Advice for new divers on Roatan

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West End is not so bad, even on cruise ship days. Yes, there are shoppers, cruisers on the beach, and snorkeling the shallow reef on the left side of Half Moon Bay. But the beach doesn't really get crowded and at least they draw the attention of the massagers and other hackers.

We stayed in West End for 2½ weeks in June/July this year and loved it. This was after a week at Anthony's Key. We dove a few times with Coconut Tree Divers and enjoyed all the dives we did with them. Nice operation located right at the traffic circle. They would be a great dive op for you and your other new divers. They'll tailor the dives to the experience level of the divers on the boat, even if the experience level is mixed.

I also recommend eating at Ginger's on Half Moon Bay. It's also located at the left side of the bay right where the beach ends. Great food at reasonable prices. Tell Anthony, the server (tall slim guy), that I said hello.
 
Great intel- thanks! Good to know that West End may not be out of the question on those cruise ship days. The snorkelling there does sound cool- that is one of the strongest draws for us on that side of the island. Coconut Tree Divers sounds good too- may check them out. Thanks for the food recommendation too- I've seen Ginger's mentioned a few times by others as a favourite haunt!
 
if conditions are right- but often tough on entry/ exit because of waves and the iron coast.

Not a likely option. Very difficult terrain and weather- sounds like you’ve been pre-warned. I’m pretty sure I know the houses you reference. The ones on the iron shore are very elegant and fit in well with the environment.

You will not be doing any shore entry SCUBA in that First Bight area. No tanks available. This is a given anywhere on Roatan. Not only is actual shore dive terrain and reef distance an issue, but no dive-op will just “rent you a tank” to load into your car.

Parrot Tree and the resort next door (named Media Luna) has off-prem dive services that do pick-ups at their pier. Might be Subway last i saw.

Media Luna does a “shore dive” but it’s usually limited to a resort type dive inside their 1/2 moon iron shore sheltered zone. Good muck at night but thats about it. They do not offer night dive tanks though.

Subway also services Turquoise Bay Resort just to the North of 1st Bight. Dive op is a good product. It does offer a bit more unique look at the North side than the standard West End experience- still generally a deep profile.

You didn’t say… and no one has asked…

Got all your own gear?


If you need anything other than weights and tanks, your dive day is going to be very very busy. Rental set-ups and a new diver visit paperwork easily adds 1.25 hr minimum to fiddling around time.

Driving your group of divers there (wherever) and back is going to qualify you for the PITA Cert Card. You would do well to do 3x a day all at once vs traipsing around for 1x per day, or even just 2. Once you’re suited up, stay with it.

Sidenote: you mention going off on other adventures- other than diving. Truth be known, aint much worth driving around Roatan to attempt to amuse yourself. What are you thinking about doing?

Your reference to Dive Pangea… now that’s worth the schlepp. Nice boats, ladders, attentive staff. Not many people have ever been diving “up North East”. Their location allows them to play to weather quite effectively.

Reef House, the dive-op is passable, a bit primitive, and requires you to park & hire a water taxi to get to RHR. The boats and ladders are outdated.

BFk (Barefoot) has some similar (but lesser) obstacles to access. It provides a homogenized product since the DMs are used to dealing with (mega yacht & a very few pod people) vacationers who might fancy a dive. It’s a Club Med feel to the dive-op… not a bad thing, just know what to expect.

BFk is not my go-to recommendation for many (due to it being inside an industrial harbor making it less than an idyllic setting) but it might be perfect for your day-visiting tribe. The dive shop gear center is where you park. Get all squared away there first and they move you across the harbor channel to BFk itself. Nice boats, attentive DMs. Some people refer to “concierge diving” but no-one can explain how that is any different from 99% of any other Roatan dive ops. (Analogy? Park City vs Deer Valley) Suffice to say, their general DM interaction with their standard clientele is very well suited to noob ow divers.

You’re going thru the effort to stay independently on the South side, mid-island. You are square in the middle of a 6 mile long zone of diving that is unique in the Caribbean. There is certainly nothing else like it available on the island of Roatan— take advantage of the uniqueness while you’re there. For that reason I would push you towards Barefoot or any of the Subway Southside day-dive op providers - stay in that area - you’re right next to Coco View. Stay local for diving.

The majority of divers and logged dives are done out of West End/Bay operations. A few divers pay extra to dive Mary’s Place or Cara a Cara shark dive- so they believe they have also experienced the Southside. No, not so much.

Southern shore: Shallow profiles, a very lush colorful array of soft corals, Southern walls mean they’re in full Sunlight. CCV’s Prince Albert placed 140’ wreck is a mile away- sits upright and intact in 50fsw. Go for it.
 
