Roatan: Stanley Submarines

[tanslacks]

I don't think anyone read his website very closely. On the expedition page is this....



"I am sorry to report at this time I am not able to operate my submarine.

In a nutshell, the vice mayor of the island attempted to create a berth for her new yatch in front of my family's land. The situation escalated completely out of control to the point where my life was threatened by her husband, both verbally and by showing a gun. Despite doing everything required legally, I have been unable to obtain an operating permit and cannot get a straight answer out of anyone in government as to when (or why not) this may occur.

I want you to know that I am doing everything in my power (including hiring three lawyers and a massive PR campaign) to rectify this situation and am confident I will once again be able to provide affordable direct access to the deep ocean for all interested.

Thank you for your support,

Karl Stanley"

 

[diver 85]

Is this the same guy that charges $800.00 for a trip?

it was 200 bucks if I rememebr correctly for his 1st one----it was a 2 man sub ie driver & 1 guest....(in other words he got 200 bucks a trip)

 

[boastud]

i'd be down for it. not many people get a shot at 1000+' in a submersible.

 

[leadweight]

Last time I was down there the guy had been jailed as part of the dispute with the vice mayor. He might as well leave the place. The courts are not functional in Central America. Even collecting a business debt on an open account is nearly impossible.

 

[cocoloca]

Recently Karl was issued with a permit to run his business. I believe he was unable to collect money for 16 months, he still took the sub down, but asked his customers to donate the money to different charities around the island. Some customers of ours went down in the sub on Tuesday night. They said it was fantastic, they saw a six gill shark and another shark that Karl has never seen before, and lots of other really cool stuff. I guess its a matter of whether or not you think its worth the money to be part of a tiny percentage of the world to see these magnificent creatures in their home environment. 1500ft below the surface.

 

[danktex]

Thanks for the update. I hope to go for a ride when I head back next month.

 

[leadweight]

Glad to hear he is working things out. It would be a shame for the community to lose a unique business like that one.

 

[Chaseh]

I'm glad he's sorting out his issues with the very questionable local government, but I'm still not comfortable with the idea of a home built sub, nor some of his baiting practices. It's also supposed to be pretty tight in there, and I would need to pee.

I would rather use the funds for a dry suit and a trip to Seattle to see the same six gills on normal scuba gear.

 

[Martha]

it was 200 bucks if I rememebr correctly for his 1st one----it was a 2 man sub ie driver & 1 guest....(in other words he got 200 bucks a trip)

I thought the sub would be a really cool experience on our next trip, unfortunately, it's not $200 anymore... according to the website, the prices now range from $672-$1680 per person. I guess we won't be doing that... unless I win the lottery or something of that nature.

 

[larry200]

My wife and I dove with Karl Stanley to 2000 feet in the Idabel on February 2, 2009. Before deciding to do this I'd read the articles on his website, this thread, and the similar thread on ScubaToys forum. I was impressed with Karl, his submarine, and his operation. Everyone needs to do their own risk/expense/reward evaluation, of course. While we did not see any of the larger deep sea creatures, we saw many animals that we won't ever see at shallower depths. We would definitely consider doing another dive with Karl in the future.

-- Larry B.