Hey, Lou Vallone . . .how was Fantasy Island?

Did you enjoy the resort? How'd you enjoy the diving? Was the weather good
to you?

Did you see any of the island?

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:9prId.140506$8l.16352@pd7tw1no...
> Did you enjoy the resort? How'd you enjoy the diving? Was the weather
> good
> to you?
>

I had been to CoCoView 6 times between 1992 and 2002, this was my first time
at FI. It was a group trip from our dive shop that I jumped into at the last
minute.

The place was sold out for the week but the dive op did a creditable job
getting people in the water - 6 dive boats a day, 20 divers per boat, 3
trips for each boat. They staggered starting times in the morning from 8
thru 9, making the second dive scattered 10 thru 11:30, but all the boats
went out at 2:30 for the afternoon since few divers took that option. They
had a compressor go down midweek, but they just restricted shore tanks to
make sure there was enough for the boats.

The shore dive is not as convenient for FI - you either have to be shuttled
on a small flat boat to the Prince Albert or one of the walls, or have a
long walk in gear to the Gazebo for entry or exit. They also only go to
close in sites to FI because of their schedule, but since we had enough to
have our own boat and cap't and DM for the week, we got them to adjust the
schedule so we could do Mary's Place and Calvin's Crack.

They close the dive locker at 8 PM, but since we had the same boat all week,
I would just bring extra tanks and set up on the boat after each dive for
the next one, so I never kept the stuff in the locker any how, and it gave
me the freedom to dive whenever I wanted. The staff is very accomodating,
especially since I tip the first day of a trip, not the last.

The water temp was 78, the viz between 40' and 75'. I did 21 dives in 5
days, more than most of the people on the trip who averaged about 13 dives
for the week. It appeared to me that the amount of marine life has fallen
off precipitously even since my last trip. For example, I saw no rays, no
barracuda, no turtle, no queen triggers the whole week, even though my log
showed them in past years. They were plenty of eels, lobster, crabs,
octopus, squid, a couple of nurse sharks. But by and large, the life was
relatively scarce, although the coral is still lush.

On a night shore dive on the Prince Albert, we came across some strange
worms that I had never encountered. They were anywhere from 6" to 4' long,
kind of gelatinous, opaque, with a strange hydra type mouth with lots of
tentacles. They were rather sticky as well: I touched one to move it with my
glove on and it stuck to me and I had a time shaking it off. We went back
the next night and one of the guys got pictures. Nobody could identify them,
no one had ever encountered them, and no one could find them in any of the
books we had available. I had done more than 20 night dives on the PA in the
past and they were new to me. Someone said they looked like the creatures
from the movie "Tremors". If I get a copy of a picture from someone, I may
ask here for ID.

It rained mightily 3 of the days there, which was uncomfortable but didn't
really interfer much with diving.

The place is a resort with diving, as opposed to CCV which is a dive lodge.
The food was varied, plentiful and tasty, the drinks flowed, the rooms were
lush compared to CCV. I appreciated the TV only on Saturday and Sunday
because of the playoff games, didn't turn it on the rest of the week.

The first two nights my room mate and I developed coughs during the night.
When we shut down the AC for the rest of the week, the coughs disappeared.
They may not clean the filters a lot.

Also, quite a number of people who dove air complained of "sinus" headaches
during the first part of the week, but no one on Nitrox did. I have a slight
suspicion that there may have been some contaminant in the compressor before
it shut down. No complaints later in the week.

All in all, I prefer CCV, but for a quick, cheap January trip, I was
satified. It is not my style, but adequate.

> Did you see any of the island?
>
>

I go there to dive, not tour. I had been to the major sights in past years,
wasn't temped by anything this year.

The no see'ums were not as obnoxious as in past years, but still around. I
developed about a dozen bites throughout the week though I stay marinated in
100% DEET - but on me they think it is BBQ sauce.

Short version: FI is a very good location for the casual diver and an
acceptable one for the hard core diver.


--
But then again, what do I know?

