Dive Review of Reef Gliders in
Honduras/Roatan

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Reef Gliders, Aug, 2012, by Rik Pavlescak, FL, US ( Sr. Contributor 23 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 6657 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The Good: Reef Gliders was a great find! Upon my arrival in Roatan, I signed up with another dive shop to take the advanced open water course. I wish I had discovered Reef Gliders first. Lots of mishaps with instructor at the OTHER PLACE of the AOW class: forgetting to put gear on boat for a diver, getting lost on a dive, misjudging a dive site and having divers swim for 20 minutes against a strong current (I literally burned through a tank of air in 33 minutes on that one: usually I go for an hour or longer!) etc. As soon as I completed the course and was certified, I hit the road! Someone had recommended that I try both Ocean Connections and Reef Gliders. Ocean Connections: I dove two dives with them. I liked them just fine. Sam, the dive master goes at a very slow, deliberate pace. While there was a definite "Ocean Connection", I just didn't feel all that connected to the dive shop/business. In between dives there was no comfortable place to sit under cover from the sun, folks busied themselves about, it was just sort of awkward, uncomfortable being there. The dives, though, were great, and had I been not traveling solo, I'm sure my dive buddy and I would have liked Ocean Connections just fine. Reef Gliders: Got there and knew I was home. Micky, the dive master quickly introduced me around to the owners, other divers, dive masters in training. They have a nice, large open air, under roof area protected from the sun to sit, and are co-located with C Level Cafe, which had plenty of good eats and cold beverages. What a treat to get off the boat after a dive and get an ice cold Fresca, and to order a cheese burger with home cut fries. Excellent! The diving with Reef Gliders was great. I'm very aware that the personalities of the dive shop (Dive masters, owners, etc.) make or break the experience. At the first shop, where I did my AOW course, the instructor was a bit of clown and I didn't appreciate it. They lost my business for the rest of the week because of it. Reef Gliders folks were totally different. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable. Micky, the dive master quickly pointed out both macro and micro life to all divers. He kept a slow, steady pace in the water. Prior to each dive, he gathered the divers (no more than 6) and gave an excellent briefing on the dive site and what to expect: laying out the dive plan, back up plan, (in case we needed to shorten something due to low air, or stronger currents than expected, etc.)and what we should be on the lookout for in terms of sea life. Then, with great consistency, he led us through the dive as he discussed. Once back on the boat, he entertained questions: mainly fish and plant life id questions. He is very, very knowledgeable and patient, and enthusiastic about the ocean and its diverse life. Frequently underwater, he would clap his hands with excitement at a discovery and would patiently point out a particular subject over and over to each diver. He has clearly chosen his profession well. In 8 years of diving, he was the best dive master I've encountered. The bad: At Reef Gliders: NOTHING. At the first place, where I got my AOW training, the instructor was a goof who made a lot of careless mistakes. Others have had good experiences with him, so it could have been an off week, or maybe just me. But then, I was also told that others didn't care for diving with him either, so who knows. Before leaving home: bring an empty water bottle (like a bike bottle) for drinking water. Five gallon jugs of water are plentiful at the dive shops, but drinking cups are not. I wish I would have just had my own water bottle with me that I could have filled as needed and kept with me. Also, for Roatan, bug spray with DEET and anti-itch cream (calamine, betadine, etc.) are important. Flashlight for walking at night is a good idea, too. Other stuff: I stayed at Cocolobo resort, a five minute walk from the main street of the West End. It is clean, well-furnished, serves breakfast daily, has a nice infinity pool looking out to the ocean and every room has a balcony with a hammock. At $75 a night, it was a great deal. Easy walking distance to the dive shops in the West End: I traveled with my own gear and the dive shops are happy to store it overnight for you--so I only had to walk with the gear once out and once back.
Websites	Reef Gliders
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	51-100 dives
Where else diving	West Palm Beach, Florida; Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Costa Rica, Playa Del Carmen, Costa Brava-Spain, Key Largo, Key West
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-83°F / 28-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Each dive had a specific depth limit; divers asked to follow their computers, and signal dive master with half-tank and low-air signals (1500 psi and 700 psi, respectively). Many of the dives during the week lasted more than 1 hour.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	While I'm not a photographer, several dove with me during the week. Their equipment was gently handed to them from the boat after they were in the water, and the dive master, also a photographer, pointed out large and small subjects. The pace of the dives was very well suited for photographers, except during one drift dive in a fast current, when photography was not practical.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

Subscriber's Comments

By Howard Kaiser in MO, US at Aug 23, 2012 19:14 EST

Was Micky previously at Cayman Dive Lodge ? If so, he's one of the best dive masters I've ever dived with..

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Dive Review of Reef Gliders in Honduras/Roatan

Reef Gliders, Aug, 2012,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Reef Gliders in
Honduras/Roatan