Yes, I too was there the same week Roatan Man was there...
Friday Night, December 10th...departed Hermosa Beach...tough because it was a very warm 76° from the Santa Ana Winds...drove to LAX.
Saturday morning...wee hours...oh dark hundred...1:30 am...flew out on Continental...LAX to Houston...slept some, arrived in Houston at 6:30 am....2 1/2 hour lay over....ummmm Starbucks...Only had to go one gate to our connector...to Roatan...left on time...as soon as we hit the Yucatan, we hit clouds and the fun began, yahoo! What an E-Ticket...
Arrived at airport, very small and full because another flight from mainland arrived...This is were being associated with a nice outfit...AKR in my case or in Roatan Man's case, Coco View helps...they take care of the bags and zoom through customs and on the way to the resort. Short bus ride, as soon as we arrived, drink orders were taken...I off course had a non-alcohol, in anticipation of getting in a beach dive...as I just missed the 2:30 pm boat out... :11:
Now, my wife is a non-diver, which was why I selected AKR...otherwise, I would have selected Coco View, but they don't have much for non-divers...my wife selected the large Rum drink...
Immediately after the reception and orientation...I went to the Dive Shop and checked in with Kevin... I was told I had to have a buoyancy check-out and I needed a buddy to go shore diving...I could not find anybody at the resort that wanted to go shore diving...so, I decided to spend the afternoon with my wife, snorkeling....wow! First the water was in the 80's and the viz was 70' plus... AKR has a nice wall from the shore dive area...
To get to our rooms, right next to the shore dive area...we had to take a water taxi. The water taxi runs 24 hours. If the water taxi is not there, you get their attention by hitting a steel-peg on an empty tank...then they come.
The food was so much better than I expected. The head chef, George, is so nice and mixes up the choices everyday. You always have your choice of meat, fish, or the ever popular combo .One evening a group of us asked Chef George to cook a typical Honduras meal, his eyes lit up and he was so excited that we would want something like that. Im Cuban, and Honduras food is very similar. Chef George cooked: Black Beans with Coconut Milk; Roasted Chicken with a local spicy pepper; White Rice with Ripen Plantains; and Flan. It was so good, mmmm.
The room, Number 37, we upgraded and had the air condition room with private porch that had two hammocks. This was nice, we didnt have to share the hammocks, and I like to run around in my boxers. Our porch looked out into the ocean.
Sunday morning: Each morning I woke up and did the short walk (no not in my boxers) to the other end of our key, where there was fresh coffee. The first day, we needed to be at the dive shop at 7:30 am, for the buoyancy check-out. I was assigned to the Haydee Boat. The Captain and the Dive Master, Wendell, were local guys and very nice. I had 11 other divers on the boat. Everybody was nice and experienced divers. Wendell said that this was the advanced boat and that we would be doing the most advanced dives, while the others would gradually work themselves into the advance dives. Wendell said that we would be guaranteed to do all of the advance dives, with weather permitting.
Dive number 1:
Herbies Place, West End, point.
Depth: 65 Viz: 80 Temp.: 76-81°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Wall dive, water warmer at bottom than at top. Spiny lobsters, green moray eel swimming around and spotted moray eel in hole.
Dive number 2:
Key Hole, West End, south side.
Depth: 60 Viz: 45 Temp.: 78-82°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Storm got worse on deck, nice to get down. Swim through. Trumpet fish, Squirrel fish, large Black Groupers, Barracudas, and lots of blue tangs.
Dive number 3:
Butchers Bank, Turtle Crossing, West End, north side.
Depth: 51 Viz: 45 Temp.: 77-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Very stormy, cut dive short because of storm, hard to get back to resort. Two turtles, one very large on bottom, the other was swimming with us. Saw large Peacock Flounder on bottom, very cute.
The first dive leaves the dock at 8:30 am. The second dive leaves at 10:30 am; sometimes they combine the first two dives on one trip, so you dont have to come back. Lunch is from noon until 2:00 pm. The third dive is at 2:30 pm.
Night dives are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, at 5:25 pm. Shore Dives can be done from 3:00 9:00 pm, weather permitting.
The rain just came down all day long, but at least it was warm.
Monday:
Dive number 1:
The águila Wreck, Sandy Bay, Northside.
Depth: 105 Viz: 80 Temp.: 76-79°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain, and surge on top.