Lou Vallone

LouVallone@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/LouVallone

"Lou Vallone" <vallone@smomp.org> wrote in message
news:10v511jter4ktac@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
> news:9prId.140506$8l.16352@pd7tw1no...
> > Did you enjoy the resort? How'd you enjoy the diving? Was the weather
> > good
> > to you?
> >
>
> I had been to CoCoView 6 times between 1992 and 2002, this was my first
time
> at FI. It was a group trip from our dive shop that I jumped into at the
last
> minute.
>
> The place was sold out for the week but the dive op did a creditable job
> getting people in the water - 6 dive boats a day, 20 divers per boat, 3
> trips for each boat. They staggered starting times in the morning from 8
> thru 9, making the second dive scattered 10 thru 11:30, but all the boats
> went out at 2:30 for the afternoon since few divers took that option. They
> had a compressor go down midweek, but they just restricted shore tanks to
> make sure there was enough for the boats.

Geez, that sounds gross. :^)

>
> The shore dive is not as convenient for FI - you either have to be
shuttled
> on a small flat boat to the Prince Albert or one of the walls, or have a
> long walk in gear to the Gazebo for entry or exit. They also only go to
> close in sites to FI because of their schedule, but since we had enough to
> have our own boat and cap't and DM for the week, we got them to adjust the
> schedule so we could do Mary's Place and Calvin's Crack.

I was sorry not to have been able to make it to those sites. I had planned
to go to CocoView one day (and maybe even Subway at French Harbor) and dive
with them. However, it turned out to be just too far away from where I was
staying and transportation to and from, would have been iffy.

Have you ever done Hole in the Wall, near West End? If so, how do these
sites compare?

>
> They close the dive locker at 8 PM, but since we had the same boat all
week,
> I would just bring extra tanks and set up on the boat after each dive for
> the next one, so I never kept the stuff in the locker any how, and it gave
> me the freedom to dive whenever I wanted. The staff is very accomodating,
> especially since I tip the first day of a trip, not the last.

:^) I've always been quite lucky, in that regard. I tip when I leave
though I do let it out over the course of my vacation that there will be an
envelope forthcoming. In any event, the service has been worth tipping for,
especially on this trip.

I did have trouble determining how much to give though. I know what my
norms are, but my norms are far too high for the area I was in and I worried
about skewing the market. As it is, I tipped close to the same as my norms.
The ex-pat DM, tried to give me some back thinking I'd obviously made an
error. The local captain, was non-plussed, but struggled not to show it,
and most certainly didn't try to give any back. I guess that's how a person
can figure out they may have "skewed" the market.

Well, good for them. They deserved it. Especially, the boat captain. He
was also the hotel steward, security guy, bum boy and I don't know what all.
All I do know, is that no matter what I needed, wanted, or required help
with, he was always there whether that be at the dive shop, on the boat or
at the hotel. He was also unfailingly pleasant and a very warm and
affectionate person. He was that way before he knew he would recieve a tip
of any size.

> The water temp was 78, the viz between 40' and 75'.

Water temp had dropped a bit again then. It was 81 when my vacation started
and a consistent 79 by the time I left. Viz sounds similar to what I was
experiencing by the end of the trip . . .though 75' would certainly have
been more rare.

> I did 21 dives in 5
> days, more than most of the people on the trip who averaged about 13 dives
> for the week. It appeared to me that the amount of marine life has fallen
> off precipitously even since my last trip. For example, I saw no rays, no
> barracuda, no turtle, no queen triggers the whole week, even though my log
> showed them in past years. They were plenty of eels, lobster, crabs,
> octopus, squid, a couple of nurse sharks. But by and large, the life was
> relatively scarce, although the coral is still lush.

Hmm, I wonder if that was a factor due to the weather or the side of the
island you were on. I saw no sting rays, but a few spotted eagle rays,
quite a few barracuda including some schools, turtles on about every 5th
dive, can't remember if I saw queen triggers or not. However, also saw many
puffers, indigo hamlets, french angels, gray angels, rock beauties, queen
butterflies, princess parrots, one midnight parrot, free swimming/feeding
green morays, golden tails and spotted morays, schools of various and
asundry fish (sometimes quite large), sailfish blennies, secretary blennies,
brittle stars galore, crabs of all descriptions, many large lobster, spotted
drums (though harder to find), peacock flounder, trumpetfish (all sizes, one
with a blue nose), eel gardens . . .sigh . . all that a so much more. The
coral formations are indeed splendid.

