Roatan and Utila in May

[tmt185]

Hello Everyone,

We are looking for suggestions on Dive Shops on Roatan and Utila this May with 7days on each island. We are PADI Master Divers so, we are done with classes/Training at the moment. We have stayed in at Fantasy Island on Roatan but, now looking to stay on the West End maybe with Splash Inn or maybe going down to the West Side. We are not looking for a all inclusive Dive Resort. For Utila, we dove there about 7 years ago and stayed at a resort that is no longer there so, we looking to maybe dive with Altons, Tank'd Pro Dive Shop, or Captain Morgan's. We also want a place that limits the divers they take. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thank-you

 

[Doc]

Tell us what did not work out on the May trip you had decided upon to Philippines in another very similarly worded query. That might guide a more useful, reasoned response.

“We also want a place that limits the divers they take”

Limit? As In numbers?

The operations you describe will fill the boats to capacity. Subjective feelings of crowding or undefinable “cattle boat” or marketing goch “concierge diving” are just that.

Limit…By skill sets?

Every single guest diver gets treated the exact same no matter how many more cards you don’t want. This is predictable in most all destinations.

You’re going to get some great advice from the people here in regards to Day Dive ops and Utila!

Lots of good stuff on West End!

PLEASE State one objective number: How many dives per week do you “need”? How many night dives?

but remember when you say you’ve got all the Certs you need now? I’m afraid you don’t! You need one called underwater naturalist …. an absolute imperative in the Bay Islands.

We don’t know nothing ….until you get it pointed out to you by the dive master and they should be followed like puppy dogs. They know where all the cool stuff is ….with that extra certification you too, can become an aspiring expert.

 

[FezUSA]

Cocolobo is a great place to stay within walking distance of West End. Disclaimer, we're a part owner of one of the lodges! Breakfast is included and you're on your own for lunch & dinner. There's plenty of options at all price ranges in town. If you like to cook for yourselves then the lodges are a better fit and come with a full kitchen and BBQ etc. If it's for just a couple rather than a family, the condos are a better fit and cheaper.

For diving, we like the small boats that Sun Divers use, and the owners and boat captains are awesome. The DM's can change over time but the owners run a tight operation. There are quite a few other dive ops in the area that are all also highly rated.

 

[A Bajo]

I just did a week in Utilia at Tank'd. I liked it. It is on the quiet side and I think they only have one boat that I saw. Once the seats were filled that was it. I think Altons is next door or very close and seemed like it was a good place. Utilia Dive Center look like a big college dorm pumping out PADI students.

 

[tmt185]

Tell us what did not work out on the May trip you had decided upon to Philippines in another very similarly worded query. That might guide a more useful, reasoned response.

“We also want a place that limits the divers they take”

Limit? As In numbers?

The operations you describe will fill the boats to capacity. Subjective feelings of crowding or undefinable “cattle boat” or marketing goch “concierge diving” are just that.

Limit…By skill sets?

Every single guest diver gets treated the exact same no matter how many more cards you don’t want. This is predictable in most all destinations.

You’re going to get some great advice from the people here in regards to Day Dive ops and Utila!

Lots of good stuff on West End!

PLEASE State one objective number: How many dives per week do you “need”? How many night dives?

but remember when you say you’ve got all the Certs you need now? I’m afraid you don’t! You need one called underwater naturalist …. an absolute imperative in the Bay Islands.

We don’t know nothing ….until you get it pointed out to you by the dive master and they should be followed like puppy dogs. They know where all the cool stuff is ….with that extra certification you too, can become an aspiring expert.

Hello Doc,

We are looking to dive 2 to 3 dives a day. We are not big on night diving.

 

[Stout]

For Utila, the best bet is to land on the island and talk to a couple of shops and explain the experience you're looking for. Quite often there's a follow the leader mentality going on and if you find something interesting you want to stop and check out for a while you may find yourself behind the group and with a stressed out DM who's worried...that you may have dies or got lost, or something.

If you want to spend a few minutes building a relationship with the purple jawfish so it figures out you're not a threat and comes out of it's hole, the state it. Fascinated by rosy razorfish and want to spend some time "chasing" them around the sand patch? Wondering why the banded coral shrimp is standing on top of the sponge and whether the chain moray hang out at the base of the sponge is going to have dinner, then tell the dive shop you want to go slow...really slow....really really slow.

I'm a big fan of Alton's and I have history with them but Tanked is looking good and I noticed there was this "new" shop operating with the rather unfortunate name of Leisure Boutique Divers that's caliming they're into small groups.

 

[Grateful head]

Look at the Seagrape Plantation, great dive op and nice resort, in the west end. Been there twice, both times in May and weather was excellent.

 

[Gdog]

Several great places to stay, and good dive ops in West End. The area by Seagrape and Cocolobo is a nice quiet area, close to town, cant go wrong staying with anyone out there.
Lots of good dive ops in West End, again, hard to go wrong. Make sure and check out Roatan Divers, right behind Gingers. Our go to botique dive op.

 

[laurenceh]

For Utila it depends on which part of the island you want to stay at.
Utila Town/ not very pretty, busy, noisy, lots of bars and restaurants, only 2 (very small) beaches and over a dozen dive ops. Alton's , UDC, Tank'd etc etc all decent dive ops, all will have full boats. Best hotels; Manuri, Lighthouse.
Utila South Shore/ very pretty, quiet and peaceful, only a couple of beach bar/restaurants, miles of empty beach with the reef just 20" from shore. Only one dive op; We-Dive, 6-8 divers max on their boat. Only accommodation is rentals, my favorite is Treasure Beach or the private island called Sandy Cay.

 

[DougA]

Hello Everyone,

We are looking for suggestions on Dive Shops on Roatan and Utila this May with 7days on each island. We are PADI Master Divers so, we are done with classes/Training at the moment. We have stayed in at Fantasy Island on Roatan but, now looking to stay on the West End maybe with Splash Inn or maybe going down to the West Side. We are not looking for a all inclusive Dive Resort. For Utila, we dove there about 7 years ago and stayed at a resort that is no longer there so, we looking to maybe dive with Altons, Tank'd Pro Dive Shop, or Captain Morgan's. We also want a place that limits the divers they take. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thank-you

I am going in three weeks and plan on diving with Roatan Divers in the West End. Based on recommendations from here (but I have never been). Apparently they limit the number of divers per boat, have their own dock, and are a generally good and reputable outfit. And they have a dock-cam that I have checked out numerous times.

As long as I'm here - a question about money
I just discovered, after the bank said 'no-problem', that yes, getting Honduran lempira here in the states is a problem. Any advice out there, other than bring clean-pristine U.S. greenbacks? Can one easily and safely withdraw lempira at an ATM in the West End?
Final thoughts: 1) I always know that the quandary sitting here at home, will be clear and easy by the time I leave, and 2) I'm lucky to have such a problem.