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News Updates
by Tree
added by marco
Coconut Tree Divers and Go Pro Caribbean donates a set uniform to the 15 Tourism Police stationed in West-End.
by Tree
added by Marco
DAN Avoiding Ear and Sinus Injuries
by Will Welbourn
-added by Marco
Malleable Kitten is aided in her daily patrol by the new improved blue light special capable fleet. This is the first of several upgrades being made to the Roatan Police Force. As always, safety first.
by Tree
Another member of the Tec family is born.......
by Tree
added and created by Marco, pictures taken by Viv Weber-Pagel
by Tree
added by Marco
The new designs are in... Inspired by Tim Wyatt, the dude, "el tipo" as he's known around these parts. They sport the Coconut Tree seahorse on the front and the trademark circular coconut logo on the back. We have all sizes, to include our first ever women Ts. They are available for purchase via PayPal. More details will follow... send us an email if you would like one.
Online retail merchandising here we come...
by Tree
added by Marco
Do you know your fish? Well have a go at it:
Fish ID
by Will Welbourn
Coconut Tree Divers and Coconut Tree Cabins are doing a Thanksgiving special of $30 a night and Fun dives at $25 a tank BOOK NOW
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congratulations to Jon Lawn and Lauren Schneidewind for passing their PADI Instructor Exam on Utila and earning the rank of Open Water Scuba Instructor. Both Jon and Lauren completed their Divemaster and IDC training with Coconut Tree Divers this summer.
Lauren is the first woman to become a Cult Leader by completing all of her training from Open Water through Instructor with Coconut Tree Divers.
Congrats to both newly certified instructors and good luck in the dive industry!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congratulations to Coconut Tree Divers Divemaster and IDC Graduates Bob Van Beurden and Brett Kroos for getting hired in the Bay Islands as Open Water Scuba Instructors.
Brett joins the Coconut Tree Divers crew as the newest instructor on staff. Bob is employed at Alton's Dive Center on Utila as a divemaster and instructor.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Advanced Open Water divers were treated with the rare chance to swim with a manta ray this morning on Black Rock. The graceful giant's seven-foot silhouette emerged as the group ascended up the coral reef wall around 18m/60ft. The ray passed about 20ft from the nearest diver before vanishing into the deep blue.
This marks the second manta ray sighting of the 2009 summer season. The first sighting occurred six weeks ago on Dixie's Place; unfortunately, there were no cameras on that dive to capture the moment. While fairly common in parts of the Pacific Ocean, manta rays sightings are extremely rare in the Western Caribbean.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Divers Divemaster graduates Brett Kroos, Lauren Schneidewind, and Bob Van Beurden captured a lionfish on Utila.
Brett, Lauren, and Bob recently completed their Divemaster Trainee internship at Coconut Tree Divers and took a trip to Utila in celebration. While on a dive with Alton's Dive Centre, Bob spotted the juvenile lionfish pacing in a recess in the reef. Using the clever combination of a modified gallon jug and a dive slate, the trio managed to capture the specimen.
This marks the second lionfish captured on Utila. Congratulations to Team Coconut Tree for helping rid our reefs of this invasive species.
by Marco Alvarado
"Poisonous" Pete Hughes captured his second juvenile lionfish today.
The lionfish was captured at 5.3m/16ft on the sandy patch near Mandy's Eel Garden. Pete purged his regulator through the hole in which the lionfish was hiding until the stunned fish emerged. The fish was captured in a plastic blender pitcher and brought to the surface.
Once back at Coconut Tree Divers, the lionfish was humanely euthanized by dunking the invasive species in ice water. The procedure was directly overseen by the Roatan Marine Park.
As a reminder to visitors, touching and removing any wildlife from the Roatan Marine Park is strictly prohibited. However, due to threats posted by the invasive nature of the lionfish species, the removal and termination of lionfish has been authorized by the Marine Park.
Lionfish are extremely venemous and should not be directly touched. Lionfish sightings should be reported to the Roatan Marine Park so that trained divers can safely remove the creature.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Despite the political situation unfolding in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, all is fine on our beautiful island of Roatan. Right now, our biggest worries are which of West End's beautiful dive sites to explore next.
You can find more information about the situation as it unfolds at the following links.
In English:
Honduras This Week
AP News
En español:
El Tiempo
La Prensa
El Heraldo
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Pete caught a juvenile lionfish at 35ft on Dixie's Place! This is the first sighting in West End of the invasive species.
