Here she comes....Vandenberg!!!

[scubamaverick]

When I fly to FL with my wife , rent a car, pay for a hotel, and consider the $$ I have spent on dive gear and toys, the cost of the dive is the CHEAPEST part.

Let these ops make a profit while they can. They need to stay in business so that we have a ride to the wreck.

In this economy, we are lucky that this is even happening. :vintagediver:

 

[Buoyant1]

I appreciate your job as a PSD, (and totally feel for you during Mini-season) but the OP's need to review people's experience before they let things get too out of hand...Yeah, we don't want the "Scuba Police" to take over, but the OP's need to make sure that the people jumping off the boat are qualified to make the dive (both experience wise and mentally)

That's still no reason for them to jack up the prices...

 

[truck1]

The opporators in KL are welcome to run their business' as they see fit, as are the opporators in KW. As a diver you also have the choice of diving with whom you desire. I do not profess to know what is going on with any business' bottom line. I applaud any opporator that adds any safety measures and if they say it adds cost I must take it at face value.

I know it is not a question of if, but when my services will be needed on the Vandy, just as they were needed on the Grove. So any measure that is taken to prevent it, I support.

Safe dives
trtldvr
Florida Keys Safe Diving Initiative

Question, to which you may or may not know the answer.

As I understand it, the Spiegle has medallions for sale that are either a $10 dollar donation (not mandatory adn goes to repay the debt of the Spiegle) or a $250 dollar lifetime medallion that does the same.

The Vandy as far as I know, does not have that.

So if the going dive rate in the keys is say $80 per person per 2 tank trip, and they Vandy dives are $100(round number for argument sake) could the extra money be a "surcharge" to help pay off the loans?

 

[mike_s]

As I understand it, the Spiegle has medallions for sale that are either a $10 dollar donation (not mandatory adn goes to repay the debt of the Spiegle) or a $250 dollar lifetime medallion that does the same.

What would be interesting to see is an accounting statement of those medallions sales made public.

The Vandy as far as I know, does not have that.

So if the going dive rate in the keys is say $80 per person per 2 tank trip, and they Vandy dives are $100(round number for argument sake) could the extra money be a "surcharge" to help pay off the loans?

The Vandenberg sinkers or the public offices (local government) or the toursim/chamber of commerce (which did the Spiegal Grove medallions) has not mentioned/advertised ANYTHING like that. If there was some program in place for that they would have been waving those flags/banners for a while.

I'm willing to bet that the extra money charged will only go into some key folks pockets.... (at the cost of their customers).

which is WRONG considering they are adding extra profit in their pockets to benefit from something that tax revenue paid for....

 

[matts1w]

There is reason to do this. The shops must change how they run a dive. The way most opporators run a dive in the lower Keys is with a captain and a divemaster/mate. The divers are given a max time, put in the water on their own and the DM stays on deck watching bubbles. The majority of the reefs are 30' max and only a couple of the wrecks are deeper than 100'.

Now bring on the Vandy, they are now faced with a large penatrable wreck with a max depth of 140' with decks at many different levels. The opporators are prudent by adding staff to put in the water to supervise (I know for a fact that Dive KW is planning on this). They are hopfully increasing the safety of the dive and making my job easier.

The shops do not HAVE or MUST change anything. There are large penetrable wrecks up and down the Keys, and most shops never put anyone in the water. The one op I can think of who offers a guide on every dive also happens to be one of the least expensive (Rainbow Reef).

I'm calling shenanigans on this.

Apparently DKW is going to charge 20 extra bucks per diver to put a staff member in the water to "supervise." So on a typical boat with eight to ten divers the dive shop will gross an extra $160-$200 per trip. Are you telling me that money is going to the crew's pocket... or that a dive guide in Key West can make almost $400 a day? If that is the case then I need to get my backside to KW for a while, but I doubt it.

Those who fly in are going to have to pay $130.00 plus with nitrox rentals for a two tank dive a mere six miles off shore. This will just provide more ammo for those who opposed the project. Florida locals and regular divers will know better and won't pay those prices more than once. Consequently there will be little increase in revenue for the city and a whole bunch of "told you so."

Let's just call this what it is: another example of business owners selling Key West's already long dead soul to rip off tourists and cruise boat passengers.

 

[Orlando Eric]

Free Enterprise will reign. At first the boats going there will be full and the prices will reflect that. After some time more boats will go there and there will be empty seats. The price will srop and come in line. There is always going to be someone who will do it cheaper just as good. I have dove the speigel and did NOT pay for a medallion on a well known charter boat.

If you want to be the firstest to dive the V then you are going to pay. Wait a year and it will be cheaper.

 

[ReefHound]

I imagine that she'll be towed at least 5+ miles out to ensure she's in deeper water as that's where the vessel routes are.

I just hope they stay in 140' waters, ya know, just in case.

 

[ReefHound]

Free market, the ops can charge what they want and the dive public will respond accordingly. A business can spin BS reasons for anything but the customer has the final decision.

Adding crew and raising the cost won't make things safer if this just encourages more groups of divers to rent their own boat and do it on their own.

 

[Orlando Eric]

I just hope they stay in 140' waters, ya know, just in case.

Lets just hope the tug captain is not one of those hardcore US vs THEM deep water line fisherman.... **oppps** Der she goes to 100 fathoms---

 

[MSPDiver]

$100 bucks is a lot. But if you think about it it costs at least $125 in North Carolina. But it is a lot longer to the wrecks. I will attempt to book in July. Depending on how good it is at the price in the future will determine if people do it again.