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Thread: Caribb-LEM Mark IV! (Utila) March 13-23 2019 Registration details

  1. #31
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    swamidog is online now Jr. Woodchuckington Janitor III, Esq.
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    Quote Originally Posted by telmnstr View Post
    Ah okay, yea I missed out on that one.
    give him a call. he may still have some.
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  2. #32
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    Bradfo69 is offline Pending BST Forum Purchases: $47,127,283.53
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    I concur. For the price, they're nice little units. Strictly for home use although, I did end up using one here at the hall for a scrolling name on the wall at a retirement party.
    I did a little side by side against a Clubmax 1800 running a Swami show and being single mode it really performed better than the Clubmax.
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  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bradfo69 View Post
    I did a little side by side against a Clubmax 1800 running a Swami show and being single mode it really performed better than the Clubmax.
    Yeah, I also ran Swami's Pink Floyd show here at home and it wasn't as 'bright' as the DZ-built "Spider" projector I bought form Buffo at my first SELEM (which I had been using as my graphics projector), but WOW the colors and crispness were just stunning.

    I decided to not take it to Bonaire this time, because I don't know the resort or the schedule or the 'flow' of how this group works. I don't even know where I could project a show or where to get power (at least it's US 110v). But I'll scope it out next week and if it looks like it's doable, and if I take this trip again, I'll bring it down next time.

  4. #34
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    Okay, Starting to look at flights and stuff again. I'm thinking I might end up doing the 7 day trip so I don't have to worry about time off from work. I want to leave myself open to maybe do another trip with local dive club later in the year also, or more likely maybe the Florida keys. I dunno we will see.

    Plus I will be signing up for a few more dive certifications locally and they ain't cheap!

    Flights are still looking pretty expensive but SAP is way cheaper than RTB! Plus $220 round trip for the flight to Utila from the prior posts.

    I am going to poke around to see if anyone is selling vouchers below face value as well, that might be a way to do it.

    Starting to get excited for Utila again!

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by telmnstr View Post
    Flights are still looking pretty expensive but SAP is way cheaper than RTB! Plus $220 round trip for the flight to Utila from the prior posts.
    Make sure you look at the CM Airlines flight (direct to Utila) and not the Sosa Air one which has a connection at Le Ceiba.

    Just got back from Bonaire, and had a great time. First dives with the Perdix AI, and it's great - I really like it. Except that it's kind of a pain to change the Nitrox mix percentages. It can store three gas mixes, Air, plus two Nitrox mixes, but if I get a tank that's not one of those two (say N32 or N36) I have to reprogram one of them to be N33 or N34 or whatever's in the tank at that moment. Luckily, most every tank I had was N33.. the second to last day I had two N34 tanks, so I had to reset one of the slots then reset it to N33 the next day.

    Also, I know it's not a requirement for Utila, but for Bonaire, I had to sign up for DAN Diver's insurance. It's between $90 and $180 per year and covers a lot of different stuff in case something goes wrong (see pricing below). Since I have two trips inside of one year, I went for the Guardian Plan for $125 (plus $55 to join DAN). I think it's good to have cheap accident insurance:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails dani.PNG  


  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by HankLloydRight View Post
    Make sure you look at the CM Airlines flight (direct to Utila) and not the Sosa Air one which has a connection at Le Ceiba.

    Just got back from Bonaire, and had a great time. First dives with the Perdix AI, and it's great - I really like it. Except that it's kind of a pain to change the Nitrox mix percentages. It can store three gas mixes, Air, plus two Nitrox mixes, but if I get a tank that's not one of those two (say N32 or N36) I have to reprogram one of them to be N33 or N34 or whatever's in the tank at that moment. Luckily, most every tank I had was N33.. the second to last day I had two N34 tanks, so I had to reset one of the slots then reset it to N33 the next day.
    Nice! Glad you like it! I've been mostly happy with mine, I suppose there are a few UI things that are kind of annoying but the screen looks great.

    If you set it for 34% o2 but your mix has 33% o2 then it gives you a safety factor with regard to MOD, just have to watch the surface interval since nitrogen loading would be slightly more?

