1st time Roatan or Utila trip - December 2019 - advice wanted

[dberry]

My adult daughter and I are planning a trip for this December. I've read some of the reviews about AKR and CCV, and have a few questions.

First, are there any issues with weather or conditions in December? I thought I read somewhere that the conditions at CCV weren't great in December, and they may dive from a different location. (I hope I didn't imagine reading that).

Second, are there any tips for getting there? We have a strong preference for American Airlines, which has limited flights to Coxen Hole. Fares are a lot cheaper to San Pedro Sula, but how hard is it to get to and take the ferry to Roatan?

Third, if we end up flying into San Pedro anyway, should we seriously consider Utila in December? I gather it's more geared to the budget crowd, but I'm several decades past my days staying in hostels. Any recommendations for nice but inexpensive hotels and dive ops?

Finally, I'm looking for any and all advice. My daughter and I had hoped to do BVI on the Juliet, but that trip was sold out.
Thanks in advance!
-Don Berry

 

[Outbound]

When I went to Roatan we flew directly into Coxen Hole. Others will undoubtedly have better info, but I would stay away from San Pedro Sula. It's one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

 

[KatieMac]

First off, AKR and CCV are on opposite sides (north side / south side). There is great diving in both places but you may want to get some feedback to decide if you have a preference. I don't have a preference. I love the El Aguila wreck and Hole in the Wall which you can easily dive from AKR. I love Mary's Place and other dives on the south side.

Neither are very close to a village/town. They are both isolated resorts and you will need to taxi if you want to go into town. West End is the most popular tourist town on Roatan although there are no "resorts" there. There are lots of places to stay but none all inclusive. You can find all inclusive resorts in West Bay though which is a short $3 water taxi ride to West End.

Don't get me wrong - AKR and CCV are both great resorts. Just offering another option if you want to be close to a village.

Every time I have been, I have stayed in West End and done food on my own.

 

[KevinG58]

I am told winter can be very rainy, making for cool surface intervals and runoff that blows out the shallows on the southside. While the island is not on the hurricane track, they do make landfall there once in a blue moon. Storms to the north of the island can make for very rough if not prohibitive conditions on the north side in the winter. That's when AKR ships divers to the south side. I hear.

I've stayed on the south side, at CCV and Reefhouse. Plenty of threads covering their pluses and minuses, real and perceived, I think

My usual widow for Roatan is from first of April to first of September. I've only been skunked by conditions once, when the trades roared for a solid week in April. Walls were still OK but shallows very were murky. One August we got through Houston right before it closed for a hurricane and it re-opened the day before we were due to leave (one of the best weeks of diving I've had on Roatan).

We fly United, through Houston, and have been satisfied, although ticket prices were elevated this year.
It was a little chaotic when we went through just after the closure I mentioned above. And sometimes our return connections to the west coast can be a little tight (I mentally allow for potential extended C&I, so under 2 hours is tight, to me). Mobile passport app helps, Houston was one of the first portals to adopt it. But it feels like forever waiting to pick up checked luggage, I have been told luggage coming in from central America is scrutinized closely, before clearing customs and rechecking it.
Then you do have to repeat security screening before transitioning from international to domestic.

 

[Chidiver1]

I flew into San Pedro last year, tooktthe bus most of the way down to the ferry, spent a couple days in the jungle. Then I hit the taxi to the ferry and to Utila. The bus does take a few hours to get to the ferry.

On the way out I took the ferry from Utila back to San Pedro and stayed the night in town before flying the next afternoon.

That night I walked around San Pedro all over the place, I didn't have a problem.

I haven't been to roatan, but Utila was pretty cool to experience. No cars, and the diving was good. I jumped out with Utila dive center mostly, and Altons for a day as well. Utila dive and Alton's both have accommodations. Alton's are the very basic ones, Utila dive has cabins and some are more deluxe.

Let us know what you pick.

Can't help you with the weather, I went in March for 10 days.

 

[PatW]

I have been to CoCo View several times and to Utila a few more times. Utila has an interesting assortment of dives: muck dives, wall dives, shallow reef dives. The place I went to is no longer in operation. Utopia Village looks interesting. But it is not cheap.

I never flew into San Pedro Sula. I have heard stories of the ferry aka the “Vomit Comet”. I understand that they have a new and improved “Vomit Comet”. We got to Utila on Island Air but I don’t know if that is still operating.

The town in Utila is on the backpacker’s trail. It is a college aged crowd. And it is a state of near anarchy. Very basic accommodations. Think of a year round Easter break in a Caribbean shanty town where soap and deodorant are discouraged.

 

[Chidiver1]

I have been to CoCo View several times and to Utila a few more times. Utila has an interesting assortment of dives: muck dives, wall dives, shallow reef dives. The place I went to is no longer in operation. Utopia Village looks interesting. But it is not cheap.

I never flew into San Pedro Sula. I have heard stories of the ferry aka the “Vomit Comet”. I understand that they have a new and improved “Vomit Comet”. We got to Utila on Island Air but I don’t know if that is still operating.

The town in Utila is on the backpacker’s trail. It is a college aged crowd. And it is a state of near anarchy. Very basic accommodations. Think of a year round Easter break in a Caribbean shanty town where soap and deodorant are discouraged.

When was the last time you went?

The ferry was fine, about the same as the ones in playa del Carmen. Shrug.

 

[diversteve]

Check the ferry departure times if you fly into SPS. I don't have any experience with the new ferry but it was almost impossible to take a bus from SPS to the ferry port without over nighting in La Ceiba first. Or a very expensive cab ride.

I agree with ^ regarding Utila town. But Utopia Village is pretty nice - although not cheap. There's also a couple of properties about 10mins (on an ATV) west of town - one or two with their own dive operations - one has a shore dive. This is it and there might be another property nearby also - Coral View Beach Resort & Dive Center | Where Divers Come To Dive

Roatan in winter - if anything is going to get blown out it's the North side. AKR has the resources to move boats south when that happens and shuttle you over, the smaller Panga-based operators in the West End just shut down. A couple of the bigger operators like Coconut Tree probably shuttle you over also. Cocoview being south should not be affected. The better shore dives are at CCV also. The Shark dive is on the south side near the airport and most shops book it and provide transport.

We made plans with a Roatan operator to go over to Utila one day (in March) but they canceled due to weather. It was fine on Roatan that day.

 

[dberry]

Roatan in winter - if anything is going to get blown out it's the North side. AKR has the resources to move boats south when that happens and shuttle you over, the smaller Panga-based operators in the West End just shut down. A couple of the bigger operators like Coconut Tree probably shuttle you over also. Cocoview being south should not be affected. The better shore dives are at CCV also. The Shark dive is on the south side near the airport and most shops book it and provide transport.

Thank you - I was just about to request advice about which side would be more likely to have weather issues in December. It sounds like CCV is a safer bet.

 

[tarponchik]

If you go do not forget to pack some bug spray.