drrich2
Contributor
Hi:
I'm based in southwestern KY, fly out of Nashville, TN (BNA) and spend considerable time comparing prospective dive destinations for dive quality & frequency, topside attractions (if wife, toddler daughter & mother-in-law are along), airfare, a number of things. And cost. I prefer a comfortable trip (e.g.: in room bathroom, air conditioning, English-only speakers have no problems) but I don't need high end amenities (e.g.: no massage; I'm no gourmet and don't drink). I can usually get a week off at a time, and aim for maybe 2 trips/year, one solo to dive, one with family (already mentioned) where I dive and they mess around on land. I don't have time & money to go everywhere I'd like to.
Some of you may face similar issues, so I thought a discussion might be interesting. Where you live & fly out of has a big impact. I aim for warm water, at least good viz., ocean diving with calm conditions (drift diving is okay), guided (or easy done alone, as in Bonaire), no plane ride over 4 hours, and same day departure/arrival coming & going. So, no Philippines, Indonesia, etc... Since I didn't want to rough it too much, I didn't add up total trip costs for Blackbeards out of the Bahamas. In Bonaire, your off-shore budget options include Dive Hut (my old trip report).
I've spent 8 1-week trips in Bonaire (my last trip report); the 1st 4 with a dive group (Parrot Island Divers out of Nashville; good group), and I think it's good to start Bonaire with folks who know their way around & can show you the ropes. I did Key Largo (Rainbow Reef Dive Center; no added charge guides) with family; great trip, some of the cheapest boat diving I've done (trip report). U.S. health care available if our child gets sick. Not a sandy beach destination, but topside attractions within a couple of hours drive. Recently did my 1st live-aboard; the Sun Dancer 2 out of Belize (trip report). Thought I'd compare my total trip costs for these 3 trips.
These figures don't tell the whole story. Shore diving Bonaire, you change your tank every dive, load gear in the pick up truck bed, walk in & out over loose coral rubble and through iron shore under shallow water (not hard to turn an ankle), probably rinse your gear at night, and in my case night dives were done at the house reef because otherwise I was worn out. On the Sun Dancer 2, I set my gear up once; I just disconnected the 1st stage of the reg. after a dive so staff could refill the tank. They took my fins off before I exited via ladder & had a warm towel ready after I rinsed off. A daily varied menu of good food was right there. No driving around. It was more expensive, but it was so easy.
I only dove Cozumel one 2 tank trip on a cruise ship stop; really enjoyed diving the Living Underwater. But I've not priced out a Cozumel trip in detail, so I'll start with the 3 I've been to. If I were pricing there, I'd probably base my trip around staying at Scuba Club Cozumel (for a a reputable easily figured overall package deal price) or Hotel Cozumel & dive with Living Underwater or Aldora (I'm big, chubby & love me a 120 cf steel tank), since both locations offer a nearby shore dive.
Without much proof-reading, here are my comparison notes for Key Largo (Rainbow Reef Dive Center) vs. Bonaire (Buddy Dive Resort with automatic transmission truck) vs. Belize (mainly the Lighthouse Atoll region via the Sun Dancer 2 live-aboard).
Key Largo via Rainbow Reef Dive Center staying at Courtyard by Marriott, 1 person, (hypothetical trip for Sept. 12 - 19, 2015; not one I'm really planning).
Land View room - $784.00. (But custom package summary $882 per web page, so I’m guessing with taxes & such).
10 Dive Trips (20 dives) Package - $600.
Website gives total package price (hotel + diving + taxes) = $1,527.
Guides included free. Figure maybe $10/tank tip? $200.
Round trip airfare out of Nashville via Orbitz - $$410.00 (roughly).
Baggage round trip (2 bags) - $130.00.
Vehicle rental - Full size car - maybe around $250.00?
3 Meals/day (assume cheap lunch, but eating out for supper) - maybe $40/day? $280 for week?
2 Tanks of gas: $50?
Airport Parking: $72.
I think internet access was free.
Special Note: At least in the past, the 10 trip 20 dive package was Rainbow Reef’s best deal. But you could do one more 2 tank trip that last Friday morning. That single trip is $80. Figure $20 for tips & you get $100.
This is not nitrox diving, but you probably don’t need it.
$1,527.00.
$200.00.
$410.00.
$130.00.
$250.00.
$280.00.
$50.00.
$100.00.
$72.00.
Total: $3,019.00, for 22 dives, free guides, no nitrox, with the dive boat at the end of the hotel parking lot for convenience.
