Turquoise Bay Resort

[Doctorfish]

Kimberley, I'm glad you are working hard to improve the operation. When I was there in 2010, the boats were scows and the operation very disorganized, not unlike some of the comments above. There was no fresh fruit or snacks on the dive boats, limited fresh water and they were cramped by my usual Cayman and Bonaire standards. The ladders on the boats were wooden and rickety, there weren't enough tanks for a 2 tank dive so we ended coming back to the resort between dives. There were lots of delays and a planned 3 tank day often ended up as a 2 tanker. One of the DMs even managed to put himself into deco while leading a dive, everybody else had the sense to stay shallower and come up sooner, and the boat night dive was in a word, unsafe.

I note that you are catering to resort guests and cruise ship passengers. One of the many beefs I had when there was that the boats were held up while waiting for cruise shippers to come to dive. Turquoise Bay is in a beautiful location with lovely reefs which almost made up for the challenges we had in diving there.

 

[HowieDean]

I have been staying at Turquoise Bay 3 to 5 times a year for the past 5 years. Over that time I have brought many of my friends with me and most of them have been more then once. I love the Place it's very nice buy Roatan Standards. Lets compair apples to apples not watermellons - no it's not as nice as the places in the Camens or the Myan Rivera but then it's Roatan - Acomidation wize compared to CCV or AKR it's the Ritz.
I started going to Roatan around 1995 and fell in love with the place I found myself spending more and more time there. I have spent some time at most of the resorts on the Island About 8 years ago I was lucky enough to be in a position to live and work there first as a divemater then a resort manager then a partner in an all inclusive resort on Gibson Bite. I decided that I wanted to be a scuba instructor so I signed up for the class. Well the class ended using Subway at Turqoise Bay. So need less to say I spent some time there on a daily bases. Unfortunatly do to some problems back in the states my 14 month fantasy had to end. After the closure of our resort I needed a new place to stay when time permited a short return. The choice was a no brainer.
But back to business I have never not found the dive shop open between 8 and 4 unless it's raining cats and dogs and the winds blowing 45 miles an hour and there is no way to dive
I really like the location being far enough away from all the activity of West End. Because of it's location the chances of seeing another dive boatare beyond rare. Contrast to West end where you look down the moring line row and count 20 boats. I have made at least a hundred dives with Subway at Turquoise Bay and have never seen a diver from another dive group. I remeber a trip to Cozumel many years ago where there were so many dive groups intermingled that my son an I got on the wrong boat.
But should you go there? If you are looking for a nice,pretty,clean,quite,safe place to kick back and relax I think you'll be plenstly impressed.
You need to be the type of person that enjoys 3 wonderful private dives a day
enjoys relaxing in the glow of your nitrogen indussed lazyness.
Be able to put your self on island time and just kick back and soak up the peace and quite.
I have no financal intrest in the place but I do count several members of the staff among my friends. Jesus the manager, Osman probably the be dive master on the island, TJ my favorite Boat captain.
These people have always gone out of there way to see that my wife and friends were well taken care of, both in and out of the water.
But then I take the time to talk with the staff of almost all the places I visit. You would be amazed the differnce it makes when you go to places like Roatan and try to act like a guest instead of a customer.
So to sum it all up:
Read this board there are some great folks on this board that can help you learn about Roatan, if you decide that Roatan is the kind of place you would like to go, then I promise you won't be disapointed with Turquise Bay.

There is one thing that has puzzled me for years. Because of the reef structure of Roatan most dive ops can have you on a completely different type of dive sight within 15 minutes of the resort.
You have made your fist dive
You now have at least 45 minutes or probably an hour of surface interval.
So would you rather sit on the boat bobbing around in the sun or run back to the shop, use the restroom, drink a coke and then go back out.
The splash time to the second dive is the same.
You choose.
I have met many customers over the years who had a fit when I told them we were going back to the shop between dives and I just never got there point. Maybe somebody on the board could finally explain it to me.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I can't explain it to you because I like staying places where the sites are so close that we return to shore for SI. Yes, I do love being able to run to my room. None of this is intended to inferthat I don't also enjoy dive locales that don't offer that, merely that it is my preference.

 

[Mike]

There is one thing that has puzzled me for years. Because of the reef structure of Roatan most dive ops can have you on a completely different type of dive sight within 15 minutes of the resort.
You have made your fist dive
You now have at least 45 minutes or probably an hour of surface interval.
So would you rather sit on the boat bobbing around in the sun or run back to the shop, use the restroom, drink a coke and then go back out.
The splash time to the second dive is the same.
You choose.
I have met many customers over the years who had a fit when I told them we were going back to the shop between dives and I just never got there point. Maybe somebody on the board could finally explain it to me.

