if conditions are right- but often tough on entry/ exit because of waves and the iron coast.
Not a likely option. Very difficult terrain and weather- sounds like you’ve been pre-warned. I’m pretty sure I know the houses you reference. The ones on the iron shore are very elegant and fit in well with the environment.
You will not be doing any shore entry SCUBA in that First Bight area. No tanks available. This is a given anywhere on Roatan. Not only is actual shore dive terrain and reef distance an issue, but no dive-op will just “rent you a tank” to load into your car.
Parrot Tree and the resort next door (named Media Luna) has off-prem dive services that do pick-ups at their pier. Might be Subway last i saw.
Media Luna does a “shore dive” but it’s usually limited to a
resort type dive inside their 1/2 moon iron shore sheltered zone. Good muck at night but thats about it. They do not offer night dive tanks though.
Subway also services Turquoise Bay Resort just to the North of 1st Bight. Dive op is a good product. It does offer a bit more unique look at the North side than the standard West End experience- still generally a deep profile.
You didn’t say… and no one has asked…
Got all your own gear?
If you need anything other than weights and tanks, your dive day is going to be very very busy. Rental set-ups and a new diver visit paperwork easily adds 1.25 hr minimum to fiddling around time.
Driving your group of divers there (wherever) and back is going to qualify you for the PITA Cert Card. You would do well to do 3x a day all at once vs traipsing around for 1x per day, or even just 2. Once you’re suited up, stay with it.
Sidenote: you mention going off on other adventures- other than diving. Truth be known, aint much worth driving around Roatan to attempt to amuse yourself.
What are you thinking about doing?
Your reference to Dive Pangea… now that’s worth the schlepp. Nice boats, ladders, attentive staff. Not many people have ever been diving “up North East”. Their location allows them to play to weather quite effectively.
Reef House, the dive-op is passable, a bit primitive, and requires you to park & hire a water taxi to get to RHR. The boats and ladders are outdated.
BFk (Barefoot) has some similar (but lesser) obstacles to access. It provides a homogenized product since the DMs are used to dealing with (mega yacht & a very few pod people) vacationers who might fancy a dive. It’s a Club Med feel to the dive-op… not a bad thing, just know what to expect.
BFk is not my go-to recommendation for many (due to it being inside an industrial harbor making it less than an idyllic setting) but it might be perfect for your day-visiting tribe. The dive shop gear center is where you park. Get all squared away there first and they move you across the harbor channel to BFk itself. Nice boats, attentive DMs. Some people refer to “concierge diving” but no-one can explain how that is any different from 99% of any other Roatan dive ops. (Analogy? Park City vs Deer Valley) Suffice to say,
their general DM interaction with their standard clientele is very well suited to noob ow divers.
You’re going thru the effort to stay independently on the South side, mid-island. You are square in the middle of a 6 mile long zone of diving that is unique in the Caribbean. There is certainly nothing else like it available on the island of Roatan— take advantage of the uniqueness while you’re there. For that reason I would push you towards Barefoot or any of the Subway Southside day-dive op providers - stay in that area - you’re right next to Coco View. Stay local for diving.
The majority of divers and logged dives are done out of West End/Bay operations. A few divers pay extra to dive Mary’s Place or Cara a Cara shark dive- so they believe they have also experienced the Southside. No, not so much.
Southern shore: Shallow profiles, a very lush colorful array of soft corals, Southern walls mean they’re in full Sunlight. CCV’s Prince Albert placed 140’ wreck is a mile away- sits upright and intact in 50fsw. Go for it.