About $137/dive.
For this trip, you could save a lot of money on subsequent divers by packing more people into that single hotel room. You can also save some money by staying at a cheaper hotel off-site, if you’re willing to sacrifice convenience and drive. I liked running back to the room for a cold sandwich and chips during the 45 minutes to an hour between the morning trip return and the afternoon trip departure.
Most people would head to mainland Florida and do some land excursions such as Miami zoo, Jungle Island, Lion Country Safari or an Everglades air boat, or maybe a dolphin encounter in the Florida Keys.
Bonaire May 2014 - 28 dives (1 guided, 2 boat, 25 solo shore).
Buddy Dive Resort, solo, hotel room $1,413.83.
Upgrade to automatic truck ($35/day) $245.00.
Round Trip out of Nashville (used Insel for part of it) $930.00.
Cleaning lady tip $20.00.
2 Boat dives tip $10.00.
Airport Parking $72.00.
Baggage going (2 bags) $100.00.
Baggage coming home (2 bags) $100.00.
Eating out in Bonaire & Misc. (e.g.: Bandaids) $330.14.
Groceries in Bonaire $42.10.
I eat more than most, but no alcohol
Tank of gas $51.41.
Marine Park Fee $25.00.
Internet access was free.
Going ‘brand name’ on airfare, such as Delta, tends to run around $1,100 - 1,200. About $200.
So, $3,349.48, or around 3,550 with brand name airfare.
Had a special with up to $75 food credit at Buddy Dive & extra boat dives. Only did 2 of several boat dives I could’ve done; used the food credit. Didn’t have to pay for guided dive. 28 Dives in 6 1/2 days was work to get in; all night dives were done at Buddy Dive’s house reef. Shore diving Bonaire is a lot more work than a live-aboard. For me, with a trip including boat dives, the guided dive at no charge:
$3,350/28 = $120/dive. Accept a manual transmission truck, take a shore dive only package, and bring 1 or 2 buddies and split the net savings on room cost, and you can get that down.
Belize Sun Dancer 2 May 2015 - 26 dives (1 Blue Hole, or would’ve been 27).
Live-aboard cost $2,500.00.
Round trip
out of Nashville $752.44.
Tip (if you do 15%) $375.00.
End of trip costs (? nitrox & more) $272.50.
Airport Parking $ 72.00.
Baggage going (2 bags) $65.00.
Baggage coming home (2 bags) $66.56.
Ate @ the Radisson last Friday evening $10.09.
Internet access fee for 1 day (wireless mainland provider) $10.00.
plane.
So, $3,623.09 with brand name airfare. The only piece of that you’d save with a 2nd diver would be airport parking at your home airport ($72 for me).
$3,600 for 26 dives, so $139/dive.
So, brand name airfare difference of around $300/person in favor of Belize. But when you put 2 dives in a room, vs. the solo shore dive (even with some boat dives) package rate, you save several hundred. And the more you pack in, the cheaper it tends to get. As of 5-28-15 when I checked Buddy Dive’s website, for a hotel room accommodation, low season rates (April 11 - Dec. 18, 2015), solo vs. 2/room rates for unlimited shore diving + 6 boat dives/person:
Studio
1 Person - $1,852.00.
2 People - $1,074.25.
1 Bedroom
1 Person - $2,013.70.
2 People - $1,255.10.
But, if you do shore diving only, assuming the nitrox upgrade is still free:
Studio
1 Person - $1,712.00.
2 People - $1,034.25.
1 Bedroom
1 Person - $1,873.70.
2 People - $1,115.10.
And with no shore diving, save $20 by having no boat crew to tip. Plus a pair of divers save nearly $800 apiece on resort/dive package, but lose $300 in airfare, so you save $500/diver going in a pair.
Bottom Line: Live-aboard diving offers many dives in short order, very easy diving, fine food and a high level of service with little to distract you. It's some of the most economical high-volume diving you can get. If you're driven and dedicated, you can undercut that rate with select destinations such as Key Largo and Bonaire, with variable extra hassle and less bundled service. I suspect 'camping at sea' budget live-aboards (I'm mainly talking about Blackbeards, out of the Bahamas) would be almost unbeatable.
So, what do the rest of you think? Think there are better options out there I'm missing?
Richard.
---------- Post added May 31st, 2015 at 08:47 PM ----------
P.S.: my figures are for traveling solo. Take a buddy and cut your per person costs by sharing a room in Key Largo. Some savings in Bonaire but airfare is unchanged and a big part of cost.
