My wife, young adult daughter and I were OW certified about a year ago. Since then we have been on a group trip to Bonaire (Divi Dive) and assorted other one day training dives. So, we have 15-20 dives. For one reason or another the trips offered by the two dive shops with whom we are familiar do not work for us. We are considering going to Roatan (Anthony's Key Resort) on our own. I'm anxious doing so. Wondering if the non-group thing is such a good idea for folks with our limited experience.
Going it "alone"
- Thread starter Derffie
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I think it'll be fine provided you plan your trip well, coordinate with the local LDS, hire a guide when need be, and don't dive beyond your training and experience. Doing what you're considering is how we become more proficient and experienced at diving.
cnspotts
Registered
You'll be totally fine! Be honest about your experience and you'll have an amazing time! My novice husband showed up with zero real dives is now AOW after 2 weeks in Roatan diving with Mayan Divers in West Bay! It was my 3rd trip, different shop but similar experiences all over the island.
Damselfish
Contributor
Just go for it. Pretty much any tropical resort like Anthony's Key will be used to having divers of various levels of experience and comfort, and good chance there will be others in the same situation as you. People go on non-group trips all the time, I'm pretty sure there are way more people going independently than with groups. (We probably did our first independent dive trip with about as many dives as you have. I think I had over 500 dives before I ever happened to go on a group trip.)
There are quite a few threads here that will also help if you look through the Bay Islands forum.
Bay Islands
Lot's of information to be found there. There are quite a few people that know all about the island. AKR is a great operation and a few emails will get you going on how to get there etc. I have been there 3 times and would gladly go back for another week.
Bay Islands
Lot's of information to be found there. There are quite a few people that know all about the island. AKR is a great operation and a few emails will get you going on how to get there etc. I have been there 3 times and would gladly go back for another week.
drrich2
Contributor
Haven't hit Roatan as yet. I went to Bonaire 4 times with a group I know, before I started going independently. Have gone to Key Largo and Jupiter (Florida) without group involvement. So, considering what you've said, if I were considering a non-group trip to a Caribbean destination, I'd ask:
1.) Do they have airport transfers to & from the resort or hotel? Anthony's Key Resort's dive package page indicates yes.
2.) Is the place an all-inclusive compound, with housing, diving and meals all right there (I think CocoView is like this), or will you need to drive around? Is a rental car needed? If you want or need to head out for groceries or some such, can this be done on foot, or need you drive to take a taxi? These questions can help plan almost any dive destination.
3.) Are you content to stay on the reservation and dive, or do you want to go tour the town, zip line, take a walk in the jungle, etc...? From what I've been told in the past, tourists to Roatan often 'stay on the reservation' more so than tourists to Bonaire. I'm not saying you have to. Anthony's has an activities page with a range of offerings.
4.) Are there special considerations? In Roatan threads, people often complain about the sand fleas. In Cozumel, a number of people advise others to not try rental scooters in town if they're not already scooter savy. That sort of thing. From what I've been told English will be no problem.
I think this will be a good experience for you guys, because it will build your confidence about researching, choosing and booking independent trips, which will open up a much larger range of options than restricting yourselves to tagging along with a local dive group.
I'm not dissing local groups; I'm glad to I spent my 1st 4 Bonaire trips with a seasoned instructor who knew it well and showed us around and gave us a lot of advice. But in Bonaire, people generally roam around the island, hitting a range of shore sites, and eat out at varied off-site restaurants. For much the same reason I'd be tentative about independently booking Curacao unless I had a more adventurous friend along to handle driving & finding things, but I'm more willing to consider CocoView, a live-aboard, that sort of 'all in one' deal.
Richard.
jodylynn007
Contributor
AKR sounds perfect for you, I have stayed there recently and feel that as posted above, as long as you are honest about your experience level and expectations, you will not be disappointed with that resort. I'd recommend a room on the key BTW 
I wasn't going to be a cheerleader but here goes.
They will pick you up at the airport and take you back. The guy that meets you is named Greg. He is a great guy. Very helpful and friendly. The folks at Anthony's Key are all great people. They will send you information regarding the travel part.
The dive shop is well run and the diving is great. They are very safety oriented with good dive briefings and making sure you are good to make the dives they take you on. There are 3 1 tank dives a day, returning to the resort for the surface interval and 1 or 2 night dives per week. All the dives have a guide in the water with you. They say there is a shore dive there but I have never done it.
Go for the Key Superior rooms. They are on the Key and have AC. Most have a deck that looks out to the water. They are kind of rustic but all the basics are covered. There is no TV or Telephones in the Bungalows but the quiet was good for us. The grounds are well kept and raked daily to keep the sand fleas at bay. We never had any problems with them but it is good to take deet for a bug repellant.
