Support your local Dive Operators

[Wookie]

So the solution is to Dive Into Fiscal Fitness®? In a healthy market, when demand drops relative to supply, prices drop to create demand. Mme Antoinette would find out the hard way that an unhealthy market is difficult ..... to swallow .....

View attachment 157620

The market is not healthy. Dive operators don't charge what the market will bear as in your example, they charge what they have to pay for dockage, fuel, crew, and food, then some pittance for vessel maintenance. When operators cut prices, it has to come from somewhere, to witness the demise of the Nekton Diving Cruises (Maintenance) or me moving to Florida (fuel). Anyone who drops prices in diving is playing with fire, because we're already cut to the bone.

But you would scream if an open water class cost $1150, a weekend liveaboard to the Flower Gardens was $750, a 2 tank on lake Travis was $110, or your regulator service was $200. You'd shore dive Lake Travis, not repair your reg unless it failed, and get a buddy to show you how to dive.

 

[francousteau]

I always ask the same question, when prices off the Texas Gulf are brought up. Why $275 for a 2 tank, with an approximately 30min ea. timed dive? In NJ, where I got my diving chops, the cost is $100 to go anywhere from 9mi out to 35mi out and NO timed dives, plus you can deco if you're qualified (and drop into the water with your same ocean buddy). They have the same fuel costs (maybe higher), the same dock fee's (maybe higher), same vessel maintenance. Or what about the operators in NC, where they're going out 40+mi for $220 (rebreather &/or tech dives). Then there's the east coast of Florida where 2 tank dives are $65 everywhere (ok..these are timed dives, etc). The Fling is a whole different thing and I'm not talking about their prices, but they seem fair.

Of course none of this means jack to me really, because none of these Texas Gulf boats (including the Fling) allow rebreathers.

Just sayin

 

[lowviz]

...//... and drop into the water with your same ocean buddy ...//...

Home, sweet home. You just sayin?

You forgot $80 for an inshore dive, same ocean, wrecks and reefs, 30' shallower...

 

[ReefHound]

I always ask the same question, when prices off the Texas Gulf are brought up. Why $275 for a 2 tank, with an approximately 30min ea. timed dive?n

First, the day op I DM for charges $220 for a 3 tank trip. Second, there is a matter of volume.

 

[francousteau]

First, the day op I DM for charges $220 for a 3 tank trip. Second, there is a matter of volume.

Ok, I'm biting....

Olympus Dive Center in NC is $220 for a tech/rebreather trip, not a 3 tank single numpty dive. So not an apples for apples comparison. Then of course, would your OP even let me on with a rebreather and dive the kind of dive that I dive?

To the matter of volume... if the boat you're crewing for is full, the OP will drop the price? (and I'm not talking about a private charter)

As for myself...I don't mind spending the money for diving, but I'm going to pay for the kind of diving that I do. I'm not going to travel from Dallas to the Texas Gulf (either 5+hrs by car or approx. $140RT by plane), get a hotel for 2 nights (I'm not driving back directly after the dives, nor can I fly directly after), drop $220 for a 3 tank splash that I'm limited by depth/time. Fuhgetaboutit, ain't happening. Sorry, but I can pay the approx $225RT to fly to Florida and dive. Of course it helps that I have a buddy there that I can stay with too, right Rick?

---------- Post added June 21st, 2013 at 07:29 AM ----------

Home, sweet home. You just sayin?

You forgot $80 for an inshore dive, same ocean, wrecks and reefs, 30' shallower...

Yeah, that's what I'm saying
I'll be back in August to get my fix

 

[ReefHound]

Ok, I'm biting....

Olympus Dive Center in NC is $220 for a tech/rebreather trip, not a 3 tank single numpty dive. So not an apples for apples comparison. Then of course, would your OP even let me on with a rebreather and dive the kind of dive that I dive?

To the matter of volume... if the boat you're crewing for is full, the OP will drop the price? (and I'm not talking about a private charter)

Well maybe it's not for you. Never said it works for all. Lots of people do drive back to Dallas after the trip.

Rebreathers allowed. We have two on rebreather this Sunday. Only thing is we don't want you changing sorb or tinkering on a bouncy boat, have it ready to go. Profiles need to work within the profiles of the other divers. That is something to discuss and plan.

What I mean by volume is number of divers per trip AND frequency of trips. Overhead gets allocated, if you can only go out one or two days per month due to demand or weather then that allocated cost is higher than if you can go out 15-20 days per month. Olympus is a popular charter (the manager is a personal friend) in a bona fide dive destination, running daily charters in the summer. There isn't enough demand in Texas for a day charter to run scheduled trips every weekend. It's pretty much by advance booking only.

