Winter Flights, Shop News, The Josie J Wreck

As we're now well into the swing of winter, the seasons for flights to Roatan have changed once again, so here is a brief update on your options for direct flights to the island:

From Houston with United/Continental on Saturdays (2 flights) and Sundays (1 flight).  In the Christmas season they have also added a Friday flight.

From Atlanta with Delta on Saturdays (1 flight)

From Miami with American Airlines on Saturdays (1 flight)

From Toronto/Montreal with Sunwing Airlines on Mondays, and CANJet on Thursdays (the departure airport varies throughout the seasons.

From a variety of Central American mainland airports with TACA.

A variety of different websites can help you with multi-city and stopover itineraries; my personal favourite is Skyscanner, as it also indexes "low cost airlines", and has many different search options.

This past Sunday we had a visit from Michael Barnette, founder of the Association of Underwater Explorers and prolific cave and wreck diver and writer to check out the Josie J.  Marco, who was Tec certified by Monty earlier in the year, served as his guide and dive buddy on their 190ft profile.  Here are a few highlights from the trip - taken and generously provided by Michael.

Marco and the bus under the Josie J

For Michael's article on Roatan Wrecks (he will be checking out El Aguila on Saturday), we have managed to secure the original footage of when the Josie J sank, courtesy of Mickey Charteris, author and photographer of the brand-new Caribbean Reef Life fish/creature ID book (more details on that as they come).  We hope to be able to extract some viable stills from that footage for the article!

In other shop news, Marco (instructor) and Marco (DMT) had a slow day in the shop, so they decided to do an underwater cleanup of Half Moon Bay.  On their expedition, they had a Spotted Sea Hare En.  Great job, guys!

Before Clean Up

After Clean up

Spotted Sea Hare

It is almost Christmas after all, so we dug out the Christmas decorations from their hiding place in the back room, including our very own Rusty Fish Christmas tree.  Our....other "Christmas Tree" hasn't been brought back yet...photos to come closer to the day!

Rusty Fish Christmas Tree

Recent Sightings

If you are interested in seeing more of our photos from dives and courses, check out our Photo Gallery on our website, or the Photo Albums on our Facebook page.  If you find yourself in any of our photos, like our page and tag yourself.

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

Sunny, calm and clear.

Photo Contest

Don't forget: the Sunglasses Photo Contest is still on...submit your entry before the deadline!

Safety First and DMT Resuce

As many of you know, the Coconut Tree Divers motto has always been "Safety First".  We always have oxygen and first aid kits on the boat and in the shop, we check in between dives with our VHF radio and we make up a dive roster sheet for each outgoing boat.  In addition to this, Captains Carl and Fred (who stay on the boat to watch bubbles whilst the divers are down) are EFR certified.

We have made some new additions to our safety equipment, mostly thanks to generous donations from EMT Rich Young from Saskatchewan.  We now have two back boards (longspine boards), complete with full straps and neck supports, as well as neck braces.  Only one of two working AEDs (Automatic External Defibrilators) in West End is now at Coconut Tree (Tree is working on the display cabinet - thanks to Rich's suggestion).  We also restocked on Epi Pens, for use in case of severe allergic reactions; one for each first aid kit and a stock in the dive shop.  A trauma kit with miscellaneous items is also on its way by cargo.

Check out a few photos in our gallery from our latest training session with Rich where we covered backboard use and transportation with an initial trauma assessment.  Included are also extracts from today's PADI Divemaster Trainee Rescue Assessment Exercises with Chef Marco, ScubaMax and Canadian Cole.

Trauma Assessment.  Saskatchewan Rich is the one with the coffee cup

log roll and head support

In-water rescue breaths

Surfacing the unresponsive diver

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

Overcast, enough rain to clog up the softball field yet again.  4 Dives out today.

Last but not Least

Don't forget about our CTD Shades photo contest

If you haven't signed up for the blog, click HERE or see the link at the top to follow us.

Suggestions for new topics are always welcome, so don't hesitate to leave a comment!

Dive Gear Review: Oceanic SWIV SPG

I'm not the usual "Dive Gear Review" contributor, but there are a few items I've been meaning to voice an opinion about.

