Scuba Diving Gaming Trip?

[ristarr]

I was wondering if anyone tried to organize a Scuba trip for gamers.  One where the surface intervals would be used gaming.  I think a good GM ( Ross??? ) would be able to get a nice discounted trip if they organized such an outing.  I am envisioning a week trip to Bonaire for 6 people, renting a house and 2 trucks.  Trips like these can be done for a decent price.

Personally, I think the gaming should be CoC or Delta Green with an emphasis on the Deep Ones or other aquatic encounters ( a quick side trip to R'yleh?? ).

[clockworkjoe]

That sounds awesome. I don't know if I'll be able to afford that though. My brother has helped me out in that regard in the past (frequent flier miles FTW) - still Strader and I try to have an annual dive trip in the summer so when we get closer to the summer, I'll be able to coordinate with him and update the forums here.

Does anyone else here know or want to learn how to dive? It's not hard and it's not as expensive as you might think.

I do know I want to check out Bonne Terre Mine out http://www.2dive.com/btm.htm - it's in Missouri so I can drive there and it looks like some awesome diving.   I know I could do Bonne Terre with my current budget easily - course I am not ruling out Bonaire either. I would be interested in doing both 

[Mckma]

To me this just screams movie plot (don't know good or bad).  Gamers on a scuba/gaming trip...

In a mine!

[ArtfulShrapnel]

I've been diving once before, it was good times. Dunno how much diving one must have done, or what certifications are needed, to be able to on a trip like this. I'd be interested though!

[ristarr]

Bonaire diving is not difficult.  The hardest part is the shore entries and exits.  Walking around on wet rocks in the surf while wearing scuba gear can be tricky if you don't take your time.

The basic way to dive Bonaire is to load the dive gear in a 4 door pickup and drive to a site ( marked by a yellow stone beside the road ).  You gear up and walk into the water.  They do have boat dives and guided dives, but that is usually just wasting money.  Most everyone shore dives.  The great thing about this is you get to set your own schedule.  Since it is unguided diving, some experience is necessary ( they check certifications and usually require a checkout dive before they sign you up for the tank rentals ).  But the waters are calm and warm ( I dive in shorts and  tshirts there ).

I like to do a real early morning dive as the sun is coming up ( like a reverse night dive ).  You can often see eagle rays feeding on the shallow sandy bottom then.  Then either another dive or off to breakfast.  Two more dives in the afternoon and a night dive.  It is pretty easy to do a lot of diving when all you have to do is grab some tanks and throw them in the truck.

The main problem with Bonaire is the price of airfare.  It looks like it is running $800 - $1000.  It looks like renting a house for 5-6 people could be as cheap as $700 for a week ( a real dive ) to about $1500 for a nicer place ( and of course much more for even nicer ).  Having a kitchen lets you save money eating at the house and getting food from a grocery store.  A guy I travel with has a timeshare at one of the big resorts, so I have always stayed at that resort.  It is nice but costs ( about $700/person and that including diving expenses for a week).
A truck costs about $330 a week ( 5 people in the cab, 6 is a real squeeze ).  And a week of scuba tanks is about $135.

I don't know how much a travel agent could save by packaging, but these are just some quick comparisons I came up with using the 'net.

If you want to see some diving pics from Bonaire, I have some posted here ( http://www.underwaterblues.com/Bonaire/Bonaire.html ).  Great visibility and lots of colorful fish, but unfortunately no sharks.

[ristarr]

Of course a live aboard trip would work out really well for gaming also.  On the boat for the whole trip and doing nothing but diving, gaming, eating and sleeping!  Those usually run from $1200 -> $3000+ and include everything room, food and diving.  They are actually a great deal considering you are doing 5 dives a day and a lot of the time just walking off the boat you are living on.

[clockworkjoe]

I've been diving once before, it was good times. Dunno how much diving one must have done, or what certifications are needed, to be able to on a trip like this. I'd be interested though!

Were you actually scuba diving? Was it at a resort who divers who guided you every step of the way?


Typically to dive with the average dive shop or guide, you need to get an open water certification. It's basically enough training so that you can do basic diving on your own. It covers the science behind diving (decompression etc), how to use dive equipment (BCDs, regulators, gauges), the essentials of safe diving and so on. It also requires 6 open water dives with an instructor. In missouri, I got my certification through a SSI certified dive shop and it cost about 300 bucks. That covered all the classes, equipment rental and the dives.  It only took 2 days of classes and 2 days of diving.

If you're in Florida, I envy you in respects to diving, because that has some incredible diving.

