Diving Roatan In November

[beluga2]

I suggest taking the Advanced Open Water certification. Deep and Navigation are required dives as part of that PADI certification. Then you get to pick three other specialty dives (Peak Performance Buoyancy and Fish ID are great picks). It's by far the most common certification after Open Water.

West End has an abundance of good dive shops. Try emailing a few and see if you click with one.

 

[Debvenice]

Thanks beluga 2. We do have our Open, Advanced and Dry suit certs. Just wanting more training.

 

[laurenceh]

you could get lucky but as someone who lived in the bay islands for 5 years i agree with doc, november is really wet. sure you might get lucky and get very little rain but you are more likely to get a deluge 18 hours a day. having spent 4 november' there i can say i have never seen so much water fall from the sky before, anywhere in the world, it can be positively monsoon like. november can be nice if you live on the island as a lazy gringo, you get to have a blanket on your bed which is a nice change and you get to read a lot of books but i wouldn't recommend it for an annual vacation. i rent out my home down there but won't rent it out in november, i feel too guilty to do so, knowing there's a 70% chance my renters will get soaked and chilly every time they leave the front porch.

 

[Debvenice]

laurenceh
I can't say that I like your reply, but I really appreciate your feedback. I'm really struggling to find a warm place to go diving in November!

 

[beluga2]

Completely agree about the "November Rain" but if you don't mind a 5mm wetsuit and raincoat, chances are you will get to go diving. From Doc's weather link:

"The lowest average wind speed of 3 m/s (light breeze) occurs around November 14, at which time the average daily maximum wind speed is 5 m/s (gentle breeze)."

 

[Doc]

....Maybe we should do our Deep Cert. when we are in Roatan. What outfits are the best?

A "deep cert" or deep dive specialty module is a codified, delineated course of study. Not much variation.

Get wired in with any dive shop that issues your original Agency certification, PADI, TDI, SDI, NAUI, PAUI, ZOWEE

That way your patches will match.

.... I'm really struggling to find a warm place to go diving in November!

Warm place? Since the daily average temp is 88°, is the November average of 84° really a big deal?

Thicker wetsuits are a non-issue, the West/North side water temp drops from it's standard 82°, plummeting down to 80°. Brrrr.

On the South side in the widespread shallows, the usual high of 88° can bottom out at 80°. Ba-ba-barutal !!

The thing to do to fix your (feared) hypothermia?

- A good windproof coat for between dives (Goretex shell)
- Hydrate
- relax on your surface interval
- the more stable the boat, the better



Quick research will show that November bites the big Green Sea Cucumber in the Caribbean.

If it's gotta be November, look at Tobago, Los Roques, the Aruba Bonaire Curacao group, Corn, Bay Islands.



A number of historical storm track images: Caribbean Weather by doc adelman

How's about some Red Sea?

 

[CajunDiva]

laurenceh
I can't say that I like your reply, but I really appreciate your feedback. I'm really struggling to find a warm place to go diving in November!

You could always come with us to Fiji

 

[scrane]

I've been in West End mid October for the past two years. It would often rain at night and the days would be clear. Diving has been very relaxed because it is the height of off season. Going back again this October.

 

[diver 85]

Great time of year to dive it(IMO-less trouble with the 'bugs' & weather is not as hot)--ie the earlier November the better(US cold fronts will affect you less---on the average).......I'm partial to the north side ---or West end-----...IMO, better diving in the those 2 'spots'......

 

[diver 85]

You could always come with us to Fiji

Where you heading------We did Beqa Lagoon in latter '10.....great diving, it's not called the 'soft coral capitol of the world' for nuttin'..........