SPGs.  An extremely important piece of equipment.  You're not much good on a dive if you don't know the pressure of the contents of your tank (we're in the 21st century, so no more J-valves for us!).   As a working dive instructor, I've always opted for a mechanical SPG, as opposed to a transducer linked to a dive computer.  The reasoning behind this is twofold: mechanical SPGs are not as expensive, but I've also seen far cases of the transducers failing.

Or so I thought, until I replaced my old Sherwood SPG (many years of use) with an Oceanic SWIV.  A quick online search shows it retailing for between USD 75 to 106.  After the first one flooded after less than 10 dives, I thought I might just have a defective product.  I replaced that one with another one on a console I used to use.  Another 5 dives, and that one also failed.  At this point, I'm not happy.  No pressure gauge, no work.  I had to replace it with a THIRD one (given to me by a friend, brand new, who was getting rid of her spare parts), until the new one I ordered could be shipped down.  When that one failed, I put my other backup old old Dacor, until I could get a new one got delivered (it can take up to two weeks, minimum, to get anything shipped to the island).

Before people start jumping down my throat about dust caps and flooding regulators, that definitely isn't what happened.  After the first one failed, I had my regulator (1st stage Scubapro MK2) fully serviced, and had the o-rings on my (new) high pressure hose inspected.

So...moral of the story: three thumbs down (one for each bad SPG).

Next up from me:  the successful replacement

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

Overcast, calm, intermittent rain showers.

Recent Sightings

Flamingo Tongue

Pipefish

Hamner's Tritonia

Getting Knotty w/ Adam

If you are planning on heading down to do your PADI Divemaster course we recommend you check the video link below. It is an introduction to Marlinspike seamanship. Learn the proper way to refer to the "rope", what's the bitter end the standing part, an overhand and underhand turn.

The clip was shot in the Coconut Tree Divers classroom with Adam guiding you through the first set of knots. Learn a half hitch, a clove hitch, a cleat hitch, and  a bowline. These knots are used on a daily basis here at the shop. DMTs receive instruction on how to do them, but it's up to them to practice and master them.

Let us know if there are any particular topics you would like us to cover. If you are not a member sign up for the blog. 

Enter the Photo Contest

Big thanks to everyone who nominated Coconut Tree Divers in the PADI favorite diveshop competition. We made it to the next round and were one of eight shops chosen world wide. From this point on, it was about votes. Hundreds of you submitted your vote for the little dive shop that could, or tried anyhow. In the end, Abyss Scuba from Australia won. Congratulations to them.

We had PADI Instructors from Native Sons, Sueno del Mar, West End Divers, Anthony's Key Resort in addition to the many Divemasters and Fun Divers who voted for CTD and the Bay Islands. It was lots of fun and we thank you for the support.

The competition has prompted us to create our own in house contest. Enter for a chance to win a five dive package. For additional information click here.

In short take a picture of the Coconut Tree Divers sunglasses and submit it to us. Don't just send the picture you need to enter first.

Paul, one of our recent Divemaster and Instrutor submitted this pair.

We will post the pictures and vote on a winner.

Are we YOUR favourite dive shop? Vote Now!

A large number of you, our customers, have come back time and time again to us here at Coconut Tree Divers.  Some of you even come back at the same times of year, on a yearly basis, so we must be doing something right!

PADI has launched a "Dive Shop Appreciation Contest" where you can nominate your favourite dive shop (with a chance for the individual voter and the dive shop getting a prize).  If we are your favourite dive shop, nominate us!  All that is required is a few words on why we are awesome, and a photo.  Click the link below to find out more!

Click HERE to nominate Coconut Tree Divers!

In other news, Potlicker came out of dry dock with a fresh coat of paint, a repaired platform, and we're waiting for the refurbished tank holders to dry out before we put them back in service.  There are still a few things that need to be done, for which we need a rain-free window.

We also made our first run of the season to the South Side, where several seahorses were spotted. (We've been seeing more of those everywhere, actually!)

A few of us Instructors, Divemaster Trainees and customers went through the Roatan Marine Park programme for Lionfish Spearing Licenses with Nic from the Marine Park.  In an effort to protect the environment, the RMP representatives evaluate divers' buoyancy control (no exceptions, even instructors) and spearing skills before issuing a license.

