Looking for info/adivce on AKR Roatan trip

[steveann]

Hi all, I know this has been hashed, rehashed, and re-rehashed on this board, but I have some questions that I haven't been able to find the answers to, and I was hoping you all could answer them, or at least point me in the right direction.

For some background information, my wife and I, along with 12 of our friends will be going to Roatan for a week, starting July 22 (my birthday, whee! Happy Birthday to me!) We are of varying skill levels, from a Tech Instructor to a brand new newbie doing his first dives after open water, if not getting himself certified down there. Two of the fourteen will also be under ten years old (they get to go to Kids Camp). We're
looking for a good time, both above and below the water. Some of us will undoubtably be doing more diving than others, and the shore diving is an interest to some of us (3 dives a day just might not be good enough for me sometime). We'll be looking to do some dives as a group, but also dives as singles/couples/sub-groups also.

Okay, enough info on us, now for my questions...

1. For those of you have been to AKR, is there anything you would have brought if you knew then what you know now about the place?

2. Nitrox fills, are they extra? Is there a weekly package for them? Do they even exist? Are they worth it?

3. Shore diving at the resort. I read a bit about it on several threads and websites, but I would be grateful for some more in depth info about it, like where do you enter from, tips on navigating (heard it can be tricky to find your way to the exit point), cool stuff to see, etc. Any info/advice would be most appreciated.

4. Any tips on how to make the most of the trip? Any cool little unknown dive sites, land trips, things to do?

5. Any tips/tricks for the boat dives? Any must do dives? Any dives you could skip?

6. For Kids Camp veterans, any info/tips for this? Any cool familiy activities to do?

7. Anything outside the resort that is a must not miss experience?

8. Any tips on getting decent airfare to the island? Dang airlines and their extra gas taxes.

As I think of more questions, I'll continue to post in here, especially as the replies come in. But before that happens, I would like to thank you for your help, and hope that this helps more than just myself.

 

[steveann]

Well, I've answered my own question about the Nitrox, or at least my wife did. Just took a bit more navigating of the AKR website. So, now I know they have Nitrox, and it's $75 for the week. Not too shabby, I guess. My guess is it's banked EAN32, but it doesn't say. That'd seem most probable to me, as most dives seem to be in the proper depth range for it.

 

[AllenG]

1. Anything to bring - Twice as much bug spray as you think you can possibly use. The no-see-um problem is no worse at AKR than anywhere else on the island, but compulsive spraying WHENEVER you are out and about rely does reduce the problem. Also, batteries - yes, it's extra weight, but batteries on the island just aren't cheap, and I like to start every night dive with fresh batteries.

2. Nitrox weekly packages - they've had this option in the past, so I assume it continues to be available. Is it worth it? That's a matter of diving style and opinion. I've never felt constrained/limited with plain oxygen re depth/duration for a dive, so for me it's just another gimmick RELATIVE TO A STRICTLY RECREATIONAL, 105' MAX Roatan dive. There obviously are any number of profiles wherein Nitrox is invaluable, but I never felt the need in Roatan.

3. Shore diving - Okay, it ain't CCV shorediving or Bonaire, but it is fun. At the back shoreline of the key itself, there is a little gear shack for gearing up. They have a rope guide through the shallows and the grassy bottoms out to the reef. You will come to an initial area of interest (I am remembering it as a fairly large area into which you can drop down to the bottom, with cut ins all around), but keep swimming out directly away from the shore until you reach the end of the reef structure and come to the sandy bottom. Now turn right and explore the coral reef face. Lots of little cut ins and swim throughs, and a fair amount of interesting critters.

4. Do ask your divemaster to avoid repeating reefs unless it's one you really love. The DMs do like to repeat sites. Do ask your DM to hit Double D Reef and Spooky Channel. Do ask your DM to do a run to Mary's Place and at least one other place on the south side of the island, even if it is just around the point.

