One day in Roatan - Who should I dive with?

[kmarks]

I'm going to be in Roatan for a single day in late September as a port of call on the Carnival Magic. I'm normally a week long land vacation diver, and I have little to no interest in booking a dive excursion with the ship for a number of reasons. I'm sure there are hundreds of options for great dive ops in the area, but I'm at a loss where to start. Can anyone recommend somebody who fits the following:

Easy to get to from the pier (taxi, walk, pick me up, whatever)
Lets me dive my computer or tank, doesn't make the whole group surface with the first OOA diver
Provides regs and BCD (rental fee not a concern, so I'm sure this is a given)
Lets me switch out the SPG on their reg with my AI transmitter (preferred, but not a deal breaker)
Is used to handling cruisers to make sure I get back in time (ship leaves at 6pm)

Once I have a few, I'll email them with all of my other questions.

 

[Altamira]

Carnival Magic docks at Mahogany Bay, which is very close by taxi from Barefoot Divers. They are a top notch dive op, and have departures that will accommodate cruise ship arrivals. They have an early departure that might be hard to get to depending on your arrival time and then a trip that goes out around 10A and 2P, and primarily dive sites on the south side. I have used them in the past and can strongly recommend them. However, they also get a fair amount of cruise ship divers for the reasons listed. I have also used Anthony's Key Resort, the ship's dive op, and can strongly recommend them as well. AKR primarily uses the north and west dive sites. The cost difference between the two is negligible, and the dives are great either way you go. Don't think you would be displeased with either option.

 

[kmarks]

Thanks. I'll look into both of those. I'm not averse to diving with other cruisers, it's just that in Cozumel, I often see the cruise ship dive ops' boats completely crammed full of 20+ people while I'm comfortable on a boat with 6 people. And I've heard that most of the time, if you are on a dive excursion through the ship, they are really strict about keeping groups together and ascending as a group with the first OOA diver.

 

[Andy Lazar]

I've dove there a few times while on a cruise with carnival and it was a great experience. Anthony's literally picked us up directly behind the ship and we were diving within 15 minutes. We went back to their place for our surface interval to do some shopping and after tank 2 they dropped us off within feet of the ship. I don't remember how many people were on the boat but I also don't remember it being crowded.

 

[Altamira]

At AKR, even when the boat was full, the ratio of DMs to divers was fine, and they broke up the groups into experience levels as much as possible. On our last trip with AKR, one of the divers (who talked a good story on the boat) blew through his air in about 23 minutes into the dive, but the DM put the guy on his octo so the dive was not shortened for the rest of the group. The DM's SAC rate must have been fantastic, because even with the heavy breather hanging on his octo, both dives were about 45 minutes long.

 

[kmarks]

Thanks, everyone. I went ahead and booked with AKR, which I could only do with the ship. This will give me a chance to hang out and see the resort during the surface interval, and determine if the Mrs. and I should spend a week there sometime in the hopefully not too distant future.

 

[CajunDiva]

Hope you won't be too disappointed, but they will not be taking you to the resort. You will visit their private island, "Maya Key" where you will be able to visit their retail store. It's really one of the nicest retail souvenir stores on the island, but in all fairness - they've always got a "captive" audience. If you spend a week at the resort, they WILL take you over to that side for a visit. Apparently they do the same with their cruise ship divers...