>
> On a night shore dive on the Prince Albert, we came across some strange
> worms that I had never encountered. They were anywhere from 6" to 4' long,
> kind of gelatinous, opaque, with a strange hydra type mouth with lots of
> tentacles. They were rather sticky as well: I touched one to move it with
my
> glove on and it stuck to me and I had a time shaking it off. We went back
> the next night and one of the guys got pictures. Nobody could identify
them,
> no one had ever encountered them, and no one could find them in any of the
> books we had available. I had done more than 20 night dives on the PA in
the
> past and they were new to me. Someone said they looked like the creatures
> from the movie "Tremors". If I get a copy of a picture from someone, I may
> ask here for ID.

I'll look forward to seeing that.

>
(snip some for space)> I go there to dive, not tour. I had been to the major
sights in past years,
> wasn't temped by anything this year.
>
> The no see'ums were not as obnoxious as in past years, but still around. I
> developed about a dozen bites throughout the week though I stay marinated
in
> 100% DEET - but on me they think it is BBQ sauce.
>
> Short version: FI is a very good location for the casual diver and an
> acceptable one for the hard core diver.
>

Very nice report, Lou. Thanks for sharing.

Sounds like you had a pretty good time all in all. 21 dives, yeah, I'd say
you weren't minding it so much. :^)

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:yACId.144176$8l.48168@pd7tw1no...
>
> "Lou Vallone" <vallone@smomp.org> wrote in message
> news:10v511jter4ktac@corp.supernews.com...
>>
>> "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
>> news:9prId.140506$8l.16352@pd7tw1no...
>> > Did you enjoy the resort? How'd you enjoy the diving? Was the weather
>> > good
>> > to you?


>> The place was sold out for the week but the dive op did a creditable job
>> getting people in the water - 6 dive boats a day, 20 divers per boat, 3
>> trips for each boat. .
>
> Geez, that sounds gross. :^)
>


Not as bad for me as one might think. They had a 50 minute bottom time
profile for the boats (in order to keep their schedule.) However, I picked
the one boat that you could backroll from, told the DM ahead of time that I
was familiar with the sites, dove alone, and didn't need orientation. As
soon as we moored, I hit the water and at the end would come up on the heels
of the last diver. I averaged 65 minutes on the boat dives. Since my gear
was always set up from the dive before, and everyone else was out of the
water before me (and allowed the crew to switch them over) I did not feel
crowded but was kind of in a bubble by myself.


>> schedule so we could do Mary's Place and Calvin's Crack.
>
> I was sorry not to have been able to make it to those sites.
> Have you ever done Hole in the Wall, near West End? If so, how do these
> sites compare?

Mary's Place is the signature dive of Roatan - a very long canyon, with a
shorter one off-shoot at the exit. You have to schedule your boat for the
dive since they are trying not to overuse it. It is a great dive. But they
DM's actually take you into the canyon at the 3/4 mark, which is right under
the boat. I know of a smaller, and never used, entrance further up and go in
thru that one, which leads you into a more cavern type environment before it
opens up to the general path.
Calvin's Crack is similar, but less lengthy. It does not have the off-shot
"tunnel" connected to it, but a little further down the wall, behind an
outcropping, there is another narrower crack. The operators never take
groups into this one, but I always traverse it, come up the wall then over
and down. I actually prefer Calvin's Crack as a dive over Mary's Place.

I have done Hole in the Wall - it is similar topography, but I think these
dives are larger.


>
>>
>>The staff is very accomodating,
>> especially since I tip the first day of a trip, not the last.
>
> :^) I've always been quite lucky, in that regard. I tip when I leave
> though I do let it out over the course of my vacation that there will be
> an
> envelope forthcoming. In any event, the service has been worth tipping
> for,
> especially on this trip.
>
> I did have trouble determining how much to give though.


