Club O Swim Rafts

Does anyone know if Club O put the swim rafts (floating platforms) back into the water following the storm last fall? Some of the post-storm photo's showed the old ones washed up on shore.

There was one in the water when we were there end of February, beginning of March. I think there used to be 2.

There use to be 2 but the last few times we have been on the island there has only been 1. Too many happy hours at The Perch to recall the last time there were 2. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

There were two anchored in the water prior to the last October's storm. We came in on Saturday after the hurricane came through and they both were washed up on the shore down near the Water Sports Building. The newest one was put in the water while we were there October, 2013 and it probably was the one they floated back out.

Happy to hear at least one is back in place. There have been two for the past 10 years or so. At one time there used to be three of them.

Wow beachbum....you were there right after there storm went through. I've seen photos that were taken the day after the storm and it looked the area between Papagyo's and the water sports building is where most things washed ashore. It looked like it was going to be quite a job to get it all cleaned up.

There are two of them in the water; one not far from the Perch, but other now is in the water between Papagayo and the Water Sports building.

There were two rafts in February. A small one by water sports and a larger one closer to the Perch.

Bob <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Kiss.gif" alt="" />

There is only one surviving raft at this time, and it floats a little uneven. I think we should take up a collection to buy a second one!!!

My wife and I love the floating platforms
Wish there were more
Great place to socialize or just mellow out
Sometimes children like to play on them , diving and jumping, so it would help to have more

We arrive Tue and love the rafts. A great place to relax with a beer.

So lets see if I got it straight...before the hurricane there where two rafts, than only one, they built a new one which is bigger and floating near the Perch but is floating uneven. In February there were two rafts but in March we are back down to only one? ...and its the one near the Perch?

Depends on how many times you have been to the Perch for Happy Hour. You could be seeing double. There might only be one. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Or it could just be a mirage. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

I just got back from two weeks on Orient Beach. There is only one raft. It is good conditions but needs more flotation. If four people are on the raft and evenly distributed you're OK but more than that water is splashing over the sides. It made it very hard to sleep. Today I'm back at work wising I had the sleep & splash problem. I have the opposite of trying to stay awake.

WMJ. We are almost neighbors.

I just got back as well and for almost the entire month of March there were 2 rafts. One in the middle of the beach and one at the end between the watersports and Papagayo. Cant imagine that's changed in the past couple of days.

I was there from March 11 - 26 and only was able to find one raft. Maybe alcohol was involved but I didn't see a second one. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

SXMScubaman, yes looks like we're neighbors. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

WOW! This keeps getting more funny on almost every post. Everyone must be drunks seeing double or drunks half blind.

It's Willy's fault, she just makes drinks too damned good!LOL <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> In all honesty, I was there from 3/7 to 3/20 and I never noticed if there was another float down by Papagayo's or not, I only noticed the one closer to the Perch! That doesn't mean that it wasn't there, I just didn't go to that end of the beach during the day much.

Any further news on this from someone who has been there recently? Is it in fact two rafts?

There were two rafts in April. One is almost inconspicuous, nearly at the watersports center, at the southernmost end of the beach.

Yes, two rafts
We did the "sinko the rafto" earlier thiis month.
It took 11 people to get the deck awash. ( and yes it did take some balancing) the raft will hold 24 but the deck will be about 18" below the waves.
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

We just got back mid-May and there was only one raft the entire 3 weeks we were there. The raft does tilt to the one side and after 15 or 20 people hop on and try to sink the thing as they did twice during our stay, it's a wonder it floats at all.

We were there in April and there were two rafts...one is hard to see because is it way down at the end of the beach by water sports....I wonder if they took it out after we left?

We arrive this Friday. Probably will visit the Club O beach Saturday and Sunday. Anyone want to try the "sinko the rafto"?

Went down there this morning entirely sober, to try and settle this. Voila!! Cathyg nailed it.

There is but one really practically located usable swimming raft, and there she be.


About 100 feet off the rocks by the Watersports shop lies another raft about half the size of the usual rafts. It looks like a moored boat from up the beach... it also looks like you could be pulling splinters if you were to use it dressed as intended at Club O! I suspect this one is for Watersports use... windsurfers, kyaks, diving lessons etc.

Thanks so much for the pictures!! It only took us roughly two months to settle this!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Solved!! Thank you for the effort in answering this question. It's kind of "one and a half" rafts which makes all of answers correct. The October storm must have damaged one of the two and the one near Watersports seems to be an older/smaller one forced into action. That's a weird spot to put it. Looks like it's time for Club O to spring for all new ones. I remember when there used to be three rafts there. That may have been pre Luis.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the pics Modi! Is the first pic showing only the Club O beach or does it include part of Pedros and the taxi drop-off area (where you can see the seaweed in the foreground located)?

I agree, they could use at least 3.

why? in all the years we have been to club o (15)....the rafts are seldom used......

