Why so expensive to dive with Great Whites?

[Code Monkey]

I've been wanting to dive with Great Whites but, *wow* it is costly. We live in Southern California so the Guadalupe trips have been tempting (and probably what I'll end up doing). I thought, what about just doing a day trip off the Farallons? It turns out, however, that it's about $800 per person to do a single day. I was getting excited about a trip I was planning to South Africa (just $100 per person per day) but, alas, the crime problem has scared me away. My last thought was that I could do a dive in Port Lincoln off Southern Australia but, again, we're talking $800 per person.

So, I guess I have 2 questions: 1) is there another place that is reliable for Great Whites and 2) why is it so expensive in most of the places to do the dives? I'm guessing that the answer to 2) has something to do with insurance or, maybe, supply and demand but I have to ask...

 

[The Kraken]

Because each time one of the divemasters gets eaten up, it costs a whole lot more to hire the next one !!! :11:

the K-age Keeper

 

[miketsp]

Is this cage diving?
If so the reason is obvious plus the insurance premiums must be sky high.

 

[Code Monkey]

Clearly, I'm missing something -- why is cage diving that much more expensive than non-cage diving? The blue/mako cage diving we have in Southern California is in the $100 per person per day range.

The insurance angle makes some sense. OTOH, has there *ever* been a successful attack (i.e., something requiring more than a couple of stitches) on somebody in a cage?

 

[TheRedHead]

It's an extreme type of dive and people will pay the price. Price is always determined by supply and demand.

 

[PeaceDog]

You guys are missing a very obvious factor here: the trip to Guadalupe from even San Diego is still over 20 hours. These guys are burning a tremendous amount of fuel to even GET there, nevermind the size of the crew and amount of bait.

 

[Hoyden]

Supply and demand -when they can't fill the boat at $800 a pop the price will come down.

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

Wade,

Sorry to see that you decided to cancel your trip to S.A. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go to dispel the fears that people have about travelling in our country (particularly with the nay-sayers being so vocal).

I hope that you reconsider someday. It truly is a beautiful country, with (mostly) great people. You can read some perspectives here.

By the way, I had a great dive yesterday with a Ragged Tooth Shark ("raggie") and two Blacktip Reef Sharks in 25m viz (south of Aliwal Shoal - my first encounter with this type of shark). Both of the encounters were "up close".

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[MarkUK]

Certain areas of SA have got bad reps, but you would have no problems if you are going out to do great whites. I went out a couple of months back to dive with Mike Rutzen of Shark Diving Unlimited in Gansbaai. He has just launched a PADI Great White Shark Distinctive Specialty, and this is a three-day course – two days of cage diving, a day scuba diving in Shark Alley between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock with the Cape fur seals, three nights accom at Saxon Lodge (a great little place, good food and a nice bar), two nights of comprehensive lectures on great white behaviour, etc, transfers too and from Cape Town airport (we arrived and Mike met us and drove us down to Gansbaai, and then back again at the end of the trip). All this for £500, so that's what, about $900. Not a bad price. We had eight sharks the first day, and 16 different animals the second. Very cool.

Even if you aren't into collecting C-cards, etc (I'm not), the course is very interesting and Mike really knows his stuff. He is, after all, the one on Animal Planet all the time freediving with the things!

Mark

 

[robbcayman]

I know of a cheap way to get dive with white sharks. Go down to the fish market get a whole bunch of bloody tuna and head down to La Jolla. Go about 300 yards off shore (close to that seal rock thing) and put the tuna in a milk crate. If you can score some chum that will really help your odds. Anyways, it will only cost you around $50 and you have a great shot of seeing one!!!

PS: Make sure and bring a broom handle to keep them in line. Let me know how it goes