Tall order -- last minute dive vacation (March 23 -- April 1)

[ktkt]

For various reasons, I haven't been able to make a plan for my spring break until now. I have a few ideas, and I'm hoping you might toss out some more. I have March 23 to April 1 free, and I want to squeeze in LOTS of diving. Lots means I would happily do 5 dives a day including night diving. I will be travelling alone, but not diving solo. I am especially interested in options around $1000 for the week (excluding airfare, which I will cover with frequent flier miles if necessary), but I can go higher for something special. Since I am not toting a buddy along, liveaboards and diving-centric locations are best. I don't need anything fancy, I'm willing to share a room, I don't care about nightlife. I have all my own gear (and it flies carry-on with me). I have already done Roatan and Oahu recently, and while I loved them, I want to try something new.

a) I am considering a stay at the Dive Hut in Bonaire. I can get the hotel, diving, and truck for under $1k. Is it a little crazy to show up on my own, or will I be able to easily find buddies to dive (almost) as much as I want? This is probably my top choice at the moment.

b) I can do a California road trip for pretty cheap, but this will likely involve a bit less diving, due to cold, the fairly high possibility of the ocean not cooperating, difficulty of finding buddies mid-week. I would head down to SoCal to check out some new sites, but also stop at Monterey along the way.

c) I have sort of written off Florida and Cozumel due to the presumption that they get taken over by kids on spring break who mostly want to get drunk. Is that a misconception, or do you maybe have suggestions for doing these locations but buffering myself from all that?

d) Your ideas here? Liveaboards trying to fill a last-minute opening? Someone in your dive club is looking for someone to buy out their spot on a trip that week?

 

[moneysavr]

c) I have sort of written off Florida and Cozumel due to the presumption that they get taken over by kids on spring break who mostly want to get drunk. Is that a misconception, or do you maybe have suggestions for doing these locations but buffering myself from all that?

Not sure if your right on Florida,
Have not seen any drunk kids spring break on a dive boats out of Boynton Beach to the big steel in the Keys, Ft.Lauderdale kind of put a stop to it,now they wish they had em back!Citys up north do welcome the kids.
Id do a SE Florida a few days then Keys, Boynton has a few great dive boats with Wrecks to reefs,not too many hotels a Holiday Inn Exp is close, we dive with UE our pal Kev has a great 6 pac lets you solo to if you can do it, otherwise will splash with you for a guided or tour,see link,
https://securec7.ezhostingserver.com/diveboyntonbeach-com/indexs.cfm
Have fun!

 

[diversteve]

Blackbeards Cruises is probably the only sub-$1000 week-long liveaboard without flying to the South Pacific or Indonesia. They run 3 boats out of Nassau so may have space available. Their other boat - Cat Ppalu - sometimes sells leftover spaces if someone charters but doesn't fill the boat. It's about $1550 plus fees/tip. Also out of Nassau. You might check with Lost Island Voyages also - IDK what they charge.

If you decide on Bonaire: Looking for Dive Buddy, March 25 – April 5

I was asked at least 3x if I needed a buddy on Bonaire while waiting for mine. You likely won't find a lot of buddy options at the dive sites - esp. in the afternoon - at many we were the only ones there. And we went during Dive Week. Since there's no facilities at any of the sites except at the resorts there's no reason for people to stick around. Otoh, if you can't find a buddy at Buddy's or Capt' Don's bar, you're not trying...

 

[Doc]

For $1000 during that time frame, looking for 4+1 each day, sorry- that just doesn't exist.

The only place in the Caribbean you can really expect to get that volume of diving is $1350 for the week, and they're booked-up solid. Maybe somebody cancelled out? Try CoCo View.

Fantasy Island, just across the channel, offers a lesser grade package, and is usually cheaper. I can't easily locate their current rates page, maybe someone here can. I would wager that they have room.

You talk of 5 dives a day, and after many years of diving in the Caribbean, I find these to be the best way other than live-aboard.

The downside to Roatan is the stupid money they charge for airfare.

Traveling anywhere at that time of year is going to cost you dearly.

 

[vladimir]

As much as I love diving, I'd happily pass up my next trip to be back in Florida doing body shots with drunken coeds. Oh, and to be 19 again—it's not the sort of thing a man my age can do with any semblance of dignity.

 

[Doc]

As much as I love diving, I'd happily pass up my next trip to be back in Florida doing body shots with drunken coeds. Oh, and to be 19 again—it's not the sort of thing a man my age can do with any semblance of dignity.

Dignity is highly over-rated.

 

[ktkt]

Thanks for the responses! I can live with less diving (3/day wouldn't kill me, especially if there was easy snorkeling to be done), and I can spend more if necessary. I am not too worried about flight costs, as I can get decent award tickets even last minute.

moneysaver, good to know about Florida.

diversteve, are there budget options you would recommend in the South Pacific or Indonesia? I am willing to put in some effort to find Bonaire buddies, so I think that's still sounding like a good option.

 

[DSR-3]

Go big! Try something really different.
I would look at Bali (Tulamben?), and the Philippines (Anilao or Puerto Galera). Both relatively cheap to stay/dive, and Cathay (got OneWorld?) flies 1-stop to both from SFO.
Have fun.

 

[Jlpskydive]

key largo is pretty laid back and I just got back from a week of diving with Scuba-Do and it was AWESOME!!

 

[robint]

If you go to Cozumel, you will not see alot of spring break kids. Yeah, there might be a few, but most will be over in Cancun.
There are lots of options on Cozumel, too, depending on your price range. If you go a place like ScubaClub, you will immediately be adopted by your boat group and won't be alone for meals or dives. It is a DIVE resort, so only divers, no partying kids, and people who stay there are divers who just want to dive and talk about diving. We love it and are heading back later this month. All meals are included with package, so you never have to leave the resort gate unless you want to walk to town (15 minutes at most).

Other options are available, too, but traveling alone you might get stuck spending alot of time alone unless you get lucky making friends the first day.