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Who is interested in a Couples Trip?


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12 replies to this topic

Poll: Would you go on one? (12 member(s) have cast votes)

Would you and your partner be interested in going on a trip?

  1. Yes (10 votes [83.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 83.33%

  2. No (1 votes [8.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 8.33%

  3. I would but he/she would not (1 votes [8.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 8.33%

What type of activites would your s/o be interested in doing while you are diving?

  1. Lay on the beach or by the pool with a good book and a tropical drink? (7 votes [29.17%])

    Percentage of vote: 29.17%

  2. Go shopping. (3 votes [12.50%])

    Percentage of vote: 12.50%

  3. Other sporting activites, hiking, boating, snorkeling, etc. (4 votes [16.67%])

    Percentage of vote: 16.67%

  4. Sightseeing (5 votes [20.83%])

    Percentage of vote: 20.83%

  5. Other (5 votes [20.83%])

    Percentage of vote: 20.83%

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#1 ScubaPunk

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Posted 08 July 2009 - 10:09 PM

On the Singles trip to Bonaire last week, there was a couple who went where few couples dare to go; on a group dive trip with 23 single divers! Guess what? They fit right into the group, had a great time, and we enjoyed having them with us. I'm guessing we will see them back to travel with us again. What made this possible for them, is that they both dive. If one of them were not a diver, it probably would not have been much fun for the non-diver. We have married people come on our dive trips all the time, but they usually leave the spouse at home, so they won't be bored while we are diving. We have also had single non-divers come on trips, just to soak up the local culture and do some snorkeling.

I'm thinking it should be pretty easy to combine your love for diving with your love for your significant other, without giving up either one! Group trips where you can meet new people who share your interest are a lot of fun. So many of the places where we go have so many other things to do besides diving. There is plenty to keep your partner busy while you are out in the water, and with a group of people they will have plenty of company to do things with. Of course, if they want to relax on the beach or by the pool, that's ok to. Maybe they will even become a bit interested in diving themselves.

So who wants to go? Where would you like to go? Somewhere romantic? What about kids? Leave them with a sitter or bring them along? Should there be separate trips for families, and trips for just couples?

#2 WreckWench

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Posted 08 July 2009 - 10:28 PM

Great poll! As we grow...so do the desires of our members. Do keep in mind that we'll ALWAYS primarily cater to the single or solo or buddyless diver...afterall most trips are inherent couples trips so we offer something very unique. But we may be reaching the point where our own cool couples would like to travel with each other...

This will be a good thread to watch! :cool1:

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
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#3 Dennis

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 05:41 AM

Excellent idea. Donna has accompanied me on one SD trip a few years ago in Florida. Since she also dives, we could both get wet.
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#4 WreckWench

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 07:19 AM

I think a couples trip would be great for both the lucky ones who both dive as well as those who still need a dive buddy to supplement their 'life buddy'.

As long as we have at least 2 non-divers...they have a support structure and we are fine. Or if one of the non-diving SO's just likes to relax, sun, read, shop etc on their own then we are fine there as well.

Anyone else interested in a trip like this?

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#5 cmt489

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 01:33 PM

I think a couples trip is a great idea. Of course, George and I both dive but as I have learned during the last nine months, you don't always get to dive even if you are a diver. A trip like this would have been fabulous when I was pregnant.

#6 Landlocked Dive Nut

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 01:59 PM

And, I think you would always find a single diver or two or three willing to fill out a couples trip, who are not intimidated by being a "third wheel" so to speak, just to help keep the buddy numbers even! :wakawaka: I'm just sayin'......
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#7 WreckWench

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 09:08 PM

Here is why I would :cool2: to do a SD.com 'couple's trip...

1. I would get to dive with my s/o and not feel guilty if we 'smootched' or well acted like a couple. Afterall there would most likely be no unattached folks on the trip so that side of me would for once feel comfortable if you know what I mean! :2cool:

2. Since I would possibly know some or even all of the couples on the trip...it would be more of a trip with friends vs strangers and THAT is always better.

3 And since it would with SD.com...it would mean diving with the people I :thankyou: to dive with! And truly I do! :wakawaka:

Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#8 Wakemaker

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 09:34 PM

... I'm thinking it should be pretty easy to combine your love for diving with your love for your significant other, without giving up either one!...


"Significant Other?" :o What's that? I'm sure I don't have one. Is that like a pet or something? Or is this about cooking class? When Gruyère cheese and homemade salami bread are on the plate in front of me, the significant other might be a glass of Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel. Mmmm. Of course, this is well after a date of diving.

