Diving Newbie - Recommendations for learning to dive in Roatan during a honeymoon?

[deepnum09]

I'm planning a honeymoon for me and my wife to be. We're planning on going to Roatan. We both love the ocean and swimming (I lived on an island for several years growing up) but we've both never done any scuba diving. So a couple of questions:

1) If we were to be in Roatan for about 8 days, how far could we get with diving courses and all? I guess keep in mind that we don't want to be diving all the time It seems to me that OW certification takes a few days... and then maybe we could do some fun dives?

2) What would you recommend doing ahead of time that would make the process smoother/easier? I've seen that some diving schools have online courses... i think?

3) We have no equipment right now. Could we rent the equipment there? .. or is it included in the dive packages? What would you recommend getting ahead of time? or, what could we buy there?

4) Do you have any general advice for our trip? We're looking for mid-range accommodations. Basically, we're not on a shoe string budget but we don't have a super huge amount to spend either.

Thanks!!

 

[Doc]

1) A great idea to do the "confined water" portion (pool work) and all the book work, including pre-study... before you come down. That's pretty well the commonly accepted wisdom for this often asked question. You can easily complete the OW course in the first part of the week.

2) As above. You're in Urbana Illinois- there is a huge diving quarry called Haigh, just up the road from you in Kankakee. Your local dive shop might use that for the "open water" portion of the certification. It will likely be cold, but you can get through the actual cert and be done with that. Then you can go and begin to really learn to dive while you're in warm water.

3) Mask, fins and snorkel is a good starting point. Buy with considered advice. I would counsel you to not rush. Look around, do some diving, see what you might like. The awful truth: More couples get certified and buy dive gear for their honeymoon and never use any of it again. Find out if it's something you want to actively pursue. Over and above certification, between the two of you, you're looking at the price of a used motorcycle for gear. Figure out what you're needing and learn how to shop for it on eBay.

When you are there, you can rent everything else, including a lightweight dive suit. If you are oddly sized, consider throwing down on a 3Mil custom suit before your trip. If you buy clothes "off the rack", likely you'll have no issues. Is rental gear included in dive packages? Although a few dive ops infer that you get it for free, most make no illusions that yes, you are going to pay extra.

4) No one knows what you mean by "mid range accomodations". You tell us what you want to pay, excluding airfare (a subject often discussed here).

Factors: Roatan is divided into two offerings.

AI Resorts that usually include all diving along with food. Some may provide airport transfers, some have WiFi, some offer a certain number of dives, some offer unlimited (5 or more in a day). Most AI's on Roatan are located on the South shore, somewhat remote from the West zone (as described below). There is one larger AI on the North side (West End) called Anthony's Key (AKR), but the Southern shore ones are Barefoot Key (BFK), Fantasy (FI), CoCoView (CCW) and Reef House Resort (RHR). Located way East on the North Side is Turquoise Bay (TB).

Day Dive Ops, which are centered in the "West" zone, offer you the choice of staying ala-carte. You pick the housing, a dive-op may be attached. You may find some with meals, most do not. You'll have a wide array of restaurants and bars.

If you are good with 2 dives a day, look at the day-dive ops, if you want more, investigate the AI's. This is for two reasons: At 3 or mnore dives in a day, the AI makes financial sense. At this pace, using an ala-carte operation is problematic due to the usual tight boat departure scheduling combined with your need for free time to get meals arranged- cooking or dining out.

First step would be to pick the way you want to go in terms of lodging choice.

The correct specific Roatan answers to your other questions are quite dependent upon that primary task.

 

[peeweediver]

As a fellow Chicago person, totally agree with Doc. He knows everything, even zip codes. You can take the PADI online class, then, find a dive shop to accommodate your 5 module confined water dives, exam, etc, then, with your dive shop, you could choose to do you 4 Open Water dives at Haigh Quarry over one weekend (water temps hit 70 by late June and mid-70s by late July). This would allow you to come to Roatan, do all fun dives and relax on your honeymoon. It is best to do this before you honeymoon as the honeymoon is suppose to be completely work and stress free. Though, since we waited 25 years to take a really good honeymoon, how would I know? Ask yourselves if you really want to spend time studying during your vacation. Not sure when you're talking about going, so don't know how much time you have before the trip. From Urbana, it's only about 90 minutes or so to Haigh Quarry straight up 57.

Rob

 

[DandyDon]

This is what I posted to another not-yet-cert Roatan planner...

Suggestions...

Never, ever dive without dive insurance - regardless. Divers Alert Network is the most popular but do not settle for the cheapest plan; the next one is much better for only $10 more.

Consider Trip insurance altho I get that other than at DAN, along with CDC and State Department advisories. Make you own calls, but read the info.

I guess you will be using rental gear. Take and carry your own surface signaling gear as they will not have any for you.

Get copies of your certification paperwork in case it gets lost in the mail and you have to prove it all to the agency.

(And in reply to the oft planned dive camera idea)​

Oh no, don't...!

Learn to dive safely, staying off of the coral, before getting into multitasking like that. Newbies drown and lose cameras frequently, if not themselves. Take lots of land & boat shots and ask divers to email you pics of you in the water.

 

[deepnum09]

Thanks for the great well reasoned advice everyone! I appreciate the quick response.

1) I'll look into the options of doing the work ahead of time. I think this makes a lot of sense.

2) Thanks for the tip on Haigh Quarry.

3) I think your point about purchasing equipment is well taken. As you suggest, I think getting a mask, fins, and snorkel might be a good starting point.

4) I think that we'd be looking more for the ala carte approach instead of the AI. So I think going through a Day Dive Op in the West End or West Bay is what would be best for us. I've been looking online at a couple of different places.

Another question: Would you recommend booking some place (to stay and dive) ahead of time or just shop around when you get there? We'll be going in late May this year.

Thanks!

 

[deepnum09]

Oh, and we'd like to keep the trip under $1500 for accommodation, diving, food, etc.

 

[DandyDon]

Oh, and we'd like to keep the trip under $1500 for accommodation, diving, food, etc.

For two, including certification and gear...?!

Snorkeling is a cheap sport.

($100/day/person? :silly:

Still trying to visualize backpackers on honeymoons overnighting in hammocks?)

 

[flareside]

Oh, and we'd like to keep the trip under $1500 for accommodation, diving, food, etc.

While it is theoretically possible to do, your choice of accommodations is going to be somewhat questionable. How does your bride to be feel about bugs? :shocked2:

 

[DandyDon]

Las Rocas Resort & Dive Center has rooms for $85/97 with taxes - breakfasts included.

Departure tax is $35 each right?

How much would OW cert, gear and diving cost him there?

Add chilies to the beans and rice.

 

[flareside]

Don: The "Deeeluxe" cabin at Chillies is only $35/night w/ tax. (x7 nights)

Most dive shops appear to be in the $315 range for OW cert. (x2 persons)

So assuming they can keep their total food expendatures under $50/day (x8) and they don't do any diving beyond what comes with the course, that leaves $225 for cab fare, departure tax, and dive shop tips.

So it's possible on $1500 but they are probably not going to enjoy their honeymoon very much.