I wouldn't complain, but I'd probably be one that would just hang out on the boat if it returned to shore, with a 10-15 minute ride back and forth that leaves about 15-20 minutes on shore, not sure I'd find an pleasure getting off the boat, walking around for 15-20 minutes just to get back on the boat again, and repeating that every day for a week. In Cozumel with one dive operator we use we do a long surface interval on shore between dives, but it's a long interval, 60 minutes, that makes sense to spend it on the beach, 15-20 minutes, not so much.

I'd hope surface intervals on the boat usually don't involve bobbing around in the hot sun, if the boat doesn't have shade that's probably not a boat I'm going to be on anyways. Boat surface intervals usually involve drinking and eating and getting to know other divers and the boat crew and dive master, fiddling with your camera, adjusting gear etc, the quiet time is perfect for small talk and making friends, staring at the beautiful ocean and sky, reflecting on how good it feels to be there instead of back at work at home or int he snow. Running back and forth with the wind whipping and holding on... not so much.

Plus most Roatan diving I've done doesn't ever require a 45 minute surface interval, I'm rarely going to ever run into NDL on 2nd dives on Roatan with even a 10 minute SI.

Long and the short, I could really careless how we spend the SI, but I can see the reason divers would question the logic of running back and forth to shore for such a short time, and I could see others who would think it was the greatest idea they ever heard.

 

[KY_BOB]

I just got back from there Saturday night. I spent a week there and was very happy to the resort and its staff. They went above and beyond my expectations. The room was clean, the food was GREAT, and the staff worked hard to make sure that we had anything that we wanted. The AC in the room was decent but it would lose ground in the middle of the day but it would be cooled back off by the time our 3rd dive was over. I have been to more fancy resorts but never any more friendly and accommodating. I will say that if nightlife is your thing, pick some place else but if you're looking for a clean safe place to relax and dive it's great. My only complaint is that after 10pm you can't get ice water or soda.

Subway Watersports was only a few steps away and their staff was just as helpful.

I recommend the resort and Subway. Feel free to ask any specific questions. I'll do my best to give honest unbiased answers.

BTW: they have a beautiful beach, one of the nicest that I have seen, for after the dives or for the non-diver.

 

[Doc]

Subway Watersports was only a few steps away and their staff was just as helpful.

I recommend the resort and Subway. Feel free to ask any specific questions. I'll do my best to give honest unbiased answers.

Lay out the daily dive schedule. How many? When? Night Dives?

Any pix of the boats?

 

[behemotka]

I will be there on Saturday. Can't wait! 19 dives over the course of 6 days.

 

[Thook]

I have been wondering why there is nothing mentioned on SB about Turquiose Bay. I recently stumbled upon it. My wife and I are returning to Roatan in August 2014 for 11 days and will stay at TB. We, as usual, plan to produce a review on the operation as well as document our trip in video. We're looking forward to our trip and meeting you Kimberlie.

 

[Evopit]

My wife and I will be at TB the last week in February, diving for a week with Subway. This is our first time in Roatan, so we are looking forward to it. Will post a review when we get back.

 

[scubakissed]

Hello Thook,

Thank you for your message. I'm sad to say I will not be around in August to meet you. As of April 2013 my fiancé and I started to look for new opportunities and we resigned from Subway. We left it in very good hands though and we are very happy to say that the Shop is running even better than before. All of the captains have remained the same and for those of you who have met the lovely and welcoming Verlyn, she is also still there. The boats are in great shape and are being serviced regularly. The new management team is very friendly and efficient! They will make sure you all have a wonderful vacation and especially some great dives. Holly is the new manager of the shop, she is a lovely Canadian woman who is very passionate about her work and will strive daily to make sure you're happy. She is also a wonderful instructor! I have full confidence that anyone going to dive at Subway is in great hands with the team at Subway Watersports and Turquoise Bay.

For those who may be wondering, my fiancé and I have found ourselves with a wonderful new opportunity, we are still in Roatan and recently along with another business partner acquired a dive shop in West Bay called, Mayan Divers. We recently took over from the 1st of January. We are enjoying the transition to ownership very much and we are looking forward to our future here in West Bay.

Best of diving to all.

xxoo