For more information about the lionfish and the dangers of their unchecked population growth, read the following letter from former Coconut Tree Divers instructor Marc Cruciani:
Hello Everyone,
I heard that the first lionfish was sighted on the north side of the island. They are beautiful fish, and make stunning photographic models, and of course everyone wants to see one. As an invasive species and voracious predator, they also represent the one of the biggest environmental threats to the reef system. I have extensive experience with these fish, both as an aquarist and a diver, and would like to share some of this with you, and impress upon you the importance of dealing with this threat immediately.
I was an instructor in North Carolina for two years. Lionfish were known to be around, and had been for a couple of years. At the beginning of my first year, they were rarely seen, and only on the further offshore wrecks. I was as eager as anyone to see my first lionfish. By the end of the second year, I was seeing them on every dive, at every site, usually in multilple numbers. Some wrecks had populations of 30 or more, and aquarists were flocking to the coast to aquire specimens. By the time NOAA finally got into the act, it was obvious that they presented a major problem.
NOAA brought a large research vessel and a team of scientists to determine the scale of the problem. Their stated goal was to dive twice a day for a week, in the hopes of collecting about 30 fish for DNA analysis. Local divers laughed at this, we already knew how widespread the problem was. In the first two days of diving, over 80 were caught.
They are now found as far north as Rhode Island in the summer months, and have spread as far south as Nicaragua from their original starting point in Florida, wreaking havoc on local fish populations. In parts of the Bahamas, they are the predominant predator on many reefs.
Lionfish are related to scorpion fish, and eat just about anything, from juvenile groupers to cardinal fish to crustaceans. According to the lates issue of Alert Diver, they eat on average .3 ounces a day. Larger fish, up to 18 inches, can eat much more. They tend to eat smaller fish, but will eat anything they can swallow. They hunt like frog fish, and like frog fish, the mouth is the largest part, and can eat prey larger than themselves.
They have no natural predators in the Caribbean. The only fish that do eat them are some sharks and possibly the largest of groupers, both of which are in short supply on Roatan. In any case, natural predation has failed to contain them anywhere in this hemisphere.
When spawning, lionfish can produce up to 30,000 eggs, and can grow 7 inches a year, reaching sexual maturity in just a year or two. In their home environments, they spawn twice a year. For reasons yet unknown, in the caribbean they seem to spawn continuously year round. DNA analysis by NOAA indicate that Atlantic and Caribbean populations are all very closely related, coming from the same source. Considering that they were first documented in Florida in in the mid 1990's, their range is astonishing both in scope and the short time required.
They are very hardy fish, tolerant of a wide range of water conditions, and notoriously hard to kill. They can go for months
without eating, and even the foulest of fishtanks dont seem to concern them, and are adept at hiding in small crevices. I learned this while trying to dispose of an aquarium specimen without getting stung. Lionfish stings are similar to those of scorpionfish, but much worse. Larger specimens of some species can kill a human being.
Efforts at controlling them have had mixed results at best. Once established, they are impossible to get rid of. The best bet is to keep the populations in check after the first sighting. All lionfish must be removed as soon as sighted. The prevailing strategy is to have a team of trained divers who can respond to sighting.
Under no circumstances should untrained divers be allowed to try, due to the dangers involved in handling these fish, and the skill needed to find and hunt them. The best way to hunt them is to use hand nets for smaller individuals, and pole spears or hawaiian slings for larger ones. Extreme caution must be used, as even a dead fish will still have poisonous dorsal spines.
Lionfish tend to be very territorial, once they find a good hunting ground, they are likely to stay. They also move quite slowly (except for the actually swallowing of prey, which is faster than the eye can see). They prefer to hunt at dusk and dawn, and are easiest to find at these times. The rest of the time they sit on the bottom or hide in crevices, and despite their
very colorful markings, are suprisingly difficult to spot. On the plus side, they do make good eating, similar to grouper.
All dive shops should encourage customers to report sightings so that the fish can be culled, the faster the better. This will require coordination and efforts from all the dive operations and the marine park to have any kind of impact. REEF can help with training and workshops. The man to talk to is Lad Atkins. Paula Whitfield was the original NOAA project head in North Carolina.
Some contacts for more information and resources are listed below. If there is anything else I can do to help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me. This is a serious problem and must be dealt with. Please distribute this letter to any interested parties and dive shops who have not received it.
Marc Cruciani
MI 183782
scubadiver101@hotmail.com
NOAA
reportlionfish@noaa.gov
1 252 728 8714
REEF
www.reef.org/lionfish
1 305 852 0030
for medical issues regarding envenomation
http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/medicalinfo.html
by Marco Alvarado
Thanks for all the inquiries. Here's a link to the L.A. Times and their story of it. PJ tells it like is:
L.A. Times
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Happy 7th birthday, Coconut Tree Divers!
