Anthony's Key Resort + Hurricane Earl Aug 2016

[NAIBdiver1]

We've been going to Roatan for many years and also have staid at AKR more than once. It has become one of our favorite places to stay. This isn't so much a trip review, but about our experience with Hurricane Earl.

The forecast was a little iffy - so AKR didn't want to take a chance with our safety and arrange an evacuation plan to ensure we would all be safe. AKR made arrangements with Parrot Tree on the other side of the island (not expected to be impacted ). So we were all (guests) loaded onto busses and went to PT. The rooms were nice and the food OK there, but safety was the goal. Lucky - Earl didn't impact AKR and we were bussed back the next day.

All in all - we only missed three dives and were thankful to get back to AKR and the food there. PT was OK - not really our cup of tea. I'm sure there was great expense for AKR to send and pay for all of us at PT

Thank you AKR for taking such good care of us !

 

[Doc]

An interesting story. AKR is one of the few West/North operations that has the depth and reserves to perform that magic act. Tropical Storm season does impact dive operations for their locale. You were moved to the 'storm lee' of the island, to the South side, protected from the wind and wave that hits elsewhere, shutting them down.

Did they provide dive operations for you from Parrot Tree?

I was curious as to how CoCo View managed the threat of "Earl". CCV is located 1/2 mile West of PTR, along the Southern shore of Roatan, so I wrote them an email inquiring...

No one missed a dive day at CCV.

Due to the 17 mile barrier length of the island of Roatan, in that it is stretched directly across, blocking the Northerly storms, it's shape provides a dramatically different weather environment depending on where you are standing. During the Caribbean Tropical Storm Season, this is a real consideration as to selecting a Roatan location in the months of June through November.



Because of the location of the Bay Islands, they lie below (South) of the path of most Caribbean/Atlantic storms, but the winds and rain can lash at the West and North. Most such storms track in from the Atlantic, rotating North and West, smacking into Belize (as did Earl), Coz and points North.



The location of the Islands complicates matters further because they are in the path of "Northers", which are remnants of weather felt in the US first. When we in the US feel the Arctic Chill in December > March, these cold fronts push South, causing amusing news footage from Texas and other smug, (usually) warm States. These cold fronts collide with warm tropical air masses and cause major upset from Cozumel > Belize > Roatan. Wind and wave then shuts down the west and North.

 

[BDSC]

We were staying at Reef House Resort a few years back and there was the threat of a hurricane. I believe it was to pass through the area late Thursday night. We had a couple of folks decide to leave early on Friday and did so. Mike, who was running RHR at the time told us that if we stayed and couldn't get out for some reason on Saturday morning, we could stay at no charge until we could leave. The rest of us stayed. As it was, the hurricane tracked away from us and other than some rain and a little wind, things were fine and we all dived Friday.

However, folks staying at CCV had to leave early as they shut down the resort and sent them to the airport. I can't remember if they opened the resort back up or not and let folks return but there were some upset folks that particular time.

 

[Doc]

That just doesn't compute...but I do understand that it's partially second-hand info.

Mike's presence at RHR is surely missed. It was one of the very first of Roatan's dive resorts, and he did much to keep it up to its level of quality while he was still there.

If a storm was due through on Thursday, why would people elect to then leave on Friday after it "tracked away"?

Why would any operation "send somebody to the airport early" when the only return ticketed airlines would only run on Saturday/Sunday?

Evacuating any South side resort is an extreme rarity. Last time for CCV that I know of was the Cat5 Mitch 1998, and they parked guests for free at the Executive Inn. Much drinking ensued.

In 2001 we got "stuck" at CCV for three extra days- no planes could get in to land. They put us up, fed us, Rum Punch every night, and we got a week's free stay coupon for next time. Because of uncertainty, every morning they fed us breakfast from Saturday to Tuesday, CCV loaded our bags and drove us to the airport, and then back for lunch. We never touched our bags. AKR guests also stayed free, but wrestled their own bags off the rain soaked truck every day as we watched from inside the airport.

Little differences.

The only major dive resort that ever charged anyone for weather related hold-overs was FIBR. Again, logic applies... If there are no outbound flights, there are no inbound guests, thus no reason not to let the guests stay for free.

And look what happened to that bit of paradise.

 

[BDSC]

You're right Doc. I obviously got my days mixed up about when the storm actually hit. I just remember some pissed folks I talked to at the airport Saturday morning that had been staying at CCV. There was an actual thread about it here on SB but it was several years ago.

I don't even know if FIBR is still open. Wonder if they will be at DEMA this year.

 

[The Chairman]

I haven't stayed at CCV, but I did enjoy our last ScubaBoard Invasion to Anthony's Key and we are invading there again next year. I'll be bringing my SF2 CCR this time and am looking forward to it.

 

[BDSC]

I was at AK this past April. Great place and when you take advantage of their 2 for 1 offer, there's probably not a better deal in all of the Caribbean.

I am actually going through past Bay Island threads to try and find the hurricane I was talking about. Happened in September of 2010. You guys keep these threads for a long time!

 

[NAIBdiver1]

Adding to above-when we were being evacuated, there was talk about going to Fantasy Island. We haven't been there in years and wanted to see Fantasy Island to see if all the bad reports are merited. We always like FI, but again, that was quite a few years ago.

 

[k8brandt]

Oops, posted twice and can't figure out how to delete...

 

[k8brandt]

We were there for Earl, and yes diving was suspended. No one was forced to leave the resort. It was pretty much a non event. Not a lot of damage, just a lot of raking. We never even lost power on the other side of the canal.