You will meet people on the boat that you will probably get to know but if you want you can always get away. The food is good and plentiful, you won't go hungry. The only thing that kind of gets to you is the stairs going to the main area where the food is served. But it isn't that bad.
There is a dolphin dive and a dolphin snorkel, and a shark dive available during the week you are there. You can also ask them to arrange for a cab to take you to West End. We have done that every time we go for 1 afternoon to get something to eat and do a little shopping. It is a fun outing. The cab will take you there, drop you off and come back and pick you up at an agreed time. One day during the week they take you over to another key. There is a Mayan exhibit there and a nice gift shop. There are fun things to do each evening with fire dancers, a BBQ on the key one night. There is also things like crab races and limbo contests. We never felt the urge to go to town to party. There is a bar there if you are so inclined and it is usually fun, but seems to be pretty quite after around 9 or 10.
They will also arrange to get you to the zip line, we have done that on the dry day before leaving and it is fun.
Overall it is a great place for diving and a week's vacation. It is easy to get there and they are great at making you feel like family there. The times we have been there it seems like there are always a lot of the same faces working there that were there the last time.
I am sure there is a COCO View person lurking as I type this. Haven't stayed there yet but have heard great things about it.
I would say go for it. It is a great place to go.
They will pick you up at the airport and take you back. The guy that meets you is named Greg. He is a great guy. Very helpful and friendly. The folks at Anthony's Key are all great people. They will send you information regarding the travel part.
The dive shop is well run and the diving is great. They are very safety oriented with good dive briefings and making sure you are good to make the dives they take you on. There are 3 1 tank dives a day, returning to the resort for the surface interval and 1 or 2 night dives per week. All the dives have a guide in the water with you. They say there is a shore dive there but I have never done it.
Go for the Key Superior rooms. They are on the Key and have AC. Most have a deck that looks out to the water. They are kind of rustic but all the basics are covered. There is no TV or Telephones in the Bungalows but the quiet was good for us. The grounds are well kept and raked daily to keep the sand fleas at bay. We never had any problems with them but it is good to take deet for a bug repellant.
You will meet people on the boat that you will probably get to know but if you want you can always get away. The food is good and plentiful, you won't go hungry. The only thing that kind of gets to you is the stairs going to the main area where the food is served. But it isn't that bad.
There is a dolphin dive and a dolphin snorkel, and a shark dive available during the week you are there. You can also ask them to arrange for a cab to take you to West End. We have done that every time we go for 1 afternoon to get something to eat and do a little shopping. It is a fun outing. The cab will take you there, drop you off and come back and pick you up at an agreed time. One day during the week they take you over to another key. There is a Mayan exhibit there and a nice gift shop. There are fun things to do each evening with fire dancers, a BBQ on the key one night. There is also things like crab races and limbo contests. We never felt the urge to go to town to party. There is a bar there if you are so inclined and it is usually fun, but seems to be pretty quite after around 9 or 10.
They will also arrange to get you to the zip line, we have done that on the dry day before leaving and it is fun.
Overall it is a great place for diving and a week's vacation. It is easy to get there and they are great at making you feel like family there. The times we have been there it seems like there are always a lot of the same faces working there that were there the last time.
I am sure there is a COCO View person lurking as I type this. Haven't stayed there yet but have heard great things about it.
I would say go for it. It is a great place to go.
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My exact words. Besides, what would you do differently if you guys just dived as a threesome locally?
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I'll add a few comments to dmoore's.
If you show up at AKR with 20 dives the first thing they'll do is take you on a checkout dive. Then set you up on a boat all week with divers of similar experience level and the sites chosen will reflect that. (No 120' drops on the Aguila for you three...)
You can do the Dolphin dive - it's in 60' on a sandy bottom and you're encouraged to plant yourself for a better experience. It's probably about $125 pp. for guests now but it's a pretty fun dive. The dolphins do follow a trainers commands but they're not fed or anything during the dive. prerequisite is demo clearing your mask off the back of the boat in case the dolphins knock it off. Or you can snorkel with the dolphins on Bailey's Key for about $40? less.
The shark dive might be a little out of your reach - it's off Cara y Cara on the south side and there can be some serious currents both at the bottom and getting down. Deep water just off the site also - it's sort of a flat pinnacle. You should be in the AOW cert. level range for that one.
There's also some shore diving at AKR. You can do a sort of muck dive in 30-40' of water in the lagoon between the mainland and the resort or the Front Porch dive site is there also. It's real shallow - under 6' - for a long way out. Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Front Porch of Honduras, Roatan
If you're considering winter months, Roatan's north side can see occasional "norther's" but it doesn't affect AKR as they'll move their boats south and shuttle you over for a day or two as needed. It's actually a good chance to dive the south sites they likely won't go to normally.
