hebrideskid
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Has anyone stayed and dived here recently?
Plantation Beach Resort--Cayos Cochinos
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aquaman87
Registered
I was there this past April for 10 days, what would like to know?
OP
hebrideskid
Registered
How is shore diving from resort? How about night diving? How professional is dive operation? How well maintained are boats and gear? Compressors? Is there oxygen available? How many divers will resort accomodate? How many usually there? What is prevailing weather in November?aquaman87:
aquaman87
Registered
Before I get to your questions there is a great deal of information at the resort's website www.plantationbeachresort.com and unlike this reply it includes pictures.
There is shore diving but it is basically small rocky reefs and coral heads, however the macro life is exceptional if you take your time. Off the dock I have seen electric rays, batfish, toadfish, sharpstail eels, octopus, decorator crabs and sailfin blennies. Not all in the same dive but if you take your time you will see alot of neat stuff off the dock, around the seawall and around the house reef. The night diving off the dock is excellent, at least once a week if there is enough interest they will run a night dive off the boat but most guest choose to go off the dock, as I said before you never know what critters you are going to find.
I know the dive operation is a PADI facility and they offer a number of courses and specialties. The dive ops is a full service operation and if you choose, you will not have to touch your gear until its time to pack. Danny the mate on the boat makes sure you always have a full cylinder and are ready to go. At the end of each day he washes the gear, the next morning it's on your first tank of the day. Roger, the boat captain and instructor is PADI certified and Coast Guard licsensed. Roger has been down there since 1994 and has exceptional local knowledge.
The dive boat, "The Melissa", is a bit older but very well maintained and very roomy. It can easily take more than 20 diver however 20 is the max for the resort so you wil never feel crowded. Except for trip to the "Banks" most of the dive sites are within 10 minutes of the resort, its very comfortable diving.
The maximum number of divers the resort can accomodate is 20 however it is seldom that full. That typically only happens when a large group come down, when I am scheduling a trip that is one of the first questions I ask to make sure I avoid those times. Most of the time I think the resort has less than half that number of guests.
No, they do not have nitrox and I have never inspected their compressors so I cannot really comment. Finally, I have never been there in November so I cannot really comment on the weather either. If you are really interested in visiting the resort I suggest you drop an email to Roger at pbr@laceiba.com, he is very nice guy and can help you with some of these questions.
Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info.
James
www.jamesdaleyphotography.com
There is shore diving but it is basically small rocky reefs and coral heads, however the macro life is exceptional if you take your time. Off the dock I have seen electric rays, batfish, toadfish, sharpstail eels, octopus, decorator crabs and sailfin blennies. Not all in the same dive but if you take your time you will see alot of neat stuff off the dock, around the seawall and around the house reef. The night diving off the dock is excellent, at least once a week if there is enough interest they will run a night dive off the boat but most guest choose to go off the dock, as I said before you never know what critters you are going to find.
I know the dive operation is a PADI facility and they offer a number of courses and specialties. The dive ops is a full service operation and if you choose, you will not have to touch your gear until its time to pack. Danny the mate on the boat makes sure you always have a full cylinder and are ready to go. At the end of each day he washes the gear, the next morning it's on your first tank of the day. Roger, the boat captain and instructor is PADI certified and Coast Guard licsensed. Roger has been down there since 1994 and has exceptional local knowledge.
The dive boat, "The Melissa", is a bit older but very well maintained and very roomy. It can easily take more than 20 diver however 20 is the max for the resort so you wil never feel crowded. Except for trip to the "Banks" most of the dive sites are within 10 minutes of the resort, its very comfortable diving.
The maximum number of divers the resort can accomodate is 20 however it is seldom that full. That typically only happens when a large group come down, when I am scheduling a trip that is one of the first questions I ask to make sure I avoid those times. Most of the time I think the resort has less than half that number of guests.
No, they do not have nitrox and I have never inspected their compressors so I cannot really comment. Finally, I have never been there in November so I cannot really comment on the weather either. If you are really interested in visiting the resort I suggest you drop an email to Roger at pbr@laceiba.com, he is very nice guy and can help you with some of these questions.
Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info.
James
www.jamesdaleyphotography.com
OP
hebrideskid
Registered
Thanks very much. I am in contact with Roger now. Will post if we go in November 2007.
ddawson
Contributor
James
Is the weather similar to Roatan as far as the rainy season?
I am thinking about Oct 1, and I am concerned about the rain.
Have you been there during the Fall before?
How does the diving compare to the South Side of Roatan?
thanks
Darren
Is the weather similar to Roatan as far as the rainy season?
I am thinking about Oct 1, and I am concerned about the rain.
Have you been there during the Fall before?
How does the diving compare to the South Side of Roatan?
thanks
Darren
aquaman87
Registered
Darren,
The latest in the year that I have been to Cayos has been September and it was very nice. No rain and calm seas it was a great time to be there. Cayos would have about the same rainy season as Roatan however because it is closer to shore the visibility is more sensitive to the rain and run-off from the mainland.
I have never been to the south side of Roatan but I do know that the reefs around Cayos are some of the most pristine in the Bay Islands. Just based on numbers of divers, Roatan is a much more visited place. PBR is the only commercial resort in Cayos Cochinos
James
The latest in the year that I have been to Cayos has been September and it was very nice. No rain and calm seas it was a great time to be there. Cayos would have about the same rainy season as Roatan however because it is closer to shore the visibility is more sensitive to the rain and run-off from the mainland.
I have never been to the south side of Roatan but I do know that the reefs around Cayos are some of the most pristine in the Bay Islands. Just based on numbers of divers, Roatan is a much more visited place. PBR is the only commercial resort in Cayos Cochinos
James
OP
hebrideskid
Registered
My son and I have just returned from a week + at Plantation Beach Resort.
Flew into San Pedro Sula late morning, car transfer to Hotel Gran Paris in La Ceiba, overnight, boat transfer to PBR early next morning.
PBR relatively isolated. Usually only 3-10 guests. Food good. Kitchen/resort staff friendly, competent.
Diving fairly typical Bay Islands. Diving off dock fun, day or night. Beach exit difficult; sand not packed. Octopus, Golden and Purple Mouth eels, Batfish, Starfish, Southern Stingray, large Barracuda, large Puffer among dock sightings.
Boat dives are close to resort, except for seamounts. Two morning, one afternoon. Wind comes up in afternoon. Reefs in pretty good shape, far from pristine. No unique life, some rare. One Dolphin encounter, one very big Tarpon. Two turtles.
Visibility 30-60 feet. Significant particulate.
Dive staff outstanding: Adam and Camilla DMs, Dani boat captain. Plenty of good air; no Nitrox. Roger runs PBR, been there forever, extremely knowledgable and accomodating.
Early morning boat transfer back to Ceiba, car to SAP, noon flight out.
Expensive and time-consuming to get there, no A/C and extremely hot in rooms (late May early June). Good diving without crowds.
Recommended for what it is: a dive resort.
Flew into San Pedro Sula late morning, car transfer to Hotel Gran Paris in La Ceiba, overnight, boat transfer to PBR early next morning.
PBR relatively isolated. Usually only 3-10 guests. Food good. Kitchen/resort staff friendly, competent.
Diving fairly typical Bay Islands. Diving off dock fun, day or night. Beach exit difficult; sand not packed. Octopus, Golden and Purple Mouth eels, Batfish, Starfish, Southern Stingray, large Barracuda, large Puffer among dock sightings.
Boat dives are close to resort, except for seamounts. Two morning, one afternoon. Wind comes up in afternoon. Reefs in pretty good shape, far from pristine. No unique life, some rare. One Dolphin encounter, one very big Tarpon. Two turtles.
Visibility 30-60 feet. Significant particulate.
Dive staff outstanding: Adam and Camilla DMs, Dani boat captain. Plenty of good air; no Nitrox. Roger runs PBR, been there forever, extremely knowledgable and accomodating.
Early morning boat transfer back to Ceiba, car to SAP, noon flight out.
Expensive and time-consuming to get there, no A/C and extremely hot in rooms (late May early June). Good diving without crowds.
Recommended for what it is: a dive resort.
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