Extended Diving/Work-ation

[leadZERO]

I'm contemplating an extended (3-4 weeks) diving trip this year and looking for recommendations. I'd like to do my TEC40/45/50 as a combination with a local instructor but need to get about 30 more dives to meet the pre-reqs to do the combined option. Since I can generally work from anywhere, I've been thinking a month-long trip might be a great experience. I'd be able to do my pre-reqs and perhaps even start the TEC courses, and rather than be limited to just a week I could visit dive sites repeatedly in different conditions or times of day. I also enjoy doing underwater photography, so this might be a good way to do that as well.

The question is where to go if this happens. The most important factor for me would be cost. I don't have an unlimited budget but realize it's going to be more expensive that living at home... I would find a place to stay where I had a decent kitchen and would cook most of my meals and would try to either find someone to join for the full time, or just parts as they desired. For that reason, I'd like it to be a place I could rent a house without costing a fortune. Going in mid-summer is likely more important to me than hitting the "best season" for the location. I'd probably also like to be avoid a lot of moving around. Probably only moving locations once depending on the place. Good Internet is a must since I'll be working remote too. Otherwise though, I'm not too picky about accommodations. Someplace safe, with a kitchen and bed, only need AC if it was really hot and humid without a breeze.

As far as diving goes, I like coral, one of the reasons I want to get into tech diving is to do penetration dives on wrecks. Shore diving would likely be cheaper than only boat dives. Warm water isn't required (have a dry suit).

The first place that came to mind was Bonaire since it is so cheap to just shore dive there. While I have been there before, I'm not opposed to go again. One question I have is whether there would be enough variety there to spend that much time (maybe go to Curacao part of the time?) The other thing is since I'm looking to do tech and wrecks it might be nice to have some options in the 130ft range. I did the Helma Hooker last time I was there, and I know the Windjammer is around 200ft, but I don't know what other options there might be.

Other places I thought of might be the Philippines or Indonesia, but don't know how expensive they would be for diving or renting a house.

Any suggestions for me to think about?

 

[Doc]

That confused me.

Do you want a concentrated period of instruction or a dive vacation?

…As far as diving goes, I like coral, one of the reasons I want to get into tech diving is to do penetration dives on wrecks.…

Contradictory. As were some other points.

Cheaper Tech with cheap accommodations? Philippines, Puerto Galera. Near enough to “civilization” to provide the modern day technology you require, far enough afield for some nice pictures and coral, an area teeming with Tec instruction. The LDS are positioned to service a steady stream of European and Japanese divers who I refer to as metal heads, heavy iron divers.

Once past the SoPac airfare, consider your living expenses, depending on how willing you are to “think local”, you could get a Philippine room and a house servant/cook for 1/2 of just housing cost alone on Bonaire (your reference).

 

[leadZERO]

Thanks for the reply! And sorry for the confusion.

To sum it up:
- Want to be able to do at least 40 dives in about 2 weeks of diving (I'd be half-working)
- Want to keep diving relatively cheap. I mentioned Bonaire because they have a lot of "unlimited" shore diving for $200 per week. As compared to when I was in the Philippines it was about $25 per dive/boat ride (I wasn't in Puerto Galera though)
- I would want enough variety between coral, wrecks and other features to explore with depths down to 100-130ft.
- Willing to "think local" and/or cook for myself. Only need decent Internet as far as luxury goes.

Hopefully that's a little more clear. I'll look into Puerto Galera. When I was last in PHP the diving was all boat diving and I did all the dive sites the operators would go to in less than a week. I had to travel to multiple locations to have any variety and it was a lot more expensive per dive than Bonaire was.

R

 

[Doc]

And as to the TEC40-45-50 component...doesn’t that obviate shore diving as an option? How do you want to dovetail that into the formula? Especially the cost factor as to the price of class/instruction?

(Puerto Galera, a common reference to what is actually Sabang Beach is all boat diving. I’m thinking a Philippine $25 tank/boat is not even close to available on Bonaire)

 

[RyanT]

You mention that you would like to do this on a budget (and I get that)! Have you actually looked at the costs of tech diving? It is substantially more expensive than recreational diving, especially if you are moving up from a basic single tank gear configuration. If it were me, I would try to see if I could find a cheap place to rent in WPB or Pompano Beach, FL. The cheap rent part might be difficult as housing in South Florida isn't generally cheap. The wreck sites are so close to shore though that the charter fees tend to be quite cheap compared to longer charters out of someplace like North Carolina. Also, the close to shore sites mean you can easily be back to the doc just after lunch allowing you to work in the afternoons.

 

[lowlysubaruguy]

Party of 1 is tough id probably wing it and go to the Pillipines. However theres saftey in numbers its best with a group of 4 or more. Internet will be spotty at best adventure will be top shelf. Wont need a Kitchenette as you can feed yourself for $10 a day after you figure out the rhythm our best meals were $ 4 to $6 USD.

I dont know if Bonaire pencils out that affordable as a one man show groups of four or more hard to beat Bonaire prices, I struggle to put any trip for 4 our more together cheaper than Bonaire and I have friends and lodging and diving in Florida I can go there by myself cheap but adding 3 more to the mix even with friends and some lodging Florida can blow a budget quickly. Some of the boat dives are $70 plus a tank but they deliver more than the $50 buget dive boats. Also given the number of dives your trying to get in Bonaire probably offers the easiest route to that plan. I struggled to get two boat dives in a day in the Phillipines just to much stuff to do and see weather played a big factor in it as well because it changed a lot there. Bonaire its pretty much the same day to day they get so few storms that keep one from diving and being able to step out of your condo into the water is there.

I doubt with only two weeks youll get the number of dives in you want in the Phillipines travel and jet lag play a big part you will be doing some island hopping unless you stick in one place but youll regret that to many cool things to see and do. You should look into a group going to Bonaire that cuts the costs if money is an issue. Add four or 5 to your party and youll find the price per person drops a lot.