Roatan AKR or FI

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Thanks everyone for the valuable info. We really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I would definitely be up for a shark dive, the wife on the other hand, would probably not be up for it. Who knows, once she gets comfortable with the diving in Roatan, she may be up for a little more stress :) .

Chris
 
RoatanMan was right on.


Anyone can do the Dolphins at AKR and the shark dives are open to anyone. Most reports I hear are do the snorkel with the Dolphins. I have never done it but its what I hear.

The south side has, reportedly, less mosquitoes, I still get bit. I have a condo in French Harbor on the hillside and they eat me alive. It is the tropics and mosquitoes are a factor.


I prefer South Side and West End diving and have my favorites. I don't stay at the resorts and I rent a car. I have dove with FI, AKR, Subway, West End Divers and Tyll's. My worst dives were at AKR but it was more weather related than anything. One dive was a drift and we swam into the current the entire dive. It was no fun, that wasn’t weather related it was poor planning on the DM’s part. The reefs on the South Side seem healthier than the reefs around AKR. IMHO! The reefs around Sandy bay and Spooky Channel have a lot of dead areas and devastation.

I don't like FI, it feels 60ish and fake but that’s my opinion, many love it. The steps at AKR that RoatanMan speaks of could be a bear to some if you’re tired or have some knee trouble. Also, the mosquitoes are thick at AKR. I only stayed there one day with a friend that was at AKR and after two dives we headed to the mess hall, the climb was steep and it was raining like crazy. On the plus side, AKR is beautiful and the museum is very interesting but anyone can go to the museum and visit the facilities.

If you shop around you can get cheap rooms at various places in West End then pick and choose your dive operators. I like to drop off my gear at tyll’s and leave it. I call ahead, schedule a dive and the gear is ready when I arrive. That’s my kind of diving.

If you’re really in for an adventure, ask around for Karl and do a deep sea sub trip. He will take you down to 2000 feet for 300 per person. His sub is located at the north end of West End in Half Moon Bay. You can’t miss it.

If you dive on the west end, request a dive in Mary’s place, Fish Soup, and Parrott Tree. The wall right out of Parrot tree is about 160 feet and the reef at the top is huge elkhorn coral that goes right to the surface. Fish soup has three large green moreys that will follow you the entire dive and Mary’s place, off French Harbor, is well, its Mary’s Place. An awesome dive!
 
I stayed at AKR last May. Had an absolutely fantastic time. The dive staff is first rate, and the operations are as smooth as professional as you could possibly want. Three dives a day, plus 2 night dives per week should keep you pretty busy. There is also an old DC3 wreck in the channel that is also available for independant diving. The stairs to reception and dinning room aren't really that steep, and the setting and view are wonderful. I would go back to AKR anytime.
 
To address the fist point:
For all practical purposes AKR has no shore diving...

As far as best dive sites:

AKR has boats going EVERY WHERE - they go places most dive ops don't - Moarat / Mounds / Cacos Chanios "please ignore spelling" -

As far as masquitos go I have never really noticed them to be a big problem at any time of the year - of course my home base is HOUSTON so maybe the fact that we are covered up with them there doesn't make me a good judge - I do know there are allot less on the NW side of Roatan then there are in Houston....
 
Thanks for the info.

Chris
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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