$10 per dive day is pretty standard if you are doing multiple trips. I give
the crew $50 the first day, and if they are any good, $50 the last day. I
also give the compressor room guys $20 for the shore diving.


> All I do know, is that no matter what I needed, wanted, or required help
> with, he was always there whether that be at the dive shop, on the boat or
> at the hotel. He was also unfailingly pleasant and a very warm and
> affectionate person. He was that way before he knew he would recieve a
> tip
> of any size.

I tip for the opposite reason - to leave me alone: don't touch my gear,
don't lead me on the dive. All I want is transportation to the sites, the
same spot on the boat to gear up every day (I like to backroll) and answer
any questions if I have them. I always ask the DM at the end of every trip
if he has any suggestions on how I can better myself as a diver - any tips
on technique, style, etc. It has been a while since any one has offered a
substantial answer. They normally like me as a customer, and I often get
invited with the DM's at various places to go diving with them on their days
off.


>
>> The water temp was 78, the viz between 40' and 75'.
>
> Water temp had dropped a bit again then. It was 81 when my vacation
> started
> and a consistent 79 by the time I left. Viz sounds similar to what I was
> experiencing by the end of the trip . . .though 75' would certainly have
> been more rare.


The good viz was on the further out walls. The lagoon around the PA was
often less than 40', epsecially after the rains. I would have loved those
extra 3 degrees since I was chilled on most of my dives - the longest was a
shore dive at 85 minutes and I came up shivering. I took their unlimited
Nitrox package - N I (32%) was all that was available. I am less tired using
Nitrox, but chill quicker.


> Hmm, I wonder if that was a factor due to the weather or the side of the
> island you were on. I saw no sting rays, but a few spotted eagle rays,
> quite a few barracuda including some schools, turtles on about every 5th
> dive, can't remember if I saw queen triggers or not. However, also saw
> many
> puffers, indigo hamlets, french angels, gray angels, rock beauties, queen
> butterflies, princess parrots, one midnight parrot, free swimming/feeding
> green morays, golden tails and spotted morays, schools of various and
> asundry fish (sometimes quite large), sailfish blennies, secretary
> blennies,
> brittle stars galore, crabs of all descriptions, many large lobster,
> spotted
> drums (though harder to find), peacock flounder, trumpetfish (all sizes,
> one
> with a blue nose), eel gardens . . .sigh . . all that a so much more. The
> coral formations are indeed splendid.


I saw all of those as well (the blue nose trumpet may have been a coronet
fish - did it have an elongated & "double" tail?) I did find the tiniest
juvenil drum ever, but it was in the same coral head with a 3' green moray.
I kept having to brush the moray aside to keep looking at the drum. I also
saw two adult drums in the same coral head in what may have been a mating
ritual. On a night dive I also saw a rare blue congar eel. I saw ocean
triggers and black durgon, but the queen trigger is my "lucky" fish and I
consider it a bad omen not to see one on a dive trip. No one else saw what I
didn't see, either. So it may have been the weather.

> Very nice report, Lou. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. And Thanks for asking.


>
> Sounds like you had a pretty good time all in all. 21 dives, yeah, I'd
> say
> you weren't minding it so much. :^)

Well, it beats the hell out of working.



--
But then again, what do I know?

Lou Vallone

LouVallone@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/LouVallone

"Lou Vallone" <vallone@smomp.org> wrote in message
news:10v66lp5dtarfbe@corp.supernews.com...
>
> >
> > Geez, that sounds gross. :^)
> >
>
>
> Not as bad for me as one might think. They had a 50 minute bottom time
> profile for the boats (in order to keep their schedule.) However, I
picked
> the one boat that you could backroll from, told the DM ahead of time that
I
> was familiar with the sites, dove alone, and didn't need orientation. As
> soon as we moored, I hit the water and at the end would come up on the
heels
> of the last diver. I averaged 65 minutes on the boat dives. Since my gear
> was always set up from the dive before, and everyone else was out of the
> water before me (and allowed the crew to switch them over) I did not feel
> crowded but was kind of in a bubble by myself.

