18 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

Hey everyone! It is with a sad heart that I announce that one of our favorite boats the Spree will no longer be diving the Flower Gardens after spring 2009 and will move to dive the Dry Tortugas permanently.

See the announcement here.

SingleDivers.com will be running 2 trips to the Dry Tortugas next year...one over the 4th of July and the other one as a CORAL SPAWNING trip either in August or Sept. (You get to help choose the date here.)

So this raises the question should we skip a year diving the Texas Flower Gardens...bookings have been low this year so far anyway...

or

Book with the Fling?


Overview of the Fling vs the Spree:

1. The Spree was remodeled approx 2 years ago and they removed 10 sleeping bunks for guests, converted the old crew's quarters to a pantry for food and added a full head on the dive deck where you can shower as well as take care of business making the total number of showers 4 (2 fully enclosed and private and 2 on the dive deck) and increasing the number of heads to 4 as well. The wet suit hang bars have been removed from over the divers and consolidated at the end of the diver bunks near the stairs. This boat offers free nitrox.

2. The Fling carries 34 clients vs 24 and has only 1 private shower, 2 deck showers and a total of 3 heads vs 4. It is an older vessel and no additional modfications have been made that I am aware of. They do not offer free nitrox.

How we might do it...

If we booked the Fling we might limit it to 24 divers and but pay for 34. Basically that is how the Spree derived their pricing...24 vs 24 pax plus nitrox = the price of the Spree. Renovations to the boat...FREE!

This would make this a 24 person cattle boat vs a 34 person cattle boat as one our diver affectionally called the boats...but it would alleviate the pressure on the heads and showers.

Or...

We could just book half a boat but realize that the other half could be booked by another shop, individuals or combination. The upside is all spots might not fill out on the rest of the boat, but I think this will be less likely with the withdrawel of the Spree.

[scubafanatic]

Hi Kamala,

...as you well know, I'm a big fan of the Flower Gardens..... as a Texan, it's the most affordable blue-water diving available to me (road trip/no airfare) and with limited vacation time, and the oncoming insanely high future airfares.....it's a sure thing for us budget-minded divers.

SPREE is/was my first preference...but I've dove FLING before too...and if it's the only game in town, it's gonna be the FLING. I'm OK with limiting an SD.com charter to 24 divers and bumping up the individual diver price a bit.....as you say, that will take some of the sting out of the added strain on the boat's facilities.

I know SD has had issues filling the 2008 SPREE trip...and I don't really understand why......I do have one 'crazy' theory as to why this might be the case, based on something I was told a local dive travel agent recently said, this agent says she's been exceptionally busy booking dive trips lately, and attributes this to divers frantically booking their 'last fling' dive trips to lock in today's pricing before the dive travel industry collapses......so maybe divers are getting in those dream trips now before the door closes to all but the wealthiest divers.......my observation is maybe, after this 'door' closes, and the golden age of dive travel ends, divers will 'buy American' and more likely focus on 'local' trips where airfare/weight restrictions are a lesser issue.

..as you noted, 'capacity' to the FG has just been halved...so I'm sure FLING will sail full going forward......and I think the possibility exists for the following scenario:

FLING becomes the only FG liveaboard, resulting in increased pricing power, enabling FLING to go the route SPREE did, namely upgrade the boat's facilities and reduce the boat's capacity, essentially turning FLING into 'SPREE II' ...at least that's my hope...we'll see.

Karl

[WreckWench]

Any other comments?

So far its not looking good to book the Flower Gardens next year.

[ScubaPunk]

I can't imagine not going to the Flower Gardens! I think we should book on the Fling. It doesn't matter to me if we book half the boat or the full boat. My first trip to the FG was on the Fling with SD a few years back, and I don't remember it being so bad or crowded. If we take the whole boat, I think it would be a good idea to limit it to 24 spots though.

[Bubble2Bubble]

My first trip to the Flower Gardens was on the Fling and I absolutely Loved It !

A Live a Board has to meet three things before I will dive on it.

1. Highest Safety Standards available.
2. Professional and helpful Staff and Crew.
3. Quality food.

And the Fling offers all three...so put me down as very Very interested.



Bubs

[Mitch0129]

Kamala, I did share some of my thoughts with you last week.

Some additional thoughts I did not get to share with you as well ...

As Bubski mentioned, the crew of the Fling do a great job on those trips. Hopefully, they will keep that standard up now that they will probably be the only boat going out there.

If I am going to go out there, I would rather go out there with a group of people that I have come to know, many of them pretty well. Even when I went out two years ago and we had that group from Chicago, it was still a blast.

It might be a good idea to consider booking half of the boat for one trip per year. I know it is your preference but I don't think we need to have the boat to ourselves. Looking at the schedule, I don't see too many dates where a dive shop and/or group has the boat to themselves as it is.

I would think keep the Flower Gardens on your schedule but reduce the slots if you need to.

[WreckWench]

Thank you all for your comments...as I try to plan 2009 it is helpful to have some add'l insight other than my own!

[Scuba dew]

My first trip to the Flower Gardens was on the Fling and I absolutely Loved It !

A Live a Board has to meet three things before I will dive on it.

1. Highest Safety Standards available.
2. Professional and helpful Staff and Crew.
3. Quality food.

And the Fling offers all three...so put me down as very Very interested.



Bubs

I agree, I have been diving the Flower Garden for years (14 different times in all) and only one was on the Spree. I wouldn't have gone back if I wasn't pleased with the service and the boat. Granted Frank and Melanie are special but so is the crew on the Fling.

Scuba dew

[mantarraya]

While I am sad to see the Spree leave Texas waters, I am also happy for Melanie and Frank and their new venture/adventure!

I have no problems going out to the Flower Gardens on the Fling, however. Just like the old days on the Spree before it had its makeover....

I would consider a 2009 trip on the Fling with SD for sure.

[timalso]

I would love to dive the Flower Gardens next year as I have never been there. Only concern is fitting in with my work schedule.

[WreckWench]

Again I VERY MUCH appreciate the feedback.

I have loved the Fling for many years...but back then they both took 34 pax and had the same number of heads and showers. NOW the Spree takes 24 divers and has an extra head and shower and offers free nitrox.

Some things are harder to give up...

But as Karl said...maybe the Fling will consider a similar remodel if things go better for them.

In the meantime our choices are just take a smaller group and mingle with any other groups/people or take the full boat and mark it up a little so we only have to put 24 divers on the boat. The pricing will be about the same as we pay for the Spree NOW but we won't be as crowded and we'll have the whole boat to ourselves!

And you all know how much I love having the boat to ourselves!

[WreckWench]

I would love to dive the Flower Gardens next year as I have never been there. Only concern is fitting in with my work schedule.

Is any time better for you than others????

[hambergler]

I like the 24/36 option for a few more dollars; time-of-year wise, I like the glass-smooth water, 300 foot viz, everything-that-swims-is-here-during-our-trip time-of-year.

[Bubble2Bubble]

I still stand beside the Fling in the FG for 2009..Dive..Eat..Sleep and then Repeat "Works for Me"


Mike