites are literally in the way of diving. If I really felt the need to have camping, I'd move it out of the way of the diving...maybe where the parking is now. You don't need to be by the water to sleep but being by the water sure makes diving more convenient. IMO, it doesn't work now because it's exactly backwards.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I haven't been there for a while but, last I was there, it just doesn't matter how you get your gear to the docks/tables. There just isn't any room once you do get there. As I said, I always paid to park close so I could just work out of the back of my truck.

I prefer to set my gear up in the campgrounds as well, I think I've used the tables exactly once in all the time I've been going there. I don't mind trotting up and down the stairs geared up, even in my doubles.

For what it's worth, if it were me I would put parking where the camping is and put in plenty of TABLES for gear and gearing up. There aren't that many camp sites and it isn't some kind of premier place to camp. It's a dive site and the camp sites are literally in the way of diving. If I really felt the need to have camping, I'd move it out of the way of the diving...maybe where the parking is now. You don't need to be by the water to sleep but being by the water sure makes diving more convenient. IMO, it doesn't work now because it's exactly backwards.

You have a great point. There is room to camp between the quarry and old 224 on the north side. I don't know what the road around the back of the quarry looks like but maybe it's fit for development as a camping area. Gear stations in the current camping area like the ones at some of the Florida springs would be really nice. That would lessen some of the demand for picnic tables since many people use the tables for gearing up.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[spectrum]

The obvious ultimate is to set-up camp for your stay and to dive from your site with close proximity to the docks. Unfortunately the property is narrow and the shoreline is limited. You can't maximize the day visitor experience and the camping diver experience in the same space and get good utilization. On top of that from what I remember the sites are not at all defined so it must be anarchy with day visitors trying to wedge in around campers in the summertime. The first Saturday in November was hectic enough.

As mentioned if the precious dive space is set-up to work effectively for diving then many divers could dive from the area while camping elsewhere on the property. Renting/providing golf carts or gear wagons to get campers gear from camp to the dive area and back could level the playing field. Dive staging spaces could be defined and specifically booked or reserved with the campsite so nobody is searching for a spot. When it's sold out then it's sold out. If you want a tent village and vehicles by the water then rent the appropriate spaces.

The place needs to be run like a campground, it's nothing new.

Pete