Many of my dives were also in the range of an hour long. I'm almost always
last back on the boat.

> >> schedule so we could do Mary's Place and Calvin's Crack.
> >
> > I was sorry not to have been able to make it to those sites.
> > Have you ever done Hole in the Wall, near West End? If so, how do these
> > sites compare?
>
> Mary's Place is the signature dive of Roatan - a very long canyon, with a
> shorter one off-shoot at the exit. You have to schedule your boat for the
> dive since they are trying not to overuse it. It is a great dive. But they
> DM's actually take you into the canyon at the 3/4 mark, which is right
under
> the boat. I know of a smaller, and never used, entrance further up and go
in
> thru that one, which leads you into a more cavern type environment before
it
> opens up to the general path.
> Calvin's Crack is similar, but less lengthy. It does not have the off-shot
> "tunnel" connected to it, but a little further down the wall, behind an
> outcropping, there is another narrower crack. The operators never take
> groups into this one, but I always traverse it, come up the wall then over
> and down. I actually prefer Calvin's Crack as a dive over Mary's Place.

Sorry, I missed them.

> I have done Hole in the Wall - it is similar topography, but I think these
> dives are larger.

It was just the DM and myself that day. I asked why we hadn't done it
before, or more often, and the reply was that as an advanced dive, we
weren't always diving with others capable. I should have realized that was
the answer before I asked the question. While that dive plan does end at
140' (the hole doesn't), we started our ascent up the wall at 133'. Upon
returning to the surface, we shared a laugh because both of us had felt the
urge to continue over the lip and down, just to see what we could/would see.

> >>The staff is very accomodating,
> >> especially since I tip the first day of a trip, not the last.
> >
> > :^) I've always been quite lucky, in that regard. I tip when I leave
> > though I do let it out over the course of my vacation that there will be
> > an
> > envelope forthcoming. In any event, the service has been worth tipping
> > for,
> > especially on this trip.
> >
> > I did have trouble determining how much to give though.
>
> $10 per dive day is pretty standard if you are doing multiple trips. I
give
> the crew $50 the first day, and if they are any good, $50 the last day. I
> also give the compressor room guys $20 for the shore diving.

I tipped a bit more than that.

> > All I do know, is that no matter what I needed, wanted, or required help
> > with, he was always there whether that be at the dive shop, on the boat
or
> > at the hotel. He was also unfailingly pleasant and a very warm and
> > affectionate person. He was that way before he knew he would recieve a
> > tip
> > of any size.
>
> I tip for the opposite reason - to leave me alone: don't touch my gear,
> don't lead me on the dive.

I've never had to tip for those reasons. I just tell them how it is first
time on the boat. They look at me askance and then when they see how it is,
there's no more problems. I don't mind if they set up my gear from time to
time, I always check it and sometimes, make a change. The good ones quickly
catch on to how I like things and it is rare that I have to adjust anything
they've set up after a second adjustment/correction.

I always check my air, always . . .well, almost always. ;^) My last dive,
is the only time I missed the check and what do you think was the result?
LOL. Fortunately, I was only a few inches down when the air stopped
flowing. Lessons learned the easy way . . .

>All I want is transportation to the sites, the
> same spot on the boat to gear up every day (I like to backroll)

Me too.

> and answer
> any questions if I have them. I always ask the DM at the end of every trip
> if he has any suggestions on how I can better myself as a diver - any tips
> on technique, style, etc.

On this particular trip, I'm not sure that my regular DM had as many dives
as I do. :^)

>It has been a while since any one has offered a
> substantial answer. They normally like me as a customer, and I often get
> invited with the DM's at various places to go diving with them on their
days
> off.

I believe I'm normally liked as a customer . . . and by the time I leave, I
believe I'm well liked as a person too. ;^)

> The good viz was on the further out walls. The lagoon around the PA was
> often less than 40', epsecially after the rains. I would have loved those
> extra 3 degrees since I was chilled on most of my dives - the longest was
a
> shore dive at 85 minutes and I came up shivering. I took their unlimited
> Nitrox package - N I (32%) was all that was available. I am less tired
using
> Nitrox, but chill quicker.