Lionfish Kill

There will be an upcoming post with a lot more detail on the Lionfish problem, and a guide on how to properly spear and kill them.

Recent Sightings

Spinner Dolphins!!

We love Neck Crabs

And somewhere here, there should be a picture of a seahorse, from the Moonlight sand patch (photo maybe to come?)

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

Overcast, flat calm seas.  Great diving conditions with excellent visibility!!

Let's talk about Tips

If you've ever been in to a hotel/bar/restaurant/other service establishment, you may have seen these captions (or a variation thereof) scratched on a pot or jar somewhere on the counter:

"Tipping is not a city in China"

"Tipping is not illegal in Honduras"

"If you're close enough to read this, you're close enough to leave a tip"

"Big tippers make better lovers"

….etc…

We've gone for a simpler and more honest: "Tips are greatly appreciated".

Tip box by the front desk

Some of the slogans are funny, honest, and some are a even little edgier.  The thing is, they don't always answer the questions that our customers have about tipping policy here at Coconut Tree Divers.  Addressing the issue with one of us in the dive shop, makes some people feel uncomfortable, so I thought that this might be a good place to answer some of these questions.  In some places, tipping is customary or even expected, but in other places it is not part of the culture - so for some people, it's hard to know even where to get started!  Here is our guide to tipping:

Is tipping customary in the dive industry in Roatan?

Pretty much any dive shop you walk into would agree with an emphatic yes!  As the diving here is relatively inexpensive compared to many other places, tips (gratuities, if you will) are a very welcome supplement to our income.

How are the tips shared out amongst the staff?

We divide our tips equally, on a weekly basis amongst the working dive instructors, our boat captains and our equipment manager/mechanic.  Here at Coconut Tree Divers, we place a very high value and emphasis on teamwork, and our tip-sharing policy very much reflects this. We have a wooden box mounted on the post next to the front desk for that purpose.

What is an appropriate amount to tip?

This is probably one of the questions that people feel most uncomfortable asking, and there are several possible answers.  One of those answers is "whatever you feel comfortable with", because anything at all is always much appreciated.  If you're looking for a more numerical value, 15-20% is often quoted as a decent baseline.

Ultimately, a tip is an expression of gratuity for good service.  We are customer-oriented establishment, and we strive to provide you with the best possible care and service to suit your diving needs.  I hope that this has answered some of the questions that have come up recently (and remember: you can ask us anything!), feel free to leave a comment or contact us with any further questions.

PS: if you're reading this, become a member of the blog - easy with a Gmail account - see the link to the right of the page.

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

See previous post.  More of the same, diving the flat-calm South Side today.

Recent Sightings

Fresh off the boat this morning, a Seahorse (photo not yet available!)

Arrow crab shedding its skin

Great shot Marco, Bearded Fireworm

Juvenile Spotted Trunkfish (Reverse Pea)

Sargassum

It is a rare sight on our beach as we have been invaded by gulf-weed. According to Wikipedia it can grow to several meters. In this instance it has taken over our entire beach. Usually a couple of guys bring out the shovels and rid the beach of debris. This incident calls for a backhoe which has been contracted to come clean the beach tomorrow.

In other news, Eimear from Ireland, Cole from Canada, and Zach from Florida have started their training towards becoming PADI Divemasters. For now, they are currently working on their Rescue course. And yes, we went out in the bay with all this Sargassum and surge. We did giant strides off the dock and avoided it on the way in. The viz is as clear as mushroom soup in the near swim-zone but clears up real good out in the far sand patches. Luckily enough during self rescue skills we came face to face with a Southern Stingray. 

Potlicker's days in dry dock are almost completed. She is being painted and will return to rotation in a couple of days sporting her new swim platform. 

The weather is a bit suspect these days. Then again we are still wearing sandals. We hope to see you sooner than later. Best wishes from Roatan. 

Paul Repka- Computer Genius or Beach Bum??

