Recession-proof diving tips--how to keep traveling?

[terryward90]

Hi everyone - I am looking for tips on how to keep traveling and diving during tough economic times. Do you have specific tips about how to cut costs while managing to stay in the water, both at home dive sites and farther afield, too? I would REALLY appreciate hearing your tips, as I am hope to share them with others, too. Thanks! Terry

 

[reo]

1. Join a dive club. Some clubs have compressors where members can get free fills.

2. If you use Nitrox, get a fill card. Our local LDS has Nitrox fills for $12 and 10-fill Nitrox cards for $96, which gives you Nitrox fills for $9.60 each.

3. Save your Nitrox for the second dive, using air on the first dive.

These steps will save you money for your local dives.

Ron

 

[caymaniac]

Use VRBO to find a spot to stay on the Island of your choice. Then when looking at the rates, offer a bit less than you would hope to pay. In these slower economic times people will deal with you and most likely take a price reduction from their rates...this has worked for me on a number of occasions.

 

[RJP]

3. Save your Nitrox for the second dive, using air on the first dive.

 

[robint]

#1 Look at diving closer to home, there is some FANTASTIC diving in the US.

We have found that a 3-day trip to Calif to dive is just as great as doing a 5-7 day trip to the Caribbean. We live 12 hour drive from there, so we can drive out on a Thurs, dive Fri-Sun, and then drive home on Mon. Many boats allow you to sleep onboard (bunkbeds but free) so that saves hotel costs every night except Sun.

Other places, like Florida or NC are inexpensive trips also and many people can drive to them, saving the cost and hassles of air travel. Both are wreck diving Meccas. In fact, some people think the WWII wrecks off NC are some of the best wreck dives in the world. San Diego, Calif also has some world class wreck diving.

#2 Buy your own gear and keep it well maintained. Rental gear sucks up diving dollars. If you have your own gear, you are more likely to go diving, too. Get wetsuits in 3mm, 5mm, 7mm, and then you have no excuse not to go diving someplace new.

robin

 

[Rhone Man]

If you do want to travel, as a rule of thumb, the recession is hitting dive operators and tourist resorts worse than you.

I have seen adverts for a couple of places in Bonaire basically asking divers to "make an offer" of what they would pay for diving/accommodation. There are some really good deals to be had or struck during a recession.

 

[cappyjon431]

We are located in Central America and we have actually seen an increase in divers over the past year. I believe it is because we are in an area frequented by backpackers and other budget-conscious travelers.
I have a few suggestions that can make diving cheaper:

1. Check out Spirit Airlines (Spirit Airlines - cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel). Their flight times are not great, but I recently flew from Panama City, Panama to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for $91, ROUNDTRIP! Check out their $9 fare club, they run some unbelievable specials throughout the Caribbean (not just Central America).

2. Look at the web site New Document . This is a site put together by 12 dive operators throughout Cental and South America that have agreed to give travelers a minimum of 5% discount off of diving/dive courses. Most operators are offering 10% off. Because backpackers often go from Mexico to Belize to Honduras (etc.) there are operators located in each of these countries. All shops are PADI Five Star Gold Palm operations and have met strict eligibility requirements.

3. Consider staying in hostels and/or budget hotels. For example, we have nice hostels in Bocas del Toro for $10/night and budget hotels (clean, but very basic) for $20/night.

4. Eat like the locals. The "local" restaurants here serve excellent food for very cheap (breakfast $2, lunch & dinner $3.50). Contrast that with the touristy restaurants ($8-$20 per meal) and you can save a bunch.

 

[cowdog77]

Go to the cheaper destinations for now and save the more expensive for when (if) the economy improves....ie....Cozumel, Bonaire, Roatan, Florida, Belize and less expensive liveaboards...Blackbeard, Nekton, Juliet.

Watch for airfare sales that are significant and then contact dive ops/resorts/hotels in those locations directly and see what they can do for you. Go in shoulder or off seasons and stay 7 nites instead of 9. Lately one way fares are way cheap so you can get a chunk off airfare by using your few FF miles for a one way ticket and pay full price for return.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

I do this in Cozumel.....your 1st dive is usually deeper and shorter....so you can go with air saves a little money....

I also try to stay at lower cost places and spend my money on the diving....eating like the locals that already has been mentioned...in some cases walk instead of taking a taxi or renting a car....

 

[RJP]

I do this in Cozumel.....your 1st dive is usually deeper and shorter....so you can go with air saves a little money....

If you're diving with the same op the whole trip the "all you can eat" nitrox is usually less expensive.