flybigjet
Contributor
Here's my dilemma:
Shore-based with Palau Dive Adventures (PDA). Hotel (PRR) for 10 nights (arrival to departure): Approx. $2600 (breakfast & taxes included). Five days of diving (3 dives/day, nitrox and lunch included for two people): Approx. $2000. I'd be on the hook for dinners for 10 nights, so estimate $1000. This puts me at about $5600 +/- from arrival to departure. Admittedly, I'll be spending additional money on kayak and/or Peleliu trips, but let's stay apples to apples.
Ocean Hunter III. Cost for 7 nights aboard/6 days diving at 5 dives/day, food and nitrox included) is approx. $7200. I'd have to get a hotel for 3 nights, so estimate $700 with another $300 for three days of food. That brings my costs to approx. $8200. Again, I'm leaving out kayak or Peleliu to keep things similar.
Basically, both PDA and OH-III have gotten very good reviews-- I don't think I can go wrong either way. BUT, I'm not made out of money, and this is only the first half of the vacation-- Truk follows immediately after.
Pro's to the shore base diving is exactly that: My wife isn't hard-core by any means and honestly? Three good dives a day are enough, especially if you can walk on a beach somewhere for lunch (my understanding is that PDA does two dives, lunch, then a final dive and back to the dock). The con is that you're using a small (and possibly cold) boat for two-three hours a day (but the view is great!).
Pro's to the OH-III are that everything is taken care of, you're doing nothing but diving, getting to the best spots early, etc. But, I don't think my wife will do more than three dives a day, so will she be bored hanging out on the boat?
So. Is being on the OH-III worth an additional $2600?
I DON'T KNOW! I thought I had this figured out, but now I'm going back and looking at all of the numbers........ I'm right back being overwhelmed with conflicting information.
Shore-based? Liveaboard?
Advice? Pretty Please?
R.
Shore-based with Palau Dive Adventures (PDA). Hotel (PRR) for 10 nights (arrival to departure): Approx. $2600 (breakfast & taxes included). Five days of diving (3 dives/day, nitrox and lunch included for two people): Approx. $2000. I'd be on the hook for dinners for 10 nights, so estimate $1000. This puts me at about $5600 +/- from arrival to departure. Admittedly, I'll be spending additional money on kayak and/or Peleliu trips, but let's stay apples to apples.
Ocean Hunter III. Cost for 7 nights aboard/6 days diving at 5 dives/day, food and nitrox included) is approx. $7200. I'd have to get a hotel for 3 nights, so estimate $700 with another $300 for three days of food. That brings my costs to approx. $8200. Again, I'm leaving out kayak or Peleliu to keep things similar.
Basically, both PDA and OH-III have gotten very good reviews-- I don't think I can go wrong either way. BUT, I'm not made out of money, and this is only the first half of the vacation-- Truk follows immediately after.
Pro's to the shore base diving is exactly that: My wife isn't hard-core by any means and honestly? Three good dives a day are enough, especially if you can walk on a beach somewhere for lunch (my understanding is that PDA does two dives, lunch, then a final dive and back to the dock). The con is that you're using a small (and possibly cold) boat for two-three hours a day (but the view is great!).
Pro's to the OH-III are that everything is taken care of, you're doing nothing but diving, getting to the best spots early, etc. But, I don't think my wife will do more than three dives a day, so will she be bored hanging out on the boat?
So. Is being on the OH-III worth an additional $2600?
I DON'T KNOW! I thought I had this figured out, but now I'm going back and looking at all of the numbers........ I'm right back being overwhelmed with conflicting information.
Shore-based? Liveaboard?
Advice? Pretty Please?
R.
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