Sell me on your Dive Shop or Resort

[Kristi@CCDS]

Ok, so, my husband and I are looking to take a trip (7 day 6 night)budget is preferably under or around $5k flights included (we live in FL and can fly out of Orlando). We are open ended on destination. We would prefer a rebreather/tec friendly shop or resort and the ability to do at least one dive below 250 ft (deeper is good too) the remaining dives can be shallow. I also shoot still photo, so places with lots of life to shoot, or cool wrecks are high on the list. I have a few places in mind but there are more divers on here who are greater traveled than I. I've only been to Mexico, so dazzle me! Thanks!

-Kristi

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Red Sea ... MV Tala. They will meet all of your criteria and more ... and they offer helium and scooters ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

I'd suggest the Odyssey and Truk (Chuuk). They are set up for deep dives and technical dives however I doubt they can meet your budget unless the $5000 you suggest is per person. Also, I'm not sure they do 250 foot dives. They have a few sites that are at 150 feet, some at 200 feet, and Pizion Reef at 200+ feet.

I retract this suggestion as I understand the typhoon and grounded the Oddyssey and the Siren on a reef, and the Thorofin may be missing. A land based resort did not suffer too much damage.

 

[Doc]

The Atlantis (Batangas/Pto Galera) is very heavy metal friendly.

"Cool Wrecks"?

That's an open-ended term. Deep stuff, using your exotic toys? Any weekly dive-op will take some heavy convincing just to let you get near such deep wrecks enough to just see, nobody is going to let you waltz inside at 200fsw after knowing you for 20 minutes (or even four days).

As far as Truk (or any other destination that we see marketed as a "liveaboard only" destination) there is more than the standard advertised way to do it. Land based can be a cheaper option.

"Real wrecks", versus tourist attraction placed wrecks? - Look to the Res Sea for the cheapest option that might come close to your budget. Close.

Dragging that stuff around with you on airlines might put a crimp in your overall budget. That, and the camera gear on the same luggage allowance might be a problem. Also- most of the crazy-cool destinations where you might use CCR are essentially "expedition level" trips as the carriage of such bulk and weight would be problematic. So- Renting that CCR? The destination list diminishes precipitously... in the same proportion as additional costs will then pile up.

At $2500 x 2, you might want to put this kind of adventure off for a year and sell your children first.

Now, just for a , Champagne?



If your budget was actually $5000/pax, please forgive the above linked digression.

 

[Oldbear]

I am looking at Kosrae. He has dived about 2% of the island and still has many parts unseen my humans. You can hit Hawaii on the way and return trip or jump on over to Chuuk / Truk Lagoon...all the same island hoping flight. I believe you can get a flight discount if you visit more than one island.

Kosrae Village Dive & Eco Adventure Resort, The Best Tropical Pacific Ocean Diving

 

[Imla]

Depends on when you want to go but come to NORWAY!
Fly to Bergen, get picked up by Gulen Dive Resort. They have GORGEOUS wrecks! They are Tech/CCR friendly. Living is a bit shabby, but the diving makes up for it.
Gulen Dive Resort Home - Gulen Dive Resort

Have a look at the twin-wreck Fernedale/Parat! This is an "all you can eat buffet". Parat is at around 60m... Fernedale continues from about 2m from Parat and doesn't end until you are at around 12-10m. From there you have a gorgeous "nature-dive" with a natural ledge at 6-3m for you deco.

 

[Bryan Cunningham]

The question is WHEN do you plan to travel?

 

[Kristi@CCDS]

Thanks for all the wonderful replies, I will look at these for a future trip. We finally picked a spot, heading to Dominican Republic in July! Really looking forward to it. I am interested in a few of these spots for later on though so I appreciate all the good help and info!

 

[diversteve]

We would prefer a rebreather/tec friendly shop or resort and the ability to do at least one dive below 250 ft (deeper is good too)

Divetech offers all that. No deep wrecks that I know of but the wall off the property drops about 4-5000' IIRC... Divetech - Grand Cayman scuba diving

The Kittiwake is one of the signature dive attractions but it's shallow and diver cleaned. Kittiwake Sites in Cayman, Kittiwake Wreck Dive - Kittiwake Cayman