Getting Excited for a Roatan Aggressor Trip in Mid Feb

[the_catalpa]

Hi Scubaboard, first post here!

I'm heading down to Roatan for the Feb. 15th departure, and figured I'd make a post here to see if there was anyone else around who's doing so as well (or if anyone wants to chime in on advice, experiences, whatever). It'll be my second Aggressor trip; did the Belize trip back in 2023 and had the time of my life. Going solo since my lovely wife isn't a diver (yet... she had an awful DSD experience in Kauai unfortunately, and while I'd love to see her give it another shot, I'm definitely not pressuring her to do so).

So yeah, that's pretty much it. Keep on keepin' on!

 

[therookie]

Welcome to ScubaBoard, and to the Bay Islands!

I've never done the Aggressor trip, but if the weather cooperates and they are able to complete their itinerary it looks like a great "sampler" of the diving the Bay Islands has to offer - being able to dive many interesting sites around Roatan, Utila and also Cayos Cochinos all in one week is a great way to get the lay of the land (well, perhaps "lay of the ocean" is more precise in this context ), and maybe help you plan future land-based trips here that your wife can accompany you on.

Very sorry to hear about her bad experience on her DSD in Kauai. If that was her first DSD, I'm doubly sorry. You only get to do your first DSD once, and if it is traumatizing it can make it very difficult to even think about trying it again. All I can say in that regard is that the waters around Roatan are very calm (for much of the year the dive sites on the west side of the island are protected from the prevailing trade winds and the ocean seems almost as calm as a small lake) and my DSD experience here a few years ago was magical. And mesmerizing. And kicked off an addiction...

Since it is such a diving tourism destination, instructors here are very used to first-timers, including those who come with trauma from past experience. (Of course that is true in many other places as well). If she decides she would like to try it again, just let the instructor know as many details as you feel comfortable sharing about why her DSD there was so awful.

I really hope you enjoy your trip! Please post a trip report when you get back to let us know how your Roatan Aggressor experience was.

 

[the_catalpa]

Thanks for your post! Yeah I initially was going to do a trip to Bonaire, but after doing some research, I realized it would be a bit of a gamble going solo. I have friends who dive but they're also busy as hell, and not everyone can afford to travel and take time off etc. Going with Aggressor because the experience in Belize was awesome and it makes things simple and streamlined. And it's a good way to blow my bonus from last year .

I understand it's a franchise thing, but it makes it easy to dip out for a quick trip. Denver International has Saturday direct flights and all that, plus I save a day of PTO by going President's Day week. I'd love to stay on Roatan or Utila and do things land based sometime, ideally with compadres, but I figure this will be a good taste of things for now, a sampler as you say.

As for my wife's experience, it was just a matter of not knowing the site and me not being more insistent that it happen in confined water. She was gungho and wanted to do it "live" since we were there. We picked Koloa Landing not knowing that there was a freshwater stream that fed into it, and the total lack of viz in the first 4-5 feet of water was a total non-starter for her. Panicked just putting her face in the water and breathing from the reg. No one's fault but it was a stressful experience for her. That said, she recognises my passion for diving and totally supports me taking dive trips like this one, so I'm thankful for that!

Got pretty much everything setup for the trip, but curious about what folks dive in that time of year with regards to exposure. Outside of a few awesome trips to places like Greece, the Caymans, Belize, and Kauai, most of my diving has been in South Florida (I'm a huge rust fiend and love wreck diving) so I'm used to diving in board shorts and a rashguard. I picked up a Bare exposure jacket and pants which have served me well on days where I'm doing multiple dives, but bought a 5mm Bare Velocity for this trip after doing some research. I hate wearing wetsuits, but I did end up feeling a chill here and there on the Belize trip after a few 5-dives-a-day days.

