Dive Trips- What do you love? What do you Hate?

[X Scuba Bee X]

Hey Lovely folks!

I am going to be hosting dive retreats and I'd love to get your feedback about what you love about pre-planned trips and what you wish you could change.

We will be offering dive vacations all over the world and combining them with land based activities to give participants the best experience above and below the surface.

Yoga classes on the beach, morning meditations and intention setting. Clean, nutritious meals. Cooking and nutrition classes. Wellness workshops. Small intimate groups to maximize everyones experience.

Give me all the feed back you have!
Where would you like to go? What would you love to add or subtract from that kind of experience?
What do you love or hate about organized dive trips?

If you want to be the first to get in on the trips, sign up here and get discounts and special offers etc!!

Albatross Wellness | Retreats

 

[carol_swimmom]

When I spend my hard earned money on a dive trip I want to dive. I can do cooking classes and wellness workshops at home.

 

[drrich2]

Include housing at or very close to the dive operation. Driving in foreign places isn't for everyone.

Pick me up at the airport, take me to the resort, and at the end of the week, take me back.

I want a grocery store very close, and at least basic kitchen capability, if the resort package is not all-inclusive.

I only speak English and want to know that at a prospective destination that will pose no problems.

Air-conditioning is a must.

Give me the option for 3 or 4 dives/day, not just 2! I don't want to spend a few grand and only do 10 dives.

Ideally, a list of paid excursions like cruise ships post for destinations would be good. Some people travel with non-divers and need to send them off somewhere (er…entertain them).

Make clear what value proposition you bring to the table vs. other destinations, especially if yours is a real long plane trip. Take a long hard look at Buddy Dive in Bonaire, CocoView in Roatan, and Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo, Fl (and let's say I stay at Courtyard Marriott with RRDC at the end of their parking long). And Hotel Cozumel and dive with Aldora (if they pick up there), or maybe Aldora with Aldora Villas in Cozumel. What will your offering do for me that would make me pick it over these?

Which is another issue. Are you planning on offering mainly mainstream, 1st line destination trips like I listed (like Maduro and Caradona?), or those for people who've done the 1st line, and are looking for the next horizon (e.g. the Philippines, Bali, Komodo, etc&#8230?

Richard.

 

[X Scuba Bee X]

Understandable, but there is only so much bottom time in a day. I see so many people talking about booze and barbecues that I know the health nuts/yogis and juice fanatics would appreciate a vacation of their own.
This probably wouldnt be the trip for you

 

[diversteve]

Edited to remove incorrect accusation...

 

[X Scuba Bee X]

Gorgeous reply Richard, thank you!

---------- Post added August 8th, 2014 at 02:20 PM ----------

I'm totally free floating, dear. It doesnt even LOOK like I'm Standing on anything. Thats all background..... I'm note really sure what you're seeing there

I'd like to dive with someone who has enough respect for the reef not to STAND ON IT...

View attachment 190766

 

[diversteve]

I'll give you that but it looked like your back fin might've been touching from a certain angle.

I'm with Carol anyway so not likely a future customer. I go on dive trips to dive. I guess I don't see the value added.
There are multiple upscale resorts that offer diving that also offer most of those classes as well.

If I was interested, I'd book directly with them.

 

[Hintermann]

An airport pickup & drop-off facility would be nice but it is not very big on my requirements list.

I utterly dislike the big "all inclusive" type resorts like the ones found in the southern part of Cozumel. They are expensive rip-offs where diving is often a secondary activity.

I like well planned accommodation and dive shop locations near the sea and operated by efficient staff. Little Cayman Beach Resort gets two thumbs up for that - if I had a third thumb I would hold that up too. Excellent outfit.

While I appreciate flexibility to suit weather conditions etc, I dislike dive operators who are prepared to alter a posted schedule simply to suit the majority.

I dislike day boats that are overcrowded just to get more customers. One day in Phuket, they had crammed in 33 divers on a boat probably meant for 16. There were a lot of tanks lying on the floor and one could not get to the toilet or elsewhere without tripping over something or someone.

Any outfit that gives contact details but then is offhand with their responses to simple queries not found on FAQ column are giving poor service.

Consideration to non-diver guests would be a nice touch. A selection of local activities to spend time while their other halves are looking at nudies.

Good laundry facilities! Coin operated wash/dry facilities will be offer a cheap, quick turnover. At LCBR, a polite request had one of the staff wash/dry 10-days worth of dirty clothes in 2-hours flat at no additional cost.

The dive shop should have well planned facilities for washing and quick drying of dive kit. Useful for those who are getting away after the obligatory 20 hours post-dive - on sooner if they are not flying. Once again, Little Cayman Beach Resort comes out ahead of any of others that I have seen.

 

[ontdiver]

I think what you are proposing, Scuba Bee, may appeal more to couples who are made up of at least one non-diver or two very casual divers. Nothing wrong with that, but as noted above by Richard and Carol, keen divers tend to be focused on maximizing their time off/$ in the water. Nonetheless, I applaud your entrepreneurial undertaking and wish you all the best.

 

[Donnah]

When I go on a dive trip, I want to dive. Other than that, eat, drink, and sleep. Then dive again. If in a different country, I would like to experience some of its culture when the weather isn't good or taking an afternoon off from diving. I want an organized dive trip to focus on diving, and make getting there and getting into the water as easy as possible.