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I'm really hesitant to post as so much has been said already on the dive resort that sounds like a lot of my experiences, but I'll share some of my personal ones...
Getting there was easier than my usual flights as for once I did not have to leave the house at 2am to make my usual 5am flight. In fact, I even went so far as to stay at my daughter's home in Lubbock the night before catching the so much more decent 7:50am departure. I had everything I wanted in 2 checked bags under 70# each (I'm allowed 3 but really now?!
), my roll-on that is technically 2" too long, and my backpack that never ever leaves my body in transit - or so I thought with my coffee thermos, 4 wet suits, 3 regs, 2 computers, 3 cameras, 17" laptop, a few pieces of clothes, etc. I slept on the way to Houston, made a smooth connection at IAH, then enjoyed the comfort of FC seating and service for a few hours. There was a dumb movie I ignored, but the food and wine were nice.
Being the third person off of the plane made Immigration smooth enough; I don't understand why that can take as long as it does for a flight from the US, like they're really going to turn back anyone with tourist money that the airlines have already cleared - but maybe they hope they can catch someone whose passport expires in less than six months and fine the airline? Anyway, it was nice not having to wait in line.
I got to the luggage area before the bags started, took a good position to watch for mine and what a madhouse! The Delta plane that arrived 30 minutes prior to mine had incurred a baggage door problem that almost sent it back without being unloaded so those poor folks had been milling around desperate for bags - but they finally got it open just in time to start sending their bags out at the same time as ours, all of us funneling all pieces thru the one Customs X-ray machine. The baggage guys may have been a little desperate to get rid of the bags quickly the way they rolled out on the belt, many falling off, but we managed.
Travel is such an adventure, but I was soon out the secured door and working my way thru the hordes of meeters who like to clog the little hallway watching for people whom they must think are too dumb to find their own ways to the parking lot - again, worse with two plane loads of luggage appearing at once. I may have overlooked my resorts meeter in the melee but I had my bags on a cart and my mission was free air, confident that a resort bus would be waiting! I heard from Ron later on that such is not always the case, but it was this time.
The Roatan airport is quite silly outside of the building too. Really, their parking lot is probably big enough but they allow anyone to drive thru the loading lane and park. Maybe they need to give their armed soldiers lessons in traffic control and keep the hoards of cars moving to circle the lot, not just squat in the way? Anyway, I found my van back at the back, rolled to it, incurred some confusion I never understood, then had to chase him when he broke for a spot closer to the door. By the time I zigzagged thru the sidewalk loiters and caught up to it again, it had picked up people I had passed several minutes earlier, but finally seeing my bags go thru one of the windows - I boarded to meet others headed my way. Ok there was then a fast dash to obtain a couple of bottles of "Salva Vida," a local larger I learned to enjoy on past trips as my body was not used to the heat and I was certainly dying of thirst - and I'd just met my new roommate for the week, but soon we were off and not much later, there!
I had remembered the rooms between the lobby and the resort entrance as quite large in past trips but then I had private rooms those times so I took the advice of CajunDiva and secured one in the new building, which was the furthermost room from anything - right next to a previously remote cottage I had to sleep in one night when they screwed up my room assignment in 2003 but it wasn't a terrible hike really. Further than I ever park when shopping in rural West Texas, but not really a problem for twice a day runs. The chest of drawers seemed like it may have been built in high school shop class, but the room was spacious and nice and I bet the bathroom door worked well before the earthquake. It had a small fridge that worked, a TV that never got turned on, a huge bathroom with a shower that often had warm water, and plenty of room for all of my stuff and the light load my roomie brought.
Steve was a delight to share space with, allowing me full use of the little table for my camera juggling and battery charging. We soon had our dive gear unpacked to move to the dockside locker room, stowed what clothes we brought in a drawers, and our empty bags out of the way. I took my allergy meds each evening to reduce snoring but I think he could sleep thru a train wreck, and I had coffee made for him by the time he woke each morning. I never trust wake-up calls, using my cell phone for an alarm, but it failed somehow one morning putting us into a little rush. I then requested wake-up rings and those started happening a couple of days later, within an hour of the requested time. Glad my cell phone worked the rest of the week ok; we must just have just slept thru it before I changed to a louder song.
