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Scuba Forum / General / March 2008liveaboards/diving on a budget - possible?
Hey all, I'm doing an around-the-world trip from April to August, and three places I'll be visiting are Malaysia (late April), Thailand (late April / early May), and Egypt (late June - early July). I'm not going to be in these areas and NOT go diving, but I'm wondering how much diving I can squeeze out of an already stretched budget. Day-to-day diving is expensive, and from what I hear, even in a place like Thailand, you're paying Western prices for dives. Liveaboards seem to be a better bang for your buck, and I'm wondering if anyone here has suggestions for budget liveaboards (or advice against them, or other ideas, or whatever). I figure my best bet is to show at operator offices and ask if there are spots open on the soon-to-depart liveaboards. Maybe they'll have a spot, and better me at 1/2 price than nobody at all? Would that ever possibly work? Has anyone done something similar? Any other suggestions/advice/comments would be welcome, of course! If you're curious, I'm 24 years old, was certified in 1998 (and advanced OW in '05? '06? whatever), have about 90 dives logged, and have been a volunteer diver at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium for the past 2.5 years (not included in the 90). all the best, and thanks, Jake On Mar 5, 5:31 pm, "jakecoo...@gmail.com" <jakecoo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hey all, > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > all the best, and thanks, > Jake Hey Jake, sounds like an awesome trip. Great to have the time and opportunity to do it. Your plan could work. I don't know about that part of the world, but I do know that some liveaboards will give a deep discount to a last- minute walk-on for exactly the reason you state. Give it a shot. And congrats on diving at Shedd. I've been a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore for more than six years. It's a great way to do community service and keep up your skills. Hope you'll tell us about it when you get back. gc > On Mar 5, 5:31 pm, "jakecoo...@gmail.com" <jakecoo...@gmail.com> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > gc Thanks George. I'll try my luck with the walk-ons. I'll be in Egypt in the low season (summer), so I figure fewer boats means less chance of a spot, but I'll do what I can. Also was told by ScubaZine Lee that I might be able to get a discount if I offer to deckhand. I'll try that, too. Leaving the Shedd is definitely a bummer (after the trip, I'll be off to graduate school). I grew up in Chicago, and being a Shedd diver was a bit of a childhood dream. Hopefully I'll be able to hit up the Seattle Aquarium or Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium, depending on where I decide to go to school. Say hi to National Aquarium for me. -Jake day diving in egypt- sharm el sheik is inexpensive, but excellent. i used dive africa http://www.diveafrica.com/ both time i was there. one of our best all around vacations. elliott >Hey all, > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >Jake > Thanks much Elliott. The prices there look very reasonable, which is just terrific. I've heard raves about the Thistlegorm. I've also been told to take a trip to Sipidan if possible, and to the Similans also. I'll be in Malaysia and Thailand, so either sounds doable if I can swing the money. Any Sipidan or Similan suggestions? thanks, Jake > day diving in egypt- sharm el sheik is inexpensive, but excellent. i > used dive africa http://www.diveafrica.com/ both time i was there. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > >all the best, and thanks, > >Jake > Thanks much Elliott. The prices there look very reasonable, > which is [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] >> >all the best, and thanks, >> >Jake Think to Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and you'll enjoy your dives. http://www.divenorthsulawesi.com/ http://www.north-sulawesi.com/ http://www.sulawesi-info.com/index.php http://www.north-sulawesi.org/ > Thanks much Elliott. The prices there look very reasonable, which is > just terrific. I've heard raves about the Thistlegorm. > > I've also been told to take a trip to Sipidan if possible, and to the > Similans also. I'll be in Malaysia and Thailand, so either sounds > doable if I can swing the money. Any Sipidan or Similan suggestions? Can't speak for Similan, but Sipidan gets high marks. I'll say this about that though. . one can't stay on Sipidan anymore. You'll have to bunk in at Mabul and take the day boat over to Sipidan. Still, I highly recommend it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Glad for myself, that I was one of the last to stay on Sipidan before they closed it off for overnight stays. That said, I also stayed on Mabul and loved the muck diving over there too. > thanks, > Jake You are most welcome. Have a blast and then come back and tell us all about it. > > day diving in egypt- sharm el sheik is inexpensive, but excellent. i > > used dive africa http://www.diveafrica.com/ both time i was there. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > >all the best, and thanks, > > >Jake > <jakecoo...@gmail.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] > > > >all the best, and thanks, > > > >Jake All good and helpful stuff. Thanks guys! |
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