If you're fairly certain about it - they're offering 20% off for the next 5 days. Save 20% in 2015 - Anthony's Key Resort - Roatan - Honduras US Reservations: 800-227-3483
Superior means the rooms/cabanas have AC. Standard means bring more Deet since the windows are louvered. fwiw since you mentioned an adult daughter - all the beds are in the same room. The pool/pool bar is on the Key but all the dive operations, food, giftshop etc. are mainland.
If you tire of the food or need a change, the West End is 5mins ($6) by cab. You can also find a return cab most nights till pretty late at the main road to the West End - across from the Coconut Tree building. Should you want some food/drinks not available at AKR there's a small store there or another one about a block east (Woody's) Mornings there's also fresh fruit/produce sold by street vendors in trucks - it's nice stuff and they keep it nice.
All the nightlife with exception of AKR's bar is in the West End. Most of the touristy type shops also. Surprisingly there's some very good to excellent restaurants there - Argentinean Grille, Tong's Thai. For an excellent Indian meal there's Ooloonthoo. About the only place where a dress code might be possible and definitely make a reservation. It's reviewed as one of the finest Indian restaurants in the Caribbean.
We never travel with a packaged group tour - there's about 8-10 of us that do go on trips together. But we book all our own stuff. If you're not comfortable doing that Bay Islands Adventures or Caradonna are dive travel agencies. There's others also. Fee is paid by the resort so they have the same or slightly better pricing - or can usually throw in an upgrade. We booked one trip to Bonaire with Caradonna and our t/a got us Business Class seats for coach $ - we didn't even know until we boarded.
If you show up at AKR with 20 dives the first thing they'll do is take you on a checkout dive. Then set you up on a boat all week with divers of similar experience level and the sites chosen will reflect that. (No 120' drops on the Aguila for you three...)
You can do the Dolphin dive - it's in 60' on a sandy bottom and you're encouraged to plant yourself for a better experience. It's probably about $125 pp. for guests now but it's a pretty fun dive. The dolphins do follow a trainers commands but they're not fed or anything during the dive. prerequisite is demo clearing your mask off the back of the boat in case the dolphins knock it off. Or you can snorkel with the dolphins on Bailey's Key for about $40? less.
The shark dive might be a little out of your reach - it's off Cara y Cara on the south side and there can be some serious currents both at the bottom and getting down. Deep water just off the site also - it's sort of a flat pinnacle. You should be in the AOW cert. level range for that one.
There's also some shore diving at AKR. You can do a sort of muck dive in 30-40' of water in the lagoon between the mainland and the resort or the Front Porch dive site is there also. It's real shallow - under 6' - for a long way out. Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Front Porch of Honduras, Roatan
If you're considering winter months, Roatan's north side can see occasional "norther's" but it doesn't affect AKR as they'll move their boats south and shuttle you over for a day or two as needed. It's actually a good chance to dive the south sites they likely won't go to normally.
If you're fairly certain about it - they're offering 20% off for the next 5 days. Save 20% in 2015 - Anthony's Key Resort - Roatan - Honduras US Reservations: 800-227-3483
Superior means the rooms/cabanas have AC. Standard means bring more Deet since the windows are louvered. fwiw since you mentioned an adult daughter - all the beds are in the same room. The pool/pool bar is on the Key but all the dive operations, food, giftshop etc. are mainland.
If you tire of the food or need a change, the West End is 5mins ($6) by cab. You can also find a return cab most nights till pretty late at the main road to the West End - across from the Coconut Tree building. Should you want some food/drinks not available at AKR there's a small store there or another one about a block east (Woody's) Mornings there's also fresh fruit/produce sold by street vendors in trucks - it's nice stuff and they keep it nice.
All the nightlife with exception of AKR's bar is in the West End. Most of the touristy type shops also. Surprisingly there's some very good to excellent restaurants there - Argentinean Grille, Tong's Thai. For an excellent Indian meal there's Ooloonthoo. About the only place where a dress code might be possible and definitely make a reservation. It's reviewed as one of the finest Indian restaurants in the Caribbean.
We never travel with a packaged group tour - there's about 8-10 of us that do go on trips together. But we book all our own stuff. If you're not comfortable doing that Bay Islands Adventures or Caradonna are dive travel agencies. There's others also. Fee is paid by the resort so they have the same or slightly better pricing - or can usually throw in an upgrade. We booked one trip to Bonaire with Caradonna and our t/a got us Business Class seats for coach $ - we didn't even know until we boarded.
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