Divers from all around the globe have come on Roatan to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of Coconut Tree Divers. We're loading up our boats, mixing the rum punch, and rolling out to West Bay for an afternoon of barbecue, frisbee, piñata, rafts, and laughs.
Visit the Cult of Coconut on Facebook for pictures from this insane event!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Diver's Team Nutt Reed won the 2nd Annual Dive Shop Olympics. Team Nutt Reed consisted of Joel Andre, Matt Howell, Steve Craig, Steve Vincent, and Hunter Hickox.
Held at the pool bar at Oasis Lounge in Sandy Bay, the Olympics saw teams of five from West End dive shops compete in a beer crate strong man competition, a full contact water tread, a hot dog eating contents, a breath-hold coin collection challenge, and (the crowd favorite) the bellyflop competition.
The Dive Shop Olympics are the final social event of the Race for the Golden Buoy, a month-long competition between dive shops to raise money for SOL International Foundation. West End Divers won this year's Golden Buoy by raising nearly $6000 for the local charity. Overall, over $14,000 was raised to help provide local children with educational support, after-school programs, and sports leagues.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
The Coconut Tree Carnival for the Kids saw kids of all ages turn out on Half Moon Bay beach for an evening of fun, games, and prizes.
The Coconut Tree Divers staff manned the booths and distributed the prizes as Roatan children of all ages and backgrounds played games, splashed in the sea, and beat each other with inflatable baseball bats.
Freshly-popped popcorn and grilled hot dogs were the meal of choice as the sun set over Half Moon Bay.
Contestants worked up a sweat in heated rounds of Wii Boxing on the deck of Coconut Tree Divers.
In the end, the evening was a huge success in raising funds for the SOL International Foundation, a local organization dedicated to providing island children with tutoring, after-school programs, and sports leagues.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Help the West End community report coral bleaching.
If you see evidence of coral bleaching in the Roatan Marine Park, please use the form at the following address to help the Mesoamerican Reef Watch protect our underwater environment:
http://www.marcoralwatch.net/en/bleachwatch/report.php
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Diver's news updates have gone RSS (Real Simple Syndication). To subscribe to the Coconut Tree News Feed, just click the RSS Feed icon 
on to top of any page in the site.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Divers will be hosting the 2009 Coconut Tree Carnival to raise money for the SOL International Foundation on Tuesday, 14 April 2009.
Fun for the whole family!
Join us on the beachfront of Half Moon Bay for fun, games, and prizes!
3-legged races! Feats of strength! Wii boxing! Football toss! Games of chance! Egg relays! Free hotdogs and popcorn!
The festivities start at 2:30pm on Tuesday, 14 April 2009!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congratulations to Jen Liew and Clifton [] for becoming Coconut Tree Divers' newest PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors!
Jen and Clifton earned the coveted OWSI rating after passing their two-day PADI Instructor Exam at Mayan Princess Resort. PADI Course Director Will Welbourn guided Jen and Clifton through the ten-day Instructor Development Course in preparation for the exam.
Welcome to the PADI Instructor ranks, Jen and Clifton!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congrats to Mervin Reyes for becoming the newest member of the Roatan Tec Team.
Mervin mastered the challenges put forth in the DSAT Tec Deep course such as advanced dive planning, gas management, and standard tec rig configuration. His course culminated with two 165ft/50m drops, one down Spooky Channel wall and the other along the sheer face of El Aquario wall.
Click here for more information on how you can join the Roatan Tec team!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Help the kids of Roatan!
Coconut Tree Divers is proud to participate in the 3rd Annual Golden Buoy competition to raise money for the SOL Internation Foundation.
The SOL International Foundation is working to initiate and support community-based programs designed to promote education and increase the quality of life on Roatan.
Through the support of grants and initiatives they are committed to enhancing the standards of education, arts and athletics in lesser developed areas.
Each year, local dive shops compete in a challenge to raise the most money for the SOL International Foundation. The winning dive shop will be honored with the coveted Golden Buoy at Oasis Bar on 16 April during the second annual Dive Shop Olympics.
Click the link below to donate to the SOL International Foundation! Make your donation on behalf of Coconut Tree Divers and help us win!
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=11862
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Divers welcomes PADI President and CEO Drew Richardson to Roatan!
This marks the first time that Mr. Richardson has visited Roatan. Mr. Richardson and PADI Regional Manager Jose Morera met with shop owner PJ Rowntree and resident PADI Course Director Will Welbourn to discuss the state of the dive industry on our island.