Comments & Marine Sightings: This ship was purchased by AKR and towed off of their resort. Originally it was intact. Along came Hurricane Mitch, which split the wreck and made it a great dive. Green Moray Eel came over to me, looking for food, swam right up in-between my legs. At the stern of the wreck, is a large bed of garden eels. Coming down and back up the line, you are meet by very large Black Groupers and very blue large, Bullhead Parrotfish. You can penetrate the hull in many different locations.
Dive number 2:
Herbies Fantasy, West End, Northside.
Depth: 66 Viz: 70 Temp.: 79-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Nice wall dive, beautiful Barrel Sponges. Lots of Lobsters along the wall.
Dive number 3:
Green Out House Wall, West End, Northside.
Depth: 57 Viz: 45 Temp.: 74-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Storm coming to an end, started with heavy rains, ended with sun. Large wall, dropping down to 500, with canyon fingers jutting off. Lots of swim thrus. Saw very large lobsters and crabs. Saw my first sea horse, good size, clinging on to a sea fan, very cute.
Tuesday:
Dive number 1:
Marys Place, Southside.
(Same day Roatan Man was there) yes, the Aggressor was camped there, and I had asked our Dive Master if we needed to schedule this dive in advance, and his answer was no, we just show up
Depth: 80 Viz: 25 Temp.: 80-82°
Conditions: Clouds with sun..
Comments & Marine Sightings: Truly is a great sight. Viz was bad due to run off from rain. Saw a baby Green Moray Eel with big blue eyes. File fish.
Dive number 2:
Key Hole, Turtle Crossing, Southside.
Depth: 55 Viz: 70 Temp.: 78-81°
Conditions: Current, cloudy, drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Huge wall dive. Baby turtle, pipe fish, lobsters along wall, lizard fish.
Dive number 3:
West End Wall, West End, Northside.
Depth: 56 Viz: 40 Temp.: 80°
Conditions: Current, waves, cloudy with sun, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Shallow reef with a nice wall. Currents were very strong. Saw spotted Moray Eels, large schools of Jacks, Blue Chromis, and Creole Wrasses.
Night Dive, cancelled due to stormy conditions
End of Part 1 see part 2
Friday Night, December 10th...departed Hermosa Beach...tough because it was a very warm 76° from the Santa Ana Winds...drove to LAX.
Saturday morning...wee hours...oh dark hundred...1:30 am...flew out on Continental...LAX to Houston...slept some, arrived in Houston at 6:30 am....2 1/2 hour lay over....ummmm Starbucks...Only had to go one gate to our connector...to Roatan...left on time...as soon as we hit the Yucatan, we hit clouds and the fun began, yahoo! What an E-Ticket...
Arrived at airport, very small and full because another flight from mainland arrived...This is were being associated with a nice outfit...AKR in my case or in Roatan Man's case, Coco View helps...they take care of the bags and zoom through customs and on the way to the resort. Short bus ride, as soon as we arrived, drink orders were taken...I off course had a non-alcohol, in anticipation of getting in a beach dive...as I just missed the 2:30 pm boat out... :11:
Now, my wife is a non-diver, which was why I selected AKR...otherwise, I would have selected Coco View, but they don't have much for non-divers...my wife selected the large Rum drink...
Immediately after the reception and orientation...I went to the Dive Shop and checked in with Kevin... I was told I had to have a buoyancy check-out and I needed a buddy to go shore diving...I could not find anybody at the resort that wanted to go shore diving...so, I decided to spend the afternoon with my wife, snorkeling....wow! First the water was in the 80's and the viz was 70' plus... AKR has a nice wall from the shore dive area...
To get to our rooms, right next to the shore dive area...we had to take a water taxi. The water taxi runs 24 hours. If the water taxi is not there, you get their attention by hitting a steel-peg on an empty tank...then they come.
The food was so much better than I expected. The head chef, George, is so nice and mixes up the choices everyday. You always have your choice of meat, fish, or the ever popular combo .One evening a group of us asked Chef George to cook a typical Honduras meal, his eyes lit up and he was so excited that we would want something like that. Im Cuban, and Honduras food is very similar. Chef George cooked: Black Beans with Coconut Milk; Roasted Chicken with a local spicy pepper; White Rice with Ripen Plantains; and Flan. It was so good, mmmm.
The room, Number 37, we upgraded and had the air condition room with private porch that had two hammocks. This was nice, we didnt have to share the hammocks, and I like to run around in my boxers. Our porch looked out into the ocean.
