Group trips vs. going ourselves

[BDSC]

We now have quite a few folks from ScubaBoard that are regulars on our trips and so far each and every one who has been with us are now repeat travelers. Really some fine folks on this site for sure.

 

[The Chairman]

We now have quite a few folks from ScubaBoard that are regulars on our trips and so far each and every one who has been with us are now repeat travelers. Really some fine folks on this site for sure.

They love to dive... and it shows! I would love to be able to figure out how many dive trips (and subsequent dives) are planned on ScubaBoard. The number has to be staggering. Many of these trips are just between divers too. I'll be heading over to the Ginnie Springs Mega Dive in a bit. We usually get a hundred or so campers coming out to dive, hang, dive some more, kibbitz, cook together, have a Galaxy dive and a rather large bon fire. Fun, fun, fun! Did I mention there would be diving?

BTW, I usually tell advertisers that we have the divers they're looking for. Mostly because we do.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thank you so much!

I usually travel with my husband so I have a buddy but I'm also interested in meeting other divers so that's why I'm interested in doing group trips but wasn't sure the pros and cons. You really made some good points!

My wife and I travel together to dive. We prefer the freedom of not being tied to a group, but we also enjoy meeting other divers, which there is opportunity to do on the boat or at the resort (at dive resorts you might eat dinner with others no matter whether you are in a group or not), etc.

 

[Doc]

"Group" travel works well on the more far flung, road less travelled trips. Why? The group leaders should (must) handle all the connections. Not a big deal in the Caribbean, even the rarely used islands, but once you get out of our backyard, the world gets confusing.

Easy to get to Male Airport in Maldives, how do you transit to the diving islands and LOB?

Easy to fly to Egypt. Can you point me towards a bed and the Red Sea? Maybe throw in a pyramid?

I got a ticket on Philippine Air to Manilla, where's the Ocean from there?

Connections.

 

[Dogbowl]

"Group" travel works well on the more far flung, road less travelled trips. Why? The group leaders should (must) handle all the connections. Not a big deal in the Caribbean, even the rarely used islands, but once you get out of our backyard, the world gets confusing.

Easy to get to Male Airport in Maldives, how do you transit to the diving islands and LOB?

Easy to fly to Egypt. Can you point me towards a bed and the Red Sea? Maybe throw in a pyramid?

I got a ticket on Philippine Air to Manilla, where's the Ocean from there?

Connections.

Good point! Duly noted! I'm getting to the age where I don't wanna figure things out for myself anymore. I just wanna pay someone to do it for me and enjoy life a little bit more.

 

[Hoag]

Good point! Duly noted! I'm getting to the age where I don't wanna figure things out for myself anymore. I just wanna pay someone to do it for me and enjoy life a little bit more.

There is always the "old fashioned way" ... a travel agent.

 

[Dogbowl]

There is always the "old fashioned way" ... a travel agent.

I tried once...and gave up. It really depends on the quality of the travel agent.

 

[Doc]

Travel Agent is different than Group Leader.

There is a well known SB poster who is a group leader that I paid in one check for an entire trip. A month before departure, she called me and said the airline tix were no longer the right ones because of schedule change and told me that I had to change them.

I said, "Really, me? No, You handle it. "

A trip leader gets their "pay" through "comps", meaning they might get one freebie for every 10 they book. Sometimes they really have to work for it.

 

[AdivingBel]

My wife and I travel with groups and on our own. Now days we do shore diving trips (Bonaire/Curacao) on our own because for us they are about "dive freedom." No schedules, cook in/eat out when we want. Dive our own site choices & profiles. Little private coves etc. etc. . For land based boat diving & liveaboards we really enjoy @BDSC 's group (Ash is da man) and the odd Invasion & Surge (Dennis & Rox rock). Great comradery, fun/easy trip planning, good deals, a level of control in group situations (you know who you're traveling with). We'll still go on our own if it's an "out of the box" locale or the group's not going in our time frame. We're not above booking an extra week at a favorite B&B for after the group has left. As Zoid posted there's a lot to be said for meeting new "dive friends" on the road. It really depends on the situation. When your wife is your dive buddy and you've found great groups full of wonderful folks to travel with there aren't many bad choices. Life is good.

 

[Hoag]

Travel Agent is different than Group Leader.

There is a well known SB poster who is a group leader that I paid in one check for an entire trip. A month before departure, she called me and said the airline tix were no longer the right ones because of schedule change and told me that I had to change them.

I said, "Really, me? No, You handle it. "

A trip leader gets their "pay" through "comps", meaning they might get one freebie for every 10 they book. Sometimes they really have to work for it.

Oh, I know that the two are very different. I was suggesting an alternative method (especially if they want to avoid groups) of getting help putting the pieces of the puzzle together, not merely a different name.