Anyone Dove -Fantasy Island Roatan

[Limestone Diver]

I have a small group going to Fantasy Island/ Roatan from the 22-29th of Jan and am looking for any advice/ info that others woho have been there might have.

In particular I'm looking for a short list of the "must do" dives as well as info on non diving stuff (ie shopping).

If anyone else is going to be at the resort over the same time-- perhaps we can get together for post dive beverages.


Cliff

 

[BEM]

We were there in mid-Jan of 2004. Pouring rain when we arrived and cloudy for a couple of days. Then sunny and hot!

Try to get a room on the second floor (they seemed to be nicer and quieter). Our main level room (and a few others) had some bad smells and we used Lysol to help get rid of it. The bugs were not bad at all - we used some repellant, but sometimes forgot - didn't get one bite.

Food was so-so and not a lot of variety. A number of us got some sort of stomach illness that lasted, at most, 24 hours.

Dive marina was great - liked the showers (near the dock), the gear storage area was OK, but could use a bit of freshening up. The boats are easy to move around on and lots of room to get gear on and off (guess it depends on how many on at the time - we usually had 10-12 divers.) Dive guides/masters were helpful and friendly.

All the dive sites were really good and we enjoyed them all! Never had any time limitations or restrictions. Nitrox is available, ($7 per tank or $100 for all week), and the fills were always good (about 3200 psi). Diving off the gazebo (to the plane and Prince Albert and wall) is a lot of fun. Best night dive I've had at a site called Missing Link (out of the few down south I've gone on.) Be careful and ask if there are Sea Wasps around – we never had them, but the other boat (on the same site and night) did.

Doc’s Wall was really nice. There is a chimney to go through, we didn’t do it and cruised the wall. The people that did, said that they only saw bubbles from the divers below them.

Mary’s Place was OK, but we had a bit of current and the vis wasn’t great.

We did the snorkel encounter with the Dolphins at Anthony’s Key Resort – we enjoyed it!

We also did the shark dive (Waihuka Diving). It was 3 miles offshore and at 70 fsw. There were about 15 Reef Sharks and lasted for 35 minutes. It was exciting being around and near (had to duck once) large sharks. The current was strong from 40 feet and up, but calm on the bottom.

Water temp varied between 78.8 - 80.2 Saw lots of critters: octopi, squid, sharks, turtles, rays, queen angel, drum, seahorses, eels (saw some babies on the wall at Doc's Wall), and lots more. The coral appeared to be fairly healthy and interesting.

We only experienced a bit of surge on one dive and the seas were fairly calm all week. All in all it was a great week and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did.

 

[Sirto]

I have a small group going to Fantasy Island/ Roatan from the 22-29th of Jan and am looking for any advice/ info that others woho have been there might have.

In particular I'm looking for a short list of the "must do" dives as well as info on non diving stuff (ie shopping).

If anyone else is going to be at the resort over the same time-- perhaps we can get together for post dive beverages.


Cliff

Try the canopy tour.You go on ziplines through the jungle. Around $35.

I'd pass on shopping tours of Coxen Hole.

It's interesting to walk through West End.

You can do night dives off the gazebo or, better yet, have them drop you off over the wall or the wreck since that will save you the swim out and give you more time underwater.

 

[Kaos]

Roatan had by far the best diving I ever done in the Carribean... it's so unfortunate that the island itself is not that interesting, I'm the kind that likes to explore as much on land as underwater.

Must-dives:

Mary's Place - awesome crack between two reefs, with a large resident crab and neaby seahorses
Herbie's Reef - Grouper called Roxy who enjoys the company of divers, as well as a bright green moray eel who swam calmly less that 3 feet from me
Peter's Place - Cool swimthroughs
Cara a Cara - shark dive, lots of current during saftety stop
Front Porch - dolphin dive, don't know if non-Anthony's Key guests can do that one though

A few sites (Cara a Cara, Mary's Place) are in very choppy waters, make sure you bring your motion sickness medecine.

And, of course have fun

 

[Tom R]

Why don't you read your log book from last year

 

[Limestone Diver]

Why don't you read your log book from last year

Tom: Just call me a bad a** but I haven't kept my log book up to date.

But this is my first trip to Roatan-- last year was a trip to Toronto-- the year before it was Aruba, Cozumel and Florida. The year before that it was Cayman Brac.

But as far as I can tell- Roatan is warm salt water-- and all I dove was cold fresh water-- just like the freak I am.

Cliff

 

[Limestone Diver]

To all those who sent me Pm's and post on Roatan-- thank you. I'm certian the information will make for a better vacation.

Cliff

 

[DiveMistress2]

Hey Cliff - where's your trip report?.....And did you log your dives this year?

We'll be thinking of you at the end of March when we're in Florida for 2.5 weeks....hahaha