I'm based in southwestern KY, fly out of Nashville, TN (BNA) and spend considerable time comparing prospective dive destinations for dive quality & frequency, topside attractions (if wife, toddler daughter & mother-in-law are along), airfare, a number of things. And cost. I prefer a comfortable trip (e.g.: in room bathroom, air conditioning, English-only speakers have no problems) but I don't need high end amenities (e.g.: no massage; I'm no gourmet and don't drink). I can usually get a week off at a time, and aim for maybe 2 trips/year, one solo to dive, one with family (already mentioned) where I dive and they mess around on land. I don't have time & money to go everywhere I'd like to.
Some of you may face similar issues, so I thought a discussion might be interesting. Where you live & fly out of has a big impact. I aim for warm water, at least good viz., ocean diving with calm conditions (drift diving is okay), guided (or easy done alone, as in Bonaire), no plane ride over 4 hours, and same day departure/arrival coming & going. So, no Philippines, Indonesia, etc... Since I didn't want to rough it too much, I didn't add up total trip costs for Blackbeards out of the Bahamas. In Bonaire, your off-shore budget options include Dive Hut (my old trip report).
I've spent 8 1-week trips in Bonaire (my last trip report); the 1st 4 with a dive group (Parrot Island Divers out of Nashville; good group), and I think it's good to start Bonaire with folks who know their way around & can show you the ropes. I did Key Largo (Rainbow Reef Dive Center; no added charge guides) with family; great trip, some of the cheapest boat diving I've done (trip report). U.S. health care available if our child gets sick. Not a sandy beach destination, but topside attractions within a couple of hours drive. Recently did my 1st live-aboard; the Sun Dancer 2 out of Belize (trip report). Thought I'd compare my total trip costs for these 3 trips.
These figures don't tell the whole story. Shore diving Bonaire, you change your tank every dive, load gear in the pick up truck bed, walk in & out over loose coral rubble and through iron shore under shallow water (not hard to turn an ankle), probably rinse your gear at night, and in my case night dives were done at the house reef because otherwise I was worn out. On the Sun Dancer 2, I set my gear up once; I just disconnected the 1st stage of the reg. after a dive so staff could refill the tank. They took my fins off before I exited via ladder & had a warm towel ready after I rinsed off. A daily varied menu of good food was right there. No driving around. It was more expensive, but it was so easy.
I only dove Cozumel one 2 tank trip on a cruise ship stop; really enjoyed diving the Living Underwater. But I've not priced out a Cozumel trip in detail, so I'll start with the 3 I've been to. If I were pricing there, I'd probably base my trip around staying at Scuba Club Cozumel (for a a reputable easily figured overall package deal price) or Hotel Cozumel & dive with Living Underwater or Aldora (I'm big, chubby & love me a 120 cf steel tank), since both locations offer a nearby shore dive.
Without much proof-reading, here are my comparison notes for Key Largo (Rainbow Reef Dive Center) vs. Bonaire (Buddy Dive Resort with automatic transmission truck) vs. Belize (mainly the Lighthouse Atoll region via the Sun Dancer 2 live-aboard).
Key Largo via Rainbow Reef Dive Center staying at Courtyard by Marriott, 1 person, (hypothetical trip for Sept. 12 - 19, 2015; not one I'm really planning).
Land View room - $784.00. (But custom package summary $882 per web page, so I’m guessing with taxes & such).
10 Dive Trips (20 dives) Package - $600.
Website gives total package price (hotel + diving + taxes) = $1,527.
Guides included free. Figure maybe $10/tank tip? $200.
Round trip airfare out of Nashville via Orbitz - $$410.00 (roughly).
Baggage round trip (2 bags) - $130.00.
Vehicle rental - Full size car - maybe around $250.00?
3 Meals/day (assume cheap lunch, but eating out for supper) - maybe $40/day? $280 for week?
2 Tanks of gas: $50?
Airport Parking: $72.
I think internet access was free.
Special Note: At least in the past, the 10 trip 20 dive package was Rainbow Reef’s best deal. But you could do one more 2 tank trip that last Friday morning. That single trip is $80. Figure $20 for tips & you get $100.
This is not nitrox diving, but you probably don’t need it.
$1,527.00.
$200.00.
$410.00.
$130.00.
$250.00.
$280.00.
$50.00.
$100.00.
$72.00.
Total: $3,019.00, for 22 dives, free guides, no nitrox, with the dive boat at the end of the hotel parking lot for convenience.
