Anyone used "Diver Down Coaches" charter Bus service?

[mike_s]

We were thinking about trying to do a Keys trip and was wondering if
anyone has used "Diver Down Coaches" charter bus service?

http://www.diverdowncoaches.com


Looks like they have a bus that will seat 18 people and has
some bunks in the back.

Was looking for anyone who's been on a trip on their bus or
knows any "good/bad" reports about them.

 

[mike_s]

Anyone?...... Anyone?...... (Bueller?...... Bueller......)

 

[Brown Mermaid]

I'm also waiting to hear what people say. I've polled people I know also and no one is even answering me. They look like they have a good outfit. But I've written them and there has been no response.

Anyone?...... Anyone?...... (Bueller?...... Bueller......)

 

[mike_s]

I'm also waiting to hear what people say. I've polled people I know also and no one is even answering me. They look like they have a good outfit. But I've written them and there has been no response.

Yeah... they weren't too good responding when I wrote them also. I think they are a mom & pop operation. Not that is a bad thing, but just limited. But I guess now days you have to do that to be competitive, but it doesn't leave an "office staff" to handle marketing and bookings.

I did talk to them over the phone though. Charter rates are not cheap. They charge $2.85 per mile. For a trip to Key Largo from where we live, that'd run about $5500 total from where we live or about $300 each assuming you could get 18 divers. That's a little higher that what airfare would be if planned in advance, but not terrible once you factor in rental car, gas, etc. Of course flying you'd get there a WHOLE LOT FASTER. The advantage of driving is though that you could dive the last day there (where you can't with flying and diving).

The advantage I could see with them is that you could book a trip to leave
your home town area after work on one afternoon and wake up the next morning
in the keys (with them putting two drivers on board and driving all night).
You dive a few days and then get back on the bus and wake up early that morning back home around 6am. Go home and shower and go to work. A good way to get in
3 or 4 days of diving withough having to kill yourself driving afterwards.

Of course charter price and find 17 other people to do the trip is the issue.

 

[DivesWithTurtles]

Hey, they'll drive to The Dry Tortugas! COOL!!

 

[mike_s]

Hey, they'll drive to The Dry Tortugas! COOL!!

Yeah.... I bet that toll bridge is pretty dang expensive though.
(I thought that was pretty funny to see the Tortugas as
a destination on their website)

Either that or they got floats installed on the bus like they did
on that motor home on 'Vacation Homes' on the Travel Channel.

 

[rgb1150ms]

We were thinking about trying to do a Keys trip and was wondering if
anyone has used "Diver Down Coaches" charter bus service?

http://www.diverdowncoaches.com


Looks like they have a bus that will seat 18 people and has
some bunks in the back.

Was looking for anyone who's been on a trip on their bus or
knows any "good/bad" reports about them.

I have been with Mac on three trips on the tour bus and enjoyed the trips.The freedom
of leting them do the driving and the abilaty of sleeping in the bearths is really nice.
The only drawback I can find was the seats are small for a big guy like myself but not really a major problem as when your butt gets tired just get up adn walk about or streach out in a bunk
I would go again in a minute
RGB

 

[mike_s]

I have been with Mac on three trips on the tour bus and enjoyed the trips.The freedom
of leting them do the driving and the abilaty of sleeping in the bearths is really nice.
The only drawback I can find was the seats are small for a big guy like myself but not really a major problem as when your butt gets tired just get up adn walk about or streach out in a bunk
I would go again in a minute
RGB

Glad to see that someone has used them and liked them.

What shop did you go with ? (that chartered his bus).

He doesn't have any of the local dive shops listed on
his diverdowncoaches website.

 

[Brown Mermaid]

I just spoke to the company yesterday, thinking that it matched some requirements of my club. I had to call 5 times before I got a human being. When I go through i was told, unfortunately, they have gone out of business because of the fuel costs. Man ..........what a bummer!

Glad to see that someone has used them and liked them.

What shop did you go with ? (that chartered his bus).

He doesn't have any of the local dive shops listed on
his diverdowncoaches website.

 

[mike_s]

I just spoke to the company yesterday, thinking that it matched some requirements of my club. I had to call 5 times before I got a human being. When I go through i was told, unfortunately, they have gone out of business because of the fuel costs. Man ..........what a bummer!

I think they went out of business last year also.

I heard some rumors of why, but don't know if they are true,
so don't want to state here publically and it not be accurate.....

Unless they sell their bus, which they didn't last time, then I'll
bet they pop back up in business again next year or something.
(But since they've gone "under" twice, I'll be REAL CAREFULL
on not letting them have a large deposit for any trip in the future.).



As for going out of business due to fuel prices, I'm betting that
will hit and hurt a few dive boat operators also. People aren't
going on longer trips driving with these higher fuel costs, which
cuts down on headcount on boats. Then the boat has higher
fuel costs. It's a domino effect after that.