After the meeting, Mr. Richardson was kind enough to take a group photo with our staff of Instructors and Divemaster Interns.
Thanks for visiting, Mr. Richardson. We hope your stay on Roatan was a fun one!
by Marco Alvarado
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Thanks to Vivian Weber-Pagel for sharing her amazing photographs with Coconut Tree Divers!
At Coconut Tree Divers, It's The Little Things That Count™— as evidenced by all of these diminutive denizens of Roatan's reef that Vivian managed to capture on film.
Thanks for sharing, Viv, and we look forward to your return!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congratulations to Rags Seatter on becoming a new PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor!
After an intense ten days of preparation under the guidance of PADI PADI Course Director Will Welbourn, Rags aced her PADI PADI Instructor Exam in Utila. Rags is now fully qualified to certify divers in Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster.
Congrats Rags!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
A big congratulations is due to Jo Wood, Tim Haywaid, Jen Liew, and Dane Voboril!
These four just graduated from Coconut Tree Divers' esteemed Divemaster Trainee program, joining the ranks of our highly-regarded professional Divemasters. They all get a huge "ok" sign for their hard work in tackling the Divemaster exams, mastering the skill circuit, leading certified divers around Roatan's reef, and hauling tons of tanks.
Congrats, and best of luck to everyone in their future dive careers!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Believe it or not, the best dive course you'll ever take has nothing to do with scuba diving.
As a PADI Instructor, there's a lot of dive courses I love teaching. There's nothing like seeing a student take their first breaths underwater during the Open Water Course, or watching divers make the crucial improvements in self-awareness in the PADI Rescue Course.
However, one course always seems to get glossed over in the PADI system: the Emergency First Response course. It's sad, too, because in my honest opinion this is the single most important course anyone can take.
The day-to-day applications of Emergency First Response course extend far beyond scuba diving. In just the last year, I have:
- Dealt with the shocking discovery of a freshly-murdered taxi driver's corpse, during which I was faced with barrier use, lifeline assessment, and the bizarre challenge of convincing over forty PADI professionals to respond without causing chaos.
- Managed a screaming tourist with a shattered leg following a motorcycle accident, during which I had to split the victim's leg whilst coaxing him out of shock.
- Freed a terrified child trapped under a collapsed motorbike, during which I had to pull the bike off the child, treat her leg for sprains, and assist a distressed mother in getting the girl to the hospital.
- Plucked an unconscious friend from a swimming pool and rolled him into the recovery position, thankfully after which he regained his breathing and recovered.
- Treat a suspected decompression illness victim using emergency oxygen.
The EFR course is so short, so simple, and so invaluable that I personally believe that everyone, diver or not, should sign up. Emergencies are never convenient. Thankfully, they are rare. However, in the unlikely but unfortunate event that they do occur, being trained to quick and adequately respond is, without a doubt, indispensable. After all, the difference between knowing and not is, quite literally, life or death.
My advice: regardless of where you are relative to scuba diving, please, please, take a course in Emergency First Response— trust me, someone else's life depends on it.
by Tree
added by Marco, written and emailed by one of our divers
The string of pearls phenomenon is actually the mating display of ostracods. Ostracods are tiny crustaceans, about the size of tomato seeds and they use their bioluminescence to attract mates in the same way that fireflies do. It's a common phenomenon throughout the Caribbean and is usually best seen about one half hour after sunset or moonset. Male ostracods release their bioluminescent chemicals into the water as a string of dots. It's a species-specific display - sort of a Morse code. The spacing of the dots in the water is unique to a particular species so females, recognizing the code for their own species, can swim to the end of a string of dots and know that they'll find an eligible male.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Warning: the following content is not PETA-friendly
Last night's Pig Fest at Tree's house is just another gluttonous example of how the Cult of Coconut throws the best parties.
Over one hundred people stopped by Tree's jungle hangout to sample fresh pit-roasted strips of Dinner. Mouth-watering strips of pork slide straight off the bone of the 120+ lbs pig, accompanied by an amazing assortment of sides, desserts, drinks, and savory barbeque sauce.
The "crowning" event of the evening was the passing of the Red Hat to Rags Seatter, who officially graduated from the Coconut Tree Divemaster program last night.
Congrats to Rags for finishing her Divemaster, and congrats to Tree for cooking such a delicious Dinner!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Dane Voboril scored a perfect twenty points on the Divemaster Stamina Test with blistering times.
Dane blew away the previous Coconut Tree 400yd swim record with a time of 4:40. He also muscled his way to a new record on the 100yd inert diver tow in 1:20.
