Photo journey -- Reef House Resort, Roatan (May 26 - June 2, 2012)

[RichKirby]

Craig,

I really appreciate the thorough review. Is there anything you would recommend we take that we might not think about? Thanks for the in depth review. We will be there on July 7th-14th. The food is probably my only concern, as I am a picky eater. I know the diving will be good. Hopefully we will have a good group of people there during our visit. It's such an intimate place, the other people can really make or break the experience.

Rich

 

[VicScubaVentures]

Craig,

I really appreciate the thorough review. Is there anything you would recommend we take that we might not think about? Thanks for the in depth review. We will be there on July 7th-14th. The food is probably my only concern, as I am a picky eater. I know the diving will be good. Hopefully we will have a good group of people there during our visit. It's such an intimate place, the other people can really make or break the experience.
Rich

Rich,

Knowing what I know now, I'd be sure to get in contact with Mike (owner) at RHR by phone or email and discuss your dietary situation. I know Mike will try to accommodate your likes / dislikes, but he needs to know about them in advance - he can't try to anticipate everyone's tastes. I wish I'd have known to do this, could have made all the difference in terms of overall enjoyment for me.

Take mosquito spray (the good kind). I found that I got eaten more in the dining room than anywhere else. Take sunscreen and apply liberally. The sun is hot and intense.
Take spare parts (save a dive stuff) like mask strap and fin straps just in case. Double check the condition of the battery in your dive computer before you go -- replace if in doubt. Leave 1/2 the clothing you think you'll need at home. I lived in my bathing suit and t-shirt between getting up in the morning and my pre-dinner shower. Dress code is extremely casual (think shorts n' t-shirts for everything). Take a pair of sandals for wearing around the property and for walking to/from the dive boat and the resort property. There's no opportunity for shopping anywhere near the RHR. If you are going to take a side tour (like the zip-line or shark dive) Mike arranges it for you and you pay Mike. Take cash for tipping the guys on the boats. You can put a tip for housekeeping / kitchen onto your final bill. There is no surcharge for using a credit card to close out your account at week's end. I took a small 3-outlet power bar to plug in my macbook, my USB charger, and my camera battery charger. There are plugs in the room, but I always take my own outlet expander. Depending on your tolerance for water temps and extended dives, take some form of exposure protection. There is plenty of fire coral on the reefs, and I have my fair share of welts and scrapings still trying to heal up. When not in just a bathing suit and running shirt I dove in a 3mm full suit and was warm and well protected. Don't take weights...there's lots of lead in the dive shack. Don't take a pony bottle...there isn't any need for one. If you are taking a camera, make sure to have enough storage for a week's diving. There's nowhere to download your pictures to any storage media at RHR. Take sunglasses. I took an aluminum water bottle, but there's always plastic cups on the boat (along with ice-water and a snack of some kind). If your electronics use batteries (camera, strobes, etc) take them with you and leave unused ones with Davit or Choko at the end of the week. Batteries are expensive on Roatan and are appreciated for kids' toys, remote controls, dive lights, etc.

You should have a great time!! Looking forward to your review when you get back.

C.

 

[skimmer]

C.

Thank you so much for such a great review of RHR! We just booked a trip there for this coming Dec. This is our second trip to Roatan, when we stayed at AKR. Loved it, was wonderful, great dive boats and DM's but really wanted not to repeat a trip. However, $ being a bit tight this year for us, we couldn't beat the price at RHR. I am not a picky eater and am used to "roughing it". We choose RHR because we hope the East end may differ abit from the sites we hit with AKR.

My question to you would be about the dives themselves. I am an advanced PADI diver with a recreational "deep diver" cert. We were just out in the Caymans and I found the surge (30+ mph winds all week) very tiring. Managed to make my air last, but really not enjoyable and relaxing as I would have like to feel. People have mentioned the waves and turbulent waters near RHR. Does the East end diving tend to be more of a challenge for the newbie?

I have only about 70 dives and worry about current or surges when at RHR and the East end. Any tips or feed back on the dive conditions at the sites RHR tend to frequent?

Thank you very much!

Holly

 

[VicScubaVentures]

Hi Holly.

I can't compare RHR with AKR.

There can be surge along the tops of reefs. It usually isn't too bad, and I didn't find dealing with it to be tiring while others did. My experience says that having the right fins and the right kick style can go along way to managing any surge / current condition without over-tiring a diver. Physical condition also is a "comfort" factor in condtions where you may have to swim against a bit of a current on the way to/from the anchor line. RHR doesn't do "live boat" diving, so you always start at and return to the boat's mooring line rather than being picked up down-current at the end of a dive if there's a bit of current.

RHR is exposed to the easterly trade winds more than other resorts so if the wind is blowing the water can be choppy. Getting into the water is never a problem from the boats....just backroll in and away you go. Getting back on board is trickier in choppy seas as the stern and swim platform rock up n' down with the waves. After you've done it a few times you get the hang of it pretty quickly. In a nutshell, you swim to the stern of the boat, hang on to one of 2 ropes tied to the swim platform, surface carefully (avoiding getting caught UNDER the swim platform or boat), inflate your BCD and slip out of it. The Captain or DM will grab your BCD and take in onboard and then you kick yourself up onto the platform with your fins still on. Sometimes it is a smooth and classy transition, other times you'll look like a trained seal crawling up onto the platform, but don't worry .... everyone does it.

