Anyone resuming dive travel yet?

Just booked flights for 2 weeks in Roatan next September, a yearly tradition for me.   Two years between dive trips is too long, especially at my age.   Anyone else getting out of their country to dive somewhere again?

I spent this winter (December to March) in Thailand, mostly on Koh Tao. It did involve two weeks of quarantine on arrival, and another ten days after coming back, but I've been working from home for the past year, so it wasn't a big deal. Got a Red Sea liveaboard coming up in August - it was scheduled to go last year, but COVID caused a 12 month rescheduling. Another 3-4 months in Thailand or Philippines over the next winter would be lovely, but it's hard to plan too far ahead these days.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

Just booked flights for 2 weeks in Roatan next September, a yearly tradition for me. Two years between dive trips is too long, especially at my age. Anyone else getting out of their country to dive somewhere again?

Unfortunately, the answer is "No", in our case at present - but we have a lot of plans this year in case the development continues to be positive. But as Barmaglot says, one needs to be flexible and cannot make plans to far ahead...

We will not resume diving holidays abroad, until we both are fully vaccinated (I can not complain, since I am already fully immunized, but the rate limiting factor is my wife, who still is on the waiting list (Hopefully her vaccination will start in June, maybe even in May)). Of course also the other factors, like travel regulations in destination countries and air traffic need to be fine...

Plans for this year are plenty: It is the last year before my retirement in 2022 and eight (!) weeks of vaccation have accumulated awaiting to be used up, but at present the diving is restricted to the local gravelponds and to one-day trips to nearby lakes...

Depending on vaccination we will start diving abroad (May/June/July ?), first in the Adriatic (part of the Mediterranian; maybe one can say this is our "Roatan"), using the car so we do not depend on airtravel...

Depending on developments (we are optimistic), we plan a two week trip to Scotland, end of August, by plane.

Later, in autumn/winter we plan to airtravel to Egypt and in case this will still be difficult, to the Canary islands (presumably they will open up earlier than Egypt). Maybe even both...

Wolfgang

I have way too much amazing diving locally (California, USA) to even consider traveling abroad.  Plus, my first child is due to arrive in September so I wont have any vacation time in the near future.

Dann-Oh wrote:

I have way too much amazing diving locally (California, USA) to even consider traveling abroad. Plus, my first child is due to arrive in September so I wont have any vacation time in the near future.

I must admit that I sincerely envy all peers that have world-class diving just a stone's throw away from their house...

Wolfgang

Architeuthis wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

I have way too much amazing diving locally (California, USA) to even consider traveling abroad. Plus, my first child is due to arrive in September so I wont have any vacation time in the near future.

I must admit that I sincerely envy all peers that have world-class diving just a stone's throw away from their house...

Wolfgang

It all depends on how far you can throw a stone its about a 1.5-2hour drive or 60 mile throw for me.

I would love to leave and go diving but ..I live in Bermuda at the moment  and even here we are not allowed to dive. Another 2 weeks lockdown . Its getting rediculous but all for the better.

What is the vaccination status there?   Any talk of vaccine passports to get things moving again?   I've heard of cruises opening up to the vaccinated in the fall.

I am going to Bonaire at the end of August.  I have been in 2018 & 2019.  Could not go last year due to Covid.

Where do you stay on Roaton?  I have looked at Cocoview several times but not booked a trip.  Where do you stay on Roatan?

Thanks, Scott

bocabum wrote:

I am going to Bonaire at the end of August. I have been in 2018 & 2019. Could not go last year due to Covid.

Yes, I missed diving all last year too.

Where do you stay on Roaton? I have looked at Cocoview several times but not booked a trip. Where do you stay on Roatan?

Cocoview doesn't appeal to me in terms of diving.  They have a limited site selection.  I've seen their boats at Calvin's Crack every day for a week.   Too much dive site repetion - but then I''ve never stayed there.

I've always stayed at the Reef House Resort, which is tremendous for diving/dive sites, and is somewhat quirky and homespun as a hotel.   For diving, I've now been to at least 37 different sites - 36 in one 2-week trip once.  They tend to go west to the Czech Village area (seahorses), and as far east as Port Royal.   There are dive sites almost continuously along the south side of Roatan, and the divemaster knows them all intimately.  (Over 20,000 dives in those sites now.)

It seems every time I go out, I see something new and unexpected there.  99% of that is because the divemaster (David) finds them and points them out.  He is phenomenal, and legendary among previous divers there.

The resort is NOT one of those luxury places.  No spas, not really a sandy beach, no fancy restaurant, but good food and good people.  Owned by an American who previously ran some restaurants in Georgia, married to a local Roatan girl.  It's on a cay of Oak Ridge, and it's pretty isolated after dark.  A lot of local ex-pats come by the bar in the evening to have a drink or in the afternoon for lunch.

Thanks Craig for the information about Roatan!

I will check out the Reef House Resort!

I did not mention that I live in Southeast FL and we have some excellent diving here.  The water is starting to get warm with some great vis!  Thanks again!

Scott

Here are some pics of the Reef House operation.

I should mention that right now they are in mourning.  For the last 3-4 years, they had a nice young man named Ashton Jackson working as a bartender there.  Everyone knew him.  He got married to his long-time girlfriend at the Reef House on May 1.    3 weeks later and he is dead from pneumonia, at least partly because he didn't have the money for treatment.

But ... in happier times:

The boathouse is the first view you get of the operation.

As you walk past their gate, you get the first view of the hang-out area.

Dining area set up[ for lunch for me and the one other diver there in September.  This is in 2014, but typical.  It's one reason I go in September.

The dive boat Captain Morgan set up for three dives for me, my buddy and the divemaster.   So nice to come in September when you have the boat virtually to yourself!

The evening view.   See this pretty much every night.

This is Davey, the owner of the Reef House taking me over to Hole in the Wall.

Longtime boat captain Choco on the left, divemaster David on the right.  Choco has retired, but certainly is well-known for the years he piloted the Henry Morgan.

Coming into or leaving Oak Ridge, you can look down at the cay that holds the Reef House Resort and a number of houses.  It's the island on the right half.  You get there via boat through that small channel.  Reef House has a taxi pick you up and drop you off from/to the airport.   You cannot drive all the way there, though some have tried.  (Hint: cay = island, and there are no bridges.)

One of the forms of entertainment at the Reef House is cornhole.   Some of the people there are pretty good.   Dominoes is also popular there - and in Roatan they play dominoes like the  Russians play chess, or the Americans play basketball.

View looking east from side of resort.  The 'pool' is on the right.  Used to be a turtle recovery area.

Luna - the Reef House dog - will likely greet you.

Thank you very much Craig for the photos and descriptions.  I am very sorry to hear about the bartender