Cheap shore diving vacation?

[herbdb]

One alert. Most the cheap flights I have found to Bonaire are redeye specials. Arrive at 5 in the morning. Can't get into most places till after 3. The shore diving is excellent and worth it but you might be pounded for a couple days.

We were able to get quaranteed early checkin on our last two trips to Capt Dons and have it at Den Laman for an upcoming Sept trip. You just need to specify it in your reservation.

I love the Red-eye flights. Arrive at 5AM, one person gets rental truck, other waits for for checked bags. Check in for a short nap then make the dive briefing, usually around 9AM. Now you are ready to dive on your arrival day. No lost time, you can easily rest and still get a couple of dives. You can't do that with PM arrivals.

Added --------

A studio apt at Den Laman is about $650 pp, with unlimited shore driving and truck. You will have a full kitchen and can save $$ eating some meals in. Some of the best shore diving is right out front. Great for easy night dives.

 

[Steve Eady]

I go to Maui for a pretty inexpensive dive vacation. Do all the booking myself and save a ton. Going in a few weeks and this is what we paid for 8 nights.
Studio Condo on the beach with ocean view $ 549.00 with all taxes and parking in Kahana. Nice place, we have stayed here several times
Air fair with taxes round trip from SMF $ 429.00 each
Rental car thru budget $ 240.00
Unlimited shore diving $ 0.00
Memories are priceless

 

[ianr33]

There's really 4 places for shorediving in the Caribbean. (I consider Cozumel as part of Mexico)

Bonaire (60+ sites)
Curacao (40+ sites)
Aruba (15 sites)
St. Croix (9 sites)

Guess all those dives I've done in Cayman must have just been a dream?

 

[diversteve]

Oops...although in my defense - "Cheap shore diving vacation?" is kind of a stretch there.

 

[robint]

we always do that Red-eye out of Houston, Buddy's picks us up at airport. Once we check-in, they send us off to the Breakfast buffet and tell us our bags can stay there at the office until our room is ready. Our room both trips, has been ready after breakfast. We saw a few people whose rooms weren't ready until lunchtime, but only a few. If you consider most people fly back out in the early am, the maids usually have several hours to get rooms done. (I think our return flight was 8am, so they had us checking out at front desk at 5am, then loaded everyone and luggage on bus for airport to get us there by 6am checkin. )
Personally, I like that red-eye... we were diving that same day of arrival, after lunch. No time wasted.

robin

 

[ianr33]

Oops...although in my defense - "Cheap shore diving vacation?" is kind of a stretch there.

Afraid I'm going to disagree there as well

Share a condo with friends. Rent a small jeep. Get unlimited air/nitrox from Divetech. Take your alcohol with you and eat in.
Can be done for $1000/week plus flight. (Which can be as low as $300-350 out of Houston)

The divings not too shabby either.

 

[scubahawk27]

I go to Maui for a pretty inexpensive dive vacation. Do all the booking myself and save a ton. Going in a few weeks and this is what we paid for 8 nights.
Studio Condo on the beach with ocean view $ 549.00 with all taxes and parking in Kahana. Nice place, we have stayed here several times
Air fair with taxes round trip from SMF $ 429.00 each
Rental car thru budget $ 240.00
Unlimited shore diving $ 0.00
Memories are priceless

What! I thought you weren't coming? You could of had a 2700 sq ft house for free!


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