Traveling on a budget

[Kcollins]

I'm in the process of getting my OW cert. I have so many questions regarding where to go and how to afford it, it isn't even funny.

My dive center (Minnesota) has trips available but they are typically $4600ish for the diver and $3400ish for the non diver so that is $8000 dollars for just my wife and I to have a trip... Thats not even including airfare to get there or food. That trip was to the Philippines.

Please tell me there are much more affordable places to go.... I want to wreck dive and I'm not finding much along those lines either for resorts or anything that offers just wreck diving. I am open to the Great Lakes as those are close. But I want to get into some warmer salt water if that's possible.

My wife says I have to pick trips up to 7 days, including food and airfare for $4000 to $5000 for both of us to go.

Is that even possible?

I can't help but think I'm new to this so I'm doing it wrong. Any guidance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[rick00001967]

no problem at all with that budget. my wife and i would travel for 2 weeks at a time when diving and our budget was 5000 canadian for the two of us up until recently.
due to the higher costs we have upped the budget to about 6000 canadian
that would include room, food, booze, diving, and sometimes a car etc
we have done all inclusives and non all inclusives. hotels, resorts, and / or condos.
many dive shops offer exotic trips and liveaboards. those are great for people with deep pockets. but many just cannot justify the costs.
where abouts in MN are you?
i only ask because our local dive shop travels every fall to cozumel with a group. they can do training if needed as well. they also bring the group to the turtle rescue dig each year.
they have run march trips to roatan and many other locations.
if you game for driving across the border, you may get a great deal up here especially considering the exchange rate you would get on the usd.

 

[also_anon_dc]

Diving is not a cheap hobby but it can be done much more cheaply than $8000 for a trip for 2. For starters don't book group trips. You will have a lot more flexibility in price choosing your own location, dates etc.

Northern Red Sea trips have a ton of wrecks and the Red Sea is probably one of the cheapest locations to go to. Check out Red Sea liveaboards or land-based diving resorts in Hurghada or Sharm-el-sheik.

 

[Jaan]

Cozumel, Roatan, or select destinations in the Caribbean can be found closer to 2,500 for the diver, and the short flights will be way cheaper too.

 

[Marie13]

Are you going to do your OW dives in the spring once it warms up a bit? There’s lots of local diving in the Midwest. You’d have to check for day charters on Superior or what shore diving there might be. There’s also lots of inland places to dive in the Midwest, including a number of open pit ore mines your way. One is called Ore Be Gone (or something similar).

 

[seattle_sailor]

I'm in the process of getting my OW cert. I have so many questions regarding where to go and how to afford it, it isn't even funny.

My dive center (Minnesota) has trips available but they are typically $4600ish for the diver and $3400ish for the non diver so that is $8000 dollars for just my wife and I to have a trip... Thats not even including airfare to get there or food. That trip was to the Philippines.

Please tell me there are much more affordable places to go.... I want to wreck dive and I'm not finding much along those lines either for resorts or anything that offers just wreck diving. I am open to the Great Lakes as those are close. But I want to get into some warmer salt water if that's possible.

My wife says I have to pick trips up to 7 days, including food and airfare for $4000 to $5000 for both of us to go.

Is that even possible?

I can't help but think I'm new to this so I'm doing it wrong. Any guidance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I am origionally from New Brighton, MN and I used to escape the MN winters by flying to the Florida Keys, Roatan, or Cozumel.

You can typically find flights from MSP to S FL, and Cozumel for around $200 per person each way. Plan on double that to Roatan.


Cozumel
Is a great place to learn to dive as along as you are ok with with a bit of current. Unfortunetly there is only one decent wreck in Cozumel. There are many dive operators/hotels that offer stay and dive packages for around $1300 per person per week and slightly less for non-divers.

C53 Wreck of the Felipe Xicotencatl in Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel

Cozumel's wreck dive, the Felipe Xicotencatl measures 184 feet long, 33 feet wide and 40 feet high from keel to the top of the super structure.

scubaclubcozumel.com

C-53 Felipe Xicotencatl, Cozumel

https://www.aplusmarine.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality%3D85/assets/images/1813-38F.jpg

Roatan
Is also a great place to learn how to dive and it has several wrecks that are not too deep. It has been 20yrs since I have dove there so I won't quote prices but it is within your budget.

Roatan Dive Sites | Subway Shipwreck Adventures

Visit both intentionally sunk ships and true wrecks for the thrill of sunken treasure, submerged rooms, and history.

www.subwaywatersports.com

Florida Keys
You should be able to fly to MIA or FFL and rent a car to dive the Keys. There are some great wrecks but they are fairly deep and I would work your way up to them.

USS Spiegel Grove Key Largo, Florida

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/6154qi7ZziL._SL1062_.jpg

Eagle Wreck Islamorada, Florida *Deep

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-hwgrldcncv/images/stencil/original/products/76513/141862/art-to-media-eagle-3d-dive-map-1__29156.1649766583.jpg

USCG Duane Key Largo, Florida

https://media.rainpos.com/4259/uscg_duane_fl_3d_dive_slate_20150930125053.jpg

Once you get some experience there are some great wreck dives in the Great Lakes but they are typically cold and deep.

Good luck,
Patrick

 

[Doc]

You want warm?

Go someplace that’s cheap. Your first open water dives will NOT afford lasting memories of beauty and grandeur. Do the dives, get the ticket. You will really “see” nothing.

Florida. Nassau, Grand Bahama,

Your shop’s offer of a Philippines trip to finish your OW portion is illogical at best, immoral at worst. Terrible idea.

Go kind-of local, cheap.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Kcollins

I'm assuming your wife will be a non-diver on these trips. What does your wife want/need on these vacations to enjoy them also, while you are diving? I would imagine she may not be interested in spending a week on a liveaboard though I have seen a few people enjoy this.

A relatively economical example of a dive trip. My wife, a diver, and I did a week at Turquoise Bay in Roatan in 2017 and had a very good time Roatan’s Best Dive Value | Turquoise Bay Dive Resort A week includes accommodations, 3 dives/day, all meals, and alcoholic drinks. For divers it is $1299 and for non-divers, it is $999. Airfare would be the most significant additional expense. Seems like you could probably do something like this within your budget.

Best of luck with your diving

 

[Kcollins]

OMG guys all good stuff. What a relief that I can find trips in my budget. Special Thanks to those of you that have given me locations to look into... Narrows my search criteria way down.

Marie - I do plan to finish my open water here in Minnesota. Much cheaper that way. So yes I'm waiting for warmer weather. Thinking May/June. Get my confined water taken care here pretty soon and then do the open water.

Seattle Sailor - thanks for the wreck recommendations. Much appreciated. There are a ton of wrecks in the Keys to look into. Spiegel Grove being one of them. There is also the Vandenberg in Key West as well... Just hotels are NOT cheap down there. Flights are but not Hotels...

Scubadada - that is a very good point. We are still feeling that part out... My dive buddy's wife is also a non-diver so the two of them will hang out while we're diving. But we do need to find things for them to do. Love the idea of Turquoise Bay. That definitely sounds affordable.

Thanks again everyone... Huge help.

Kevin

 

[FLturtle]

Just FYI, some of my friends from Minnesota get some great round trip NON-STOP flights from Minneapolis to Cozumel at certain times of the year on Sun Country Airlines. Lots of affordable lodging, diving, etc. in Cozumel. Lots of info available on the Cozumel forum.