Trip Report : West Bay, Roatan

[Doc]

We dove the Odyssey. It was a fun dive.

Happy that somebody else was thinking this and said so! I agree wholeheartedly.

There are a number of reasons that this wreck has fallen off the list for many North/West dive ops. Dive with the ones who will still go there!

- It was always a deep dive at 110fsw, but when she was newly sunk and intact, higher structures allowed for slightly shallower profiles.

- The attraction for many divers is when "a wreck" looks more like a recognizable ship. It takes a lot of diving before one can begin to see beyond shapes and look for opportunistic niche creatures that lurk in plain sight. When it becomes a pile of rubble, most divers lose interest. Their loss, but the dive-op knows what sells... it's a forrest for the trees kind of perceptual issue.

- The Odyssey wreck is at the far Eastern range of most North/West dive operators. Gas is an issue, and there are closer dives sites and a wreck (the Aquila), as well. For a lot of social/business-dynamics reasons, the mooring system takes a major beating, even leaving the rougher weather out of the equation.

Here is a good reference for the Wrecks of Roatan: Roatan wreck scuba diving - history - information

With a careful read (between the lines), you will see similar sentiments as mine.

There is an incredible "placed" wreck on Roatan that no-one really dives. It was sunk in a rather haphazard placement just behind (North of) Frenck Key. The waters are dark and murky, even though she is shallower than the North side wrecks. It would be a great dive for a truly advanced diver, not referring to simple possession of the c-card. There are two other more "natural" South side wrecks in that same category.

Look beyond structure, both natural reef and man-made. Utilize it instead to look for the creatures that are using what remains there to their unique advantage. It's all in the details.

 

[sailbad the sinner]

The Odyssy is still a nice dive site and quite worth the trip. Also, lionfish are here, and they are not going away. We saw five yesterday alone.

 

[dmoore19]

For me, a wreck is a place where all the other "stuff" comes together. I am not so much interested in the wreck itself but the different life forms that move in and take up residence. The wreck is fun to look at but I don't want to penetrate the wreck, I like looking around the outside of the wreck!

 

[shark_tamer]

Well that kinda sucks!
How many divers in your group most days?

For the first half on the week, we were using 2 boats ... so there was roughly 20 divers.

Sorry to hear you didn't get to dive the Odyssey. I was on Roatan in Dec/Jan. We dove the Odyssey. It was a fun dive. Someone wasn't very honest with you.

- The Odyssey wreck is at the far Eastern range of most North/West dive operators. Gas is an issue,

As for me not diving The Odyssey, life is not a party every day !!! And I don't agree with dmoore19 about ¨someone wasn't very honest with you ¨ , as I stated before, I was the only diver of the group who wanted to dive The Odyssey, or any other wreck. Anja was very openned with me about the matter and I understand her reason for not taking the group wreck diving. Like her, I would rather have 1 disapointed diver than 15 disapointed diver.

And I'm pretty shure that I would have found another dive center who would have taken me dive The Odyssey ( or any other wreck ) if I really really wanted to do so !!!

 

[dmoore19]

For the first half on the week, we were using 2 boats ... so there was roughly 20 divers.





As for me not diving The Odyssey, life is not a party every day !!! And I don't agree with dmoore19 about ¨someone wasn't very honest with you ¨ , as I stated before, I was the only diver of the group who wanted to dive The Odyssey, or any other wreck. Anja was very openned with me about the matter and I understand her reason for not taking the group wreck diving. Like her, I would rather have 1 disapointed diver than 15 disapointed diver.

And I'm pretty shure that I would have found another dive center who would have taken me dive The Odyssey ( or any other wreck ) if I really really wanted to do so !!!

OK, but, there were 15 divers on the Odyssey the day we did it and we were all smiling and loving it. "To each his own" said the old lady as she kissed the cow. When I am on vacation every day is party day! Did you happen to get a chance to dive the Aguilla? Another really fun dive. Wait a minute, seems like every dive I have done so far was a great dive, haven't been disappointed yet!

 

[Mike]

Not saying it's the case, but many dive ops will err to the white lie in situations when they don't want to say "I don't feel comfortable with your diving ability to take your there." Not saying it's the case in your situation, nor if it is right or wrong, only an observation that I've seen over and over again. I've seen it many times, especially with an over zealous husband and more timid/less comfortable wife, dive team, where the dive master will go this route to protect the wife instead of risking a confrontation with the husband or risk a husband/wife issue developing.

 

[Sloeber]

I agree with mfinley919. Although my skills may not be perfect, thanks mostly to lack of regular diving opportunities, my confidence under water is solid and easily visable by the DM's. When I was married my wife also dove, and was always my partner, but her skills were less than mine and her confidence basically didnt exist. As such our dives were limited by the DM to what she was capable of, not what I was capable of. Perhaps not the best scenerio for myself, but without a doubt the right thing to do as a DM. Now that I am a divorced diver the DM's seem more willing to take me to the challenging dive sites.

Therefore the moral of the story is divorce your less-than-skilled wife and find a better dive partner! (joking, of course... sorta)

 

[shark_tamer]

WOW!!! You saw a Manta Ray....they are very rare in those waters

This morning on my way to work, it hit me !!!!

It wasn't a Manta Ray ... it was an Eagle Ray !!!!

( I can't edit my original post now !!! )

 

[ncchuck]

This morning on my way to work, it hit me !!!!

It wasn't a Manta Ray ... it was an Eagle Ray !!!!

( I can't edit my original post now !!! )

I think most of us figured that is what you meant all along.

 

[Dive n00b]

Therefore the moral of the story is divorce your less-than-skilled wife and find a better dive partner! (joking, of course... sorta)

OMG LOL!

P.S. - My wife will probably kill me just for LOL'ing at this post.