Also: another possibility for a RPPR dive trip http://www.underwatersculpture.com/

[ristarr]

The statues are real cool.  I am not sure if you have thought this out completely as a destination though ( at least the mexican location ).  When I think of that area of Mexico ( Cancun and Cozumel ), I think of cenote diving.  And cenotes make me think of Well of Sacrifices.  Need I say more?

Actually, Cozumel might be another option.  I believe the diving is done by boat though and that adds cost and removes freedom.  I have not actually dove there, though.

Ross, did you get your card at the Dive Shop in Joplin?  It is one of the 4-5 Dive Shops "family" ( all SSI ) and I got trained at the one here in Atlanta. 

I would agree that a C-card is a minimum qualification to dive just about anywhere.  At least anywhere you would want to dive.

[ArtfulShrapnel]

Yeah, it was actual scuba diving. We were at a resort, but went to a private scuba guide/instructor because we didn't like the resort's attitude. (they were very hand-holdy) He covered the basic safety stuff, and I'm a curious person so I got him to tell me most of how the equipment worked while we were heading to the dive site. He covered all the decompression information, and how to ration air and plan dive time. Really good teacher in my opinion. I'm definitely not certified, nor experienced enough to get a certification in short order.

Also, I'm on the gulf coast of florida. Not quite as interesting a dive scene. Mostly sand and murky water.

300 isn't so bad. I could take a couple days off from work and do that sometime. Could be fun. I wonder if I could talk Violet into going on some dives...

[clockworkjoe]

I trained at sho me scuba http://www.sho-mescuba.com/

Anyway, I know some guys in springfield who drove from missouri to florida on thanksgiving weekend so they could dive a sunken aircraft carrier off the coast of florida. They would drive 12 hours, sleep a few hours at a motel, get up at dawn, then pile into a boat to go 20 miles off the coast and then dive the carrier and then drive back to springfield that night. I am not that hardcore although I might have considered it if the carrier wasn't so deep - most of it was over 100 feet down.

Anyway, I would think that driving from side of Florida to the other wouldn't be that big of a trip. Plus Key West. Plus, fresh water diving.

[ArtfulShrapnel]

It isn't that big a deal, really. I just don't really have many friends in other parts of florida. Ringling graduates tend to scatter pretty far and pretty fast. I think I actually know more people in San Francisco or Dallas than in the entire state of Florida, and I've never even been to Texas or Cali. Most of my local friends are almost completely broke, sarasota is full of that. High cost of living and very few good jobs. Not really much opportunity to travel as a result.

[clockworkjoe]

Bonaire diving is not difficult.  The hardest part is the shore entries and exits.  Walking around on wet rocks in the surf while wearing scuba gear can be tricky if you don't take your time.

The basic way to dive Bonaire is to load the dive gear in a 4 door pickup and drive to a site ( marked by a yellow stone beside the road ).  You gear up and walk into the water.  They do have boat dives and guided dives, but that is usually just wasting money.  Most everyone shore dives.  The great thing about this is you get to set your own schedule.  Since it is unguided diving, some experience is necessary ( they check certifications and usually require a checkout dive before they sign you up for the tank rentals ).  But the waters are calm and warm ( I dive in shorts and  tshirts there ).

I like to do a real early morning dive as the sun is coming up ( like a reverse night dive ).  You can often see eagle rays feeding on the shallow sandy bottom then.  Then either another dive or off to breakfast.  Two more dives in the afternoon and a night dive.  It is pretty easy to do a lot of diving when all you have to do is grab some tanks and throw them in the truck.

The main problem with Bonaire is the price of airfare.  It looks like it is running $800 - $1000.  It looks like renting a house for 5-6 people could be as cheap as $700 for a week ( a real dive ) to about $1500 for a nicer place ( and of course much more for even nicer ).  Having a kitchen lets you save money eating at the house and getting food from a grocery store.  A guy I travel with has a timeshare at one of the big resorts, so I have always stayed at that resort.  It is nice but costs ( about $700/person and that including diving expenses for a week).
A truck costs about $330 a week ( 5 people in the cab, 6 is a real squeeze ).  And a week of scuba tanks is about $135.

I don't know how much a travel agent could save by packaging, but these are just some quick comparisons I came up with using the 'net.

If you want to see some diving pics from Bonaire, I have some posted here ( http://www.underwaterblues.com/Bonaire/Bonaire.html ).  Great visibility and lots of colorful fish, but unfortunately no sharks.

I did some shore diving on grand cayman and one was a night dive so thats not a problem with me. I'll send this info to my brother see if that perks his interest.