Diving on a budget - your tips?

[ls1dreams]

Hi all,

While I'm not hurting for money, I like to save up my PTO for long vacations every year. I'm looking for ways to do some quick trips to dive on over 3-4 day weekends. Since it will be a limited amount of time, I don't want to spend excessive amounts of money on short trips.

I'm in north america, so thinking that florida/mexico/caribbean would be the best options.

Some typical costs and ways I'm thinking about getting them down:

- Flight: I have a bunch of airline miles so this will actually be free for me to most locations, esp southwest routes.

- Housing: This tends to be the biggest expense, especially since I'd probably be doing this as solo travel. Any locations known for cheap housing accommodations? (hostels?) One user on here mentioned that he does camping in some locations to keep costs down.

- Rental car: Any locations where I wouldn't need one? Again as a solo traveler it means I can't split this expense with someone

- Diving: Not much I can do here, though I might be able to negotiate rates in advance online to get costs down or combine with housing. I do plan on buying my basic gear at least so I can avoid rental fees (mask/computer/maybe fins). Don't plan on purchasing a BCD/reg though.

- Food: not too worried about this since it would only be a few days

Any housing tips? Or solo people on here that might want to do some short trips to split housing on a 3-4 day weekend to either the FL keys, cozumel, bahamas, turks & caicos, roatan, etc? Grand cayman is also a SW route but that location is pricier I think

 

[runsongas]

airbnb or hostels can help cut down on housing costs, or find a buddy to split the cost. can consider driving down to NC for a short trip. or pick a spot like bonaire that is shore diving which is cheaper than paying for boat rides.

 

[scubadada]

SE Florida and the Keys, Cozumel. For a week, go to Bonaire.

 

[muzikbiz22]

I do 3/4 day mini trips to Florida all the time. Look at West Palm Beach/Jupiter area, Lauderdale, and Key largo. Fly into Lauderdale, get a car at Sunshine Car Rental (dirt cheap) and do your thing. You can always take the ferry or little prop place to Bahamas, to spice it up a little.

 

[scubadada]

I do 3/4 day mini trips to Florida all the time. Look at West Palm Beach/Jupiter area, Lauderdale, and Key largo. Fly into Lauderdale, get a car at Sunshine Car Rental (dirt cheap) and do your thing. You can always take the ferry or little prop place to Bahamas, to spice it up a little.

Fly into West Palm, stay someplace close, you're near Boynton Beach, West Palm, Blue Heron Bridge and Jupiter

 

[PfcAJ]

Consider buying used gear. Rental costs add up quick.

 

[diversteve]

What others have said about SE Florida - it's not using miles but there's some killer last-minute deals on Jet Blue into West Palm or Ft. Lauderdale occasionally. There's some shore diving in the LBTS area and Blue Heron is a short drive away - just don't look for lodging near the Bridge as that's West Palm/Singer Island so more high-rient. - find a cheap suite hotel nearby. A friend of mine used to leave NYC after work and be in the area early enough for dinner then dive the next morning for 3-4 days - you do lose a day on the return.

Check Southwest to FLL also, we've had decent deals on morning flights - it's a cruise debarkation point - most fly into MIA and out thru FLL so the airport is a ghost town. Also you might get a deal since they're positioning planes. Car rental is 200' across the street and there's about a dozen options. It's on I95 so convenient to go north in Jupiter/Boyton or south to the Keys. I happen to like Lauderdale itself and there's a few shore dives nearby besides the boat operations. You would likely need/want a car...

edit::shortened - forgot about your origin point.

The problem with other easy to reach dive destinations I know of from DC - the Caymans, Bahamas or Turks/Caicos is they're among the priciest due to exchange rates and other factors.

Nassau could be possible snce both dive operations - Stuart Cove's or Bahama Divers have a shuttle. Find a cheaper property on Cable Beach or away from Atlantis on Paradse Island and they'll pick you up. Boat dives are kind of pricey and diving with Coves also means a 30-45 min. shuttle ride. You can walk a lot of Cable Beach, there's a tourist jitney bus to Paradise Island or the local ferry. Either area or downtown, is pretty walk able. Slightly pricier cab ride from the airport - likely $40-50 now.

 

[DiverDownD3]

Drive down to NC stay in the Olympus bunkhouse for less than $50/night. Walking distance to dive center and nightlife

 

[gypsyjim]

With 3 or 4 day weekends, losing a day before the return flight can really cut into dive time.
Dive destinations that are within reasonable driving distance can avoid that "dry day".

Having said that, some of us have little choice if we do not wish to dive in Cold waters...

 

[Streydog]

I can't seem to find anything that beats Cozumel in price for what you get. SW does not fly to Cozumel but you can get there from Cancun easy enough.
Easy to get a decent room in town for less than $50 a night, including breakfast. No rental car needed. No shortage of places to eat. Plenty of dive ops to choose from. The amount of flights to Cancun each day also helps make Cozumel a great place for a short trip.