In doing so, Dane became only the second Coconut Tree Divemaster Trainee to earn a perfect score on the Divemaster Stamina Test.
Congrats Dane!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Congratulations to Britt Higgins for passing his PADI Instructor Exam this afternoon!
Britt prepared for the exam during his two-week-long Instructor Development Course under the guidance of PADI Course Director Will Welbourn. Passing the two-day Instructor Exam is the final step required to earn the coveted PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor rating.
Congrats, Britt!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Well, that was quick! It only took PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Jose Silva a few months to decide that diving Roatan's beautiful reef was a lot more fun that hanging out in the States.
Welcome back to the crew at Coconut Tree Divers, Jose!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
A few weeks ago, Les Fruits de Mer Extreme Shallow Snorkeling Team brought their red hats, great dives, and good laughs down to the groovy reef walls off Roatan.
The red hats have since become the ultimate fashion statement on Roatan. The sign of a true PADI professional, the coveted red hat is now only bestowed upon the most qualified of Coconut Tree graduates. If you're looking to go pro, look to the red hats.
We look forward to the return of Les Fruits de Mer Extreme Shallow Snorkeling Team in the coming months!
by Marco Alvarado
Congratulations to Steve Zoni, the first graduate of Coconut Tree's Roatan Tec Team.
Steve trained for two weeks to complete the challenge of the DSAT Tec Deep course. Over a series of twelve dives, Steve mastered the intricacies of technical diving equipment, decompression stops, mixed gas use for accelerated decompression, and advanced dive planning.
The course culminated in a set of epic dives over the wreck of the Josie J, a natural shipwreck resting along the second ledge off West End Wall. Dropping down to 50m/165ft, Steve, accompanied by DSAT Tec Deep Instructors Will Welbourn and Monty Graham, touched to top of the ship, peering into an abyss that can only be reached through the DSAT Tec Trimix Course.
Congrats to Steve, and may his tec deep exploration find unseen areas of Roatan's awesome underwater treasures.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
For a scuba diver, there is never enough time.
Time is why we watch our bottom timers closely, diving within limits to avoid the unfortunate side-effects of defying evolution.
Time is why we purchase computers, tracking our nitrogen exposure against those ever-ticking no-decompression limits.
Time is why we invest in nitrox-capable tank compressors, why we spend hours learning enriched air dive planning, why we take the additional trouble to analyze our fills: for those precious extra minutes of hovering, blissfully, alongside a massive wreck ten stories beneath the waves.
Time is why we will hang on a decompression line in the open blue for far more minutes than we just spent swimming alongside the wreck of the Josie J at 165ft.
Time is why we plan year-long to save, enduring the long and tedious hours behind the office desk, all for that crucial time of year when we can rediscover the ultimate underwater escape.
Time is why we come from all around the globe, putting aside careers, studies, and myriad pasts for the all-too-few weeks of living the life of a PADI scuba diving professional in the Caribbean.
There is never enough time.
2008 came to a solid conclusion for the Coconut Tree crew. Two full weeks of running eight dives per day plus night dives. Dozens of new divers certified. A massive Christmas feast. Laughs. Smiles. A family away from home.
And what a year it's been. Annual highlights included:
- Over 800 PADI certifications issued.
- Over 2600 customers submerged.
- Our first PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors graduated from the Instructor Development Courses held under PADI Course Director Will Welbourn.
- Over 60 shiny new scuba tanks added to our stock.
- The return of "the floating classroom" Bottom Time after months of repair in La Ceiba (including the insane six-hour crossing back to Roatan).
- Over 10,000 beers enjoyed during our famous Beer-O-Clocks.
-
The hiring of the first Coconut Tree Instructors to have completed their entire training in-shop. - The largest class of PADI Divemaster graduates in shop history.
- Our insane six-year-old birthday party (don't ask me for memories, for mine are fuzzy).
It hasn't always been easy this year. The Cult of Coconut has had to endure some extremely difficult challenges throughout the year, but we have grown stronger and more determined than ever to be Roatan's #1 PADI Training Center for another consecutive year.
If you're looking for an awesome place to discover scuba diving, aiming to expand on your diving experiences with more advanced drops, or aspiring to work as a professional in the diving industry, there's no better place to learn than Coconut Tree Divers.
Thanks for the great time. Bring on 2009!
by Marco Alvarado
Happy Holidays
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
A big congrats to Divemaster Trainee Jay Rudder (aka "Canadian Jay" or "CJ") for earning a perfect score of 20 points on his PADI Divemaster stamina test earlier this week.