I hope you'll all post pics of this deal when you get back so everyone else gets motivated to be a "significant other."
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#9 ScubaPunk

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Posted 09 July 2009 - 09:48 PM

... I'm thinking it should be pretty easy to combine your love for diving with your love for your significant other, without giving up either one!...


"Significant Other?" :o What's that? I'm sure I don't have one. Is that like a pet or something? Or is this about cooking class? When Gruyère cheese and homemade salami bread are on the plate in front of me, the significant other might be a glass of Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel. Mmmm. Of course, this is well after a date of diving.

I hope you'll all post pics of this deal when you get back so everyone else gets motivated to be a "significant other."


:lmao: Alright goofball, back to the singles section for you! :o There are many people on this board who do consider their pets to be very significant, by the way! I am intentionally not using the word married, or husband, or wife, because there are many couples who are not married.

#10 ScubaZoned

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Posted 10 July 2009 - 07:28 AM

As Sandy said, there was one couple with 23 single divers on the recent Bonaire Trip. I am 1/2 of that couple and I'll explain my reasons for going. My SO and I are single and we like to dive 4-5 times a year. The trips I've taken with my LDS were boring and clickish to the point I will not travel with them anymore. So all our recent trips have been just the two of us plus our kids if they are available. My main intent was to find a FUN group to dive with-period. Lorraine initially thought I had lost my marbles but now she gets it after having experienced such a nice group of people. We had a blast, felt welcomed, and will consider future trips.

There would be other benefits by including couples on future trips even if both are divers. Some are satisfied doing 2 dives a day. If I wanted to 4, I would feel more comfortable (less guilty) doing so if my SO had others to spend time with.

I really appreciate the acceptance we received from the group. It was fun getting to know everyone and it was a breath of fresh air to dive with great divers. The skill level was amazing and it was great to see others striving to improve their skills. I don't want to come up after 20 minutes cause the dude who last dove 10 years ago ran out of air. This was a great trip for me.

#11 BigGulp

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Posted 10 July 2009 - 11:25 AM

Thank you, ScubaZoned.....I have been diving since the middle 1990's, and truly enjoy. I also play pretty serious gold. My wife of 30 years actually does neither of these things. She has been on liveaboard trips in the Bahamas, been to GR Cayman, BVI, ( in BVI we happened to be on a boat with only one other couple, and they were on their honeymoon!!!) and we are still friends with them to this day. She goes where I like to go, and does things whe likes to do while we are there. BUT, I do feel bad because she is left alone a lot. I do pay extra fees so she can drive the cart on the golf courses, but that is another story....anyway, after our son grew up and got married, I lost my dive partner...Now I have to make new arrangements......

Last night we found a special "XMAS in July" (search for it..) at Anthony's Key on Roatan. NO CHARGE for second diver or S/O for the rest of the year if booked before end of month.....I just don't want her to be left alone again and again......

So, any other MBB couples who might want to go on a trip, or is there enough interest for SD to try to play a MBB trip....They would not even HAVE to have a SD person or couple going along, but that is ok if someone wants to go......

I'll be quiet now.....thanks everyone....BigGulp

#12 ASDmike

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Posted 10 July 2009 - 03:59 PM

Actually the AKR special highlights the issue with SD offering a couples trip. Couples that dive get lots of emailed offers and they target us with better deals. So lets say Kamala goes to DEMA and negotiates a pretty good deal for 5 rooms that she plans to use for a couples trip. She signs the contract and a few SD couples are interested- all sounds good. The trip is say 10 months out from DEMA, but half the reason the resort offered that week is that it is normally a slow time for them (like the fall is for Roatan). So a couple months go by (or half a year) and the resort sees a bigger drop-off in bookings than they had anticipated. So now they start dumping rooms with far better D/O package prices than the contract Kamala signed. And worse yet, its the same weeks that SD has rooms that need to be filled. So we now have 1 or 2 SD couples on deposit for the trip and any of the couples that are watching or booked are wondering, WTH! ... as in What the Heck :)

Far fetched? Not really. I booked a deal to a comparable resort last year near the dates SD went to the same island. Work kept us from going, but I would have saved $700 over the SD deal (my total savings for two "spots"). This year the same thing happened (different island). I get an email 3 months out offering a deep discount for couples and its available on the exact week SD was in the resort. I would have needed to buy some more meals, but my net savings would have been a few hundred bucks.

