Picking Bananarama dive center manager's brain!

Hi everybody! I have already spent forty five days in Roatan diving non-stop. I figured it's about time I could pick on Malcolm Forrest's brain. As Bananarama dive center manager, I was eager to know what one of the most well-known and respected diver on the island could share with us.

Here's a summary of our friendly chat at down by West Bay beach.

How did you become Bananarama's dive center manager?

Mal: I left my job in England and came to Roatan to work as a dive master. I ended up getting a job as a dive master and manager of a dive center in West End all straight away. While working on the island I always quite fancy the job at Bananarama. Four years ago, a managing position became available and my partner Sofia and I were offered to cover it.

Can you please mention some of your staff attributes?

Mal:Yes sure. We definitely have got a nice mix of different nationalities and personalities.
Our staff is passionate about what they do. They only have one day holiday a week and I have never received any complain about it. They are also competitive, in the good sense of the word I mean. Our instructors are always competing to see who has been able to find the coolest fish or creature underwater. The way they interact each other has also a positive impact with our clients. As they are so enthusiastic, they continuously inspire confidence on our customers.

What does it make Bananarama dive center different from the other dive centers on the island?

Mal: We are not completely different. Roatan has a good amount of good dive centers and their staff generally like what they do. We do probably go a little bit extra in taking more time with our divers. You also have to choose people that can work in a mature team. Captain must help our instructors and the other way around. This has an impact in our customers, because we create an easy and relaxed atmosphere. Our aim is to have our divers enjoying their time with us!

How many courses do you give per year?

Mal: We have an average of 350 students per year. Seventy percent of those are Open Water.

Why would you recommend a diver to come diving to Roatan?

Mal: Those who want to start diving would have great fun on the island. E-learning PADI courses are becoming increasingly popular. They have to go through all the theoretical knowledge at home and only come down here for the diving. Certified divers will find that Roatan is among the top destinations in the Caribbean. We don't have very strong currents, there is good visibility and a lot to see. We have two wrecks which are very popular and some drift dives which can be enhanced with the use of Nitrox. More experienced divers will find lots of swim through, canyons and adventure dives. There is a little bit for everyone!

Which are your favorite diving sites on the island?

Mal: I don't always tell them ! Ok, the south side of the Island, near the point, between 60 to 110 feet. The reef is very healthy in that area and barrel sponges are huge! You can find Sargassum triggerfish, Queen triggerfish, Blue parrotfish, Turtles or Spotted eagle rays. Schools of Blue chromisfish always give you a buzz when looking at the drop off!

Can you recall a funny moment/episode during your diving career?

Mal: The most fun comes from teaching rescue courses numerous scenarios. Boat captains and other people are involved to recreate rescue situations which turn out to be a lot of fun. On my early days as a Dive master I intended to guide a customer to a dive site called 'Whole in the Wall'. While on the boat, I gave her a long briefing about the site, spin over my back, entered into the water and realized I would never be able to find the 'Whole in the Wall' cause I was in the wrong dive site. I ended up taking her through some channels and made her believe we have been to the right place!

How do you cooperate with Roatan Marine Park?

Mal:I am lucky enough to be friend with the current manager. Nick, who is an employee, is a fellow English man. My partner Sofia, myself and Bananarama actively cooperate with the Marine Park. We cooperate with the park rangers who patrol the area, as this is quite a big area. I have personally helped them to secure the current office building and have been involved in the Marine Park T-shirt design. Everybody would like to see more done, but you need to understand that everything is a slow process in this area. The lack of funds doesn't help them either. If water continuous to get warmer, paired to unsustainable fishing and poor diving practices, the reefs are in great danger.

What do you think about SUUNTO instruments for diving?

Mal: Four years ago, I purchased a Suunto Mosquito in England for my partner Sofia. It has proven very reliable, easy to service and she seems to be very happy with it. I am particularly attracted to the new Suunto diving line such as the D9, which not only looks great as a watch but it has a great feature: a compass integrated.


Thanks to you for reading! See you in a couple of weeks when the last dispatch from Roatan will be published.
Good luck and if you are close to the water, good diving!
Manu

What does it take to own a five star Padi Dive Resort in Roatan?

Following my annual mountain bike race in Costa Rica and after spending a few adventurous weeks at both sides of Lake Nicaragua, I finally made it to Roatan (Bay Islands, Honduras).

As soon as I reached the island and got my stuff sorted out, I grabbed my Suunto D9 and Cobra 3 and rushed into the Dive Center, which five months earlier, have accepted my application to begin a PADI Dive Master course.

I was surprised when I found out that the Dive Center was part of a much bigger structure from a Resort called Bananarama.

It's been three weeks since I got here already. I have had the fortune to spend several hours with wonderful people at the resort, when I am not diving! Some of those people are two buddies who no matter how early I get to the resort, are already up and working hard. Despite the fact that they are always busy, greeting the resort staff and visitors seems to be one of their main priorities.

Guy St. Louis and Philip Clark who are managing partners at Bananarama, never look like they might run out of energy! So one afternoon, as the sun was setting after a cool diving day, I decided to learn a little bit more about them and their thinking behind a Diving Resort. This is a summary of our friendly discussion:

Guy and Phil, please tell me a bit more about Bananarama's past?

GUY:Five years ago, the Caribbean cruise where my family and I were spending holidays, made a stop in Roatan. I kind of felt claustrophobic with so many people around in the cruise, so we jumped into a taxi and ended up relaxing the entire day at West Bay, where Bananarama is located. My sun Louis spent some time with the owner at the time. Back at home, and about eight months after we first touched down Roatan, Louis persuaded me to 'own a business at the Caribbean'. We were lucky, and after gathering friends and family as investors and partners, we put an offer for Bananarama by the end of 2006.

After expanding our facilities by also purchasing the Vintage Pearl resort, we have now grown into a large family resort which can offer full services. We count with three bars, two restaurants, accommodation in apartments and villas, and a five star Padi Diving Center.


How important are the diving activities within the resort services?

GUY: Although we define ourselves as a diving resort, we provide a full service circle. Our customers can enjoy an entire living experience at the resort, from snorkeling, diving and kayaking, to night entertainment and comfortable accommodation.

Put it this way, as a customer in Bananarama, you will experience an evolution of what happens above and below the water while you stay in Roatan!

We have learned from recent surveys that at least sixty percent of our diving customers are recurrent customers who have either used some or all of our services in the past.

If diving services are such an important link in your business, how do you guys cooperate with Roatan Marine Park to protect and preserve the reefs?

PHIL: Our cooperation with the Marine Park is very good. We know we will be out of business if the reefs weren't there.

One of the first thing we did after buying Bananarama, was to re-do the entire sewage pipe system. The old one used to damp everything into the reef! We also purified the water and have installed rain water collectors.

Looking towards the future of our business, we want to become an Eco-friendly resort and promote those practices towards other resorts in West Bay. We estimate that the number of visitors arriving to Roatan will be four times bigger in ten years time. Therefore, you need to handle your business well if you want to be able to also handle the environment preservation.

Neither us nor our customers should feel that we are spending time in this beautiful place while we are screwing up the island.


In 15 days I will be back with Roatan underwater pictures, more Suunto news and an interview with Malcolm Forrest, Bananarama's dive centre manager. For more info, check www.bananaramadive.com
See you guys!!