About $137/dive.
For this trip, you could save a lot of money on subsequent divers by packing more people into that single hotel room. You can also save some money by staying at a cheaper hotel off-site, if you’re willing to sacrifice convenience and drive. I liked running back to the room for a cold sandwich and chips during the 45 minutes to an hour between the morning trip return and the afternoon trip departure.
Most people would head to mainland Florida and do some land excursions such as Miami zoo, Jungle Island, Lion Country Safari or an Everglades air boat, or maybe a dolphin encounter in the Florida Keys.
Bonaire May 2014 - 28 dives (1 guided, 2 boat, 25 solo shore).
Buddy Dive Resort, solo, hotel room $1,413.83.
Upgrade to automatic truck ($35/day) $245.00.
Round Trip out of Nashville (used Insel for part of it) $930.00.
Cleaning lady tip $20.00.
2 Boat dives tip $10.00.
Airport Parking $72.00.
Baggage going (2 bags) $100.00.
Baggage coming home (2 bags) $100.00.
Eating out in Bonaire & Misc. (e.g.: Bandaids) $330.14.
Groceries in Bonaire $42.10.
I eat more than most, but no alcohol
Tank of gas $51.41.
Marine Park Fee $25.00.
Internet access was free.
Going ‘brand name’ on airfare, such as Delta, tends to run around $1,100 - 1,200. About $200.
So, $3,349.48, or around 3,550 with brand name airfare.
Had a special with up to $75 food credit at Buddy Dive & extra boat dives. Only did 2 of several boat dives I could’ve done; used the food credit. Didn’t have to pay for guided dive. 28 Dives in 6 1/2 days was work to get in; all night dives were done at Buddy Dive’s house reef. Shore diving Bonaire is a lot more work than a live-aboard. For me, with a trip including boat dives, the guided dive at no charge:
$3,350/28 = $120/dive. Accept a manual transmission truck, take a shore dive only package, and bring 1 or 2 buddies and split the net savings on room cost, and you can get that down.
Belize Sun Dancer 2 May 2015 - 26 dives (1 Blue Hole, or would’ve been 27).
Live-aboard cost $2,500.00.
Round trip
out of Nashville $752.44.
Tip (if you do 15%) $375.00.
End of trip costs (? nitrox & more) $272.50.
Airport Parking $ 72.00.
Baggage going (2 bags) $65.00.
Baggage coming home (2 bags) $66.56.
Ate @ the Radisson last Friday evening $10.09.
Internet access fee for 1 day (wireless mainland provider) $10.00.
plane.
So, $3,623.09 with brand name airfare. The only piece of that you’d save with a 2nd diver would be airport parking at your home airport ($72 for me).
$3,600 for 26 dives, so $139/dive.
So, brand name airfare difference of around $300/person in favor of Belize. But when you put 2 dives in a room, vs. the solo shore dive (even with some boat dives) package rate, you save several hundred. And the more you pack in, the cheaper it tends to get. As of 5-28-15 when I checked Buddy Dive’s website, for a hotel room accommodation, low season rates (April 11 - Dec. 18, 2015), solo vs. 2/room rates for unlimited shore diving + 6 boat dives/person:
Studio
1 Person - $1,852.00.
2 People - $1,074.25.
1 Bedroom
1 Person - $2,013.70.
2 People - $1,255.10.
But, if you do shore diving only, assuming the nitrox upgrade is still free:
Studio
1 Person - $1,712.00.
2 People - $1,034.25.
1 Bedroom
1 Person - $1,873.70.
2 People - $1,115.10.
And with no shore diving, save $20 by having no boat crew to tip. Plus a pair of divers save nearly $800 apiece on resort/dive package, but lose $300 in airfare, so you save $500/diver going in a pair.
Bottom Line: Live-aboard diving offers many dives in short order, very easy diving, fine food and a high level of service with little to distract you. It's some of the most economical high-volume diving you can get. If you're driven and dedicated, you can undercut that rate with select destinations such as Key Largo and Bonaire, with variable extra hassle and less bundled service. I suspect 'camping at sea' budget live-aboards (I'm mainly talking about Blackbeards, out of the Bahamas) would be almost unbeatable.
So, what do the rest of you think? Think there are better options out there I'm missing?
Richard.
---------- Post added May 31st, 2015 at 08:47 PM ----------
P.S.: my figures are for traveling solo. Take a buddy and cut your per person costs by sharing a room in Key Largo. Some savings in Bonaire but airfare is unchanged and a big part of cost.
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