We had our pre-dive meeting Sunday morning after breakfast, unlike previous years when those occurred the night of arrival, and we listened to my original boat captain from 2001 now the dive operations manager go over some rules and cautions. No one could understand what he said really as Robert's accent is so heavy but we got the ideas, filled out our paperwork, submitted our C-cards, and he pretended to look at them. On the rare occasion that I am actually asked for one, I use a defective card that Padi sent me when I took my Nitrox class years ago - that actually doesn't say that I am certified for anything at all, but it worked as usual...
Hehe, I think I used it for two years at first not even realizing it was blank on the side that is supposed to say I was certified for Nitrox. It looks real at a glance, and I had a few good cards handy in case he was the first to notice - but he wasn't.
Then, off to diving! Steve got us a couple of lockers out of three adjacent unused ones and we managed to use all three for most of the week. The lockers do not lock actually, no door, but theft is never a problem there. I never left my cameras there and you wouldn't want to leave the best of anything as a temptation, like our smiling leader Ken didn't leave his cameras or fancy computer mask, but I didn't lose anything until the last day when someone got the plastic coat hangers I'd brought from home. They probably had thought that they were shop property that I wasn't using altho it was still rude of them to take them, but only 50c lost. I had my name on my BC hanger and next time I'll put my name on my little ones somehow.
Fantasy has a big, new boat probably destined for special excursions like Utila crossings or visiting cruise boat passengers, but I was glad we still used the old boats really as I think they were fashioned after Boggart's African Queen, feel like a Central American boat, but much nicer than some I've been on still - plenty of room, tank holders that also fit my coffee maker, fast enough for the nearby sites and returns to the dock for bathroom breaks.
They need some fiberglass work and paint, but I hope they keep them. I've heard that they have new engines for some so maybe they will.
The viz was a little challenging at times from recent rains but never bad, great reefs, plenty of life to photograph, always delightful dives all week. You don't need me to tell about the diving as you've heard it all before, but it was great - a cut above Cozumel diving in some ways I think. And the motley group of divers that smiling Ken had assembled for our almost private boat and private dining table were great folks all of them, putting up with me well.
I tested every tank for CO as I do everywhere nowadays, never getting more than 5ppm on my recently calibrated analyzer. None would have been preferable, but 5ppm is not uncommon in the Caribbean and I have other threads around on CO testing. They do use electric compressors with intakes 15 feet above the dock area, and they are one of the few that do send in quarterly tests - so while I will mention the testing, it went fine.
My equipment challenges started the first day tho...!
They never have thermometers at dive destinations for some reason so I hung one at the dock and it hit 94F everyday but Thursday after storm blew thru.
I had been diving in two layered 1 mil Polyfin suits, shorty and jumpsuit, and should have taken my 3 mil that day but didn't for some reason I cannot explain. One dive and I was done, but then I was ready for a nap day, and it was warm again by Friday and the last dives.
The animals roaming the cay were fun, and unlike many I obeyed the signs about not feeding them, well except for one duck that hung around the dock. He knew what that bread offering was right away! Everyone gave the pair of geese plenty of room as the Gander acted quite aggressive and I wasn't calling his bluff either - holding my camera bag between him and my naked legs when I walked by...
I don't know where all these non-divers and other divers were from? Some from mainland Central America, some from Europe, many in high heeled sandals and nicer clothes that divers wear to dinner.
Oops, I am at the limit for attached pics...!
The food was indeed marginal, but then I ate on theory only: Never hungry; "it's 8am, 1pm or 7pm - guess I should eat."
So, if you would like to see my amateurish dive pics, some of which actually came out okay, as well as other sites on and around the cay including some more of the non-divers, etc. - I do have a slide show you can play. Set it for Fast and Full screen so the 389 pics will play out in 6 minutes, then pause at any frame. Click PhotoWorks: Share an Album and go for it.
Getting there was easier than my usual flights as for once I did not have to leave the house at 2am to make my usual 5am flight. In fact, I even went so far as to stay at my daughter's home in Lubbock the night before catching the so much more decent 7:50am departure. I had everything I wanted in 2 checked bags under 70# each (I'm allowed 3 but really now?!
), my roll-on that is technically 2" too long, and my backpack that never ever leaves my body in transit - or so I thought with my coffee thermos, 4 wet suits, 3 regs, 2 computers, 3 cameras, 17" laptop, a few pieces of clothes, etc. I slept on the way to Houston, made a smooth connection at IAH, then enjoyed the comfort of FC seating and service for a few hours. There was a dumb movie I ignored, but the food and wine were nice. Being the third person off of the plane made Immigration smooth enough; I don't understand why that can take as long as it does for a flight from the US, like they're really going to turn back anyone with tourist money that the airlines have already cleared - but maybe they hope they can catch someone whose passport expires in less than six months and fine the airline? Anyway, it was nice not having to wait in line.
