If you're staying in West Bay - both shops you mentioned are a couple miles away. If I was staying in West Bay I'd pick a shop in West Bay personally. Like - (no personal experience with any of them)
West Bay Divers | PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located on Roatan IslandWest Bay Divers | PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located on Roatan Island
Mayan Divers | Diving Resort in Roatan, Honduras.
Infinity Divers – – Scuba Diving in Roatan
There's probably close to a dozen other options in West Bay also.
In the West Bay area one dive not to miss it Texas. Most operators should go around the end of the island and over to Mary's Place once also - one of the signature Roatan dives. If they won't, make arrangements with Barefoot Divers one day and get a cab over - it's 10mins. off their dock. We did with them and doubled on the Prince Albert wreck off Cocoview one morning. It's not far so we were back for the 1PM boat at our shop.
West Bay shops also run east - the two big wrecks (Odyssey and El Aguila) are off Sandy Bay which is east of the West End a little. West End Wall makes anyone's list also - there's about 4-5 dive sites along it. Spooky Channel another popular dive off Sandy Bay - and Hole in the Wall makes the list. Only disappointing dive was Melissa's Reef nearby.
There's a lot of great dives out in front of West Bay also - I just don't know most of them since we stayed in the West End. West Bay DIvers has a map with names but not descriptions. I've never really found a complete descriptive list of the Roatan sites except for the more famous ones. If it's of interest, the Dolphin Dives at Anthony's Key are open to the public. I believe it's around $150? for non guests now.
In Roatan now I'd be diving in a t-shirt. I was a few years ago in April. We're 3-4 dives/day plus nights if possible and I never was chilled. At that time of year most of my friends had 3mils.
There's some good restaurants in West Bay - Argentinian Grille has a 2nd location there now. I've heard Vintage Pearl is good - at Bananarama resort. A lot of other options are in the West End - take a cab or the water taxi - you don't want to walk between the two - it's a couple miles, thru the jungle sort of and there have been robberies in that area. If you do go over, we liked Tong's Thai - also Ooloonthoo is the best Indian on Roatan - arguably in Honduras but make reservations - they're only open about 3hrs. nightly.
Any cab except the airport ride is negotiable also...
Don't use the ATM in the West End - people get scammed there regularly. I'm sure there's probably one in West Bay but IDK where. We happened to be going by the airport mid-week so stopped there - one ATM at either entrance. One gave dollars, the other lempira as my friend found out.
I didn't use a CC all week - just brought cash for expenses/diving - our rental was prepaid. I'm sure some of my friends used theirs during the week at times.$20 is a good denomination anything larger could be hard to cash. Also IIRC - I read it here somewhere - no torn bills.Generally we received change in Lempira at stores but not always in restaurants.
Bring the Deet or equivalent and don't forget to use it after diving. Little suckers hide under tablecloths at the restaurants plus there's sand flies on West Bay Beach.
