Is $145 normal?

[PatMyGreen]

As a charter operator gratuity to my deckhands is both customary and appreciated. Its just like a restaurant 20% should be the norm for good service. I know thats what Itip when I'm on someone else's boat. If you don't feel you recieved good service please speak with managemnt so the situation can be addressed! Without knowning more about the charter it is impossible to evaluate whether that is a good deal, BTW. How big of a boat is it, how many other divers, level of service provided, ect ect.

 

[Empty V]

As a charter operator gratuity to my deckhands is both customary and appreciated. Its just like a restaurant 20% should be the norm for good service. I know thats what Itip when I'm on someone else's boat. If you don't feel you recieved good service please speak with managemnt so the situation can be addressed! Without knowning more about the charter it is impossible to evaluate whether that is a good deal, BTW. How big of a boat is it, how many other divers, level of service provided, ect ect.

See that's the thing, in California you just get much better service and twice as many dives for less money. The H2O Below is a 36' Newton with hot dogs on the ride home. The captain and crew were awesome and I had an amazing time. But, if you step back and compare it to what we pay in California, it's a rip off. That one dude said that I'm more interested in the food, no I'm more interested in a more comfortable trip and 4 dives(not 2) for less cash. All the boats seem to be charging those prices to the O. If you took one of our boats and dropped it in the gulf, in that market you could probably charge twice as much and run more often. It's natural for people to be defensive when someone tells them that they're getting jacked, because they don't want to admit it. They also don't have any alternatives for charters. Unless someone brings out a 70' boat fully setup with a compressor and food, I doubt the market will come down to reality.

Billy

 

[Wayward Son]

Hard to say you're getting jacked when that's the going rate in the area.

Charters are a bit cheaper in se FL than they are up here in PCB. Not a lot, but some. However, they have dive sites very close in & it doesn't take anywhere near as much fuel or more importantly time to get to them.

In PCB the closest site is 1.5 miles from the pass. the next ones are I think 7 miles or so out, compared to maybe a mile to 2 miles out of FLL or Boynton Beach.

Destin similarly has dive sites that are close, compared to PCB, but the charters cost is not much cheaper for them. So for whatever reason, that's what charters in FL run & it's not like they all got together & set the prices to screw the customers.

 

[Empty V]

Hard to say you're getting jacked when that's the going rate in the area.

Charters are a bit cheaper in se FL than they are up here in PCB. Not a lot, but some. However, they have dive sites very close in & it doesn't take anywhere near as much fuel or more importantly time to get to them.

In PCB the closest site is 1.5 miles from the pass. the next ones are I think 7 miles or so out, compared to maybe a mile to 2 miles out of FLL or Boynton Beach.

Destin similarly has dive sites that are close, compared to PCB, but the charters cost is not much cheaper for them. So for whatever reason, that's what charters in FL run & it's not like they all got together & set the prices to screw the customers.

I'm guessing then that market must not be as competitive as out here in Cali. IMO thats' the only logic I can see behind it.

Billy

 

[Wayward Son]

Well, In Destin there are only 2. But in PC/PCB there are so many charter boats it's about gotten ridiculous & there are plenty of them down in the FLL area, so I'd have to say the competition varies widely but the pricing does not. I'm not one of the charters, so i can't say why. I can just tell you what I've observed as a paying customer.

 

[frogman_5]

Owning my own boat, I am sometime supprised at how cheaply some charters can run! Of course there is the occasional blatant overcharge, but those are few and far between.

The real question is, what's it worth to you?

 

[deepstops]

The biggest reason I think diving the Oriskany is expensive versus SE FL diving is because running to the Mighty O, they can only run one trip a day realistically.

The difference in fuel burned certainly doesn't account for tripling the price.

 

[Empty V]

The real question is, what's it worth to you?

So it's either dive the worlds biggest artificial reef or don't. I obviously did, there's no way I was going to leave Pensacola without doing it. If it was $200 I probably would have done it, but I'd demand more dives.

Billy

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

So it's either dive the worlds biggest artificial reef or don't. I obviously did, there's no way I was going to leave Pensacola without doing it. If it was $200 I probably would have done it, but I'd demand more dives.

Billy

Most of the ops will give you a 3 tank dive on the O for around $200. Fill the boat with other people willing to pay the money and you'll have it.

What you ask for is available

 

[Empty V]

Most of the ops will give you a 3 tank dive on the O for around $200. Fill the boat with other people willing to pay the money and you'll have it.

What you ask for is available

Man I wish I knew that before. Do you have to provide the tanks?

Billy