Has Cancelled Airline Flights effected other trips???

[ScubaBurt]

Hi Everyone,
Well, today about this time Flo and I should be in the air headed to Grand Turk. As you can tell, we are at home. We received a notice Tuesday, from Delta Airline, that our flight to GT was being cancelled. Our travel agent broke the bad news to us and we started making alternate plans. It seems that Delta is now only going to fly that route only in high season. Mindy(our travel agent) contacted both Delta and Oasis Divers(GT dive op) and negotiated a transfer for flight and diving/hotel plans to be carried to Feb instead of Sept. We were able to transfer our airline tickets, without any increase in fare(saved about $500 pp increase to high season) and transferred all the money we paid for the diving and hotel with a slight increase due to the high season rates. The person at Delta and Oasis Divers were very helpful and accomodating, thanks to our bulldog agent Mindy. They made this very bad situation into a workable situation.
Now we are trying to decide where to go until Feb besides our local quarry. Are looking at Florida in November. Anyone have any ideas where is good to dive in Forida that time of year. We have never dove Florida, so were are looking to drive down for a try. Have heard the springs are nice and would like to dive with Manatees. All suggestions welcomed.
Has anyone else had any trip interuptions due to the cutback in airline service?

 

[Bob]

ScubaBert,
I should be in Belize, but got caught on Black Tuesday in Miami. Thank goodness we didn't get out of country. We rented a van and drove back to Tampa. AA was very nice, they refunded 100% of our fares. We are rescheduling for eary December.
As for Florida, spring diving is OK, but to me when you've dove one, you've dove them all. Some of my buddies love spring diving, but to me there's alot more to see in the ocean. I will recommend to you the Blue Grotto, Devils Den, and Wekki Wachee. If you want Manatees, wait until January and February and check out the Crystal, Homasassa, and Rainbow Rivers. You're better off not using scuba as the bubbles and breathing noises tend to disturb them. If you want up close, just snorkle, you'll have better results.:tree:Bob

 

[ScubaBurt]

Hi Bob,
Glad you made it back home safe and sound. Glad too to hear that AA was accomodating to you with a refund. Thanks for the info on FL. Guess the manatees will have to wait. The springs sound nice, have friends that have reccommended the ones you suggested. They say the same thing, dive one.... Any reccomendations on where to ocean dive on Florida proper? Too far of a drive to the keys, and Flo(wife) would prefer not to have long boat rides on rough water. Thanks again for the info.
Burt

 

[Bob]

Hi Bert,
If the wife doesn't like long boat rides, why don't you think about the east coast of Florida. Most of my summer diving is on the east coast, West Palm or Lantana. Most of the dives down there are drift dives and close in. At West Palm the ride is never more than 20-30 minutes. There's a lot of good diving up and down the east coast. That might work for you. I wish you well in working something out.:tree:Bob

 

[JustJules]

Burt,

I second the east coast of Florida. From West Palm southward are a number of good dives on close-in reefs. If you're driving down, West Palm is the first of the areas with good diving you'll reach. However, less than an hour will get you to Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, and Pompano, all three of which I dive during the summer.

The water won't be cooling off too much in November (especially not by quarry-diver standards!), the visibility improves, but the weather can be hit-or-miss then.

Hope this helps...

Julie