AKR Trip Report 11/14 – 11/21/2015

[AdivingBel]

Thanks, Ash. Used up some airline miles for this trip. Had the same thing happen (airfare price dip) on tickets to Curacao for this fall. I don't usually buy this early (I start looking early 'cause I'm a bit a-retentive), but one Sunday evening I just happened to catch the last two tickets in a fare bucket, I guess. Over $200 less per ticket than the going rate. I jumped on them and within the hour the price had gone back up. I don't really understand how that works, but I wish I had a crystal ball. It sure would stretch out the travel budget. Looking forward to the Sea O' Cortez.

 

[gr8jab]

Anyone been to both AKR and Scuba Club Cozumel? Are they similar levels of quality/service/food/boats and such. I know that underwater they may be different, but that's not what I'm asking....

 

[BDSC]

I can let you know in a few weeks as this will be my first trip to AK but I have been to SCC numerous times.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Tagging on a week at AKR following an already planned pilgrimage to CocoView. Want to get the most bang for our airfare buck. Should make for an easy, fun trip.

Let us know how you feel they compared with each other. My wife and I had a good enough time at AKR, but I have long suspected CocoView is more in line with how we like to do our dive trips. It's been a few years since our Roatan trip, and I'm itching to return.

 

[HJeffreyM]

Wow a real detailed report, but not the way I remember it from 2 years ago, hope things have gone that far down. When it comes to who sets up your gear, as I tell students if DM sets up your gear any issues found on the boat are the DM's, any issues found in the water are the divers issues so you decide. If you don't want to dive solo don't, speak up and ask for a buddy or two. Yes the SI back at the dock is nice and allows you to skip a dive here and there but why would you? Aren't you there to dive? I don't miss any, 19 dives offered, 19 dives done.

Hey BDSC I also have a group of 15 going to AKR in April (23-30).

There have been several interesting comments here regarding my trip report. One entire thread replied entirely to my comments about the food!

I stand behind what I said in the OP. There were dive safely issues. As they did not set-up your gear for you, I don't see the relevance of the comment. I merely pointed out that there are places where they do, and places where they don't. At AKR, they don't. Ultimately, I agree with the philosophy that you, and only you, are responsible for what happens to you while diving.

I am quite comfortable diving "solo in a group." Ordinarily, I will simply dive close enough to other divers so if there's a problem I am near someone's octo.

At most non-dive specific resorts, you're probably only going to get 2 dives a day. Usually you have to be at the dock by 8:30am. At AKR, you can skip the first dive and still do two dives a day (three if there's a night dive or you do a shore dive in the afternoon). Frankly, I know a lot of people who don't appreciate the 8:30am dive while on vacation.

From a personal point of view, most of the early dives at AKR are to sites that are 100fsw and deeper. I'm not interested in wrecks and I'm a conservative dive planner so 100fsw is about my personal limit.

Happy diving!

 

[Stoo]

Thanks for the report... It certainly gives pause for thought. I have been to AKR twice and consider it to be a nice spot and one of very few we would return to again. This report is a perfect example of how important it is that a guest's expectations need to line up with the offerings.

Compared to the places I normally go, AKR is downright luxurious. Many of the shortcomings cited (lack of TVs for example) don't even register with me. If I went someplace with a TV, it would likely be used to hang damp towels on. Similarly with the how the dive op runs. I am the one diving, so I have no expectations that anyone is going to be schlepping my gear for me.

AKR seems to have a sweet deal going on these days so we may well head back, even though the diving on Roatan lacks variety IMHO.

The comparison with the giant resorts on the Riviera may be appropriate, but in my case, I can't think of anything worse than spending time in a hotel with 5000 guests. The town where I live has 400 people, one flashing stoplight, and a bakery/pizzeria. Most of my neighbors are cows, and we hear coyotes yippng at night.

For the record, I should mention that my two favorite dive destinations are an 8-person "resort" on a remote caye in Belize, where crocs have been known to wander through the yard, and a half sunk ex-fishing lodge north of Vancouver island, where it's considered a great day if you get hot water AND the boat starts!

Different strokes for different folks I guess~ ;-)

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Compared to the places I normally go, AKR is downright luxurious. Many of the shortcomings cited (lack of TVs for example) don't even register with me. If I went someplace with a TV, it would likely be used to hang damp towels on. Similarly with the how the dive op runs. I am the one diving, so I have no expectations that anyone is going to be schlepping my gear for me.

This is more or less my thinking, too, EXCEPT that the issue I had with AKR is that they seem to want to give the appearance of it being "luxurious," which taps resources they could have used more effectively. The luxuriousness is a facade. Why have a waiter who does nothing but write down my choice from between the only two items available and serves it to me? Why not a buffet? Why serve lobster tails if they are going to be tiny, overcooked, and inedibly salty? Why put on this air of sophistication when you can't deliver? Why not just serve hearty, simple, filling meals that the cook is actually capable of cooking properly?

I don't think I used the WiFi more than once during the week--just to check email. My wife and I go on vacations to escape TV and such. We were perfectly happy to set up our own gear, and we had no expectation that we were going to receive valet gear handling service. HOWEVER, if the OP's point is that dive resorts that are from outward appearances similar to AKR generally do offer valet gear handling service, then that jibes with what I'm saying: judging from outward appearances, one might get the impression AKR is the kind of place that offers that level of service. I'm not saying AKR intentionally misleads anyone; I think it's the overall impression they give off. People read about AKR, see the nice pictures, and think, "That looks a lot like other dive resorts I've been to" and create certain expectations in their minds. Of course, for the reasonable prices AKR charges--those promotions--it would be difficult for them to satisfy all those expectations. For what you do get, it's a reasonable price. If the price sounds like a bargain, maybe you need to rein in your expectations.

. . .
For the record, I should mention that my two favorite dive destinations are an 8-person "resort" on a remote caye in Belize, . . . .

I remember the place I stayed on Tobacco Caye being like that, and I had a wonderful time there, because they didn't pretend to be in a class of dive resort that they are not. They did not put on an air of luxuriousness. On the contrary, they referred to themselves as "rustic" and "simple" and kept expectations low.

 

[Stoo]

I run a group trip to the place in BC... when anyone who hasn't been before signs up, I speak with them about "expectations"... It has proven to be a good strategy.

When I was at AKR last (8 years ago maybe), the caye cabins were very rustic but nice. I do recall the food being "ok" but basic. Mrs' Stoo is more interested in food than I am, and I recall her being less than impressed. My foggy recollection though is that it was very basic, and it was buffet style. Perhaps they are trying to find their way with the newer offerings.

The dive op when we were there was top notch. Every diver was required to do a check-out dive at the dock... buoyancy check, mask clearing etc. It was a bit of a pain, but I did appreciate what they were trying to do. The boats were great though and honestly I don't remember if it was valet style or not, but I seem to recall carting my stuff off to rinse bins and dockside lockers...

 

[wildbill9]

We will be there same to (23rd-30) tell us about ur group. We have sucked down a tank or two in the past. Bill and DeeDee

 

[BARdiver]

Hey wildbill9 our group is 11 experienced divers and 4 snorkels. This will be our 6th group trip with most having been on a couple of the trips. Just look for Live Bait Scuba Club.