Heading to Roatan in Oct...Advice??

[GeminiDiver]

I'm heading to Roatan for 10 days this October and would love some advice from any of you who have traveled there. Any feedback on the Bay Islands Resort? what's the weather/water temp like in October? Things to avoid? Favorite dive spots? Any advice would help!!

Thanks!
Susan

 

[Doc]

This board is full of archived reports, many quite recent, on the Bay Islands Beach Resort (aka: BIBR).

October can be kind of rainy and rough from the North. Water temps on the surface are consistently 80-84 degrees year round. Here is a weather log (albeit from the South Side) for that month in 2006: http://www.docksidedivecenter.com/WeeklyLog102706.html You can page back through the weeks as far as you wish, but you'll see that October 2006 was quite sunny!

Favorite dive spots are largely irrelevant information as the DM will take you to where he judges your abilities and weather will mesh well. Roatan is not about mileage and making tracks. It is about hovering and observing closely. It's all in the details. Sure- you can go there and look for all of the same stuff you see at any Caribbean Island. Focus your eyes on the smaller, camouflaged stuff. How?

Just follow the DM and be prepared with good buoyancy to get in close to the cool microscopic stuff he will point out. Do as much night diving as is offered. That's when Roatan really sparkles.

Things to avoid? I think anyone with Roatan experience would recommend avoiding the feeding of the sand flies.

Most would recommend Salva Vida Beer, Flor de Cana Rum, talking with the locals, having dinner on the West End, DEET, and in general, logging a lot of bottom time.

Go, have fun.

 

[Carribeandiver]

Bay Island Beach Resort? Nice people run the place. Food is adequate, diving is great. Dive Masters are terrific. Convenient shore dive to the Spooky Channel. Heading back there again in October too, maybe we will be there at the same time.
Oh yea, water temps in October will be warm. Around 85 F. They keep noseeums sprays around but you might want to bring your own in case. It has never been a problem for me but I sure wouldnt want to be eaten alive by the noseeums.
Watch out for the big Macaw, the sucker bites.

 

[Perfect1]

Rain gear and major bug spray. See you on the bottom. DB

 

[HowieDean]

Bay Island Beach Resort is a small resort - Real easy to fall in like you are one of the family.

Sand Fleas don't seem to bight me - My wife seems to have good luck using "Cactus Juice" you can sometimes find it in a store in the States - or you can buy it almost anywhere on the island.... It doesn't have all those nasty chemicals in it and works as well as the "Industrial Strength" Deet that she used to use (smells better too).... I keep hearing that taking Vitiam B pills dailly for a couple of weeks before the trip works pretty well for making them not want to bite you in the first place.... There was a post on the board a week or so ago on the specific type so you might do a search.........

Bring a book - Lap top - mp3 player or something and be prepared to just kind of "Chilling Out".........

Have fun
HowieDean