But I am for SD offering couple trips, its just that it would need to be a far different plan from regular trip offerings. I'm not saying that couples are much more price conscious, just that couples have many options. Seeing that you could have snagged a better deal hurts, especially when you are paying for 2. The bottom line is that if a couple wants the full SD experience, they can/should consider the regular trips. With the nature of what SD is, couples are always welcomed and having been on all sides of the equation, I can tell you that ScubaZoned's great experience on Bonaire is the normal.

So what could SD do? Well, unique things like 3 or 4 couples sailing and diving the British Virgin Islands with just a captain and crew of 1 or 2.

Another thought... what if one of us sees a great deal like the AKR Xmas in July special. We call Kamala and say we want to buy a particular week. She contacts AKR to see if she can sell the special and maybe get some other perks thrown in based upon SD selling power. If it is a go, Kamala posts the trip as a limited availability, non-escorted trip with no roommate matching. But she lists it in the trips forum so people do see it (she will book unescorted trips that other people could join, but they are buried in obscure forums). So one or two more couples may join in, and maybe also one or two singles that are ok in paying a supplement to get a single room. The downside could be of course, no other SD folks sign up, so you end up with the "solo" couple trip you were staring at in the email. But ideally you would have already contacted SD friends, found some that were interested and chosen a date that works for more than just your SD group of 2.
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#13 georoc01

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Posted 10 July 2009 - 04:43 PM

Actually the AKR special highlights the issue with SD offering a couples trip. Couples that dive get lots of emailed offers and they target us with better deals. So lets say Kamala goes to DEMA and negotiates a pretty good deal for 5 rooms that she plans to use for a couples trip. She signs the contract and a few SD couples are interested- all sounds good. The trip is say 10 months out from DEMA, but half the reason the resort offered that week is that it is normally a slow time for them (like the fall is for Roatan). So a couple months go by (or half a year) and the resort sees a bigger drop-off in bookings than they had anticipated. So now they start dumping rooms with far better D/O package prices than the contract Kamala signed. And worse yet, its the same weeks that SD has rooms that need to be filled. So we now have 1 or 2 SD couples on deposit for the trip and any of the couples that are watching or booked are wondering, WTH! ... as in What the Heck :)

Far fetched? Not really. I booked a deal to a comparable resort last year near the dates SD went to the same island. Work kept us from going, but I would have saved $700 over the SD deal (my total savings for two "spots"). This year the same thing happened (different island). I get an email 3 months out offering a deep discount for couples and its available on the exact week SD was in the resort. I would have needed to buy some more meals, but my net savings would have been a few hundred bucks.

But I am for SD offering couple trips, its just that it would need to be a far different plan from regular trip offerings. I'm not saying that couples are much more price conscious, just that couples have many options. Seeing that you could have snagged a better deal hurts, especially when you are paying for 2. The bottom line is that if a couple wants the full SD experience, they can/should consider the regular trips. With the nature of what SD is, couples are always welcomed and having been on all sides of the equation, I can tell you that ScubaZoned's great experience on Bonaire is the normal.

So what could SD do? Well, unique things like 3 or 4 couples sailing and diving the British Virgin Islands with just a captain and crew of 1 or 2.

Another thought... what if one of us sees a great deal like the AKR Xmas in July special. We call Kamala and say we want to buy a particular week. She contacts AKR to see if she can sell the special and maybe get some other perks thrown in based upon SD selling power. If it is a go, Kamala posts the trip as a limited availability, non-escorted trip with no roommate matching. But she lists it in the trips forum so people do see it (she will book unescorted trips that other people could join, but they are buried in obscure forums). So one or two more couples may join in, and maybe also one or two singles that are ok in paying a supplement to get a single room. The downside could be of course, no other SD folks sign up, so you end up with the "solo" couple trip you were staring at in the email. But ideally you would have already contacted SD friends, found some that were interested and chosen a date that works for more than just your SD group of 2.


That's exactly what happened last year on the Roatan trip. We booked the same week as the SD trip about a month prior taking advantage of AKR's 40th anniversary special, a 2 for 1 offer.

AKR is great if the non diver is interested in Dolphins. There dolphin experience is very good. While we were there our neighbor was a psychologist from San Francisco who brings her depression patients down there to take advantage of the healing powers of these creatures. Not that I believe it all, but they seem to be having a great time.




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