The story of Paul Repka begins on a sunny afternoon after a long day of diving, when a bald, bearded, biker-looking old guy walked onto the deck of CTD. As Will, our resident Course Director greeted him, all of the DMTs started wondering who this person was, who looked so completely out of place at a Dive Shop. Soon it was known he was to join the ranks of the DMT's, and so would become part of our little family.

Paul Repka. Old, biker-looking, bald and bearded..

Everyone suddenly had a question for him.

"Are you a biker?", "How old are you?", "Are you insane?"

As it turns out, Paul was just a regular suburban man, Milwaukee born and raised, (or Mwaukeeee, as he calls his home town), who decided to take a break from his consulting firm and spend a month or two in the pristine beaches of Roatan. A computer nerd who plays hockey, likes to fish, drinks like a fish, and in his free time he loves jetting off to somewhere in the Caribbean to dive, usually accompanied by his lovely wife, Peg. (sorry ladies, he's taken)

Paul and Peg, out in the blue.

He was not an amateur diver, being already certified as a PADI Rescue Diver, and now he was looking to Go Pro. But being a DMT wasn't going to cramp his style. First thing he did was to find the coolest house in West End and establish a home base. He then proceeded to throw a couple of parties there, which turned him into everybody’s best friend from the start. He was a great DMT, working as hard, and most of the times harder than everyone else to make sure things ran smoothly around the shop. A great and fun diver, he was ready to act whenever a customer needed anything, from spare weights to friendly advice.

Receiving his diploma from Will
after completing the IDC

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Paul was a man on a mission, and he planned to get as much out of the vacation as he could. In a short time he had a spear fishing license, and a Side mount certification. Pretty soon he decided he would start his IDC and get certified as an instructor. After a lot of hard work with Will, he aced his Instructor exams and was officially certified. He then proceeded to pop his cherry here at CTD and certified his first two Open Water Divers!

Repka and his first two Open Water Students

Three months after he arrived on Roatan, Paul was now a Dive Instructor, a known personality around the bars in West End, and all-round beach bum. After being declared mentally insane by his wife, he packed his bags and made his way back home, throwing a huge going away party that lasted for about a week.

A night on the town for P, Repka

A really cool guy, we all learned something from Paul and he learned something from all of us.

Everyone at CTD will miss him and hope he eventually convinces his wife of moving down here.


Here are some things the Staff at CTD had to say about Paul:

“Paul is  hilarious and a great lionfish hunting buddy”

Even underwater he never lost his groove

“Paul is the inventor of a new Side-Plop Open Water Entry, the Repka”

“Pauuuul??? Is always good for a laugh and provoked mask clearing practice a little too often”

At Sundowner's Beach Bar, where he spent most of his time.

“We will miss that Salope”

“Pauuuul? Obnoxious but funny, so he gets away with it and we love him”

Dinner party at Paul's

“Paul was a great person to have around the shop, always ready to help with a smile and a joke. Love You”

“Paul was the most beautiful Yaba Ding Ding Queen we’ve ever seen”

After seeing this photo, Peg (Paul's wife) started worrying about
his mental health and decided
he should get back to the real world

Meet Notmy!

The new SCT (Shop Cat Trainee)

Notmy has been hanging around the shop for six weeks now.  Whenever she peeped out from under Cindy’s deck, PJ would frighten her away and yell “it’s not my effing cat” (hence the name). We finally coaxed her out from under the deck with the promise of spaghetti meatballs.

Sunglasses? Notmy is Notsure!

She has some sharp little fangs

It took us two weeks to convince PJ she’s a keeper. Now they are best friends.

Hobbies include: Drinking milk, befriending customers in return for food, Stalking PJ around the shop, fighting with Boomer (Steve Vincent’s puppy), playing with ropes, and cleaning herself.

We will get her diving soon; we’re just looking for the right wet suit!

If you have the regulator and wet suit we’re looking for please mail to:

Notmy Effing Cat

Under the deck

Cindy’s Place

Roatan, Honduras C.A.

In other shop news, Mark Walch has joined us from Austria to start his PADI Divemaster training. He was last here in June 2011 when he completed his PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Emergency First Response, Rescue, and Nitrox certifications.  He hopes to find a Sea walnut (a type of comb jelly) in the upcoming weeks.