The PADI Divemaster stamina test consists of a 400yd swim, an 800yd snorkel, a 100yd tired diver tow, and a 15-minute survival float. Each part of the test is assessed on a timed scale with 5 points awarded for only the most stellar performance. 12 points are required to pass the test.
Jay trained for the stamina test as part of Coconut Tree's Divemaster physical fitness program, including swims across Half Moon Bay and push-ups on deck. Every Coconut Divemaster Trainee is strongly encouraged to participate in this program to bolster their physical fitness, improve their stamina scores, and become better diving professionals.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Even though many of us aren't from the United States, we still love to celebrate any holiday that promotes bringing friends together for an all-out feast. In Coconut Tree tradition, we will be carving the bird as part of a huge potluck dinner that promises to fill even the hungriest of bellies (yes, even Kirk).
In diving related news, we're back to diving out of West End after several weeks of winds and waves moved our operation to the South Side. As much as we love diving the West End sites, we relished the chance to explore the stunning sponge-encrusted walls of the south. From the deep cracks of Mary's Place to the soft corals covering the Prince Albert wreck to the vast fields of staghorn coral surrounding Gold Chain Reef, we kept on delivering the quality dives that keep our customers coming back year after year.
Christmas is coming soon, so if you want to visit Roatan and have yet to make your reservations, do so now before we're booked solid!
by Marco Alvarado
Thanks Steve for the camera.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
The Vikings returned to Norway yesterday, but not before they wrapped up two more amazing dives. Their final adventures included:
- Gliding alongside huge schools of fish, dodging enormous barrel sponges, and ultimately drifting off the end of the island along the plateau of Texas (80ft for 62 minutes).
- Exploring the sunlit cave at Keyhole and photographing the tiny creatures along the wall, including a flamingo tongue and a harlequin pipefish (70ft for 70 minutes).
The Cult of Coconut wishes the Vikings a safe return to the Norwegian tundra and looks forward to diving with them again on their next Coconut Charter trip.
Want to go on a trip like this? Make your reservations now and join us in exploring all the Roatan's reefs have to offer!
by Marco Alvarado
by Marco Alvarado
by Marco Alvarado
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
The Viking Invasion of Roatan stormed on over the past two days. The Norwegian horde's adventures included:
- Plundering the wreckage of El Aguila and coming face-to-face with a smiling green moray eel and his massive black grouper pals (110ft for 52 minutes).
- Weaving through a deep sponge-encrusted crack into an underwater sandstorm in Gibson Bight and criss-crossing the canyons at Fish Den (90ft for 63 minutes).
- Plunging through the murky hole into the expansive Cathedral Room in Spooky Channel-- complete with a dive-bomb visit from an eagle ray-- before greeting the massive yellowfin groupers at the exit (95ft for 60 minutes).
- Gazing at the surreal sunlight laser show inside the cave of Bear's Den (90ft for 63 minutes).
- Illuminating the crab-covered wall of Grape Escape (cryptic teardrop crabs, decorator crabs, hermit crabs, and channel clinging crabs), chasing an octopus on the prowl, and weaving through the sand chute at Hole in the Wall-- all under the darkness of night (70ft for 62 minutes).
The Viking's adventure concludes tomorrow with an early morning Nitrox dive on Texas followed by a final dive on a secret site.
Want to go on a trip like this? Make your reservations now and join us in exploring all the Roatan's reefs have to offer!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
The Vikings have invaded!
A group of ten Norwegians have stormed the shores and seas of Roatan, chartering Wish U Were Here for a fun-filled week of diving with Coconut Tree Divers.
Their dives have included:
- Drifting with the turtles along the deep sandy slopes of Seaquest Deep (105ft max for 52 minutes).
- Weaving through the black gorgonians, creole wrasse schools, and swimthru of Dixie's Place (75ft max for 60 minutes).
- Plunging down West End Wall on Enriched Air Nitrox and encountering a free-swimming moray eel and vortex-like currents (105ft max for 55 minutes).
- Taking tons of pictures along the sponge-covered shallows of El Aquario (70ft max for 60 minutes).
- Riding the swimthru rollercoaster of Hole in the Wall, including exploring the cave, teasing lobsters, and coming face-to-claw with a huge king crab. (70ft max for 75 minutes).
More Viking adventures will be unfolding tomorrow...
Want to go on a trip like this? Make your reservations now and join us in exploring all the Roatan's reefs have to offer!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
It's always a sad time when one of the Cult decides to move on to other places. It's especially sad when the Cult member is Jose Silva, who has been teaching on Roatan for years.
Jose will be traveling to Hawaii with his girlfriend Alex Harper-Brown (recently certified as a PADI Divemaster through Coconut Tree). We wish them all the best of luck in their adventures to come.
