Did ya'll Local Yocals Hear About The Superferry?

[MeiLing]

Deleted. Double post while editing

 

[MeiLing]

"how do you know about that??"
You talk too much, everyone knows about that Most everyone knows about the abandon ship incident too:14:

Even I've heard about the abandon ship incident! Bikini and a credit card, huh!

 

[fishb0y]

I did some basic math for myself and here is what I came up with.

4 day trip to Maui for 4 people (3 days of diving because you have to wait to fly)
RT airfare $260
Hotel $200
Rental car $130
Rental gear $240 (figured at $20/day/person)
Meals (eating out/depends upon places) $200
$810 total/ $203/person

Ferry for same trip and 4 days of diving since you don't have to wait
1 minivan and one passenger (roundtrip ticket) $295
3 extra people (one way airfare) $100
3 people (one way back on ferry) $215
All own gear (except tanks) $0
Sleep in tent and van $0
Food in ice-chest for weekend $100
$710 total/ $178/person

So, at 3 days you would about break even, but even at this close of a race I would still choose the ferry, because you get an extra day of diving, don't have to wait in the airport for your luggage, can take your own gear without having to worry about packing it wet, don't have to take the time to get/drop off your rental car, don't have to wait around the airport at both ends, can carry food with you and so on.

This is just based on my usage of the ferry. For day trips or a 2-3 day trip with only 2 people that you weren't necessarily diving, then yes, the airport would be the way to go.

I think one of the bonuses would be to bring your own tanks. It would be a perfect opportunity to dive the bomber off Maui!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I am getting fed up with America.---everything seems backwards all of a sudden. before you know it halemano will be a Republican. (we need more environmental ones, HM, you would be welcome whenever you want to switch teams) Come on over, let's get some stuff done around here.

As an aging 3rd gen Sierra Club, 2nd gen Greenpeace, 1st gen Sea Sheperd supporter, I am mellowing some. More good might happen if radical greenies leaned toward centrist to get together with centrist leaning family moral value righties to consolidate the middle class vote. Conservatives and conservationists, liberals and liberators, republicans, democrats and democratic republics; only a few letters apart in spelling but light years apart in so many other ways.

Big Business did not create the origional system but they have molded politics into an impressive smoke screen to blow up the public skirts while they squander our resourses for the privileged greedy elite. On a smaller local scale, check out the major players and shareholders in the Superferry as well as the money trail. If (when) the ferry goes under who will actually lose and who will walk away with bulging pockets even in failure. You are very right Catherine, everything does seem backwards, but some don't see it as all of the sudden.

 

[rockjock3]

I think one of the bonuses would be to bring your own tanks. It would be a perfect opportunity to dive the bomber off Maui!

I thought about that also, but it is just so much space in the van AND, who is going to fill them quickly after each series of dives? If you bring your own and you want to do more than two dives a day you would still have to find a shop to rent. I guess you could take your own for a few shore dives and just rely on the boats tanks for boat dives.

 

[KrisB]

I thought about that also, but it is just so much space in the van AND, who is going to fill them quickly after each series of dives? If you bring your own and you want to do more than two dives a day you would still have to find a shop to rent. I guess you could take your own for a few shore dives and just rely on the boats tanks for boat dives.

Bring a trailer full of tanks!

Some of the shops pump air daily... you'd have to wait (or pay big bucks) if you wanted another mix.

Oh, and Catherine -- I heard about that one from a little birdie... but I haven't heard the "abandon ship" incident... though it does sound intriguing!

Rockjock -- I think your numbers are off. There's no reason you'll have to rent your gear just because you're flying. I travel by plane with mine a fair bit, and haven't had any issue keeping that bag right around 50#'s.

Also consider that you could do the same stunt -- pick up food each night at Safeway and have a beach BBQ.

So, really... you can knock $240 off the air side (for gear) and you could (if you wanted) make the food equal (another $100 off). Now air is $240 less (rather than $100 more) than the ferry. Only downside is one less day of diving. But for those prices, make it a 5 day trip and you'll be about even, and you'll even get a full day to enjoy Maui's topside!

And, of course, you're depending on the ferry schedule giving you all four days to dive, too... that *might* not always work out. Considering the ferry leaves Maui at 11am, it probably won't quite work.

By air, you could leave after work on Thursday, then catch the early morning flight on Tuesday (perhaps being at work on time) and get four days of diving, with 18+ hours in the clear.

With the same days off by ferry, you'd get to Maui at 9:30am on Friday. Ok, you should be able to catch a couple dives that day. Then Sat & Sun. But then we run into a problem. If you want to catch Monday's ferry (to be back at work for Tues.), you'll probably not get to dive, unless you got up REAL early... since you'll have to be at the dock probably by 10am... and the dock is at least 30-45 minutes from most dive sites.

 

[Cacia]

"I swam all the way to the Mauna Kea Resort from a boat", she said proudly.

Stayed five days. They call me the boat jumper.

If (when) the ferry goes under who will actually lose and who will walk away with bulging pockets even in failure.

that really stinks, and I appreciate you bringing that to our attention.

 

[MeiLing]

"I swam all the way to the Mauna Kea Resort from a boat", she said proudly.

Stayed five days. They call me the boat jumper.

I want to hear the whole story! And I want to hear it in person! I can wait!

Now I want to hear the story about the bottoms, or lack thereof!

Cat, you're like the USA channel tagline, "Characters welcome!"

 

[Wildcard]

The long version of her stories are so much better, filled with alll the details of her little quirks.
Anyone checked in with walmart about camping inb the parking lot? One big downside is there are just no places to camp on most ilses. If I have to pay for hotel, I may just as well fly too...No worries, I have the super long range dive boat now, screw the ferry.