Just back from Roatan and Seagrape Plantation

We just got back from Roatan and thought I would do a quick review of Seagrape Plantation Resort. I haven't seen a recent review of the resort here and it may be helpful to those planning a trip. This was our fifth trip to Seagrape Plantation and the dive operation has changed to be more service oriented. This is one of the most economical dive packages available. Room for 7 nights and 14 dives was $750 per person. Flights are daily and can be gotten for about $500. The dive shop has a gear room that is secured. The staff sets up BC/REG/weight belt on the boat before you arrive. Divers bring mask/fin/wetsuit to the boat. Travel to dive sites is less than 15 minutes and surface intervals are done back at the shop. There are 3 dives/day at 8:30, 10:30 and 2:30 daily. Night dives are conducted for groups of 4 or more at an additional cost. At the end of diving the staff takes BG/REG/Weights washes and hangs them up on assigned numbers in the gear room. There is a large wash tank that divers can use for wetsuits etc. with hangers in the gear room. You sign up for dives on a large whiteboard outside of the office. Deep dives go off the wall or through deep grooves in the spur and groove reef. The ship wreck El Aguila at 108' is 5 minutes by boat. Shallow dives generally start on the reef and may move to the wall edge. There are abundant small reef fish on the points where the wall drops off. Nurse sharks are not uncommon but not guaranteed. Large Morays and big black grouper are usually seen on most dives. Divers are followed by dogtooth snappers on almost every dive waiting to be fed lion fish. The most impressive photo ops were the spotted eagle rays. We saw them 5 of the 6 dive days, usually on the first dive. Both green and hawksbill turtles are so common we stopped taking pictures of them unless something unusual, like shark suckers attached to them caused us to take a few shots. Both queen and ocean triggerfish along with filefish are seen on most dives. Reef squid are not uncommon especially on the shallow dives. We watched a large octopus eat a conch on an afternoon dive. The reef seemed healthy and some spots can be quite spectacular along the wall with sea fans and large barrel sponges. DM's are easy going with experienced divers once they have assessed your ability. Dive briefings are thorough and professional. Tony has been at the resort for at least 8 years and is an effective and patient instructor/DM. Amber, instructor/DM has joined the team in the last 18 months and is a competent professional, fun to dive with and an expert on the swim-throughs. Cleve rounds out the DMs. He has boundless energy and can rekindle that sense of wonder in jaded divers with his enthusiasm for things we often take for granted. Boat captains are experienced and on top of the dive situation. Rachel runs the shop and makes sure everything is right for the divers. With rooms and bungalows 100 yds from the dive shop this is one of the easiest places to dive out of. Trip advisor can be consulted for hotel reviews-almost all positive. Mariela in the office will answer your e-mails right away. I highly recommend this for and affordable quality dive experience.

Hope this helps

Wow Tony certified my husband in his OW 5 years ago. So glad he is still with the Seagrape . They were very accommodating when we arrived in Roatan to find out the shop we booked with couldn't take us. Seagrape said no problem. It was a great experience with their dive shop. Good trip review thanks for posting.

Interesting. I hadn't heard of this op., and that unusual name would've stuck in my memory. I have not dove Roatan; have an interest in maybe doing so someday. So, with that in mind, and figuring some others may also look at it as one option amongst many...

1.) What led you to it? Group trip, word of mouth, etc...

2.) What led you to keep picking it over other options, such as CocoView, Reef House Resort, Anthony's Key, etc...? Price, or something else?

3.) They got any shore diving?

4.) Is 2 dives/day (not counting night dives) about what you can get? Not 3 or 4? The rates page says an extra dive is $30; how easy is it to do the 3rd or 4th in a day?

5.) Is it secluded & all-inclusive so most people 'stay on the reservation' for the week, or is it practical to eat out? How's the food if that's part of the package deal?

Here's a link to their rates page, but note the numbers don't include a $19 Honduran tax.

I ask these questions because of all the Roatan dive op.s, there are a few I hear about often - CocoView, Reef House Resort, Anthony's Key Resort, Barefoot Divers and Turquoise Bay Resort (the last seems to be showing up in a number of dive shop led group trips). So I'm curious as to where Seagrape Plantation fits into the mix.

Richard.

It's on the east end of Half Moon Bay out on the point. 5-10min. walk to the heart of the West End. I don't believe they provide any food on-site - it's not an AI resort. There's all sorts of options in the West End nearby for meals. This sort of gives you an idea of the location.
http://www.detourroatan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/West-End-Village-Aerial.jpg

Actually one of the few places besides the AI resorts where there is a shore dive. At least an entry - often you drift around the point get out at Half Moon Bay resort - or HMB beach which is farther and walk back. I think it's a pretty good dive but it would be shallow. It's this one: Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Sea Grape of Honduras, Roatan, Caribbean Just above where it says Half Moon Bay on the image above there's a low brown roofed building. That's the exit point at HMBR.

I rented a house about 200 yds. away so am familiar with the area.

Well I first of all I chose this op because it was a five minute walk to West End. We like to eat out not do the AI deal. They do not have a restaurant. Do a search on Trip Advisor and you will see what people think about the hotel end of the business, I really tried to focus on the diving in this review. To your questions, I did a web search about 8 years ago and we went with a dive group of 9 divers and they were just the best dealing with us. We continue to dive with them because it is a family business that treats you like an old friend not just another diver in the machine. Price is beyond competitive and that is a plus but not a deciding factor. They have as good a diving as you will find on Roatan. We often dive with boats from AKR when we head NE or directly in front of Seagrape. They are on the ironshore but have a small landing with a ladder into the ocean. I have snorkeled here but I have been told you can take a tank and drift to half moon bay in West End and take a taxi back to Seagrape. Never did it because they run three dives a day if you are there. I have been the only diver several times for the afternoon dive and they took me out. It is secluded from the noise and goings on in West End, but if you want that it is a 5 minute walk away. I don't know about the tax part but on the rate sheet, I sent a deposit of $ 750 to lock in the reservation. I did 14 dives , my wife did 7 and I paid $550 when I left. I have the receipt somewhere and could look at the tax part, but I spent most of the day washing dive gear so I will try to let you know about the $19 I don't know if everyone gets that kind of deal, but they are a really honest hardworking family operation so it wouldn't surprise me. Don't expect that there will be a night dive. We signed up but never got the 4 minimum. The boat usually left with 4-8 divers. Often the big numbers were students getting certified. They would be dropped off and then 2-5 of us would go on our dive. So where does this fit in? I would say this is a family run business that caters to a the few people (in July) staying at the resort and walk in trade from the folks in the know staying in other accommodations. This is not the mega resort that handles 200 divers. I guess it depends on what you want. Everyone in West End speaks English so you don't have to stay in the dorm and eat cafeteria food. We dove with a couple that had been at AKR several years before and they went to have dinner to relive the good times. After walking around they left and came back to west end saying that it just felt cold. I posted to offer an alternative that I think is a great place and an exceptional value that hasn't had a lot of love on SB lately. Hope that helps.

The "19" referred to is a 19% Hotel tax. It used to be 16%, but in January the local government raised it.

Yikes. 19%. Doesn't that take a bit more of the edge off better pricing generally found in Roatan?

Also, to the OP, which airline is flying into Roatan daily? Thanks

United

Absolutely great place to stay and great diving operation. And there is a restaurant next door, if you don't want to walk 5 minutes to town.