    I uh, guess I ended up with a second Shearwater computer myself (I think it's technically a Shearwater Petrel 1 or Petrel 2):
    https://imgur.com/rwT8yfp

    :-)

    Also, I know it's not a requirement for Utila, but for Bonaire, I had to sign up for DAN Diver's insurance. It's between $90 and $180 per year and covers a lot of different stuff in case something goes wrong (see pricing below). Since I have two trips inside of one year, I went for the Guardian Plan for $125 (plus $55 to join DAN). I think it's good to have cheap accident insurance:
    Indeed! When I used to dive on the boat in Virginia Beach it was mandatory. I will sign up again. Note it's supplementary insurance, AFAIK it kicks in when your primary insurance is exhausted, or something to that effect.

  7. #37
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    Yeah, I need to get my ass in gear about this too. I keep looking at flight combos and thinking SAP may still be the way to go. I don't know why but, this trip is just having all the appearances of being WAAYYY more expensive than previous ones. Maybe because Rich combined the prices into one but, I can't get my head around the fact that this is going to be $2500. I keep feeling like previous trips were $1300-$1600. I don't know how many more of these can be a reality. I've been in a bit of a money panic recently since Lauren's moved out and I have an additional $900 in housing expense. $200 in storage rental for my gear, due to having to move it out of the hall. Spending over $1000 for mom and I to go to Texas to see my son for a couple days over Christmas, and I pissed away some money on black Friday that I shouldn't have and, my lease is up April 15th and need to find "something" to move into and I was trying to avoid renting and buy something. It's all going to be fine but, I still can't help being wigged out about it and Utila is looming large.
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  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bradfo69 View Post
    Yeah, I need to get my ass in gear about this too. I keep looking at flight combos and thinking SAP may still be the way to go. I don't know why but, this trip is just having all the appearances of being WAAYYY more expensive than previous ones. Maybe because Rich combined the prices into one but, I can't get my head around the fact that this is going to be $2500. I keep feeling like previous trips were $1300-$1600. I don't know how many more of these can be a reality. I've been in a bit of a money panic recently since Lauren's moved out and I have an additional $900 in housing expense. $200 in storage rental for my gear, due to having to move it out of the hall. Spending over $1000 for mom and I to go to Texas to see my son for a couple days over Christmas, and I pissed away some money on black Friday that I shouldn't have and, my lease is up April 15th and need to find "something" to move into and I was trying to avoid renting and buy something. It's all going to be fine but, I still can't help being wigged out about it and Utila is looming large.
    Yea. The SAP to Utila flight is $220 each way I, versus $60 for the ferry (based on my remembering things from this thread, thus not reliable numbers.) I was seeing price differences from IAD (Dulles, my local airport) of like $780 for Roatan and $480 for SAP round trip.

    With regards to pricing, I look at it with lunch and breakfast are covered, and the dives are covered outside tip. When I dove in Florida near Jupiter I think it was like $90ish for the boat trip which brought it up to $110ish with tip. That was two dives one trip half a day. So price wise utila is still cheaper.

    Last time we came in with only 5 days of diving I think, but ended up diving every day so there was a settle up bill after I think that was like $600-700 so I don't think the price is really different, I think it might be less.

    The flight is where the increase is. I never win with those, everyone else find the $49 flights I always end up with the $600. I think my last Utila trip was maybe $650 round trip to Roatan through Miami International (FYI, apparently there is a tram upstairs on the roof.)

    Sorry to hear about the challenges at home. Life is like a roller coaster, always!

  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by telmnstr View Post
    Yea. The SAP to Utila flight is $220 each way I,
    It's actually $220 round trip!

  10. #40
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    I agree. I think the fact it was broken up and paid at different times made it "seem" more reasonable. The biggest difference this year I think is the airline price. Seems to me they were under $600 in the past and now around $1,000.


    Edit... OOO!! Might be able to go out of LaGuardia to Roatan for $780! :-)
    Last edited by Bradfo69; 12-18-2018 at 10:06.
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