Earlier this week Chris Monaghan departed Roatan with his girlfriend Mel Finlay after completing his PADI Divemaster certification. We had a wonderful time diving and partying with this couple and they too will be missed by the Cult.
To live in the tourist industry is say "goodbye" with every "hello." We'll miss you guys.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Divers has closed its doors for half a day to celebrate the annual Roatan Fishing Tournament. The winning catch was an enormous 700+ pound marlin. The fish was so big that it had to be strung up under the Coconut Tree arch.
Congrats to winner Gary McLaughlin on his incredible catch!
(To put this fish in perspective, Steve [in the picture] is six feet tall).
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
After years of separation, Chucky finally met his parents.
Ildur and Tatyana, a couple originally from Kazakhstan, traveled all the way to Roatan to meet their long-long \"son,\" Chucky. When asked for a comment about finally meeting his parents, Chucky was silent, obviously overwhelmed with emotion.
Ildur and Tatyana have also completed their Open Water and Advanced Open Water certifications during their stay. Congrats to our first Kazakhstani certs!
by Marco Alvarado
The classroom is undergoing some serious plastic surgery. Phil is the local expert and he's helping us transform the functional classroom into something worth mentioning. This is all being done under Gay's supervision. It's been a bit difficult to teach upstairs during the afternoons for the last two days. Luckily we have plenty of things we can do in the water. It is about diving. I'll get you a during the construction shot and an after one as well.
Not to get too crazy and all, but Bottom Time is likely to head back to Roatan soon. What about you?
by Marco Alvarado
After completing his Divemaster course, James (aka Kiwi) completes the final step.... the snorkel test. He did an excellent job. We wish him the best in the IDC and whatever he sets his sight on.
by Marco Alvarado
Drifted from Divemaster's Choice to Hole in the Wall. As soon as we jumped in we saw a Hawkbill turtle. Going along the wall with all the usual little critters (i.e. Neck Crabs) we saw a couple of Ocean Trigger fish. As we reached Grape Escape we saw a Nurse Shark just hanging out. After a while of watching it, we continued. We ran into a couple other turtles and a spotted drum. Wish you were here...
On a separate note, rumor has it that Bottom Time is headed back West End soon.
by Will Welbourn
On May 1st and 2nd Coconut Trees first 5 IDC candidates passed their IE with flying colours. Congratulations to Instructors Adam, Dan, Gemma, Kirk and Rob. Way to go guys.
by PJ Rowntree
Good Luck Tim we are all going to miss the Dude we all hope to have you back in the fall
by Marco Alvarado
Well our latest Coconut Tree Divemaster, Clair Flynn leaves this coming Sunday. We will miss her as she has turned into a super star. It is however her time to move one, b/c she chooses to. We wish her the best. A picture of her last Friday will be posted here, guaranteed or your money back...
It will be Steve or myself who will add it.
Marc say bye Clair, Jungsil says she is going to miss you, and Christine says she'll see you when you get back. Didn't make dinner b/c tables of six or larger are a thing of confusion to restaurants around here.
Bye for now.
by Marco Alvarado
This afternoon we dove at Dixies for the 2:30 dive. Max depth was 60 feet. We've been real busy these days, with plenty of courses going on. I have a class with six Advanced Open Water students starting tomorrow. We are still in the business of fun diving and today was no exception. We jumped in the water and when everyone was ready to go we descended. Right off the wall at a distance was the little guy. I spotted him from a ways out and crossed my fingers. There he was and I made sure everyone came to see the seahorse. Viv took some spectacular pictures, as she always does. They'll be posted soon. We also saw a turtle and a big moray eel. It was a fantastic dive. Upon return to the shop we had Will and Loren back from their trip. It's great to have all the folks back.
See you soon.
-marco
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Coconut Tree Divers is proud to announce that we have just been approved as a PADI Gold Palm Instructor Development Center! It's amazing to think that in less than six years come from a start-up "mom and pop shop" to the #1 dive shop on Roatan for diver education.
Under the guidance of Course Director Will Welbourn, we will offer our first PADI Instructor Development Course on the 16th of April, 2008. If you are already certified as a PADI Divemaster or Assistant Instructor and would like to take your professional career to the level of Open Water Scuba Instructor, please reserve your place on the PADI Instructor Development Course today, as spaces are limited!
by Chucky
Congratulations to our newly certified Rescue students they found me. Well done guys what a great fun course. Watch out for Steve
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
We're pleased to announce the arrival of thirty new aluminum 80 tanks! As part of our commitment to your safety, we are retiring some of our older tanks and restocking our supply with these new ones. Join us soon to breathe the fresh air off our new tanks!
