Roatan compared to Cozumel?

[leadweight]

More to add...

If you want diving freedom, Coco View is easily the best followed by some of the other AI's. You will not have that in West End as the boats are packed, dives longer than 45 minutes are an exception, and many of the well know shops operate in the dive school mode where everyone is treated like a beginner, no matter what their level of experience is. Drift diving is not all that unusual in Roatan, especially around the West part of the Island.

One can get long dives in Coz, you just have to stick together. I know the underwater photographers don't like that.

 

[dmoore19]

Leadweight,

What exactly is your beef with AKR? My wife and I spent some time there and have absolutely no complaints. I found AKR to be a very well run operation with great DM's and Boat captains. We also spent some time in West End and found no animosity twords us there and I took a LOT of pictures while meandering up and down the street, walking in shops, stopping for a beer and having a couple of meals there. I never even for 1 second felt threatened or unsafe. I disagree with your portrayal of AKR and Roatan. But that's the way it goes.

 

[leadweight]

The people that gave me a hard time worked for AKR. Simply, I crossed the wrong people for taking a picture of a girl who worked there. This threw her supervisor and the supervisor's boyfriend into a frenzy. I never heard a word from the subject of the photograph and I have good reason to believe she asked her co workers to drop the whole thing. It was a simple case of someone making something their business that was none of their business. Just because nothing happened to you on a single walk through town does not prove the place is OK. While I was down there a pretty Swiss girl was doing street photography and I overheard people speaking of her disparagingly as well. She got away with it because she was a good looking gal and her boyfriend was 6'4". You can most likely get away with a compact point and shoot camera, but professional gear does attract attention. It usually does not attract criminal threats.

Tell the parents of the 23 year old Dutch girl that died down there a few years ago that nothing happened to you so the place is safe. Last I heard the case was reopened and a female suspect had been returned to Roatan while a male suspect, the typical illegal alien expat dive instructor type was still at large. The longer one stays in West End, the more one sees. Once the expats get to know you they expect you to do things their way, and that was most likely the real source of my problems.

This forum is full of threads about all the crap that goes on in Roatan. You don't find that frequency of bad news in other forums.

 

[rayaa3]

@cajun diva - just revisit the dive pic link - I'll keep uploading to that album, added 20 more yesterday

 

[Doc]

@cajun diva - just revisit the dive pic link - I'll keep uploading to that album, added 20 more yesterday

These pictures you loaded are really interesting.

I am entranced by much the same thing- shapes and colors in nature. Put in some more.

 

[robint]

These pictures you loaded are really interesting.

I am entranced by much the same thing- shapes and colors in nature. Put in some more.

I am with you, RoatanMan! When we were in Roatan I was overwhelmed by the gorgeous reefs, the sponges and coral in particular. Having just been on several dive trips elsewhere seeing reefs look very monochrome or beaten up, I found that Roatan was my cup of tea. Valley of Kings as my favorite boat dive for that reason - I saw every color of sponge, every shape and size, and a lush wall that made me hear the angels sing. It was funny back on the boat after the dive.... I got back on and started immediately raving about how gorgeous it was, several people looked at me like I had been diving on a different reef. They hadn't "seen" all the color and diversity of the coral and sponges. They were busy looking at the fish. Everyone enjoyed the dive, but for a completely different reason from ME. I can't even tell you what fish we saw there.... I was mesmerized by the reef.

robin

 

[CajunDiva]

@cajun diva - just revisit the dive pic link - I'll keep uploading to that album, added 20 more yesterday

Thanks buddy...I can never get enough Hope you're having a blast!

 

[tejasdiver]

Great Pics !

 

[frontiernurse]

what do you think is the best time of year to visit/dive Roatan? And anyone know anything about Bananarama? Am I off topic? If so, sorry!

 

[dmoore19]

what do you think is the best time of year to visit/dive Roatan? And anyone know anything about Bananarama? Am I off topic? If so, sorry!

Nope, right on track.

I don't know anything about Bananrama personally but I think if you do a search you might come up with some, as far as I can remember, really good things being said about them. As far as a good time of the year to visit, there is also some information posted about that in this same forum but as far as I'm concerned anytime you have the time and the money is the right time to go to Roatan.