I got to the luggage area before the bags started, took a good position to watch for mine and what a madhouse! The Delta plane that arrived 30 minutes prior to mine had incurred a baggage door problem that almost sent it back without being unloaded so those poor folks had been milling around desperate for bags - but they finally got it open just in time to start sending their bags out at the same time as ours, all of us funneling all pieces thru the one Customs X-ray machine. The baggage guys may have been a little desperate to get rid of the bags quickly the way they rolled out on the belt, many falling off, but we managed.
Travel is such an adventure, but I was soon out the secured door and working my way thru the hordes of meeters who like to clog the little hallway watching for people whom they must think are too dumb to find their own ways to the parking lot - again, worse with two plane loads of luggage appearing at once. I may have overlooked my resorts meeter in the melee but I had my bags on a cart and my mission was free air, confident that a resort bus would be waiting! I heard from Ron later on that such is not always the case, but it was this time.
The Roatan airport is quite silly outside of the building too. Really, their parking lot is probably big enough but they allow anyone to drive thru the loading lane and park. Maybe they need to give their armed soldiers lessons in traffic control and keep the hoards of cars moving to circle the lot, not just squat in the way? Anyway, I found my van back at the back, rolled to it, incurred some confusion I never understood, then had to chase him when he broke for a spot closer to the door. By the time I zigzagged thru the sidewalk loiters and caught up to it again, it had picked up people I had passed several minutes earlier, but finally seeing my bags go thru one of the windows - I boarded to meet others headed my way. Ok there was then a fast dash to obtain a couple of bottles of "Salva Vida," a local larger I learned to enjoy on past trips as my body was not used to the heat and I was certainly dying of thirst - and I'd just met my new roommate for the week, but soon we were off and not much later, there!
I had remembered the rooms between the lobby and the resort entrance as quite large in past trips but then I had private rooms those times so I took the advice of CajunDiva and secured one in the new building, which was the furthermost room from anything - right next to a previously remote cottage I had to sleep in one night when they screwed up my room assignment in 2003 but it wasn't a terrible hike really. Further than I ever park when shopping in rural West Texas, but not really a problem for twice a day runs. The chest of drawers seemed like it may have been built in high school shop class, but the room was spacious and nice and I bet the bathroom door worked well before the earthquake. It had a small fridge that worked, a TV that never got turned on, a huge bathroom with a shower that often had warm water, and plenty of room for all of my stuff and the light load my roomie brought.
Steve was a delight to share space with, allowing me full use of the little table for my camera juggling and battery charging. We soon had our dive gear unpacked to move to the dockside locker room, stowed what clothes we brought in a drawers, and our empty bags out of the way. I took my allergy meds each evening to reduce snoring but I think he could sleep thru a train wreck, and I had coffee made for him by the time he woke each morning. I never trust wake-up calls, using my cell phone for an alarm, but it failed somehow one morning putting us into a little rush. I then requested wake-up rings and those started happening a couple of days later, within an hour of the requested time. Glad my cell phone worked the rest of the week ok; we must just have just slept thru it before I changed to a louder song.
Uh, click these thumbnails to see the pics...
Or Right-click them and Open in a new Tab is best
Or Right-click them and Open in a new Tab is best
We had our pre-dive meeting Sunday morning after breakfast, unlike previous years when those occurred the night of arrival, and we listened to my original boat captain from 2001 now the dive operations manager go over some rules and cautions. No one could understand what he said really as Robert's accent is so heavy but we got the ideas, filled out our paperwork, submitted our C-cards, and he pretended to look at them. On the rare occasion that I am actually asked for one, I use a defective card that Padi sent me when I took my Nitrox class years ago - that actually doesn't say that I am certified for anything at all, but it worked as usual...
Then, off to diving! Steve got us a couple of lockers out of three adjacent unused ones and we managed to use all three for most of the week. The lockers do not lock actually, no door, but theft is never a problem there. I never left my cameras there and you wouldn't want to leave the best of anything as a temptation, like our smiling leader Ken didn't leave his cameras or fancy computer mask, but I didn't lose anything until the last day when someone got the plastic coat hangers I'd brought from home. They probably had thought that they were shop property that I wasn't using altho it was still rude of them to take them, but only 50c lost. I had my name on my BC hanger and next time I'll put my name on my little ones somehow.