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
Oh yeah! We're barely in our third month of 2008 and we've already had a whopping FIVE HUNDRED divers come through our dive shop this year. Thanks to everyone who's come by so far... you guys are the reason the Cult of Coconut continues to grow. We can't wait to meet the next five hundred of you!
by PJ Rowntree
Message: Just thought I'd drop a note to commend you on your website. "Steve whatever his name was" that felt the need to slam your shop sight unseen is obviously too uptight to enjoy the idea of a "relaxed atmosphere" anyway. After looking through the sites, my friends and I have decided that your shop is the only one we'll give a shot during our cruise! Kudoz to you and your "coconuts" for not bowing down to the over politically correct white collars!!!
by PJ Rowntree
Bottom Time has gone to La Ceiba for a refit. Back in 6 weeks yeeee
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
HELP!! I've gone missing again! I went out for a dive with Steve Craig and didn't make it back to the boat! Now I'm stuck down here thirty feet under the Caribbean Sea (which, come to think of it, ain't such a bad place to get stuck...).
Will Rob and Gemma, our heroic Rescue-Divers-in-training, find me before it's too late? Stay tuned...
[the adventures of Chucky will have to wait until 1PM tomorrow for their conclusion due to rough seas]
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
This week was going great. Coconut Tree Diver's new website was generating a lot of new positive buzz for the shop and I was finally able to kick back and witness the fruits of my months of labor. I could finally relax (being stressed in paradise is a terrible ailment). Life was good.
That all came to an abrupt halt when PJ showed me this thread on ScubaDiving.com. (To find the part I'm referencing, scroll about halfway down the page to a post by gsteventucker). I had to read it twice just to fully get my head around the allegations being levied at our staff based on first impressions of my website. I don't like to engage in Internet flame wars- and we at Coconut Tree Divers sincerely hope this is the last time we have to address this issue- but the unsavory comments made by a certain Steven Tucker warrant an official response.
Dear Mr. Steven Tucker,
We at Coconut Tree Divers believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, as the web site creator and a member of the Coconut Tree Divers staff for over three years, I take tremendous personal offense at the near-libelous comments you posted on this thread on ScubaDiving.com.
Had you taken the time to actually come in and meet our staff, sip some Honduran coffee, strap on a tanks, blow some bubbles, and relax on our deck in the evenings you would have realized that we are anything but misogynistic creeps. We approach our business with utmost concern for safety- we are dead serious about being dive professionals. But this is the Caribbean. Being a professional here does not entail wearing white socks, collared shirts, and quipped politically-correct phrases, but rather delivering the greatest diving experience of your customers' lives whilst keeping them safe. The fact that we can do so and maintain a relaxed, tongue-in-cheek attitude about all the other details is just one of the reasons we enjoy the greatest job in the world.
That playful, tongue-in-cheek manner is what defines our dive shop's character and keeps our loyal Cult of Coconut returning year after year. We would never be able to sustain such a following were we populated with staff who were, in your wife's words- and I quote- "eeeewwwwww!!" Yes, Monty enjoys the occasional cigar; he also enjoys being the only dive instructor in West End with years of commercial diving experience. PJ, our shop owner, enjoys going to work barechested; he also enjoys providing a laid-back atmosphere in which customers can grow as divers. Personally, I enjoy a rum and pineapple (or two) whilst watching the sunset after work, but not as much as I enjoy working with the greatest dive crew of my professional career at a dive shop that encourages tolerance of all lifestyles.
If such an environment strikes you as unprofessional, then Coconut Tree Divers is not the shop for you. However, if you qualify professionalism as providing customers with phenomenal scuba diving, adhering to strict safety standards, and fostering a relaxed atmosphere in which to learn more about the underwater world, then I'd say we deliver. Giving our customers a laugh or two along the way is just an added perk of the job.
Mr. Tucker, we sincerely hope you enjoyed your stay on Roatan, If you ever fancy a return holiday, we hope that you'll stop in and give us a chance. We won't hold your posts against you.
To the rest of the Cult of Coconut: we would love to hear more from you about your experiences diving with Coconut Tree Divers.
by Steve "TheScubaGeek" Craig
The website is finally live, so let me be the first to welcome you to the new look of Coconut Tree Divers. It's taken three months, thousands of lines of code, hundreds of pictures, tons of Honduran coffee, and a fair bit of pulling my hair out. Needless to say, I'm exhausted, but at least I'm passing out with a smile on my face.
Enjoy the site, and keep checking back for more updates in the near future!