Sunday morning: Each morning I woke up and did the short walk (no not in my boxers) to the other end of our key, where there was fresh coffee. The first day, we needed to be at the dive shop at 7:30 am, for the buoyancy check-out. I was assigned to the Haydee Boat. The Captain and the Dive Master, Wendell, were local guys and very nice. I had 11 other divers on the boat. Everybody was nice and experienced divers. Wendell said that this was the advanced boat and that we would be doing the most advanced dives, while the others would gradually work themselves into the advance dives. Wendell said that we would be guaranteed to do all of the advance dives, with weather permitting.
Dive number 1:
Herbies Place, West End, point.
Depth: 65 Viz: 80 Temp.: 76-81°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Wall dive, water warmer at bottom than at top. Spiny lobsters, green moray eel swimming around and spotted moray eel in hole.
Dive number 2:
Key Hole, West End, south side.
Depth: 60 Viz: 45 Temp.: 78-82°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Storm got worse on deck, nice to get down. Swim through. Trumpet fish, Squirrel fish, large Black Groupers, Barracudas, and lots of blue tangs.
Dive number 3:
Butchers Bank, Turtle Crossing, West End, north side.
Depth: 51 Viz: 45 Temp.: 77-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Very stormy, cut dive short because of storm, hard to get back to resort. Two turtles, one very large on bottom, the other was swimming with us. Saw large Peacock Flounder on bottom, very cute.
The first dive leaves the dock at 8:30 am. The second dive leaves at 10:30 am; sometimes they combine the first two dives on one trip, so you dont have to come back. Lunch is from noon until 2:00 pm. The third dive is at 2:30 pm.
Night dives are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, at 5:25 pm. Shore Dives can be done from 3:00 9:00 pm, weather permitting.
The rain just came down all day long, but at least it was warm.
Monday:
Dive number 1:
The águila Wreck, Sandy Bay, Northside.
Depth: 105 Viz: 80 Temp.: 76-79°
Conditions: Current, waves, with rain, and surge on top.
Comments & Marine Sightings: This ship was purchased by AKR and towed off of their resort. Originally it was intact. Along came Hurricane Mitch, which split the wreck and made it a great dive. Green Moray Eel came over to me, looking for food, swam right up in-between my legs. At the stern of the wreck, is a large bed of garden eels. Coming down and back up the line, you are meet by very large Black Groupers and very blue large, Bullhead Parrotfish. You can penetrate the hull in many different locations.
Dive number 2:
Herbies Fantasy, West End, Northside.
Depth: 66 Viz: 70 Temp.: 79-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Nice wall dive, beautiful Barrel Sponges. Lots of Lobsters along the wall.
Dive number 3:
Green Out House Wall, West End, Northside.
Depth: 57 Viz: 45 Temp.: 74-80°
Conditions: Current, surge, waves, with rain, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Storm coming to an end, started with heavy rains, ended with sun. Large wall, dropping down to 500, with canyon fingers jutting off. Lots of swim thrus. Saw very large lobsters and crabs. Saw my first sea horse, good size, clinging on to a sea fan, very cute.
Tuesday:
Dive number 1:
Marys Place, Southside.
(Same day Roatan Man was there) yes, the Aggressor was camped there, and I had asked our Dive Master if we needed to schedule this dive in advance, and his answer was no, we just show up
Depth: 80 Viz: 25 Temp.: 80-82°
Conditions: Clouds with sun..
Comments & Marine Sightings: Truly is a great sight. Viz was bad due to run off from rain. Saw a baby Green Moray Eel with big blue eyes. File fish.
Dive number 2:
Key Hole, Turtle Crossing, Southside.
Depth: 55 Viz: 70 Temp.: 78-81°
Conditions: Current, cloudy, drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Huge wall dive. Baby turtle, pipe fish, lobsters along wall, lizard fish.
Dive number 3:
West End Wall, West End, Northside.
Depth: 56 Viz: 40 Temp.: 80°
Conditions: Current, waves, cloudy with sun, a drift dive.
Comments & Marine Sightings: Shallow reef with a nice wall. Currents were very strong. Saw spotted Moray Eels, large schools of Jacks, Blue Chromis, and Creole Wrasses.
Night Dive, cancelled due to stormy conditions
End of Part 1 see part 2