5. Family activities - Do the dolphin snorkel with your kids; the snorkel experience is much more fun than the dive. Hike up the mountain through the botanical forest just up the street from resort; you be rewarded with the best view of Roatan once you hit the top. Horseback ride with your family to the West End beach when the resort does its beach trip; it's a great long ride and plenty of fun. Visit the bird sanctuary - great people there and an interesting area of critters. Follow the beach past RIMS and walk the beach til you can't go any further - you'll meet folks young and old.

 

[steveann]

Welp, we've got our airline tix now. Not too shabby, I guess. Just under 1k a person. It's nice to be flying directly into Roatan, though. No foreign changeovers. That way we only have to worry about the American thieves at the airports.

Slowly but surely, our trip is coming together. I'm still hoping that someone out there has some tips on Kids Camp, and maybe some more neat things to do while there. Anyone have any other neat little AKR secrets?

 

[buceadora]

There's a restaraunt called The View which has great food, and obviously a great view of the island. They are open for lunch during the week, and you can get some great sunset pictures if you go on a Friday night, when they're open for dinner. When I was there, a few weeks ago, they weren't open for dinner the rets of the week. Someone at AKR can probably verify the hours and call a taxi to take you there.Hae a great trip!

 

[steveann]

Okay, a new question has come up in our group's discussions about the trip...

Do they require any checkout dives prior to commencing diving?

 

[Doc]

Okay, a new question has come up in our group's discussions about the trip...Do they require any checkout dives prior to commencing diving?

Any boat that I am on had better, otherwise I'd be going elsewhere. Good that those you are diving with feel the same way, right?

Checkout dives and the disdain or avoidance thereof are the mark of diver hubris in the extreme. Avoid such people.

Think:
All conditions are different since my last dive. I gained weight, she lost some. I got a new wetsuit, she no longer wears booties. I changed from BCD to BPW, she just swapped the hoses around on the first stage at our garage workbench. Did I defog that brand new mask? What kind of weighting will I need with this type of tank?

AKR is a world class operation. The "checkout" portion of the first dive may be subtle, it may be quite obvious, It will occur. DM's have to know who is or is not going to be a problem. Trust me on this one- the local DM's know that everyone (you and me, too) in their group is a liability as compared to another local DM. Your DM just wants to know who to watch out for in particular.

If someone's skills are lacking, well- think about it! See the dive shop over there? It's filled with instructors! If the underperfoming diver's instructor is on the trip- looks like he has a small task to perform. If your skills are up to speed, what's the problem? It is better to slow down, and take 15 minutes of BT at the beginning of your trip rather than filling out paperwork and giving statements later about your fellow diver.

At CoCoView they call it an "orientation" dive. There really is no check-out of skills unless there's a new DM who isn't sure of what he's seeing. Otherwise it's a 'tour of the Front Yard', the shore dive that makes CCV so appealing.

We were on our eighth day of diving from a land based dive op in the Galapagos. We were joined in the small boat by a couple who had arrived early for their Aggressor trip and wanted some pre-dive logged BT. They sat and dawdled long after we were geared up and ready to flop in, they refused the "check out" dive. The predicted 1.5 to 2 mph current awaited as they finally put on their Force Fins. He grabs his Volkswagen sized camera with 2 lights and wide angle lens (ready for the Whale Sharks, he was) and knocked his wife goofy as they backrolled on top of each other. Their (and our) dive went downhill from there.

Always do one. Even if it is on your own with your buddy.

If you are doing a skills check, look at the large group around you, See who is kicking up the bottom, sculling with their hands, dragging their instruments. Pick the one diver who isn't and buddy up.

 

[FloridaScubaDepot]

I was there in March and am leaving again tomorrow (Sunday) to go back! ( Yea for me! ) All the divers on our boat last time arrived on Sunday so Monday AM, we arrived at the boat about 30 mins early, and the DiveMaster did our checkouts by the boats... took all of 5 mins for all 6 - 8 people on the boat.