Hi Doc- This is incredibly helpful thanks! In fact- some of your previous posts (re: Doc R and the geography of Roatan) helped us decide where to set up home-base. Amazing detail- so thanks on behalf of all- I'm sure it's a lot of work for you to document- but it's valuable! As new OW divers- we are keen on staying shallower and really working on our buoyancy/ control. The south seemed to check all the boxes (except maybe for fish count etc). We do not have our own gear- except for fins, masks/snorkels and (by the time we go) dive computers. So- valid points about the rental gear as well. I suppose that's also a benefit of staying with one main operator once we have all that sorted on our first dive. In terms of the land stuff- we're big cyclists/ hikers/ birders & I'm quite into photography. The cycling is clearly not an option- but we've found a few hikes/ nature walks that may work- particularly in the east/ north of the island. (Something like Port Royal wildlife reserve). We're also not interested in holding sloths or those kinds of packaged experiences. We do enjoy getting out into nature, and experiencing the true culture of a place & its people. While this trip will mostly be about the scuba/ snorkelling- we're hoping the top-side stuff offers at least a couple of side adventures!
 
I'm curious - other than diving, what is it you plan to see or so in Roatan?

I've been there many times, and outside of diving, eating, drinking, sleeping, and nursing the many wounds inflicted by the local bugs, I can't think of anything else we've done. I've read several books during surface intervals, but I don't think that counts as a local attraction.
 
Good question- and still sorting out some options! A few possibilities on the list- Picacho Peak (or some other hiking in Port Royal Park). Paya Bay seems a good access for some of that. Checking out Camp Bay & La Sirena. We may venture out to French Harbour & the village of Oak Ridge as well. Carambola gardens or Blue Harbour may be an option for hikes/ birding too but they look short & a wee bit overpriced for what they are. Of course, we will need to get down to West End/ West Bay as well at some point. We will likely only do a couple of these as we really want to concentrate on exploring below the water!
 
To be honest, we went to West Bay this summer and I don't intend going back. It just isn't my scene. Yes, it's a beautiful beach but the entire length of it is either resorts or restaurants. We much prefer West End.

What I would recommend doing one day during your stay is do a hired tour of the island. You'll see more things and learn more about the island and its history. We did a tour 2 years ago with Cleve Bodden of Cleve's Tours. You can find him and book a tour on facebook. And BTW, you mention Oak Ridge and call it a village. Actually, it's the 2nd largest town on the island. It's just spread out around a large bay.

Roatan is a beautiful island and needs to be seen to be really appreciated.
 
To be honest, we went to West Bay this summer and I don't intend going back. It just isn't my scene. Yes, it's a beautiful beach but the entire length of it is either resorts or restaurants. We much prefer West End.

What I would recommend doing one day during your stay is do a hired tour of the island. You'll see more things and learn more about the island and its history. We did a tour 2 years ago with Cleve Bodden of Cleve's Tours. You can find him and book a tour on facebook. And BTW, you mention Oak Ridge and call it a village. Actually, it's the 2nd largest town on the island. It's just spread out around a large bay.

Roatan is a beautiful island and needs to be seen to be really appreciated.

That's very helpful thanks Greg! I think we're aligned with your thinking- and the tour sounds like it may be a great idea. (The history is something you really don't get from just sightseeing). That's funny about Oak Ridge- I had no idea! West End also sounds more our speed...
 
I got lucky during my stay at the West End and was there without the cruise ship hordes. It was extremely uncrowded, relatively quiet, except for the clubs blasting Central American hip-hop to empty venues. Kids will be bored within the 30 minutes it takes to stroll from one end to the other.

Doc, above, is offering some good advice.

If you want to make the best of your diving experience I suggest getting a good grip on what you expect to see when underwater, and what you should look for. For example, I saw almost no large fish in the four days I dove with West End Divers, but saw tons of healthy looking barrel sponges and cnidarians. Most ecosystems shallower that 30 feet appear hammered with too warm water, SCTLD, and algae. There's a dive outfit out of West Bay that helps stem SCTLD by recruiting divers to paint diseased corals at selected locations, for example; that could be fun and extremely educational. I'd also check out the Stanley submersible While at West Bay: Roatan Submarine Ride

Also, I'd try to understand what the currents are doing at that time of year. In July, for example, seasonal current out of the east made visibilty pretty lousy on the south side of the island.

If you'd like an unvarnished view of the diving (I saw) you can check out some of my Roatan dive videos here:



...and don't forget to post up your dive experience here after you get back!!
 

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