Fantasy has a big, new boat probably destined for special excursions like Utila crossings or visiting cruise boat passengers, but I was glad we still used the old boats really as I think they were fashioned after Boggart's African Queen, feel like a Central American boat, but much nicer than some I've been on still - plenty of room, tank holders that also fit my coffee maker, fast enough for the nearby sites and returns to the dock for bathroom breaks.
The viz was a little challenging at times from recent rains but never bad, great reefs, plenty of life to photograph, always delightful dives all week. You don't need me to tell about the diving as you've heard it all before, but it was great - a cut above Cozumel diving in some ways I think. And the motley group of divers that smiling Ken had assembled for our almost private boat and private dining table were great folks all of them, putting up with me well.
I tested every tank for CO as I do everywhere nowadays, never getting more than 5ppm on my recently calibrated analyzer. None would have been preferable, but 5ppm is not uncommon in the Caribbean and I have other threads around on CO testing. They do use electric compressors with intakes 15 feet above the dock area, and they are one of the few that do send in quarterly tests - so while I will mention the testing, it went fine.
My equipment challenges started the first day tho...!
My work replacing a battery in one of my computers failed as it flooded the first dive. It's insured, the claim was very easy to process - an email to my agent followed by a phone call the Monday after I returned, and I wear a spare in case of such.
Battery in one of my Nitrox testers ran low, but Ken had one in addition to the dock tester.
The high pressure hose on my main reg was leaking, cracked - on the verge of blowing. I have a spare I've carried on so many trips that I got tired of taking it, but their dive store sells those, and Robert helped me replace it for a tip.
The pressure gauge for my pony flooded, but those are easy to replace and their shop carries those too. "Would you like the $76 model or the $60...?"
Then my other dive computer battery started showing low! I guess it had been over a year for either of them, so I ran to the room, grabbed a battery and tool, then found Robert again no longer trusting my work. He got Darren to work on it, and he had hell but got it done for a tip.
My dive camera batteries started failing so I changed cameras between dives, then changed a battery in one inside the air conditioned retail shop before the third each day. New battery buyting time, and other things to send to various manufacturers under lifetime warranties.
Eh, gear challenges are part of the sport, right? Battery in one of my Nitrox testers ran low, but Ken had one in addition to the dock tester.
The high pressure hose on my main reg was leaking, cracked - on the verge of blowing. I have a spare I've carried on so many trips that I got tired of taking it, but their dive store sells those, and Robert helped me replace it for a tip.
The pressure gauge for my pony flooded, but those are easy to replace and their shop carries those too. "Would you like the $76 model or the $60...?"
Then my other dive computer battery started showing low! I guess it had been over a year for either of them, so I ran to the room, grabbed a battery and tool, then found Robert again no longer trusting my work. He got Darren to work on it, and he had hell but got it done for a tip.
My dive camera batteries started failing so I changed cameras between dives, then changed a battery in one inside the air conditioned retail shop before the third each day. New battery buyting time, and other things to send to various manufacturers under lifetime warranties.
They never have thermometers at dive destinations for some reason so I hung one at the dock and it hit 94F everyday but Thursday after storm blew thru.
The animals roaming the cay were fun, and unlike many I obeyed the signs about not feeding them, well except for one duck that hung around the dock. He knew what that bread offering was right away! Everyone gave the pair of geese plenty of room as the Gander acted quite aggressive and I wasn't calling his bluff either - holding my camera bag between him and my naked legs when I walked by...
I don't know where all these non-divers and other divers were from? Some from mainland Central America, some from Europe, many in high heeled sandals and nicer clothes that divers wear to dinner.
Oops, I am at the limit for attached pics...!
The food was indeed marginal, but then I ate on theory only: Never hungry; "it's 8am, 1pm or 7pm - guess I should eat."
So, if you would like to see my amateurish dive pics, some of which actually came out okay, as well as other sites on and around the cay including some more of the non-divers, etc. - I do have a slide show you can play. Set it for Fast and Full screen so the 389 pics will play out in 6 minutes, then pause at any frame. Click PhotoWorks: Share an Album and go for it.
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