I swim out to them at least once a day when I'm there. Standing on the raft feels great and you get a whole different perspective of the beach and Club O from the rafts.

yes...they are used...but to add more? seems senseless to me.

i swim out on rare occasion myself....when the sand gravity lets go of my butt...lol

I agree, they are really not used that much. Usually there is no one on them, much of the time. No reason for more.

Yes part of the Pedro's Beach area is in that picture.

We use the rafts a couple of times each day we are on the beach but are in the minority so I can see why Club O wouldn't bother with multiples. We will be happy as long as there is one.

The benefit of three (which there were at one time) was that no matter where your chairs were, you had a raft (pretty much) in front of you. Swimming to the raft is often a decision that's made after you are in the water. "I think I'll swim out to the raft". Now, that could be a lengthy swim. Going from three to two was no big deal (two worked just fine). Now it's down to just one. The little raft near Watersports isn't really a swim raft. There doesn't even appear to be a ladder on it. If I had a vote, it would definitely be to bring back the second raft. It wouldn't be adding a raft, it would just be replacing the one that (I assume) was destroyed in the October storm.

What's funny is, sitting here at home, this seems like (and is) such a trivial topic. But, on the island... "should I swim out to the raft?"... is one of the toughest decisions of the day. (lol)

Also, if children are playing on one it's nice to have an available one for some peaceful dozing.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

I hadn't given the idea of two rafts being a real necessity much contemplation, but some have raised some valid points... Here's a true tale of this part of the Caribbean that happened only yesterday that would have made two rafts appreciated.

During the prime time mid-afternoon a couple with a very long haired chocolate brown dog the size of a small bear (no exaggeration - a Newfoundland?) showed up on the beach. The poor dog looked extremely uncomfortable, sand laden, in the blazing sun of Orient Beach, after a while of roaming the beach they swam out to the main (and really only) raft with their Gentle Ben. They landed on the raft, got the dog aboard it and of course the dog shook itself dry, causing the two people that were on the raft to abandon ship immediately... and the bear-keepers then commenced to tie the raft up for at least a good hour or so thereafter entertaining their doggie.

Often times in February, we had to "wait for our turn" to use the only raft. Just too many people who wanted to use it. They could definitely use more of them!!!

Yes, hopefully this is on the "to-do-list" when they close later this summer.

Awesome dog!! Close second in awesomeness to our dog at home. It was such fun watching them play on the raft!!!

And then there was NONE! Nada! Zilch! At the moment anyway! This afternoon they unhooked and pulled the one decent swim raft over to the Watersports area. I was in the water at the time and thought maybe it broke it's mooring, but the Watersports guy (who was mostly French speaking) told me that one of it's floats had taken on water, which was making it list and float lower and lower in the water, and that they were hauling it in to fix it.

Must be from all those Sinko-de-raft incidents. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

They fixed the raft today. It was brought ashore by Watersports and flipped with the help of a bucket loader. It appeared to me that they replaced three of its four Follansbee Dock Floats - It's back on the water by Watersports tonight, probably being tested to make sure there are no issues, and awaiting it's ladder to be reattached.

OMG, thank goodness!!!!! I can't imagine OB without at least one raft!!!

Yes its back. They put it back this afternoon

Official ex rate is 1.77 (Guilders per dollar)
Chinese groceries advertise 1.8 - makes math easy/
Gas stations give 1.75, so $20 is 35 Naf.

I do not think calling the police would do much, they are not quick to respond, or very helpful when they do (in my experience)

I like the idea of filling up in $20 increments...

Sorry, I think you replied to the wrong thread.

We're parked under the yellow umbrellas almost directly across from the lone swim raft, and it's getting plenty of use including several young guys probably not staying at Club O based on their attire. A second raft down toward Papas would be nice.

From June 8-18 it was rare to see the raft not being used between 10:00 and 3:00. There is most definitely a need for the 2nd raft to be brought back.

A little off topic, but while walking the beach to Mont Vernon one morning, we noticed what looked like a floating raft anchored off Orient Beach opposite Waikiki Beach. It was much further off the beach than the raft at Club O, so it was hard to tell if it was a wooden raft or some other type. Also, we noticed that the 2 inflated yellow-and-blue doughnuts moored off Orient Beach were way the hell off the beach, much further than someone would be expected to swim to. Does a beachboy ride a paying customer out there ?

WOW I don't know if some on here have been in the sauce toooo much or if Club O is moving one raft in and out but I'm here now and there are two rafts. Yes one is almost all the way to the water sports bldg, but it is there.

When we were there for 2 weeks earlier this month, the main raft was removed twice for repairs. The other smaller raft is really too far away to be of much use for most of the beach.

The small raft near Water Sports building is not being used as a "swim raft". I wasn't able to figure out its purpose, but it isn't there for swimmers. There isn't even a ladder on it.

One year later....

Are the rafts/platforms in the water this year? How many?

2

That's great news that there are two again. A year ago, we were trying to put together a money drive to add the second one back!

I agree, happy to hear it's once again two after having just one last June.

One almost across from the Perch, the other closer to Papagayo. That's it . 2