Roatan; locations with less rough water

[dukeofhesse]

So Doc, In February it would likely be rough on the 'north' side and yet it is rough year-round on the 'south' side as well?

Is the West end, which is both north and south be an option? Should I just bag Roatan as an option given my needs?

BTW, that was an amazingly detailed and impressive post. Thanks.

 

[victorzamora]

It's rough-ish on the "southside" (side towards Honduras). It's divable all year, so if you go when the "northside" (towards the Caribbean) is getting hammered....they'll take you to the "southside" for its year-round dive quality.

West End is really just on the northside. West Bay is mostly northside, but wraps around the point a bit (divesite known as Texas). West End dive shops will give you a ride over the mountain to the southside if the northside diving is too rough. It's like an 8-10 minute ride, and you might be sitting on tanks if you use the cheapest shop around . West End has my vote in terms of where to dive from and where to be. West Bay is nicer accomodations, but everything is more expensive and harder to get to via anything but water taxi. If you stay at Luna Beach (not AI but have a bar/restaurant, they rent houses or bungalows, have a pool and a nice beach and some ranchos) it's like a 10 minute walk to West End. Nearest WE dive shop is Sueno Del Mar. They're great, but I prefer West End Divers....very centrally located in West End. You can rent a quad, scooter, or bike to get from Luna Beach to West End if you don't like walking or water taxis. These don't require reservations, are plentiful and easy to find....but it's really not THAT far of a walk, but it wouldn't be fun to have to drag scuba gear more than once.

Southside roughness is typically 2-3ft. Northside varies from glass to 2ft in good conditions. Dive ops get nervous at 4ft and start sending you across the island. I've been a half dozen times and can't remember diving in 6ft peak-to-trough conditions. Normally 3-4ft peak-to-trough is what I recall being "rough."

 

[Doc]

Now I got it, My place is on the West End of the Island but on he South side and East side Whew, Had me confused

No, Hooz is on first.

 

[diver 85]

The prevailing winds are from the SE on Roatan(?80% of the time)........That's why I think the north side is better(80% of the time ie Dec thru Feb they 'come' outta the north)......That's my experience in 25 trips there, anyway........Some will come here saying CoCoview's the best, but not in my experience(s).......

EDIT:......that info's from '94 thru '08 when we had a house there.....sold it in '08 & haven't been back since.......

 

[diversteve]

West End Divers is back to diving pangas? Last few times I dove with them they had a great wooden boat with a nice roof.

Maybe that was unclear - all these operators have larger boats -

So does Native Sons, West End Divers or Splash Inn Diving

---------- Post added March 27th, 2014 at 07:49 AM ----------

Now I got it, My place is on the West End of the Island but on he South side and East side Whew, Had me confused

As long as we're confused is your place the one that was featured on House Hunters Int'l a few years ago? Or is there another blue pod house in Flower's Bay?

 

[Doc]

EDIT:......that info's from '94 thru '08 when we had a house there.....sold it in '08 & haven't been back since.......

That brings up another interesting fact about Roatan that is largely invisible... Until you finally see it....

There are very very few South side properties owned or being sold/offered to outsiders. A few large tracts have been sold off to the uber wealthy, but properties for individual residences on the South side are virtually non-existent. The locals have sold off a lot of land on the North side to many North Americans for homesites.

Stuff that makes you go

 

[Mike]

So Doc, In February it would likely be rough on the 'north' side and yet it is rough year-round on the 'south' side as well?

Is the West end, which is both north and south be an option? Should I just bag Roatan as an option given my needs?

BTW, that was an amazingly detailed and impressive post. Thanks.

The long and the short of it all is you're going to find Roatan about the same as Cozumel for sea conditions, unless you find your self in unusual weather. 100% of my memories of any Roatan diving is glassy conditions. When conditions deteriorate on the North side, they simply don't dive on the north side and move to the south side until the weather gets better again. I've dived in plenty of crazy condtions, but never in Roatan. You are NOT going to find yourself in 4 ft seas in Roatan unless something goes terribly wrong or you're seeking out some adventurous diving beyond the norm.

 

[diver 85]

That brings up another interesting fact about Roatan that is largely invisible... Until you finally see it....

There are very very few South side properties owned or being sold/offered to outsiders. A few large tracts have been sold off to the uber wealthy, but properties for individual residences on the South side are virtually non-existent. The locals have sold off a lot of land on the North side to many North Americans for homesites.

Stuff that makes you go

We were 2 miles east of AKR, 60 yds off the waterline......LOVED it, except for the #@%& bugs..lol....

 

[RTBDiver]

Maybe that was unclear - all these operators have larger boats -

---------- Post added March 27th, 2014 at 07:49 AM ----------

As long as we're confused is your place the one that was featured on House Hunters Int'l a few years ago? Or is there another blue pod house in Flower's Bay?

Steve, there is no Blue pod house, there is the grey pod house that was on HHI a few years back that was originally multi colored that is a few homes down, My home is nothing of a Pod House, You can see it at Roatan rental Blue House

 

[victorzamora]

.....sold it in '08 & haven't been back since.......

I travelled to Roatan a lot between 2004 and 2008. We lived in El Salvador, so Roatan was a short hop away....especially private. Roatan was absolutely my favorite place in the world. If I could've retired in West End at any point and lived there the rest of my life I would've done so in a heartbeat. About 2006 was when cruise ships really started coming in. I went back in 2012. It's not the paradise I remember it being. The cruise ship people have really hurt that place. It's not bad, and it's still WAY better than anything in the US or any of the "big name" places (Bahamas, Jamaica, etc) but it's not the little slice of paradise I remember.