Stubborn me... now solo travel to Bonaire

[Wookie]

I suppose it depends on what you're looking for, but I've never seen the value in booking trips through any of the LDS in my area. I always look at upcoming trips just to see what is going on but find them to be pricey and at times that aren't convenient for me. Also part of the fun and adventure of a dive trip for me is planning the details. I like to explore all the possibilities, read different opinions and so on. I can see though that if you prefer not to have to plan, don't like dealing with all the details, aren't particularly comfortable with international travel and so on that having your LDS set up these trips would have its appeal and value. Also if you're new to the sport and don't have the skills or confidence then having your instructor nearby would be comforting.

And I am just the opposite. I want to call someone, tell them when I have time off and find out where they are going. If I haven't been there yet, I want to give them a credit card number and have them tell me what time to show up where. I'd also like a checklist of what to pack, and if I can pay them to come pack for me, all the better.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

To respond to the comments made by oly5050user...

I waited 15 minutes to get my rental truck at the airport last time I was on the island. Not too bad really.

The whole "breakfast included" pricing is really lost on me. I'm perfectly content with a cup of tea and some oatmeal. That can easily be brought in your luggage from home. I ate at Buddy's once. The food was OK. I did like watching the sunset from their bar. However, I prefer to eat elsewhere or prepare food on my own. Some of the restaurants in town are quite good (El Fagon Latino, Pasa Bon Pizza, etc.). There are a few places in town to get food/groceries to cook in your kitchen. The place where we stay has a kitchenette included with every room. The room isn't on the water, but I see the water everyday at home. It's no big deal. I go to Bonaire for the shore diving...not the pool...not the bar...not the boat dives. I don't require a guide pointing out frogfish or seahorses for me. I have too much fun looking for them on my own. Where I stay, the rooms are clean, there are lockable storage closets for dive gear, there are dunk buckets for rinsing gear, and you can park your truck right in front of your room.

I don't mind driving 5 - 10 minutes to get to a dive site. Shore diving is so convenient there that you can easily get in 4 to 5 dives a day. If you decide to stay elsewhere, the folks at Buddy's are nice enough to allow you to dive from their dock. I pull up my truck right near the dock, unload the gear, and then re-park the truck in their lot during the dive. Very easy.

I agree with oly5050user that it might be somewhat inconvenient to be staying elsewhere and try to meet up with a group staying at a different resort. I guess it all depends on how much you value saving money and how much you like diving on your own. Personally, I hate diving in large groups. I guess that's why I'm not a big fan of boat dives. You tend to bring your crowd with you.

If you want to snag some extra certifications, it sounds like you should travel with oly5050user. Specialty certs for the price of the cert card. I have to admit that that's adding great value to the package price. The only piece of gear that I'm really worried about malfunctioning is my reg...and I bring an extra one of those. And I'd like to point out that for the amount of money you save by not staying at Buddy's, you can buy an extra reg setup.

For me, it's not worth it to pay 2.5 to 3 times the price to stay at Buddy's. I'm not comparing apples to oranges. I'm just planning my vacation the way I like to do it. YMMV.

Perhaps for your first Bonaire trip, it may be best to go with the large group at Buddy's...if for no other reason so that you can easily hook up with a buddy and make new friends. While you're on the island, you can do some recon on other hotel/condo accommodations.

Have a great trip. You'll really enjoy Bonaire.

 

[jkling17]

I don't think I can justify paying double what it would normally cost. Two questions:
- would you just say 'sounds fun, I want to go with the group and want to go to Bonaire, so I'll pay it'?
- If not, where would you recommend I stay for a solo traveler where I'm not going to get hit with the 'based on double occupancy' rates?
Thanks.

Yeah - the people who run your dive shop like to travel for free on your dime. This is common with some of them. They either bundle it into the cost like they are with you or they get like 1 free spot for every 10 they book.

What we used to do is organize our own group trips and put the discount back INTO the group. Or our club (not shop) does the same.

We're looking into Bonaire for March 13-20 2010 and it's just 4 of us so we're looking to perhaps rent a condo or something and do it a la cart.