Looking for dive trip advice and/or buddy

[jl_va_21]

Hi everyone, I seem to have a dilemma for which I could use some advice. I've been diving for a few years but do not have a regular dive buddy. Those I do dive with aren't quite as obsessed with it as I am and are not the types to travel for diving. I have been to a couple good dive destinations but I usually only get in a couple dives when I can sneak a half day away from a family vacation. I'm hoping to find a way to go to on a "real" dive trip sometime in the Spring or Summer. My ideal scenario would be some place where I could stay for about a week and get 20+ dives, including a good portion of shore diving. Bonaire, Curacao, or Caymans make sense.

I should also add that I'm a bit of a cheapskate and have noticed that the math rarely makes my local dive shop offerings look like much of a value. I like to look for the best prices and would prefer not to pay for the LDS staff to come along. Another thing less than attractive about those trips is that the schedule is rarely very accommodating. [Again, this is partially just me - I prefer to off-gas on Sundays rather than dive] Looking over prices online, it seems like I could put together some great trip options within my budget, if only I had someone to go along dive with me. So the general question is - does anyone have any tips?

Furthermore, would it be weird to use this posting as way to look for people willing to split a dive trip with a complete stranger? (ok it is a little weird). For that matter if a few of you out there wanted to go in together on something we could probably get an even better group deal. Are there any other solo divers out there that are not satisfied with their LDS options and would like to work together?

On the other hand, if there is some great alternative that I've overlooked, please let me know.

 

[Doc]

...some place where I could stay for about a week and get 20+ dives, including a good portion of shore diving.... I prefer to off-gas on Sundays rather than dive....On the other hand, if there is some great alternative that I've overlooked...

Sounds like you want a Dive Vacation versus a vacation with some diving. I speak your language.

I also understand the mathematics of dive trip costs. You are looking for an AI operation. Ala Carte guest house dive ops are very attractive, until you start to look at the extra costs of multiple dives and the extra time required to secure meals, etc. Many will decry the lack of "island flavor" that AI's isolate you from, but if you're there to dive, well then, dive. Good for you.. a real diver out for maximum bottom time.

Yes, you have missed something. As far as the shore dive option goes, take a good look at CoCoView. You can get 4 boat tanks plus one or more shore dives a day. I do 27 in a one week stay, all for the AI price~ and they cook the meals.

A great alternative is also liveaboard trips. Maximum diving, no charge for doing more than the other folks!

Not sure at all what you talked about "off-gas on Sunday", as almost every Caribbean option is a Sat>Sat booking, making the 'off gassing day' a Friday... before the Saturday flight.

One good thing about paying the $50 upcharge for a club-run or LDS dive trip- they deal with the airline tix, the land transfers, and whatever else. If they are hitting you more than $50 for a Craibbean "hosted trip" or $100 for s SoPac- they're screwing you as their comps should have covered their employee's expenses anyway. Compare the real costs before you blow them off- if they're going to handle the headaches. I have been to some far-flung destinations and was certainly glad that some trip leader had a handle on it for me.

 

[DeputyDan]

COCO View would work for the OP as a reasonable price point.

 

[jl_va_21]

Oh yeah, I forgot to include Honduras options. I have looked at CoCo View and others there. Is the current political situation in Honduras something that one should consider? I seem to hear three schools of thought:

1. Honduras is too unstable right now and should be avoided.
2. Roatan/Utila are isolated and safe, fly directly there and you are fine. ($700 from here)
3. Honduras is fine, connection through the mainland, whatever. ($250 from here).

My guess is that #2, is the most correct - yes?

 

[jl_va_21]

Oh, as for the off-gassing on Sunday item. For my own beliefs, I try to avoid diving on Sunday. So if I were to schedule my own trip somewhere, my first choice would be fly back Monday. Doing the Sat->Sat arrangement, I basically lose two days. (one on each end). However, that is something I can accept if the rest of the trip gives me plenty of time to be underwater and make up for the lost day.