Did you wear a hood or a "banana"? I took a hood down with me because I
know that I get chilled on multiple dives/multiple days, however, my
"banana" kept me warm enough. What I really need is a new wetsuit that fits
me better. If I had that, I'd like to think with temps in the ranges we are
talking, that I'd rarely get chilled.

> > with a blue nose), eel gardens . . .sigh . . all that a so much more.
The
> > coral formations are indeed splendid.
>
>
> I saw all of those as well (the blue nose trumpet may have been a coronet
> fish - did it have an elongated & "double" tail?)

You are quite right, it was a coronet.

> I did find the tiniest
> juvenil drum ever, but it was in the same coral head with a 3' green
moray.
> I kept having to brush the moray aside to keep looking at the drum. I also
> saw two adult drums in the same coral head in what may have been a mating
> ritual.

We also saw two adult drums under a ledge dancing together and two large
pufferfish having a snuggle as they swam together. Scorpion fish too, one
was laying out in the sand as calm as you please.

>On a night dive I also saw a rare blue congar eel. I saw ocean
> triggers and black durgon,

Lots of black durgon and on occasion we would see a pair of . . . the name
escapes me. Larger fish, orange on the front half, some black and gray in
the back.

>but the queen trigger is my "lucky" fish and I
> consider it a bad omen not to see one on a dive trip.

LOL, that's the juvenile drum for me. Fortunately, I saw one . . .but just
one . . .

Also, a couple of fire worms and one day, I saw a large flat worm . .
reasonbly confident that it was a Leopard Flatworm, despite its large size.
I couldn't get the DM's attention to take a look. When I finally did the
old fin tug and then tried to find the worm again, of course, I couldn't
locate it. Maybe I was seeing things.

While we saw lots of Pederson Cleaning Shrimp, Banded Coral Shrimp, Anemone
Shrimp and such, we also found a little Peppermint Shrimp sitting in a vase.
Neither of us had actually seen one of those before.

>No one else saw what I
> didn't see, either. So it may have been the weather.

Did I tell you we swam with wild dolphins, twice?

> > Very nice report, Lou. Thanks for sharing.
>
> Thanks. And Thanks for asking.

:^)

> > Sounds like you had a pretty good time all in all. 21 dives, yeah, I'd
> > say
> > you weren't minding it so much. :^)
>
> Well, it beats the hell out of working.

Why, oh, why can't we win the lottery? :^)

I can't wait to go back.

In article <yACId.144176$8l.48168@pd7tw1no>,
"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote:

> "Lou Vallone" <vallone@smomp.org> wrote in message
> news:10v511jter4ktac@corp.supernews.com...
> >

>
> I did have trouble determining how much to give though. I know what my
> norms are, but my norms are far too high for the area I was in and I worried
> about skewing the market.


Don't worry about giving too much, you'd be surprised at how many skip
out without leaving any tip. That boat captain likely only makes
$75-$100 a week in wages.



>
> Hmm, I wonder if that was a factor due to the weather or the side of the
> island you were on.

Chilly, much of your diving was in the Marine Preserve. There is still
life there. The rest of the island has seen a huge decrease in fish life
due to over fishing.

"Ron T" <ombligo@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:ombligo-D3A4D7.05220724012005@news-server2.tampabay.rr.com...
> In article <yACId.144176$8l.48168@pd7tw1no>,
> "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote:
> > I did have trouble determining how much to give though. I know what my
> > norms are, but my norms are far too high for the area I was in and I
worried
> > about skewing the market.
>
>
> Don't worry about giving too much, you'd be surprised at how many skip
> out without leaving any tip.

No, I wouldn't be. I saw it happen any number of times. And while I didn't
begrudge leaving those wonderful people with some extra cash . . .I also
don't like to skew a market. I've seen it happen before and it's not really
good for anyone, the tourists or the locals.

>That boat captain likely only makes
> $75-$100 a week in wages.

