Problems of the single diver....

[diver 85]

It's a short trip(either 3 or 4 day depending on which trip you chose), but The Fling diving the Flower Gardens out of Freeport, Tx. is ALWAYS based upon per diver( ie no couples or group discounts)---bunks are gotten while boarding boat on a 1st come bases........Good diving too assuming the weather is good.....sharks, turtles, manta rays, even whale sharks may be seen(see 2nd & 3rd links)......

www.gulf-diving.com

Flower Gardens July 09 pictures by GEAUXtiger - Photobucket

YouTube - Aggregation Of 30 Whale Sharks Near The Flower Gardens

and more Flower Garden pics/videos, click on album titles in left column with Flower Garden in their titles:
Pictures by GEAUXtiger - Photobucket

 

[handy andy]

I've had the same problem before. As long as the wife wants to go along, we just book an AI resort, and I dive and she calls herself a "dive widow", but lately it's been hard to convince her to go. The group we used to go with bought Harleys and started doing weekend road trips, but I was the only diver, so didn't bother me much, but the wife enjoyed the company of the group. So, last year I checked with every dive shop in Kansas that I could find, and wasn't much going on. Probably the economy slowing down the trips, so I wound up going on the Spree out of Key West with singledivers.com It was ok, 6 night trip, but there was a storm going on, so we went south to the dry tortugas, missed a few dives because of the weather. And the water was colder than they told me to expect. THe spree has 4 bunks to a tiny room, but wasn't bad, even when it was rough, cause as soon as I laid down in my bunk, it rocked me to sleep. Slept good!

One thing I would suggest to dive shops, post your trips on Scubaboard, so the single divers could find a group to go divin with. Jim

 

[Papa_Bear]

We take single divers all the time! Never a larger charge unless you want private! Contact SCUBALocker.com we will be going to Bahamas, Roatan, Bonaire, and Fiji for 2010! Always a great bunch of folks!

 

[vladimir]

Yes, as indicated above, on liveaboards the single supplement is only incurred if you require a cabin to yourself. Sharing is the norm, even among those traveling solo. The single supplement on liveaboards can seem punitive, ranging from 40% to 100% of the regular price, but with limited spaces often reserved months in advance, why would they let a berth go for less? I often pay the supplement, but I do try to do a little handicapping--if a boat is not full you might get lucky. And if you pay the supplement on a half-full boat you will kick yourself a little bit.

 

[k374]

so if one goes on a liveaboard as a single how do you find a buddy? Does your roommate become your buddy?

 

[DandyDon]

so if one goes on a liveaboard as a single how do you find a buddy? Does your roommate become your buddy?

Nope. Oh you might work that out, but it's a seperate issue.

 

[vladimir]

Does your roommate become your buddy?

Often yes, because he or she is one of the other single divers aboard. I usually gravitate towards fellow photographers that share my lax attitude towards the buddy system, but on boats where this doesn't fly I have buddied with couples, divemasters, whomever.

 

[Papa_Bear]

so if one goes on a liveaboard as a single how do you find a buddy? Does your roommate become your buddy?

I bunked with a guy on one of the aggressor boats and never saw him except in the room! He went his way and I mine, even at dinner, he ate in the lounge and I on the sundeck!

 

[robint]

We have been on 2 Nekton liveaboard trips and both times there were several singles onboard. Both trips the boat wasn't full so they didn't have to share. One guy was on his 3rd trip alone (his wife doesn't dive so she let's him do a liveaboard once a year) and he said that his first 2 trips he had to share - one time no problem, the other time the guy snored so bad he ended up sleeping in the lounge every night. So I guess it is hit or miss sometimes with an unknown roomie.

As far as dive buddies, the first trip the singles were 5 men and they all got along very well so they did a 5-man buddy team for diving. On the other trip, one lady alone dove with a DM every dive (that was her 5th Nekton trip) and the other singles onboard teamed up. I have found though, on all liveaboards we have done, that people do get along pretty well and no one is left without a buddy. The Nekton trips in particular have a big happy family attitude. Nekton Cruises > Home (the Bahamas trips leave from Ft. Lauderdale, look at my trip reports, videos and photos for details)

As mentioned by others, Bonaire is another place you can go and dive as a single for cheap. There are many hotels which have a single rate. Look at places like GoldenReef inn, WannaDive, Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn, and also look at Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire! and you can probably find a dive buddy for the wek.

Also, some dive resorts, like CocoView in Roatan, tell you that if you agree to have a roomate
they will give you a special price. I have a friend here locally who did this, went to Roatan alone as his wife couldn't go, and he had a roomate who he dove with all week. They got along just fine.

robin

 

[diversteve]

You just have to look for them.

It's not a liveaboard but Coconut Tree Divers in Roatan's West End rents studio cabins for $45/nt. Both of my friends had their own place. And we dove with Coconut Tree Divers so they gave us a package deal.

Barefoot Cay on the South side prices their lofts per person/loft, not dbl. occupancy (granted it's a pricier place)

I've just been looking at Belize. Found a couple places in the Placencia area that have packages based on a per person non-double rate. Laru Beya is one. There's also several cheaper places in town that rent rooms by the night - not # of people. Once we changed to looking at the AI's on the Atolls, everything went to dbl. occupancy pricing.

Some friends just booked at VillaBlanca in Cozumel. One of my friends has his own room, flights and breakfast bundled for about $700/wk. after using the Orbitz discount code. Diving is extra.

It's been my experience that mostly the AI's in popular areas do dbl. occupancy pricing. And of course the liveaboards as space is limited. Although as others have mentioned, the right time of year could be the difference. Nekton greatly reduces their pricing around Christmas - a friend was on one of their trips with 11 others, all were given the option of their own room if desired.