Max Dives Per Dollar

[Rich Keller]

I use a sit on top kayak to increase the shore diving options and dive off it up to a mile off shore. Malibu Two XL | Ocean Kayak This works great in my area where shore access is very limited. I can reach 90% of the Long Island shore line from existing put-ins paddling under 5 miles. I use a tandem kayak as it can carry more weight then a single.

 

[Wookie]

Did you always feel that way rjack321 or is it that you have greater appreciation for "great" dive locales now that you have more experience?

It's been my experience and observation that most new divers will not find any mundane dive site, mundane. One needs to have been diving for awhile before able to fully appreciate the beauty and diversity of a "great" dive site anyway. That being the case, the new diver might as well save money in the early stages and dive their butt off!

I have over 6,000 dives. I don't think I've been on a boring dive yet. I can find something (or lots) to look at in an expanse of sand. Sure, I enjoy the megafauna as much as anyone, and the beautiful coral, and the wrecks, and the fans and the octocorals and the garden eels and the hogfish and the .....

Point is, a dive is what you make it, and I am amazed every time I breathe air underwater. Just the act of diving is magical.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Wookie, I completely agree! My use of "mundane " was intended to be referring back to rjack321's post.

So! What's wrong with getting the most dives for the buck? Not a damn thing!!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

One of the reasons I enjoy diving with new divers is because everything's fresh, new and exciting to them. It enhances my dive experience when my buddy gets excited about some commonplace critter that I've seen so many times I otherwise wouldn't even notice. It's a nice reminder of why I got into diving in the first place.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Corleone]

it might be a bit off-topic (BHB) but, if there is a will, you can dive on weekends for free. my friend do that and I'm a witness.

what he do, is, throught an agreement, he gets a boat with tanks and equipments from a major dive center (multiple boats on different locations and cities ), he inform us through whats'up and facebook. usually a picture of some fins, mask and a snorkel on a sandy beach as a background for some ultra cheap deal per person!! usually there is around 10-15 diver on that boat.

he dives for free and get a commission from the dive center! I know, not every body can do that but, as I said, if there is a will, you can dive for free.

 

[BRT]

it might be a bit off-topic (BHB) but, if there is a will, you can dive on weekends for free. my friend do that and I'm a witness.

what he do, is, throught an agreement, he gets a boat with tanks and equipments from a major dive center (multiple boats on different locations and cities ), he inform us through whats'up and facebook. usually a picture of some fins, mask and a snorkel on a sandy beach as a background for some ultra cheap deal per person!! usually there is around 10-15 diver on that boat.

he dives for free and get a commission from the dive center! I know, not every body can do that but, as I said, if there is a will, you can dive for free.

If he organizes all that he isn't diving for free. He has just found a way to pay for his diving.

 

[rjack321]

Did you always feel that way rjack321 or is it that you have greater appreciation for "great" dive locales now that you have more experience?

It's been my experience and observation that most new divers will not find any mundane dive site, mundane. One needs to have been diving for awhile before able to fully appreciate the beauty and diversity of a "great" dive site anyway. That being the case, the new diver might as well save money in the early stages and dive their butt off!

I've never been a 300 dive/year kinda diver. I think in my most prolific year I might have had 150-170 dives. But the reality is that I have other commitments, a boat, a CCR, sometimes an hour+ of deco, and some of my desired sites are many hours away. If I stayed close to home sure and recreational, sure I could do 3 or 4 dives on a Saturday at the same site. But I prefer (new to me) destination dives now more than ever. I do about 45 to 50 dives a year instead. Some end up costing me over $400 USD each (if you amortize out the lodging, the boat, the fills, the fuel, airfare etc)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... which is all well and good, but not sure how that's an appropriate approach to be recommending in the New Divers thread. For a new diver, pretty much any dive is going to be providing something new to them ... and more bottom time will provide, in almost any circumstance, greater joy and benefit than a boat, CCR, and an hour's worth of deco time ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mainedvr]

Scuba is an expensive hobby, there's really no way around that. Fortunately it's totally worth it, but that doesn't stop me from (trying to) be stingy.

I've done a handful of boat charters with the folks I got my cert with, and a few more shore dives on my own with my fiancee. Personally I have a bit of an issue slinging out $65 + 20 for tanks (per person x 2) for a two tank dive. Just about every charter in my area is the same price or higher, so it's easy to blow $200 a weekend for two hours bottom time (not incl rental gear).

As I'm buying gear I can't help but think I'm stuck spending in the triple digits a month on charters alone!

My question to you guys is how do you get your bottom time in a fiscally efficient way? Mostly shore dives, occasional charter, liveaboards, vacations, clubs, etc? Is there some secret way all you guys with 100-200 dives are getting your bottom time cheaply, or do I just need to quit whining and open up my wallet?

I'm fortunate enough to live about five minutes away from one of the best shore dives in the US (or so I'm told), the Blue Heron Bridge, so it is a staple for me. I'm just slightly concerned it might lose it's magic after 20+ dives there. So can any shore divers chime in on getting bored diving the same spots?

Thanks everyone

I hear ya, but personally I love to dive and while I am frugal I am not looking at it from a per dive cost analisis. We do have a charter boat that is 115 bucks and takes you to the reefs off our coast that you can swim out to from shore thats about 60 bucks a dive, now shore the surf can stop you but if it does the dives off the boat are not usually any better just easier to get there. But to answer your question, I think all of your ideas are good and that breaks up the cost. We go to the Catalina dive park for a few days sometimes and four of us do anywhere from 6-15 dives depending on the days we are there and it cost us about 1000 dollars or so to stay if we dont eat out all the time. so that is about 250 each if we do 10 dives 25 a dive and its fun. Did a liveaboard it was like 110 a day when you averaged it out did four dives most days so about 25 bucks a dive there too and different scenery.

You will find what works best for you, have fun and if you love to dive well it is going to cost you. Oh one more point I use to race bikes cycling and talk about expesnsive my bike alone was 5k oh that was the first one and I wrecked it and had to buy another, then I paid to race ect....I think I am broken...

 

[Doc Harry]

Shore dives give you max bang for buck

Long term: If you have water nearby but not a dive shop, sometimes you can get tanks filled cheaply at the fire department. Next best thing is to buy a compressor and fill your own tanks.