Is Roatan in October worth the trip?

[Steve_Dives]

The LDS has a trip to Roatan scheduled for late October this year. I've spent a couple weeks picking through ScubaBoard and various websites, and I'm left wondering about the rainy season diving.

If it rains our whole week, will we be able to shore dive, and will there be enough to keep us diving from shore for 3+ dives per day for the week? The resort is on the south side, FI I believe.

What are the odds that the rain will scrub out all diving?

Limited vis isn't much of a turn off. We will tolerate the weather and bugs. And we look forward to the new place & culture. But if we take a dive vacation and can't dive, another place or time might be in order.

 

[Doc]

If it rains our whole week, will we be able to shore dive, and will there be enough to keep us diving from shore for 3+ dives per day for the week? The resort is on the south side, FI I believe.

What are the odds that the rain will scrub out all diving?

Shore diving from FIBR could be quite limited, but understand- very few people shore dive. They are mostly "dropped" over the Prince Albert Wreck either by moored dive boat or taken out in the early evenings in a large rectangular pram workboat to do a backroll and in. Look at a Google Satellite image, it's a bit of a schlepp from the FIBR "shore dive gazebo" to the Wreck or the walls, and its all through the run-off murk from their dredged beach. They have an aircraft cable to guide you. Do not hurry through this siltated area- many exotic critters lurk for your amusement.

Ask, and they'll run you out there. Very hospitable and hardworking bunch!

The dive sites should be fine. Roatan isn't known for it's viz, anyway. It is known for little critters that cling to the reef as a nursery. Unfortunately, when it rains, sometimes the water gets a bit nippy, falling to 79-80 degrees, maybe even 78 from its usual 82-83. Doesn't seem like much to you and me... the critters will withdraw.

Surface intervals in the rain can be somewhat chilling.

I'm with you, I'm diving, I was already wet!

 

[Alex777]

Well, if a single experience (mine) is significant - I was there from Oct. 9 to 16, 2006 and the weather was PERFECT! Great diving conditions, gorgeous reef, etc.

 

[Alex777]

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[Alex777]

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[CODMAN]

Our trip last october to Fantassy Island was from October 21st to 28th! We only got 1 day where it rained a bit. But other than that, it was a mix of sun and cloud! At night, it would really pour... We might have been lucky... But October was great!

R-Man pretty much summed it up! You can get dropped off on the PA wreck any time before 9:00pm. And can do later dives from the Gazebo if you arrange it beforehand. They'll also drop you off on the PA or Newmans wall (R-man, isn't that the one just in front of COCO?) coming back from your 3rd dive and you can swim back into to the Gazebo...

Hope this helps!

 

[Sirto]

We have been there in October twice and the weather was generally good.

I would say definitely go!

 

[lock_washer]

Renpirate dove with pilot whales there. That's all the reason to go.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

It's hurricane season, best time to go, if you want cheap.

 

[Sirto]

It's hurricane season, best time to go, if you want cheap.

Most hurricanes don't get that far south.