High oil prices vs diving vacation

[scubapro50]

Be sure you know all the charges before signing up for any flights ....... there can be hidden costs like "fuel surcharges" or "special taxes" that are not listed in the "advertised price" . These hidden costs can make a "cheap" trip very expensive fast.

 

[highlandfarmwv]

The price of buying property has sure gone up in Bonaire!!!

But for diving, it's a bargain. The acccommodations and airfare may be high, but is offset by the opportunity to shore dive, which is about $30/day for as many beautiful dives as you want.

 

[Ed Jewell]

I guess if I get desperate enough, I could cut back on the no. of bottles of Dom Perignon that I use to flush my toilets and wash my cars.

 

[Clammy]

It certainly has affected my thoughts on travel, although there are still good airfares available to some of my desired destinations. However, based on what I see here on Catalina I think the increased gas (and food, etc.) costs are affecting the pocketbooks of divers who would normally come out to the island. Certainly there is a lot less disposable income for dive travel if you are paying $5.18 per gallon as I did last time I filled up. Good thing the Dr. Bill Mobile gets 70 mpg!

You also only have 1 square mile to drive around in! And half that you're not allowed to drive in either!!!

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Has the record high price of oil ( average about $100/barrel) causing you to rethink your diving vacation plans? I have been checking prices and not only the fees for the diving have shot up (over $300 for one week on the boat) but when you add in the increased prices of airfare, hotel, food and other things then the trip I took 2 years ago is almost $1000 more. You can still find some specials to Mexico but the costs to fly and stay in Grand Cayman is really high (some say it's the bill for having to repair all the damage from storms in the last few seasons). I priced a trip to Grand Cayman vs Hawaii for a week from Houston and Hawaii was cheaper by $600 for me and the wife. I thinking about not flying this year and trying to book on the Spree or the Fling (their prices have also shot way up) and dive the flower gardens in June.

Nope. Booked the the Spirit of Freedom out of Cains and will not look back even though they clearly state that a fuel surcharge is going to be assessed in addition to the published rates.

 

[mike_s]

I think people will opt for local diving, make less trips, and simply put, they will dive less.

The economy has changed to cause everything to go up in price. As a whole, I bet the scuba industry seems a downturn this year.

I just heard today of another dive shop closing... I wonder how many will be by the end of the year.?

 

[ArcticDiver]

More domestic travel and diving, less overseas. For example, I really, really like diving BC, Canada. But, with increased fuel costs and an unfavorable exchange rate I'm not going to do that as much.

By the way, isn't it amazing the "logic" of dumping a perfectly good, paid for vehicle to pay 20K for one that gets another 10mpg? Especially since fuel is only one of the costs, and for most folks not the biggest one.

Another by the way: I wonder what fuel prices would be if all the city lights that are left on all night all over our nation would be turned off? Much of the power used in those wasteful lights comes either directly, or indirectly from oil. Even coal is hauled in diesel powered trains. We concentrate on vehicles when some really big fuel consumers are ignored.

 

[jl5619718]

The exchange rates are more of a concern.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Diving is still an excellent value here in the Philippines...

 

[Wisnu]

to make you all jealous - here, Ron 98 still equal to USD 0.40 per liter,