Guam?

[Jennefer]

I don't know if I am posting my thread at the right place or not. I am trying to find the correct message board.

I am going to spend a vacation on Guam and Palau in this coming January. I have 35 dives logged in after being o/w certified in California. I have dove at many places around the world.

My purpose to visit Guam again is of diving, and I do not want to dive together with tourists who mostly are beginners and pay a lot of money. Can I have anyone tell me how to find or join a local diver’s group or club for both beach and boat dive on Guam? I checked Pacific Diver’s Club website but it posts very old information and its access of joining is not working.

I also seek recommendation for hotels; such as Dai-I-Chi hotel. Its website says it has ocean front rooms and on special rates. Royal Orchid Guam? Or some hotels which is clean and have small in-room kichen so I can save money from going to restaurant.

I appreciate for your help, information, and advice.

 

[donacheson]

Jennefer once bubbled...
I don't know if I am posting my thread at the right place or not. I am trying to find the correct message board.

I am going to spend a vacation on Guam and Palau in this coming January. I have 35 dives logged in after being o/w certified in California. I have dove at many places around the world.

My purpose to visit Guam again is of diving, and I do not want to dive together with tourists who mostly are beginners and pay a lot of money. Can I have anyone tell me how to find or join a local diver’s group or club for both beach and boat dive on Guam? I checked Pacific Diver’s Club website but it posts very old information and its access of joining is not working.

I also seek recommendation for hotels; such as Dai-I-Chi hotel. Its website says it has ocean front rooms and on special rates. Royal Orchid Guam? Or some hotels which is clean and have small in-room kichen so I can save money from going to restaurant.

I appreciate for your help, information, and advice.

MDA (Micronesia Dive Association?) was a good operation 10 years ago and I still see occasional messages recommending it. It was inexpensive and tried to keep local divers (probably mostly military stationed in Guam) and Japanese tourists separated. Although they ran boats, they would make suggestions for shore diving, but I found a dive buddy with local knowledge and wheels necessary for that.

 

[h3o]

Isn't 35 dives considered beginner too? I have 56 and I still consider myself a newbie compared to typical divers that are at dive #387 or whatever. Anyway, MDA(Micronesian Divers Association) and GTDS (Guam Tropical Dive Station) are the two big operators in Guam. Both take tourists out, but more so with GTDS. I've done most of my diving in Guam and from my experience, most of the Japanese tourists that dive are pretty experienced and usually have a lot of cool equipment with them (videography, photography, scooters, etc.). The tourists usually have their own guide separate from the other divers anyway. Bring some lunch too because, come lunch time, all the tourists get a nice plate of barbeque lunch and you don't, I guess that is included in the tourist rate. If you don't want to pay the tourist rate, do not book from your hotel, just drive down to MDA or GTDS yourself. It is about $35 for a 2 tank boat dive with GTDS.

here are their websites: www.gtds.com
www.mdaguam.com

As far as hotels, Dai Ichi is fairly nice and I hear their rates have gone down a lot as with all the hotels in Guam. It is also right on the beach in Tumon Bay, so you'll be in the middle of everything there.

dai ichi website: http://www.guamdaiichi.com/english/

The diving in Guam is not too bad, but compared to Palau, there is a big difference. Palau is in a whole different league... Have fun in Guam and Micronesia!

 

[cantlogon]

to book directly with either of the 2 shops mentioned. Tourists usually pay around $90~$100 for a 2-tank boat dive....which includes pickup, lunch, guide, and as much babysitting as is required. The lower prices mentioned before is just "get on the boat with 2 tanks" price....gear rental is extra. I primarily cater to Japanese tourists, which if great for me...but I understand US & European divers often want a "get me to the dive site for the lowest price" system....as *I* do when I vacation!

If you'd like a guide, you can either 1) ask for & pay for one or 2)...what a lot of people do...is, once on the boat, ask if you can "tag along" with a guided group. I have no problem with that myself...figure somebody I help out today might become a customer tomorrow, or recommend me to friends....but some guides don't like it. A little cash thrown (figuratively!) in their direction always makes them happy, as Japanese generally don't tip.

The even simpler "free guide" plan is to keep a group in sight, just follow along their general course, and not even mention it to the guide. Visibility is almost always good enough that this isn't a problem, and most guides keep their groups fairly close to the boat. The one concern is if you're fast on air (use it up in less than 40 minutes or so...)....a lot of the small Japanese don't use as much air and might dive longer than you'd want to...but usually, their dive times will average 30~50 minutes, to try to keep on the boat's schedule and if they have "D.B.L." guides....."Done By Lunch". Sometimes you run across guides trying to get people doing 25~30 minute dives....a real rip-off, in my opinion.

:upset:

As for hotels, here's a list (as I look out my office window at them) of the ones "right on the beach" in Tumon, the main tourist area. Starting from left (southwest) to right (northeast). Hilton, PIC, Marriot, Dai-Ichi, Tropicana (defunct now for a couple years), Holiday Inn....then you have about a 1/2 mile gap until the next bunch....Hyatt, Outrigger, Reef, Okura and Nikko. Royal Orchid is across the main road from the beach and PIC Hotel.

A few others in Tumon which are maybe a 5-minute walk to the beach would be Guam Plaza, Capitol, PIA Resort (not PIA Marine...that's farther away), Holiday Plaza (cheap, I've heard), Grand Plaza, Ohana Oceanview & Ohana Bayview.