 

[AfterDark]

I always ask the same question, when prices off the Texas Gulf are brought up. Why $275 for a 2 tank, with an approximately 30min ea. timed dive? In NJ, where I got my diving chops, the cost is $100 to go anywhere from 9mi out to 35mi out and NO timed dives, plus you can deco if you're qualified (and drop into the water with your same ocean buddy). They have the same fuel costs (maybe higher), the same dock fee's (maybe higher), same vessel maintenance. Or what about the operators in NC, where they're going out 40+mi for $220 (rebreather &/or tech dives). Then there's the east coast of Florida where 2 tank dives are $65 everywhere (ok..these are timed dives, etc). The Fling is a whole different thing and I'm not talking about their prices, but they seem fair.

Of course none of this means jack to me really, because none of these Texas Gulf boats (including the Fling) allow rebreathers.

Just sayin

Same deal up here in RI except the price is closer to $140.00 2tank no timed dives same ocean buddy etc......

 

[Bill Parker]

One of the problem is most divers don't actually dive or dive very little. I was
chatting with some guy at the Aqua Trek dive shop the other day and he
said 89% of divers never dive even ONCE after they complete their open
water. (I'll speculate the statistic is from SSI's marketing research.) That's
far worse than I thought. My perception was people get certified and go do
a few local dives and at least one trip to Cozumel (or something easily to
travel to within a day by air) and lose interest. I already know several
people personally that have followed that pattern. But 89% never even
get started? Shocking. No wonder I have so much trouble finding someone
to dive with and boat operators have trouble filling a dive boat on a regular
basis. I've wanted to go to South Padre Island YEARS for and just want someone
I can share the travel/lodging expenses with. No takers so far and no interest
expressed but I have no doubt there is fun to be had there. Rigs have been
on my agenda since 2009 but I have found no one interested. I finally drove
down to Freeport by myself twice during last Fall/Winter and had a blast on
Captain Beard's boat. I don't understand why people will spend thousands on
plane tickets and hotels and travel all across the world when there's fun
stuff just a few hours away by car. Six million people in the D/FW area and not
one wants to drive a measly four hour trip to Freeport? (But will spend 16
hours on planes and getting violated by the TSA!) Hrmph.

 

[Cyprian]

I'll throw my hat in the mix as well......

First, a question for Reefhound: Does Capt. Beard allow doubles on his charters? I understand if the boat is not conducive to a doubles setup, but I prefer doubles on deeper dives.

Second, for some odd reason my personal post search has turned up empty, but I know I've asked this question before...so I apologize for asking again but: Why only 4 divers? It is space limited or are we talking about Coast Guard requirements. I see smaller dive boats in Fl that are certified to hold 10-12 divers. Why is there no dive boat in Texas (other than the Fling or the Diver One in South Padre) that takes out more than 4 divers? Simple math 4 divers x $220 or 10 divers at say $120.....more money in the latter.

Again I believe Wookie answered this question once about getting over 6 divers and the Coast Guard inspection rules change.......anyway please feel free to step in and correct my misinformation. I know nothing about charter boats other than how to carry gear on one and go diving.

As far as activity, we pretty much dive every weekend....but we hang out around the lakes. I know that my group would love to come dive the rigs, if we find a charter boat that will allow divers to dive doubles.

Let's get this thread going, folks.....I'd hope to see more comments and information exchange. We might be able to get more going for the Gulf charters if we simply start going there to dive and take pics/videos to share with local dive clubs and groups. It's a worthy cause in my book.

Safe diving.

---------- Post added June 22nd, 2013 at 09:47 PM ----------

I have confirmed with Capt Tim at American Diving in SPI that they do allow doubles.......but there is an upcharge. Franco, I'll ask the same question about rebreathers and let you know.

Doubles and breather friendly Gulf boats will generate some business....for those who are watching and interested.

Safe diving.

---------- Post added June 22nd, 2013 at 10:12 PM ----------

And Captain Beard has responded to me on Facebook (no offense to you Reefhound as I'm sure you have been busy this weekend).

Doubles are allowed on his boat as well.

This keeps getting better. I am currently working on a doubles charter with Capt. Beard in August........

 

[Cap335]

There are a couple of problems local operators face that keepps the price up.
#1 Lack of marketing - only one of the local boats has ever come into our store to promote thier business. How many have approached the local clubs. Dive shop and club list aren't that hard to find.
#2 Weather - the last couple of years we have had bad weather on the weekend when most divers can go out, also we tend to have shorter wave periods than the east coast making our seas choppier
#3 Perception - the water along the coast most people never consider that the water clears up as you go out. You hardly ever see any media coverage of diving in Texas, so most people don't think about diving opertunities offshore.
#4 Travel - Texans in general seem to be willing to travel for thier fun time activities so the idea of having to make a quick trip to the Carribean or Florida is not problem.