As a local, I wonder if he makes even that much. It was indicated to me
that the ex-pats make more pay than the locals and the ex-pats weren't
exactly cleaning up either. ;^)

> > Hmm, I wonder if that was a factor due to the weather or the side of the
> > island you were on.
>
> Chilly, much of your diving was in the Marine Preserve. There is still
> life there. The rest of the island has seen a huge decrease in fish life
> due to over fishing.

While I certainly enjoyed what I did see . . .compared to a few places I've
been, I didn't think there was all that much fish life over a certain size.
I also saw fishing boats near where we were diving and people fishing off
shore. Therefore, the Roatan concept of their marine preserve was confusing
to me.

Doesn't this also beg a question? If the marine preserve actually has more
fish, why do divers go to CocoView and Fantasy Island?

> Don't worry about giving too much, you'd be surprised at how many skip
> out without leaving any tip.

Skipping out is leaving without paying something you owe. You don't owe a
tip. Tips are additional consideration in appreciation of service above and
beyond what you've paid for. They are optional, not owed.

>That boat captain likely only makes
> $75-$100 a week in wages.

He has a choice. If the market for a captain is $100 a week or less, then
that's what it is. Interestingly, the market is almost certainly higher
than that by the amount of the average tip. Lower prices, and salaries,
supported by tips, are nothing more than a marketing scam to take business
from those who are more accurately charging a more reasonable amount to all
customers. Those that consider tips an obligation, are supporting the scam.

In article <S66Jd.8815$rp1.5998@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink. net>,
"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

> > Don't worry about giving too much, you'd be surprised at how many skip
> > out without leaving any tip.
>
> Skipping out is leaving without paying something you owe. You don't owe a
> tip.


True, it was just awordchoiceand did not mean to imply an obligation.


> >That boat captain likely only makes
> > $75-$100 a week in wages.
>
> He has a choice. If the market for a captain is $100 a week or less, then
> that's what it is.

On Roatan and Honduras in general, the fact is there is ALWAYS someone
who will do the job cheaper. Unlike the United States where a captain
earns the title from the USCG, the term captain is just something
someone iscalled. Dive Boat "captains" are just someone who the owner
trusts enough to give the keys too. A few resorts may have actual
captains, but most don't.

So the job is market driven with trust being the guiding term. Labor is
a very cheap commodity on the island, the day rate for 90% of the work
is less than $10 a day. Yet the costs of what the average american
considers a sparten lifestyle on Roatan is likely about 15% higher than
in the states.

Any job is valued but one working for visiting tourist moreso because of
the tips.

As for the ex-pats doing the job, they generally are doing it out of
boredom rather than for the money. Some are not legally suppose to be
working andare not paid at all as far as the bookeeper knows. They may
barter out tolower a bar bill or get free driving or a place to store a
boat, whatever... The resort operations know that many tourists are more
comfortable having at least one Gringo working nearby.


I'm not saying this is right or wrong, it is just the way things are
done.

"George Cathcart" <gcathcar@nospam.umd.edu> wrote in message
news:ctlete$i64$1@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
> Lou Vallone wrote:
>
>> On a night shore dive on the Prince Albert, we came across some strange
>> worms that I had never encountered. (snip description)
>

> I was at CocoView last week and dove more than a dozen times on the PA, at
> night and on the drop off dives. I know the animals you're talking about.
> There were at least three on the PA, and they came out only at night.
>
> We did find them in the Humann Reef Creatures book. Look up beaded sea
> cucumbers.
>
> They look like something from the Star Wars Bar Scene. Like most of the
> other night critters on the PA,


By George, I think he's got it (sic)! That's the critter, and the
description in Humann is exactly correct. The problem was we were looking
for worms and nobody ever thought of looking in the sea cucumber section.
Good research and thanks for solving the mystery for me. I still find it odd
that it is the first time I have ever encountered them.

We saw most of the same stuff on the PA and Edgar the eel is getting fatter
and fatter.

I also saw one scrawled cowfish while there - rather rare for me since I
usually see the honeycombed ones.

Thanks for the research and information. I will share it with the others and
give you credit when we have our presentation at the dive club.


--
But then again, what do I know?

Lou Vallone

LouVallone@aol.com

http://members.aol.com/LouVallone