That's pretty much the whole list of hotels in the Tumon/tourist/beach area. I can't really recommend one...the only one I ever stayed in during my 8 years here blew down during the last typhoon! (I forget its name...Micronesian Motel or something like that.)

You can email me from my website link if you have any specific questions.

Chris
www.letsdiveguam.com

 

[h3o]

Also, if you just show up to their shop and get the cheaper $35 2 tank rate, you will need to either drive or get a ride to the dock on your own, which is about 5-10 min drive away. You may be able to hitch a ride with someone from the shop that is heading down that way, one of the boat crew, one of the guides, or in the van that the tourists are taking.

With GTDS, the 2 tank boat dives usually leave around 8:30-9:30AM, there is also usually a 1 tank afternoon dive, but this is not recommended unless you're really itching to go diving, because what they usually do is book you on a 3rd party boat for people that just want to snorkel or dolphin watch.

There are however good afternoon dives also that leave on one of their smaller boats as well.

 

[Jennefer]

Hi, Donacheson, H3o, and Cantlogon:

Thank you very much for the information.

Before posting messages on this board, I had contacted MDA thelling them that I would rent a car and don't want to mix with tourists but want to have a guide or a local group to dive with. I then got a reply asking me, "what do you mean you want a guide but don't want to be together with tourists?" The question indicated that I would have no chioce---either dive with tourists while paying the higher rates or dive on my own to save my money.

I was on Guam before but most of my connections have transferred to overseas. When I was on Guam, I stayed in Pacific Star Hotel which gave me a nice room including two meals a day, but this time I do not have so high budget. I am looking into Aston In on The Bay and Pia Marina. According to your information, Pia Marina is far away from the ocean---I really got lost.

 

[Universal Diver]

Aston In on The Bay and Pia Marina are not really recommended by me. Aston isn't a budget hotel and is far from the "action" and Pia Marina is just an old weathered "condo" type hotel far from the ocean.

If I could give you some fun advice, go to "Mac and Marty's" in front of the Holiday Plaza Hotel for a few drinks and cigars (if you smoke.) A lot of local divers hang out there as well as many of the working divers. You might hook up with a "guide".

I just got back from working there. It was fun and busy. I have a ton more of advice for Guam but I'm a bit tired from my early morning flight and my head isn't into this at the moment.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I used to have a dive shop on Guam and ALL of my friends on Guam are in the dive business.

Chris

 

[cantlogon]

probably the same all over. Since it's so easy/cheap (maybe $35 for boat dives, only $5 or so if you do beach dives) a lot of the locals have quite a few dives (I'm at #4530 right now...) and don't really want to pay an extra $50~60 for a guide, lift to the boat, and lunch. Very understandable, especially with the Guam economy not doing so well the last few years.
One thing to add to my earlier comments....MDA, and possibly GTDS to a lesser extent, has some "special" trips which are open to anyone, but tend to be mostly local. These are usually on the weekends, and sometimes depart out of Agat...which is about a 40 minute drive from Tumon, the tourist area. These dives have individual prices, usually a little more than the "regularly scheduled mostly tourist" trips.
Guides aren't provided, but you'll get a site briefing, of course. A lot of people don't care if you tag along with them, as long as you're competent....but if it's YOU running low on air first & making everyone cut short their dive, they won't be too happy. Really, if you can dive SAFELY, a guide isn't essential....a lot of my work is helping out customers who aren't yet very competent...don't know how to set up their gear, don't have buoyancy skills, etc...but if you just jump in & trail a "guided" group, that will probably take you to the "highlights" of that particular site, and get you back within sight of the boat/anchor/mooring line within 30~40 minutes....then you can just hang out around that area if you have air to burn yet.

PS to "Universal Diver"....I wonder if you're the "Chris" I met at the going away party a couple days ago at TGIF, an acquaintance of Deborah from Singapore. Good luck back in Japan.
And while I'm on the subject, "Jennefer"...you're not the same "Jen from Japan" who's staying at my (empty) house from 11/21 for about a week, are you?

Chris (a different one)
www.letsdiveguam.com

 

[Universal Diver]

Yep! It's me. It's the same call name on my MEISHI's e-mail as well. I'm pretty easy to figure out. I never did get to ask you about the night dive we did. How did you like it?

I just got back and I'm pretty burned out from my 4:30am flight. I didn't sleep before the flight but to my surprise, I got first class for free. Man, I love those first class seats.

For Jennefer, one thing I learned from this time around is MDA has a friday night dive for free as well. You have to supply your own gear, torch and tank or rent them. After the dive they have a barbeque going with hotdogs and hamburgers. If you want to bring anything special, just bring it. Steak, chicken etc. The staff will cook it for you while you're diving. It's a beach dive but could be pretty fun meeting others.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, I went to TGIF's last friday night so I wasn't able to go on that night dive. The instructor I was staying with works for MDA and guided the tour.

Chris (in Japan)

 

[inakajon]

to add to the confusion...Jon from Japan!

was wondering if anyone had any more info on the following:

a). Agat bay - sounds nice and chilled, if a bit out of the way. Any comments?

b). we'll be in Guam for New Years eve, and wouldn't mind having a little bit of a celebration. How is the nightlife in/out of Tumon? US style clubs? Japanese style clubs?!

Cheers for your time - really looking forward to coming, partying, chilling, diving...

jon