Chef Marco, underwater croissant maker

Zach Durden has joined us from Florida to complete his PADI Open Water to Instructor certifications (zero to hero!).  He dove for the first time on Saturday and loved it.

Diego (left) with Zack ("scarface") on second confined dive

Our boat Potlicker will be at the dry dock next week for some love, attention, and a new coat of paint. Don’t panic, we will still be diving off our other boat Wish U Were Here.  The water is still warm (29°C/ 84°F) so come join us for some more awesome diving!

by Kaela Watkins

Got any plans this winter?

As Steve Jobs (The King of Apples) once said in 1996 "Good artists copy, and great artists steal".  So I have drawn inspiration from a dive instructor friend in Cozumel for the following Winter Special at Coconut Tree Divers.

Is THIS going to be YOUR winter?

Too much snow?

Drive to work

Where is your car?

It doesn't have to be!!!

If you're wanting to escape any of the above winter prospects, here at Coconut Tree Divers we offer you a 100% NO-SNOW GUARANTEE.  If it snows on the island when you're on your dive vacation = money back guaranteed!  Rainy season is a great time to come, the dive boats are not usually busy outside of the holiday seasons, and the diving is always good - north or south shore.

In addition to this we are offering a special promotion.  For reservations for dive packages or PADI dive courses between now and February 1st 2013, get a chance to win a FREE T-shirt on arrival, if you're the first person to quote our special promotional code NOSNOWRTB in your reservation!  Contact us today to make it happen!

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

Sunny, very calm seas.  Better than yesterday!

Recent Sightings

Seahorse @ Mandy's Eel Garden

Neck crabs @ Everywhere (if you know where to look!)

Hanging Lettuce Sea Slug @ Hole In The Wall

Akona Caicos Mask

This is the mask Coconut Tree Divers uses as a rental. It is an excellent entry level choice. Really, you could just skip the mention of entry level all together and say it is a good reliable mask. LeisurePro sells them for about $20.00. With all the different types of people that come into Coconut Tree Divers it is hard to find a one size fits all mask. This one has come up real close to fitting the bill.

If you are in the market for a new one, do not feel as though the more money you spend the better the mask. There is no direct correlation regarding more expensive = better mask at all. Read prior reviews on this blog as that has been debunked through hours of underwater use. The Oceanic Pioneer is a prime example as is the Oceanic Shadow, expensive and comfortable but not built to last. Yeah I did just use that line.

Rental gear at our shop is used and abused. Not by all customers, but indeed by some. Kind of like the people who rent cars and run them to the ground. If it does not belong to them, some simply throw things around with little regard to their function or that other people will be using them. Case and point for the Akona Caicos mask. With all the abuse they receive through our shop, they are still providing divers hours of viewing pleasure and comfort.

As with most new masks, remember to clear off the coating manufacturers put on them to keep them from scracthing. You need to get that off to help prevent your mask from fogging up. Use a lighter to burn it off, provided it is tempered glass. They usually read Tempered or have a letter T to signify that. You can also use SoftScrub, which is used to clean tiles. When we introduce new masks here at the shop both methods are incorporated. We burn the inside of the lenses with a lighter, rinse them and follow up with a vigorous scubbing with SoftScrub.

Hope that helps.

Due to suggestions provided by websitegrader.com we are incorporating the Coconut Tree Telegraph blog and the DiveGearReview blog into one. We have also recruited to new writers, Diego and Kaela. They are both doing their PADI Divemaster training here with us and have long ties to Roatan, West End and ultimately to Coconut Tree Divers.

Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

And by all means, if you enjoy the blog sign up. Have a great day!

Coconut Tree Front Porch Social Club

Need somewhere to park your husband while you finish up your PADI Open Water course or go and catch some rays on one of Roatan's beautiful beaches?  No worries, we've got you covered here at Coconut Tree Divers, with our all-new front porch social club.  Leave him there and he'll be entertained with hours of people-watching, motorbikes, NASCAR and football.

Joey, Tree, Tim and PJ - free seating.

Recent Sightings

Pipehorse @ Moonlight

Lettuce Sea Slug @ Hole In The Wall

Line Sole @ Moonlight

Half Moon Bay Weather Report

More sweat, calm seas, excellent diving.