Here she comes....Vandenberg!!!

[BlueWaterDiving]

Mike S,
It is not all about the NEW dive site and jacking up the prices. We offer something different and above the norm for the serious diver. If you want to cattle herd - have fun. If you want a little more personal attention and space - it costs money. Time to put the $$$ out of this equation. Yes, you get what you pay for!

I have been on this boat and loved it. I got to do MY dives the way I wanted to and that itself is worth the little more they are asking.
And I will be back sooner then you think. Red.

 

[Buoyant1]

I dunno..$125. is awful steep when you look at what most of the op's up in Key Largo are charging for great wrecks. And don't try to tell me that there's a difference. It's the same distance to the wrecks, and maybe one mile further than where you are going now. So the price cannot be for "recouping losses" since there are none. If you are doing a "double deep" then you are sitting in the same spot and not moving the boat. Unlike the dives now where most op's hit the deep dive, then the shallow dive.

(caveat, I'm not trying to start a pi$$ing match argument about pricing, but I'm looking at the best value for MY hard earned money for someone that's going to give me a safe ferry boat ride out to a wreck site)

I've been taking my own cylinders so my price is a bit cheaper, but one OP I've used a few times charges $80. and offers the same ameneties (well maybe not a blender, ya got me there) to take me to the wrecks up there. About the only thing that's missing after the dive are warm towels and a leg and foot massage once you remove your gear.

Please convince me what paying $45. more to go to the Vandy is worth? I'd like to believe that you feel your pricing is worth every penny.

 

[BlueWaterDiving]

Ok If you are going to do little open water dive's then yes this is a lot for you to pay. But I do not do those dives and I do NOT like to be told when I have to get out of the water. I like to do 130 min. dives. NOT your 45 min dive. Its all good

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

I dunno..$125. is awful steep when you look at what most of the op's up in Key Largo are charging for great wrecks. And don't try to tell me that there's a difference. It's the same distance to the wrecks, and maybe one mile further than where you are going now. So the price cannot be for "recouping losses" since there are none. If you are doing a "double deep" then you are sitting in the same spot and not moving the boat. Unlike the dives now where most op's hit the deep dive, then the shallow dive.

(caveat, I'm not trying to start a pi$$ing match argument about pricing, but I'm looking at the best value for MY hard earned money for someone that's going to give me a safe ferry boat ride out to a wreck site)

I've been taking my own cylinders so my price is a bit cheaper, but one OP I've used a few times charges $80. and offers the same ameneties (well maybe not a blender, ya got me there) to take me to the wrecks up there. About the only thing that's missing after the dive are warm towels and a leg and foot massage once you remove your gear.

Please convince me what paying $45. more to go to the Vandy is worth? I'd like to believe that you feel your pricing is worth every penny.

I suspect it's like everything else, supply and demand. The Ops are assuming a lot of people are going to be interested in diving it soon after she goes down so the Ops are increasing the price. In the end, if the price is too high, their boats will be empty and they'll lower the prices. The market will respond. Unlike dive gear, dive charters work on a supply and demand principle....

 

[mike_s]

Mike S,
It is not all about the NEW dive site and jacking up the prices. We offer something different and above the norm for the serious diver. If you want to cattle herd - have fun. If you want a little more personal attention and space - it costs money. Time to put the $$$ out of this equation. Yes, you get what you pay for!

what do you charge for a reef trip (dry rocks, etc) and for a regular wreck trip? (cayman salvager, etc). ?

 

[Buoyant1]

Ok If you are going to do little open water dive's then yes this is a lot for you to pay. But I do not do those dives and I do NOT like to be told when I have to get out of the water. I like to do 130 min. dives. NOT your 45 min dive. Its all good

Ok, what about the op's up in Key Largo that do double deeps have the best of both worlds...The rec divers do the 30 - 40 minute run time, take an hour SI, then do a second dive, then the guys doing deco dives do one long dive...I still don't see the reason to charge $45.00 more?!?! What's the reason for the added cost?

I'm not disagreeing with what you are looking for, but I'm just trying to figure out why this is turning into a huge price issue? There's no reason for it.

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

What's the reason for the added cost?

I'm not disagreeing with what you are looking for, but I'm just trying to figure out why this is turning into a huge price issue? There's no reason for it.

Because some people will pay it. If people were willing to pay $200 that would by definition be the fair price, regardless of the cost of providing that service. If everyone feels as you do that it is not a fair price, they will have to lower the price to get people to go. Price is determined by what the market will bear, not the cost of providing the product or service.

 

[Buoyant1]

Because some people will pay it. If people were willing to pay $200 that would by definition be the fair price, regardless of the cost of providing that service. If everyone feels as you do that it is not a fair price, they will have to lower the price to get people to go. Price is determined by what the market will bear, not the cost of providing the product or service.

I guess...but since some have already stated their prices, I'm expecting some to have full boats, and some to be empty, and therefore dropping their prices.

I can also see this being the case for maybe the first year, but as the "novelty" wears off....

It's not like you are BEGGING them to take you to a wreck that no one ever goes to?

I also have a feeling that initially you'd be hard pressed to find an open mooring ball, so many people will be out there.

 

[trtldvr]

I think a point that has been overlooked, in all of this discussion on the price of the dives is that over the past several years the dive ops in the lower keys have been hurting. We have seen several go under (no pun intended). Those that have manage to stay afloat have been very reluctant to raise prices in a shrinking market, despite the cost of fuel, dockage and insurance increasing substantially. Now that they are raising their prices with the Vandy everyone is freaking out. As others have said, in a free market a fare price is what ever the market will bear. Having dove in Cozumel, and Roatan last summer (where liability is more a theoretical entity than a reality) $100 does not seem out of line. I will not begrudge anyone that makes what they can. The opporators are not charging for a life sustaining commodity, dive the Vandy or not. It is up to you.

What can I say, I believe in capitalism, and I won't even charge for my $.02 worth.

Safe dives
trtldvr
www.divealive.org

 

[Scott L]

Because some people will pay it. If people were willing to pay $200 that would by definition be the fair price, regardless of the cost of providing that service. If everyone feels as you do that it is not a fair price, they will have to lower the price to get people to go. Price is determined by what the market will bear, not the cost of providing the product or service.

Well said. Perhaps you can lend your economic theory prowess to the POTUS...