Quick vacation, single diver.....

[hoop]

OK, here's the lowdown.... Getting ready to change jobs, and will have about a 2 week lapse with nothing to do but drink beer and watch the clouds float by....... I would much rather be in some blue water doing some diving.....

Any recommendations for a single diver wanting to hit coz (or hell, just blue water for that matter) for a 3-4 day get away? I've never gone it alone, and just wondering what kind of options are out there. Thanks!

[Defman]

Be prepared to pay about 50% more with the single supplement.

I like to stay at FiestAmericana, and dive with Papa Hogs. FA is quiet and enough south that you're close to the diving. On the other hand, if you plan to hang out in town it's not very close.

[chace_nicole]

check out aquasafari.com and click accomodation & click check out other dive packages. The rates are for hotel, diving and tax. They look pretty reasonable & most include breakfast.

[hoop]

Originally Posted by chace_nicole

check out aquasafari.com and click accomodation & click check out other dive packages. The rates are for hotel, diving and tax. They look pretty reasonable & most include breakfast.

Have you used any of Aqua Safaris services? Never been to Coz, but keep an eye on the boards for reputable operators and haven't heard of them (which doesn't mean much)........

[Defman]

I travel solo all of the time, so I have experience and five CZM trips.

There's two easy ways to price it, they pretty much come out the same.. Hotel/diving + air, or air/hotel + diving. I've always had good luck and good pricing from Funjet and Worry Free for hotel/air. They fly out of DFW, I don't know if they have flights from OKC but the drive to DFW isn't that bad if you don't mind.... Most dive shops have hotels they swing deals with, and vice-versa, and you could spend days figuring all of the combos.. or you could put a travel agent to work, that what they're here for!

This months Scuba Diving has some resort/dive shop reader ratings in it. Blue XT-Sea, Dive with Martin, and Scuba Cozumel all got 100% ratings, that doesn't change my previous recommendation of Papa Hogs though. PH has some deals with a couple of hotels, and their own little 4 room "motel". It's super basic, but extremely convenient. I've also stayed next door at Villa Blanca, it was OK too. The Villa Blanca trip got cut short due to illness, I was only there 2 days.

One of the many things I like about FiestAmericana is the AC.. Sounds kinda trivial, but it's a REAL AC, not some window unit that barely does the job. I'd put my wetsuit on the patio draped over the chair and let the exhaust of the AC dry it & my booties out.... always nice to slip into DRY gear!! Also nice to fly home with dry gear!

Personally, I'd suggest a hotel/air combo then you can switch your dive opp in the event you don't like them instead of being tied to them by your hotel.

[chace_nicole]

I haven't used them before, but have heard good things. It just looks like they try to cut solo travelers/divers a break pricewise for lodging...makes sense what defman says about diving separate from everything else, just incase.

[hoop]

Thanks folks! That gives me some ideas to work with.... Defman, I'll be shooting you a PM on specifics if you don't mind....

Chace, where you do most your diving? I'm a Murray man myself....

[Defman]

Originally Posted by hoop

Thanks folks! That gives me some ideas to work with.... Defman, I'll be shooting you a PM on specifics if you don't mind....

Don't mind at all.

Another idea that expands on my last comment... Totally up to you, but.... You could dive with a different shop each day and give us a report when you come back!!!

[charlesml3]

First of all, you'll be FINE going to Coz alone. I did it once when the rest of my dive crew bailed on me 10 days before the trip. Met a bunch of divers on the boat the first day and ended up hanging out with them the rest of the week. This is off season in Coz so you can easily just fly down and find a hotel when you get there. I like the Barracuda. Good spot for divers, nice pool and swimup bar. Not terribly expensive either. Any dive op will pick you up at their pier as well.

-Charles

[kqhouston]

My buddy and I dive the fast boats with Dive Paradise, and we are often joined by a single or a couple of single divers...If I were going alone, I'd find them or another 6-pack boat.

and do your own hotel direct, if you can.....you can get some great deals. We were paying like, $85 a day at one all inclusive, my daughter decided to jump on the trip, just showed up there and they gave her a $60 day rate.

Have a great time. I was there first of Sept and the diving was fabulous.