live aboards and the buddyless diver

[basham54]

Thanks guys, lots of great info. Think I'm going to try blackbeards first, I can gain diving and travelling exp. Never left the states before. I do plan on travelling the world using live aboards as my dive platform. Thanks again, and I
hope to meet some of you out there soon.

Safe diving

 

[Quero]

If you want a room alone and not wanna pay the single surplus, wait for a last minute on a not fully occupied live-aboard. With some negotiation, they'll be happy to give you a double for the normal price p.p.

Some last-minute customers do luck out and end up with a private cabin without paying the single supplement, but you can't count on it. There's always the chance that another last-minute traveler will show up and be placed in that empty space. I don't know of a single liveaboard that will promise a private cabin for the price of a shared cabin as a last-minute offer. Last-minute negotiation is more likely to result in a percentage discount on the published price, which of course makes filling any unsold berths easier, therefore decreasing the chances of ending up with a single.

 

[ocdiver1]

just to add ive done 13 liveaboards (i think) now, and always solo. has never been a problem on any boat, any location, and I can't think of any trip where there wasn't at least one other solo passenger. not that that matters..buddywise worse comes to worse it can be with the dm, and i've frequently had my own room when no other same sex single person wound up booking

 

[divengolf]

I agree that liveaboards are great, but let me give you another option. There is a dive group called singledivers.com, really it's a business that arranges dive trips for groups of buddy-less divers. I've been on several of their trips and all has worked out very well. The leader is Kamala and the rest of the organization is run by volunteers. They are able to get excellent package prices. But for a new diver, they have a guaranteed dive buddy program where you pay a little extra ($150/trip I think) and you get an experienced DM or instructor as a dive buddy the entire trip. Generally it's Kamala, but on occasions it's others. It is a great way to work on your skills with your own personal instructor for the trip.

But if you don't want to do the dive buddy program, Kamala will insure that you have a suitable dive buddy for the trip.

Their site is www.singledivers.com. Look at their upcoming trips, both land based and liveaboard. Their annual trip in March to Bonaire is great. PM me if you want more info.

 

[Quero]

I didn't much like the SD trip I was on, and I worked as an instructor on the trip, so I had an "insider's" perspective. Plus I'm a dive travel professional, so I do know how things are supposed to work. Therefore, I would recommend caution if you consider traveling with this organization. When volunteers run the show, there are inevitably lots of problems, organizational mistakes, etc. SD is a business--when I deal with a business, I expect professional-quality organization, not the amateurish result I had with SD. But for some people the social aspects of the SD trips outweigh the glitches, and as long as the diver has the correct expectations, it can work out fine.

Rather than going the SD route along with their frequent problems, you can participate in SB's own BuddyFinder option.
Or just book a liveaboard as a solo traveler.

 

[vladimir]

share a room with a stranger or pay like 1.5x to get the room to yourself.

Yes, a 50% surcharge seems to be the norm, but some liveaboards that consistently sell out make you buy both berths at full price (the Undersea Hunter, for one).

Some last-minute customers do luck out and end up with a private cabin without paying the single supplement, but you can't count on it. There's always the chance that another last-minute traveler will show up and be placed in that empty space. I don't know of a single liveaboard that will promise a private cabin for the price of a shared cabin as a last-minute offer. Last-minute negotiation is more likely to result in a percentage discount on the published price, which of course makes filling any unsold berths easier, therefore decreasing the chances of ending up with a single.

I agree. I have lucked out twice, on the Truk Aggressor and the Spoilsport, and I thought it might have been because I was paying full-price and the other singles had gotten discounted last-minute fares.

Or just book a liveaboard as a solo traveler.

Yes, why overthink it? This has worked well for me many times, not just on liveaboards but on other dive trips. If the uncertainty of your bunkmate and diving companions gives you pause, just consider it a bit of an adventure. It will probably be more interesting than your average vacation.

 

[Quero]

Yes, a 50% surcharge seems to be the norm, but some liveaboards that consistently sell out make you buy both berths at full price (the Undersea Hunter, for one).

50% is not the norm here in Thailand. It's more like 90%, though a couple of boats do offer single supplements at much lower percentages (50% and 33%, for example).

I agree. I have lucked out twice, on the Truk Aggressor and the Spoilsport, and I thought it might have been because I was paying full-price and the other singles had gotten discounted last-minute fares.

Exactly right. All else being equal (same gender, not a repeat customer, etc.), a booking manager will place solo travelers with discounted fares together rather than leaving a discounted solo in a room without a bunk mate while making the full-fare-paying diver share, which means that the full-fare-paying customer might get the cabin as a single, if s/he's lucky. It's sort of like what the airlines do in selling discounted economy seats--those people getting the lowest fares sit back by the rear lavs and galley.

Yes, why overthink it? This has worked well for me many times, not just on liveaboards but on other dive trips. If the uncertainty of your bunkmate and diving companions gives you pause, just consider it a bit of an adventure. It will probably be more interesting than your average vacation.

I have a few customers who take me along as a rent-a-buddy. It's fun both for me and for my divers--they know who they're diving with, and I take a "working holiday".

 

[tdtaylor]

Just returned several weeks ago from a week on the Aquacat in the Bahamas. The 21 passengers were aged 22 to 65, more solos and couples/married, and everything worked fine. When you get a group of likeminded people together, it works out fairly easily.

By the way, I am married and was a solo, being that my wife was the only bubble-watcher on board. A actually paired up with two others of similar mindset. Made it easy when one of us wanted to take a dive off.

 

[bracko]

the liveaboards I've been on have usually had about 4 divers with about buddies for 20 odd divers. So it's not that uncommon.

Generally I have not been room mates with my buddy, I'm not sure if that's a something to make sure you're not in eachothers face all day and sharing a room as well or not, but it's my experience.

as for opting to take a single room, why? I wouldn't want to spend any more time in my berth as absolutely necessary (and sometimes, depending on the boat I've slept outside since it was too hot inside)....

 

[Mossman]

as for opting to take a single room, why? I wouldn't want to spend any more time in my berth as absolutely necessary (and sometimes, depending on the boat I've slept outside since it was too hot inside)....

Why?

People snore. People fart. Some people don't like having to wear earplugs or having to inhale the gaseous emissions of another.

My last involuntary roommate was some sort of vampire, kept the drapes shut over the portholes during the entire week. At least I got my revenge by making him wear earplugs and inhale my gaseous emissions!