Trip Report Seagrape Plantation Resort, Roatan - Trip Report May 2024

[nldunn]

I used to work on Roatan, great diving if you go with one of the awesome shops and time it right! If you're only into resort diving it is a little harder to find a good set up on the island, but Roatan Divers is a little boutique shop that knocks it out of the water every time. It's one of the few shops in the world I have consistently returned to. They have excellent staff, always on time, great customer service, always work hard to meet requests, etc etc. If you return I would highly recommend checking them out and staying somewhere cute in West End! It allows you to get a feel for the island and you will feel like you've made a million new friends by the time you've left. A lot of shops in Roatan can be hit or miss, especially because so many of the instructors are freelancers, but Roatan Divers has it figured out. Boats are never overcrowded and they take great care of you.

Hi,
Would love recommendations of nice small hotels near Roatan Divers. We are newer divers and thinking of going to Roatan next april.
Thanks!

 

[Catito]

I ask myself, would I return to Roatan? Would I return to Seagrape?

Yes to Roatan, but probably not. No to Seagrape, but let me explain why.

Why wouldn't I return to Seagrape? I dive every weekend. I also like to do macro photography. I really don't want to follow a guide on every dive. I like to find small critters, which means you have to go really slow, and it can take several minutes to line up the shot you want. I can't do this comfortably if there's pressure to stay with a group. I'm also not happy that no one briefed us on how they operate and what our options were. My cousin was really upset about being double charged for nitrox on the way out and not receiving a refund after it was mentioned we did 3 dives on air (the comments were simply ignored).

If I were a vacation diver and only wanted to follow a guide, I couldn't recommend a better guide than Kevin. On Day 2, the captain didn't show up. Kevin was alone to work the boat. He recruited someone who worked in the dive shop (but not the boat) to help him moor the boat. There's some risk here, but I can't fault Kevin's work ethic and effort to get us in the water. He drove the boat and guided us divers. He was also amazing on the String of Pearls night dive, which was no easy effort in lights out pitch black no visibility conditions to see bioluminescent effects.

On the plus side, the food was decent, and the stiff beds were actually comfortable.

Thanks for the report. Roatan is now firmly on my “not going there to dive” list.

 

[Gdog]

Hi,
Would love recommendations of nice small hotels near Roatan Divers. We are newer divers and thinking of going to Roatan next april.
Thanks!

There are several places to stay in West End, with an easy walk to Roatan Divers. Really depends on what your needs are. In addition, most of them are on AirBnb. Posada Arco Iris, Seagrape, Mr Tucan, Coco Lobo, Bayview, Splash Inn, Sea Breeze, are only a few. I suggest searching on AirBnb for ideas and what they look like. If you have more questions after looking, feel free to message me

 

[nldunn]

There are several places to stay in West End, with an easy walk to Roatan Divers. Really depends on what your needs are. In addition, most of them are on AirBnb. Posada Arco Iris, Seagrape, Mr Tucan, Coco Lobo, Bayview, Splash Inn, Sea Breeze, are only a few. I suggest searching on AirBnb for ideas and what they look like. If you have more questions after looking, feel free to message me

Thank you! You gave me a lot to investigate!

 

[tarponchik]

The corals are dead everywhere in the Caribbean. But at least there is a direct flight to Roatan.