I'll post if it happens differently this trip....

T minus 24 hours to AKR and counting tick tick tick....

 

[steveann]

Thanks for the info RM, although I was looking more for the actual mechanics of the "checkout" at AKR. I didn't know if they had an actual "checkout dive" scheduled, or if you'd be able to get a dive in on the first day there.

 

[rhyme]

4. Any tips on how to make the most of the trip? Any cool little unknown dive sites, land trips, things to do?

Yes. I spent 2 months down in Roatan a few years back, though not at AKR (much cheaper to rent a villa and piecemeal it when you stay that long).

Things NOT to miss:

If time permits, check out coxen hole. It's a real third world place in many respects. I found it a sobering experience.

For food - a MUST do is the argentinian grill in West End.
http://roatanet.com/listing/roatan-bars-restaurants.php


Negotiate your rates to and from West End before you get in the cab. 10 lempira. No more. Locals pay even less. If you see a guy who tells you a story about having one testicle, having escaped the US for not paying several hundred thousand in back taxes on a dump truck company he had in NJ, keep him as your driver. He's a riot and will take care of you.

If you go to West End be careful on the taxi situation. Finding one at 3am in the morning is NOT likely.

If in West End, walk all the way to the end of it ... past everything else... on your left you will see a bar built in front of a voleyball net. I can't recall the name, I wanna say its Luna, but that might be the resort right after it. In any case, this bar rocks. If you walk the path you can't miss it - but its past where you might think it is ... keep walking. Ask a local, you'll find it. Dirt cheap beer, great locals - it became my hangout.

Check out west bay beach for drinks or dinner one night. Don't go on Tuesdays or Sundays. Cruise days. There is a restaurant built on top of the water at the end of West Bay Beach (not to be confused with West End, two different places). Its right at the end of the beach (you can't miss it because the other side is a cliff). They have a lobster pasta. Try it. If you go for lunch, right next to the pier is a woman who sells empanadas she makes at home. 10 lempira each. Less if you buy more. They are really good and you can feed yourself and friends for a couple bucks.

In West End, there is an Italian place, called Pura Vida. It's a bit $$, but it's excellent Italian food. Another bar worth trying is Twisted Toucan.

If you have the time to rent a car and drive around, Roatan is really quite something to drive around. Definetly check out French Harbour, its very pretty there. Good food there too. Oak Ridge is interesting because its still a traditional fishing village.

Must do dives:

El Aguila Wreck. Ask your divemaster to take you to the cave here. It's almost impossible to find, and you won't believe the entrance when you see it, but its amazing. Also the wreck is nice - resident moray and lots of large grouper here.

It's probably called ten different things but get them to take you right to Lighthouse reef ( http://www.geoffschultz.org/2004_Sailing/Honduras_Roatan_Diving/images/Roatan_West_End_Dive_Map.jpg )
or very near it. The current picks up - sometimes big time right around the edge here, and the waves get much more signficant - so people dont want to go here... "Oh its choppy!" I always requested this site when I could. It's nearly never dived, and theres more here to see than on any other site of Roatan. If you catch one of the signficant current days you can really fly - and I mean fly... Like you close your body into a ball and slow down, open up like a flag and pass your buddy... buddy closes into a ball slows down... opens up and passes you... tons of fun. Also, great fish here.


Mary's Place - East Side, pain in the butt to dive, but its a great dive with lots of swimthroughs and tons and tons of tiny fish flying through them. It's a deeper dive - 100 to 120, and shortly before I dove it a couple came here on their honeymoon. The husband just keep going down. Wife tried to get him to stop, he didn't. She shot to the surface. Divemaster went to the surface wondering what the heck the woman was doing. Divemaster then went after him after she explained, but was low on air and had to turn around at 160ft. His body washed up in a shrimp trawler a week later. Keep an eye on your gauges here.

Shark Dive - If you like sharks, its worth it I guess.

Let me know if you have other questions - PM me. I know the island well.