Best Diving/Best Resort
I know this has been gone over here. I have used the search function and looked at all the places. I am planning on a trip in early May with a Dive Buddy. We like to Dive, both of us competent. I just did a week in the BVIs and dove every day there. Both of us single guys, 40 something.
1) Want to be someplace NICE. I realize there is no 4 seasons on Roatan, and I am not expecting that. But I do want a place that is not noisy, that is well kept, has good food and good service.
Sounds like you want an AI, then.
1a) Pool and nice beach are important.
I'm sure that your "search" limited that to very few places, then.
2) Would prefer a place that has extremely competent dive center on site Looking to do 3-4 dives a day, with a few night dives as well.
You have really limited the search further. Most of the resorts and ops have first rate guys, but your desire for 3-4 a day further confirms a dive centered AI.
2a) Dive center next door would be OK, as long as we can leave gear there to dry etc.
3) Prefer Boat diving............No Cattle boats.
There are very few real shore dives on Roatan, 99%+ are done by boat.
4) Would want Boat Captain to know best dives and be extremely competent.
Wouldn't we all. He might even take you to them long about Wednesday. Understand that due to the geography, he will be limited to North & West vs South.
5) Close to night life and local restaurants.
That could mean West End primarily, then West Bay or also some of the North and Western AI's such as AKR, BIBR or IoLR.
Would West Bay area be best for us? We did trip to Key Largo 2 years ago and changed hotels because first place was a dump (more like a motel). We wound up at a resort hotel and were much happier.
What you want simply does not exist on Roatan. The closest was FIBR with absolute exception of #5 and to some lesser extent, #3b
In later threads you asked about Fosters- it's a nice resort but meets few of your criteria.
Otherwise?
again, and believe what you read.
What is the best area to be located for closeness to best dive sites? I like wrecks and don't mind going to 100'.
I, ummm, ahhhh
IMnSHO: The best diving is on the South shore,
if you are an "advanced diver" with perfected buoyancy and excellent observational skills. Otherwise you might think it sucks. The North & West dives are generally deeper and have more easily seen and easy name-recognition larger fishies.
There are two readily accessed
placed monster wrecks on the North side that will easily take you into your
100 foot range. Consider AKR and BIBR for closeness, but any West End dive op will take you on by.
On the South side are three very
shallow wrecks at 65', 60~35', and 35' depths. They are a 65' shrimper, a 140' tanker ship and a DC3 aircraft. FIBR & CCV and a very few other limited operations.
Everybody comes to Roatan and has to dive Mary's Place.
Wrecks and 100 foot dives are not the top reasons that are best to have to decide to come to Roatan. Well, maybe they are. You may well love Mary's Place. Alas- there are
NO resorts near there that meet your criteria, but closest would be Barefoot Key.
http://www.barefootcay.com/Activities/tabid/420/Default.aspx
