New Diver! Recommendations Please!

[KathyV]

Most likely traveling solo. Budget-wise i'm not too sure yet, but probably in the ball park of a $1000-2000 or less for the trip.

Does that include airfare? That's a pretty low budget and you are planning to travel over the holidays during the high season - so things may be pricey.

 

[KathyV]

I got this holiday dive offer by email today (see link below) and it says that they still have some dates open but I don't know if they have availability for the specific dates you want.

For $1420 at the Cobalt Coast resort on Grand Cayman you get 2 boat dives per day, lodgings, meals, transfers, taxes, and resort service charges. You also get unlimited shore dives on the house reef, but that end of the island may be too windy to shore dive during the winter. There would also be a single supplement charge and you'd need airfare to Grand Cayman.

GCM is usually pretty easy to get to, and sometimes cheaper and easier than trying to reach more remote areas like Roatan - but again - it's the holidays so it might be more expensive to travel to many destinations.

This is just one option, I am sure that there are others, good luck!

Holiday At Home

 

[jonhall]

I have been looking at some dive resorts/ shops in the keys, as well as trying to get to Bimini, Bahamas.
Also, any logistic/ travel help and tips (ie. getting places inexpensively) would help greatly!

Wish I could speak from experience on what I'm about to provide, but I can't. Only know of it from when I was looking at options for myself to get to Grand Bahama. There is a fast ferry to Bimini from Miami (2 hours one-way) and one from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama (about 2 ½ hours one-way) with options included for stays at a resort, some all-inclusive.

The round trip ferry is much less than round trip airfare, although a 45 minute flight is pretty short. Several of the ferry and stay packages were between $400 - $500 for Grand Bahama, again, some all-inclusive but diving not included. A few packages with a couple of nights at a resort, including the round trip ferry, were less than just airfare only. There are several dive ops nearby the resorts I saw listed, if not at the resort itself. You would want to research things such as if there would be an extra fee depending on the amount or size of luggage and where dive ops are in relation to the place you stayed. I would also be looking at weather/water conditions for the time you are going. We stayed in Freeport, Grand Bahama for 2 weeks in April last year and had several days the op we used didn't go out - but the days we did had really good conditions.

If you were spending anytime in Florida first that included diving, the ferry might be an option as you wouldn't have to worry about a 24 hour period before flying after diving.

 

[drbill]

Welcome to the world of diving. In the Keys I enjoyed diving with Conch Republic in Tavernier and for the Bahamas I enjoyed a Blackbeard's liveaboard and Stuart Cove.

 

[drrich2]

Most likely traveling solo. Budget-wise i'm not too sure yet, but probably in the ball park of a $1000-2000 or less for the trip.

If that counts airfare, you just shortened the list a good deal. I'd compare Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan, Blackbeards and the Juliet trips to start.

Be mindful Southwest Airlines offers 2 free checked bags, and does not show up as an option on Orbitz. If you are near a Southwest inclusive airport, and flying to a destination they serve, the 'Wanna Get Away' tickets can get the airfare down a good deal.

 

[KathyV]

Welcome to the world of diving. In the Keys I enjoyed diving with Conch Republic in Tavernier and for the Bahamas I enjoyed a Blackbeard's liveaboard and Stuart Cove.

If that counts airfare, you just shortened the list a good deal. I'd compare Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan, Blackbeards and the Juliet trips to start. Be mindful Southwest Airlines offers 2 free checked bags, and does not show up as an option on Orbitz. If you are near a Southwest inclusive airport, and flying to a destination they serve, the 'Wanna Get Away' tickets can get the airfare down a good deal.

When the OP first asked this question I assumed that he would be traveling soon, in the Summer, but since he is traveling during the more expensive holiday season that may change things. He should also be aware that the water in the Bahamas and Florida the starts to get colder at that time of year; like mid to low 70's - I'm a bit of a wimp and I like warmer water.

Blackbeard's is the obvious, easy answer for a young diver traveling alone and on a limited budget, but again my only hesitation is that there isn't usually a divemaster in the water with divers on the BB cruises. The OP was just recently certified - so it might be better for him to dive with a divemaster for some more dives, but I may be over-thinking, they are usually pretty easy dives.

 

[noj3333]

I just did a quick travelocity.com search...

Round trip air to/ from Clevland...
Outbound flight departs at 7:30am arrives at 4:00pm, 1 layover in DFW for 3hrs....
Return flight departs at 4:50pm, arrives in Cleveland at 12:16am, 1 layover in DFW for just shy of 2 hrs...
January 6-14 (8 days)
Staying at the 2tank Dive Hostel
TOTAL $620

6 Days of 2 tank diving with BLUE XT will set you back roughly $575 (total with hotel/ flight $1200)

Budget another $120 for DM tips, and two taxi rides (to/from the airport in COZ) (Running total $1320)

$30/ day for food... so another $240 equals $1560...

All and all this 'package' has good flight times (granted on AA, without a checked bag)...
Overall, ok, lodging...
A good, well respected dive operator...
Fair tips for the DM's...
And lastly, a fair budget for food...

YMMV!!

 

[drbill]

Blackbeard's is the obvious, easy answer for a young diver traveling alone and on a limited budget, but again my only hesitation is that there isn't usually a divemaster in the water with divers on the BB cruises. The OP was just recently certified - so it might be better for him to dive with a divemaster for some more dives, but I may be over-thinking, they are usually pretty easy dives.

Hmmm, my memory may be off but I think when I did my trip with them the divemaster was in the water. I remember on the first night dive no one wanted to go and even the divemaster wasn't interested (grrr) so I wasn't allowed to do that dive. If the DM isn't going with the group, I agree.

 

[KathyV]

Hmmm, my memory may be off but I think when I did my trip with them the divemaster was in the water. I remember on the first night dive no one wanted to go and even the divemaster wasn't interested (grrr) so I wasn't allowed to do that dive. If the DM isn't going with the group, I agree.

That's not what I remember but we were on Blackbeards a long time ago so things may have changed. I found the statement below under the FAQs on the Blackbeards web site, so it is probably only the moored dive sites that may not have a dive guide in the water - but they were usually pretty easy dives if I recall correctly.

Will there be a dive guide in the water with us?

The dives offered on Blackbeard’s are unescorted. The instructor on board will give you a good, in depth briefing before each dive describing the conditions, the current, depth, and it will include a visual aide. The instructor and/or staff will be in the water for all drift dives and the shark feed! We do have crewmembers that would be happy to act as guides when they aren’t busy with other duties.

 

[Clevelandguy]

I just got certified last month in Roatan. I stayed at bananarama and its very inexpensive. Belize was about double the price for diving.
I'm headed to key largo in November and staying in Homestead for 5 nights. Airfare, hotel and a car is only 700$ from Cleveland. Rainbow Reef is very economical.
I'm also planning my next trip for May of next year. I'm a solo traveler as well.
After seeing the responses I'm going to check out blackbeards and Cozumel.