Good reef diving for the lowest cost.

[Travelnsj]

Originally Posted by dkh6070

Thanks, I am flying out of Atlanta. We build up Delta miles and usually get at least 2-3 free flights a year depending on cost. I've never been part of a forum before. It's like the information highway on crack. Thanks for all the suggestions. Just the links alone are extremely helpful in getting a better deal than what I was seeing just by surfing.

If you build up Delta miles...you can use them on Singapore....Go to Bali been there 3 times...if you are on a budget stay somewhere like this Welcome to Bayu Cottages, Amed, Bali nice place...if you are not on a budget stay here Scuba Seraya Resort in Bali Indonesia...and really good diving

[Daved]

If money isn't a concern

Wakatobi Dive Resort - Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia - Home Page

[ianr33]

While its not exactly known as being a budget destination I have done maybe half a dozen inexpensive trips to Grand Cayman.
Bide your time and wait for a deal on airfare.Can be around $300 out of Houston.Rent a condo with friends.Around $300 per person for a week. Divetech are offering unlimited shore diving for $100/week. Rent a Jeep ($150 per person per week) and cook you own meals.
Total cost for a week around $1000

Only downside is it takes a bit of organizing and you need to be prepared for some long swims to get to the best diving. But thats part of the adventure. My Avatar pic was taken on one of these trips.

[Travelnsj]

Originally Posted by Daved

If money isn't a concern

Wakatobi Dive Resort - Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia - Home Page

If money is not a concern there are many many better places to dive in Indonesia than Wakatobi. Although they have an excellent dive operation the diving is overrated.

[rayaa3]

As I read through this thread I kept thinking think this is the hardest question to answer for folks...because:

1) what is cheap

it's relative to what you have to spend...

2) where you are flying from

controls the biggest relative cost for most places...

If you live in/near florida and can drive...that's usually going to win...trips dedicated to diving do not require the fanciest hotels...you drove your own car so you don't have to rent one...bring a buddy and split hotel and gas...that can get pretty relatively cheap.

If you live in Houston or close...I think the flowergardens trips sound like the best quick weekend diving. ~550pp for `.5 days of good reef diving, all your food and sleeping arrangments...of course I hear those flowergardens trips aren't for the faint of heart.

If you can travel for longer periods of time, you can make alot of trips 'cheaper' by getting more bang for your buck.

I was recently looking at a cheap trip to Cozumel...staying at a less sparkly hotel...I think it was 550pp for flight and hotel (looking at next summer) for giggles I looked at 2 weeks, it was only 700pp, 3 weeks - 850pp. In this case the biggest cost was flight...so my trip was relatively cheaper the longer I stayed.

The reality is I can't take off more than 1 week for a diving trip. I take trips dedicated to diving when I don't have my daughter, and that is never more than a week stretch.

For me, in Oklahoma flights are cheapest to cozumel - usually by 300-400pp. I don't stay in the MOST fancy hotels, on most trips, so my biggest expense is flight. So Cozumel wins the coin toss alot. However, I think if you live in the Northeast, or Southeast US the options can be different.

But no matter what, everyone's budget is different, so 'cheap' is only 'cheap' if you have X amount of dollars to spend. I think 600pp with flight and hotel is great (this never includes diving). I have coworkers with 5 kids and a single income...it's certainly not cheap to them.

[DMWiz]

I'll throw this in the hat, even though is not world renown mainly because the dive industry is not well developed, Panama has great diving and you can fly there (often for less than $100) from Ft. Lauderdale. I took my family of 4 for $560 round trip airfare including port taxes.

It's a 2.5 hr flight then you either drive to Colon or fly/drive (I suggest flying) to Bocas del Toro and you're diving the Caribbean for a fraction of what it cost elsewhere.

If there are enough divers interested and tides are right, you can dive the Atlantic and the Pacific in one day! Pretty unique if you ask me.

Accommodations aren't the best, but the diving is really great!

I do agree with Raaya3 cheap is relative... I can't beat diving in my neck of the woods with a 30 minute car ride.

[ReefHound]

Originally Posted by rayaa3

As I read through this thread I kept thinking think this is the hardest question to answer for folks...because:

1) what is cheap

it's relative to what you have to spend...

2) where you are flying from

controls the biggest relative cost for most places...

I agree but the op specifically excluded airfare because they fly on Delta miles and wanted to know about costs "once you get there". I think he started the thread to find the solution best suited for him, not a general solution for all divers.

Cheap is also relative to what other places charge. A $50 boat trip is relatively cheap when boat trips in most places cost $75 and up. Of course, a $50 boat trip may not be cheap to someone making minimum wage but in that case boat diving is just not within their budget. For some, there is no cheap. Including them does not serve the interests of the dive community. It would be unfair to conclude that there is no such thing as a cheap vacation because some people are too poor to afford a vacation.

In general, the cheapest dive trip will be somewhere you can shore dive, cook your own meals, and if possible drive to the destination.

[WaScubaDude]

Originally Posted by rayaa3

...snip...
have X amount of dollars to spend. I think 600pp with flight and hotel is great (this never includes diving). I have coworkers with 5 kids and a single income...it's certainly not cheap to them.

But birth control is.

[dkh6070]

Originally Posted by ReefHound

I agree but the op specifically excluded airfare because they fly on Delta miles and wanted to know about costs "once you get there". I think he started the thread to find the solution best suited for him, not a general solution for all divers.

Cheap is also relative to what other places charge. A $50 boat trip is relatively cheap when boat trips in most places cost $75 and up. Of course, a $50 boat trip may not be cheap to someone making minimum wage but in that case boat diving is just not within their budget. For some, there is no cheap. Including them does not serve the interests of the dive community. It would be unfair to conclude that there is no such thing as a cheap vacation because some people are too poor to afford a vacation.

In general, the cheapest dive trip will be somewhere you can shore dive, cook your own meals, and if possible drive to the destination.

It is funny to see very basic questions blown way out of proportion.

Reefhound, you are very intuitive to read the original question before answering. I was, as you stated, referring to "in comparison to other places to dive" and not trying to hire an accountant to decipher my financial ability to attend a dive conference in Bora Bora.

[rayaa3]

Originally Posted by dkh6070

It is funny to see very basic questions blown way out of proportion.

.

It happens all the time around here, and I'm as happy as anyone to contribute to the general snowball effect when I can