I found most sites to be very calm (along the walls) with very manageable surge (more like a gentle fwd and back rocking motion, most of the time) and the occasional current (mild) depending on wind and tide conditions. Relax. If you're anxious talk to Davit ahead of time and I'm sure he'll explain everything and make sure he keeps an eye on you until you get comfortable.

Divesite conditions were always good enough that I didn't hesitate taking my camera (big DSLR with strobes) along for any dive. If you've got a camera, Choko or Davit will pass it to you in the water once you depart the boat, and they'll take it from you before you remove your BCD to get back onboard. We had people of all ages, shapes, and sizes on the boat the week I was there and noone found the conditions to be adverse enough for them to call off a dive.

Hope this helps.

C.

 

[KevinG58]

The winds / surge really come into play for shore diving at RHR. The access is exposed and conditions can easily become very sporty there. The dive op / boats and sites evlauation is spot on with my experiences.

Sounds like the chef had a off week when Vic was there. I've been to RHR twice (a one week and a two week stay) and had no issues and dinners have been great, breakfast & lunch while nothing 'special' was tasty. I don't think I was ever refused second helpings and Mike will work with you to suit preferences but definitely needs a heads up for that. :cool2:

 

[Doc]

This just came to me via email:

Dedicated Diving on Roatán's South Shore ...at the Best Price of the Year Located near Oakridge and perched on the lip of Roatán's south shore reef, Reef House Resort has been a traditional favorite among Roatán aficionados for decades. The reef access and unlimited shore diving is among the best in the Caribbean. Meals are great, rooms are air conditioned, and the vacation is yours. Reef House offers a complete dive program - including PADI certifications. Expect your Reef House vacation to be one well worth repeating. Your dive package treats you to three boat-dives per d ay, one night boat-dive per week, unlimited shore diving and snorkeling – directly in front of the Reef House Resort is what some guests have described as the best snorkeling they have ever encountered. Also included is all your meals -- which by the way can be individually adjusted to suit your exact dietary needs -- accommodations, weight belts, unlimited tank-air for diving, and all the fresh, purified drinking water you desire… all included in your package. Airport pick up and return is also included with the 7 night package. More Travel Specials [Click Here] Toll Free U.S and Canada 1-800-282-8932 International 352-588-4131 www.roatan.com -info@roatan.com​ The Deal.. Travel in July and Save* Reef House Resort is offering the complete inclusive 7 night package for $805/diver, double occupancy, plus 16% tax. *(Can't make it next month? Let us know when you can! We'll do our best.) Offer expires Aug 1. New reservatons only. Resort Amenities Shore diving Y Restaurant Y Nitrox Y Scuba rental Y Instruction Y Photo Services N Swimming Pool N Meal Plan Included Roatan Air Deals Orlando: $431.90 Washington: $471.80 New York, Atlanta: $483.90 Pittsburg, Charlotte, Tampa, Jacksonville, Chicago, Las Angeles, Baltimore: $531.90 New Orleans, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Detroit, San Francisco: $571.90 Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix: $581.90 Other cities on sale, call or emailairdesk@roatan.com with your travel and departure city for a free no obligation airfare quote or [click here]

 

[Doc]

And from our fellow SB Poster, as well, Liquid Diving Adventures | Specials and Travel Reviews :

[h=1]Latest Blog Posts[/h]
[h=1]Reef House on Roatan - Deal of the Year! - $805pp 7 Night Package[/h]posted by Liquid Diving Adventures | June 17, 2012 16:56Here is the deal of the year for some fantastic diving on Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras. Get a 7 night package that includes accommodations, meals, 3 boat dives per day, one night dive, unlimited shore dives, and airport ground transfers. This package is good for the month of July only. $805 + tax per person double diver occupancy. Rooms are selling fast!

 

[Dom Perignon]

Howdy,

three of us were there for weeks at the end of May (same time as Craig!) and we absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.

We picked this placed mostly based on SB reviews (thanks, those were right on target: great bang for your buck). This is not your typical 'resort', it's closer to a family run hotel who cater to divers, so there is nothing there to do for non-divers).

I second everything that Craig said, aside from the following (which are mostly a matter of opinion):

Meet & Greet 10/10: the second we set foot in the airport we saw the RHR sign. Our luggage was taken care of from beginning to end. Mike, the owner, was there to greet us on day 1 and to say goodbye on day 14, just before we passed the airport security check to leave the island.

Transport to RHR 9/10: for a developing country that ride with AC felt pretty comfortable to me.

Food 7/10: there was always plenty of food, it was usually pretty good, though not awesome (the steak and lobster dinner was great). If you are into fancy meals, you will be disappointed. But if you have traveled a bit you will find it comforting that all the food is good (I've had my share of awful expensive food in NC!) and all was safe & clean (I've had my share of stomach disarray). Two of us had dietary restrictions and we were perfectly accomodated.

I will add the following:

-Mike (owner) was wonderful, bending over backwards to make sure we were happy. A sincerely kind man, which makes you feel at home.

-Davit (divemaster) was amazing. He could spot a nudi from 10 meters. Very professional.

-Dives: absolutely gorgeous dives. Dive as long as you can (my longest was 90 min!)... Very lush corrals and plenty of fish.

-Shore dives: our three daily dives kept us busy, and at the end of some days the waves were crashing into the pier, which made us weary. We only made a couple of shore dives, as well as some snorkeling. Those were amazing and I wish we would have done more because within meters of the dock we saw an amazing variety of critters. In one snorkeling we saw porcupine fish, octupus, sea hare, spotted moray eel, green moray eel, nudis, scorpionfish, trunkfish...

I will definitely be going back.

m