I’d like to share my experience from a great week on Roatan in mid-January. As a somewhat frequent visitor to Cozumel where I dive with Aldora, I have learned to appreciate the buoyancy characteristics and long dives from their steel tanks. When planning my recent trip to Roatan, I came across Bottom Time Scuba as the only (known) operator on Roatan to use steel tanks. Its a boutique, single boat operation run by expat couple Jay and Lavina who also operate a 3 unit bed and breakfast where I stayed. Sun Country Airlines has a Friday non-stop flight to Roatan from Minneapolis that made getting to the island easy; times are great with a mid morning departure from MSP and the return leaves Roatan after 4pm, so you can still go diving the day before and have plenty of time before the flight back.
This was my first trip to Roatan and I was pleased with the quality of the diving. Although the the usual suspects for the Caribbean were abundant on the reef, I also felt that there was a bit more diversity than Cozumel. We encountered green and hawksbill turtles, numerous eels, tons of fish including some large barracuda and groupers which I haven’t seen recently in Cozumel, and macro life like whip coral shrimp, abundant Peterson shrimp, and some slugs and nudis. January is still rainy season for Roatan, and that held true for this trip. Most of the rain occurred at night, but this led to some dives with visibility that wasn’t the best, but I understand for most of the year, visibility rivals Cozumel. 1 diving day was lost due to weather; a trip was offered but Jay explained that site selection was limited, diving would likely be affected by visibility and we might be uncomfortable during a choppy, wet boat ride. I’m normally going to trust the knowledge and experience of the captain and divemaster in a situation like that but appreciated the honesty and ability to make the choice not to dive.
Most of the diving was in the area between west bay and west end. The quality and selection of sites was very good. I had the opportunity to dive 2 sites on the southwest side and enjoyed being able to see both sides. I felt that the sites on the southwest may have been a little better in terms of coral growth and I think a dive at a site called “Swing” was one of the better dives of this trip. I wanted to dive a site called Texas at the recommendation of other divers. Unfortunately currents and visibility did not favor a dive there this trip, but it gives me something to look forward to next time.
Bottom Time uses steel 100’s and dives were all over an hour, mostly 75-85 mins. They normally operate from a pier in West Bay but do have access to another pier in the Flowers Bay area where they will depart from if conditions warrant. Other divers were a mix of locally based expats, vacationers, and long term visitors to the island. It really was a wonderful mix of friendly and compatible divers on the boat. The groups were small but still offered great experiences for everyone whether photography, lion fish hunting, or training. I will certainly dive with Jay and Lavina at Bottom Time on my next trip and recommend their operation for anyone looking for individual attention or a patient and experienced instructor for training. Being a small, single boat operation, they could fill up, so I’d recommend contacting them before your trip.
The bed and breakfast accommodations were very comfortable and set in a peaceful, shaded area that’s an easy 10 min walk from West Bay beach. While not on the beach, I think the units are well equipped for either a short or extended stay with an efficiency kitchen including a full sized refrigerator, microwave, dishes, and some small appliances; there was no stove, but did see a hot plate. Lavina and Jay were great host and very helpful during my stay. They seemed well connected to supportive of the local community and can make excellent recommendations for places to dine.
I was able to beat the the new testing requirements before coming back to the US, but it appeared there would be no problem getting a rapid test on the island. Several larger places of accommodation appeared to have arrangements for testing on site, and there was availability in West Bay. PCR tests are going to be more expensive and not as readily available, but the USA does not (currently) require PCR; rapid/antigen testing is just fine. Covid protocols were in place where required; many establishments required a temperature check and use of hand sanitizer to enter. And personally, I felt much better about being in a sunny, warm location with plenty of fresh air and ocean breezes than being stuck indoors with recirculating air.
All said, I look forward to visiting Roatan again someday. Its certainly provides a convenient, but a bit less developed alternative to Mexico. My thanks and recommendation go to Jay and Lavina for a great week of diving.
This was my first trip to Roatan and I was pleased with the quality of the diving. Although the the usual suspects for the Caribbean were abundant on the reef, I also felt that there was a bit more diversity than Cozumel. We encountered green and hawksbill turtles, numerous eels, tons of fish including some large barracuda and groupers which I haven’t seen recently in Cozumel, and macro life like whip coral shrimp, abundant Peterson shrimp, and some slugs and nudis. January is still rainy season for Roatan, and that held true for this trip. Most of the rain occurred at night, but this led to some dives with visibility that wasn’t the best, but I understand for most of the year, visibility rivals Cozumel. 1 diving day was lost due to weather; a trip was offered but Jay explained that site selection was limited, diving would likely be affected by visibility and we might be uncomfortable during a choppy, wet boat ride. I’m normally going to trust the knowledge and experience of the captain and divemaster in a situation like that but appreciated the honesty and ability to make the choice not to dive.
Most of the diving was in the area between west bay and west end. The quality and selection of sites was very good. I had the opportunity to dive 2 sites on the southwest side and enjoyed being able to see both sides. I felt that the sites on the southwest may have been a little better in terms of coral growth and I think a dive at a site called “Swing” was one of the better dives of this trip. I wanted to dive a site called Texas at the recommendation of other divers. Unfortunately currents and visibility did not favor a dive there this trip, but it gives me something to look forward to next time.
Bottom Time uses steel 100’s and dives were all over an hour, mostly 75-85 mins. They normally operate from a pier in West Bay but do have access to another pier in the Flowers Bay area where they will depart from if conditions warrant. Other divers were a mix of locally based expats, vacationers, and long term visitors to the island. It really was a wonderful mix of friendly and compatible divers on the boat. The groups were small but still offered great experiences for everyone whether photography, lion fish hunting, or training. I will certainly dive with Jay and Lavina at Bottom Time on my next trip and recommend their operation for anyone looking for individual attention or a patient and experienced instructor for training. Being a small, single boat operation, they could fill up, so I’d recommend contacting them before your trip.
The bed and breakfast accommodations were very comfortable and set in a peaceful, shaded area that’s an easy 10 min walk from West Bay beach. While not on the beach, I think the units are well equipped for either a short or extended stay with an efficiency kitchen including a full sized refrigerator, microwave, dishes, and some small appliances; there was no stove, but did see a hot plate. Lavina and Jay were great host and very helpful during my stay. They seemed well connected to supportive of the local community and can make excellent recommendations for places to dine.
I was able to beat the the new testing requirements before coming back to the US, but it appeared there would be no problem getting a rapid test on the island. Several larger places of accommodation appeared to have arrangements for testing on site, and there was availability in West Bay. PCR tests are going to be more expensive and not as readily available, but the USA does not (currently) require PCR; rapid/antigen testing is just fine. Covid protocols were in place where required; many establishments required a temperature check and use of hand sanitizer to enter. And personally, I felt much better about being in a sunny, warm location with plenty of fresh air and ocean breezes than being stuck indoors with recirculating air.
All said, I look forward to visiting Roatan again someday. Its certainly provides a convenient, but a bit less developed alternative to Mexico. My thanks and recommendation go to Jay and Lavina for a great week of diving.