 

[Mike_4635]

I was just there on the Roatan Aggressor the first week if Jan. This was my 4th trip on the boat. This is the rainy season and the wind can come up. Vis can be down and wave action up. Capt Eddy and Capt Willie do a great job selection the best dive site either weather conditions. Great crew and Jan will cook a great meal. Water temp was a high of 81 and low of 79 when I was there. I get cold easy and dive a 5mm full wetsuit. Others were diving 3mm shorties to full 3mm wet suits. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[the_catalpa]

I was just there on the Roatan Aggressor the first week if Jan. This was my 4th trip on the boat. This is the rainy season and the wind can come up. Vis can be down and wave action up. Capt Eddy and Capt Willie do a great job selection the best dive site either weather conditions. Great crew and Jan will cook a great meal. Water temp was a high of 81 and low of 79 when I was there. I get cold easy and dive a 5mm full wetsuit. Others were diving 3mm shorties to full 3mm wet suits. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks! Really cool to hear you’ve done the trip 4 times. Good endorsement. When I called Aggressor to make a provisioning request (coconut water - my absolute favorite way to hydrate after a dive) the nice woman I spoke to specifically mentioned Jan and the amazing cooking I had to look forward to, said it was the best in the fleet. The guys in the kitchen in Belize knocked it out of the park every damn day, so there's a lot to live up to!

That actually seems pretty warm temp wise, so I'll probably end up brining my exposure pieces as well. Anything to avoid a wetsuit...

Questions about logistics: any tips for immigration? I grabbed a seat as close to the front as possible (and, fingers crossed, may snag a status upgrade) in order to beat the rush. I understand I have to fill out an online arrival form 48 hours within departure, and that will give me a QR code to show on arrival, but the site itself was a little confusing (and like 20% in Spanish, which I can probably figure out); I tried to submit it but I think it didn't go through since it's too far from depart?

Also, my flight home is in the afternoon - any tips for stuff to do prior? I've heard cool things about the sloth sanctuary(s?) but am happy to hang out and relax at the associated hotel assuming that's a decent place. I imagine I'll be bushed (going for a second iron diver medal ) so would prefer to make that decision as late as possible.

 

[Mike_4635]

Thanks! Really cool to hear you’ve done the trip 4 times. Good endorsement. When I called Aggressor to make a provisioning request (coconut water - my absolute favorite way to hydrate after a dive) the nice woman I spoke to specifically mentioned Jan and the amazing cooking I had to look forward to, said it was the best in the fleet. The guys in the kitchen in Belize knocked it out of the park every damn day, so there's a lot to live up to!

That actually seems pretty warm temp wise, so I'll probably end up brining my exposure pieces as well. Anything to avoid a wetsuit...

Questions about logistics: any tips for immigration? I grabbed a seat as close to the front as possible (and, fingers crossed, may snag a status upgrade) in order to beat the rush. I understand I have to fill out an online arrival form 48 hours within departure, and that will give me a QR code to show on arrival, but the site itself was a little confusing (and like 20% in Spanish, which I can probably figure out); I tried to submit it but I think it didn't go through since it's too far from depart?

Also, my flight home is in the afternoon - any tips for stuff to do prior? I've heard cool things about the sloth sanctuary(s?) but am happy to hang out and relax at the associated hotel assuming that's a decent place. I imagine I'll be bushed (going for a second iron diver medal ) so would prefer to make that decision as late as possible.

So I live in Loveland Colorado. If you DM me I can you my cellphone number. I took the 2:45 PM direct flight from Roatan to Denver. You get off the boat at 8:00 AM. I ate breakfast at the Roatan Yacht Club. Watched some movies on my ipad. Left for the airport at about 10:30. The crew can recommend other things to do. I don’t normally do touristy things.

You should also complete the online form on the out bound.

 

[the_catalpa]

So I live in Loveland Colorado. If you DM me I can you my cellphone number. I took the 2:45 PM direct flight from Roatan to Denver. You get off the boat at 8:00 AM. I ate breakfast at the Roatan Yacht Club. Watched some movies on my ipad. Left for the airport at about 10:30. The crew can recommend other things to do. I don’t normally do touristy things.

You should also complete the online form on the out bound.

Awesome, thanks! I'll shoot you a DM.

Yeah I'm on that same flight out, sounds like there won't be a ton of time, so breakfast and hanging out sounds like a solid plan. I'm of the sort that gets to the airport crazy early to avoid anxiety, doubly so when outside the country, so I imagine that's what I'll probably end up doing.

Really excited for this trip. Not super concerned about currents - done a decent amount of drift diving off of Pompano and Riviera Beach in Florida - just hope the viz is good and that the boat can get everywhere on the itinerary.

Work friend has me a bit spooked after telling me a story about getting malaria AND dengue there, but I reckon that my incredibly low time on solid ground will hopefully make it a non issue. Will just wear a full Picaridin-infused travel outfit and douse myself in repellent for peace of mind I guess