 

[robint]

Here's another vote for CocoView resort. Fly directly in and out of Roatan.
As far as the diving on Sunday thing, it might be an issue there as they do the mandatory dive briefing on Sunday morning with a required shore dive with a DM right afterwards. This is to show you how to find your way out to the area known as the "front yard", both walls where they drop you off, and the wrecks. This is always done Sunday mornings. This is done before lunch, then after lunch most people load up on the boats to go out for the afternoon 2-tk dives. I am sure you would be fine skipping those, just be sure to let the DM know not to put your gear on the boat.
Going to CCV alone though might be more $$ than you want to spend. You can tell them you want to share a room with someone and they will try to get you a buddy, but that may not happen so you will get charged accordingly. BUT there are several dive groups that go during the spring who will let you join them and then you won't be paying extra. The group leaders are all SB members, so you can post down on the Bay Islands sub-forum in Central American Forum that you want to join them.

If that wouldn't work for you, I would go to Bonaire or check out a liveaboard, like RoatanMan suggested. Cocoview is the closest thing you will find to a liveaboard, and Bonaire is second as far as dive dive dive kind of trip. You would probably be able to get a dive buddy to share your expenses with right here on SB, down on the Caribbean Forum. There is a sub-forum for ABC islands and people post there daily about upcoming trips and looking for buddies. You have plenty of time to work the details out. My Bonaire videos: Bonaire on Vimeo

Liveaboard options - Nekton has boats going out of Ft. Lauderdale starting in late spring-summer to Bahamas. Nekton Cruises > Home I have done this twice and had a great time with 20+ dives each trip. Price is a bit higher that the other two options, but for singles it is a good option. Check out my trip reports, photos and videos: http://www.rnrscuba.net/NektonRorqual_TripReport.html

robin

 

[Doc]

Roatan is pretty much-so a "Saturday flight" kind of place. I guess there are other options, but Monday? Dunno.

2. Roatan/Utila are isolated and safe, fly directly there and you are fine. ($700 from here)
3. Honduras is fine, connection through the mainland, whatever. ($250 from here).

My guess is that #2, is the most correct - yes?

I would go with #2, flying direct to Roatan for a couple of reasons....

- Less chance of delayed luggage
- Quicker and a whole lot less wear on your body

The personal/public safety issue of the Honduran mainland airport doesn't really appear on my "big list o' fears".

If you really wanted to take the circuitous route (cheaper?), I would overnight in a city like San Salvador... this is TACA's base of operations in it's flag country, El Salvador. An overnight at the Intercontinental is a comparatively inexpensive luxury. I have found nothing attractive in any of the Honduran mainland stopover cities.

Fly direct. Get to your vacation sooner.

 

[jl_va_21]

Thanks for all the input. The more I think about it, Bonaire makes a lot of sense to me. Diving wise, it has everything I'm looking for. If I'm going to go Sat->Sat and lose a day anyway, at least I'll be doing it somewhere that is not super expensive and where I can still get in a lot of dives. Looks like even getting a two-bedroom place is not too bad. An arrangement like that might be attractive to another solo diver like me looking for a way to do a Bonaire trip. For that matter, that person could just do their boat dives on Sunday, then join me for primarily shore diving the rest of the week.

I'm a rather detail oriented person who likes putting together all these sorts of logistics, so if someone else is looking to offload some of that work (like you would to the LDS) but would like some say in the itenerary and such, then I might be able to find someone interested in joining me. Does that sound like a reasonable strategy?

Let me know if you have any other tips.

 

[DeputyDan]

Bonaire away from the water is cheap IMHO.

On the water can be pricey - depending on where you stay.

 

[jl_va_21]

I've been looking at Bonaire Oceanfront Apartments. Seem to have a Buddy Dive shop on site and have good rates on rooms (going with the theory that 2-bd/ba would be preferable in attracting an unknown buddy) and included truck rental. If I did something like that it looks like I could work it out like this (low season)

Apartment (7 nts) = $1000-ish
Truck = $350
Diving (unl shore + 6 boat) = $265
---------------------------------
Total = 1615
Divide by 2 people = 807.50 each, plus airfare and food.

That seems like a pretty good price. Am I missing something obvious? I'd probably shoot for late April once the price goes to low season.

Anyone suggest some other place instead or having any other tips... or want to come along