Roatan Expertise, please

[scubamon]

Hi ScubaBoard friends,
I am going to Roatan with my family in December. I am an experienced diver and I will be taking my teenage kids on their second and first dive experiences, respectively. We were thinking of staying at the Playa Miguel Beach Houses and diving at Cocoview, but we are not able to do the full week of all-inclusive diving. I was really disappointed to learn we could not do 5 days of all-inclusive diving or a la carte with Dockside Dive Center. So, my questions are:

1. If we stay at Playa Miguel, what other dive operators are nearby that would work with us either a la carte or for less than a week?
2. If we do not stay at Playa Miguel, what other areas of the island and dive operators should we consider for good shallow diving and young/beginner divers?

We are planning to rent VRBO or Air B&B and see some properties near Turquoise Bay, some near Parrot Tree and of course lots near West End/West Bay. Thank you so much for your insight and assistance, this community is an amazing resource and has always provided such great help for my dive trip planning!

---Wes

 

[Doc]

....but we are not able to do the full week of all-inclusive diving. I was really disappointed to learn we could not do 5 days of all-inclusive diving or a la carte with Dockside Dive Center....

I have never heard of this kind of thing previously. But maybe I'm not clear on what you are saying.

If you stay at Playa Miguel, you do your diving with Coco View, not Dockside Dive Center. Maybe that's where the confusion is here?

(All diving by everybody is done with CCV. Dockside provides PADI Instruction, rentals and retail dive shop stuff)

Are you saying that you can not "buy" less than "just" 5 days of diving? Most folks come and dive Sunday Morning through Thursday (5 days) or into Friday.

I are confused.

 

[scubamon]

Hi Doc, thank you for replying. I appreciate your valuable help. I was directed through the Playa Miguel booking staff to Dockside Dive Center and told this was the CCV dive op. Dockside staff told me we could book a week of diving at $400 or buy training classes but we could not book a la carte boat or shore diving or do less than a week of unlimited diving. Since this does not sound correct to you Iw ill reach out to CCV directly, but I was sensitive to the fact I was not booking my stay at the resort. Thank you!!

 

[PACKRMAN]

I am just back from West Bay and Coconut Tree Divers. They offer a two tank morning trip and two one tank afternoon trips. I am sure PJ or Gay would be happy to talk to you.

 

[diversteve]

It's a minor point but Coconut Tree Divers is in the West End. Coconut Tree Cabins has a location in West Bay - and the rock tower condo. Coconut Tree Cabins - West End, West Bay Beach, Roatan, Honduras

If they picked you up by boat daily off the beach - you were in West Bay. The building with the dive shop, the dock with the boats in front of it and the store with the cabins behind it is in the West End.

 

[Doc]

Still not sure who you were calling. Contact CoCoView directly.
800 510-8164

I got this from ownership:

Hi Doc. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I checked with our reservation office (DRO) and they did not work with this person. By the sound of his note on Scubaboard he must have been working with A reseller agent, especially if he was booking a Playa Miguel house.

And we do have certain restrictions about length of stay during certain periods, etc. BUT--our girls truly do try their best to work with our guests on special requests.


I don't know the specifics of his requests. But if he wants to contact our reservation office directly, he is welcome to.


On another note: We are getting quite a few email requests lately from folks traveling to Roatan that want to stay on West End somewhere (cheaper) but book Dives with us. We don't do that, "a la carte" kinda thing…nada. So if that comes up on Scubaboard….

 

[chillyinCanada]

Any chance West End bound Scubaboard members are confusing Cocoview with Coconut Tree Divers?

In any event, one time a number of years ago, a friend of mine was staying at Cocoview, whilst I was staying in West End. Someone at Cocoview gave a one time exception to their rule. I was able to spend the day at Cocoview and dive with my buddy. Twas grand.

That said, there's no way in heck, I'd want to make that journey every day for dives. It's not comfortable nor remotely sensible.

 

[PACKRMAN]

It's a minor point but Coconut Tree Divers is in the West End. Coconut Tree Cabins has a location in West Bay - and the rock tower condo. Coconut Tree Cabins - West End, West Bay Beach, Roatan, Honduras

If they picked you up by boat daily off the beach - you were in West Bay. The building with the dive shop, the dock with the boats in front of it and the store with the cabins behind it is in the West End.

This is correct. West End off of Halfmoon Bay at the round about.

 

[robint]

Still not sure who you were calling. Contact CoCoView directly.
800 510-8164

I got this from ownership:

Hi Doc. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I checked with our reservation office (DRO) and they did not work with this person. By the sound of his note on Scubaboard he must have been working with A reseller agent, especially if he was booking a Playa Miguel house.

And we do have certain restrictions about length of stay during certain periods, etc. BUT--our girls truly do try their best to work with our guests on special requests.


I don't know the specifics of his requests. But if he wants to contact our reservation office directly, he is welcome to.


On another note: We are getting quite a few email requests lately from folks traveling to Roatan that want to stay on West End somewhere (cheaper) but book Dives with us. We don't do that, "a la carte" kinda thing…nada. So if that comes up on Scubaboard….

this is exactly what the OP said.... so they cannot dive with CCV.

 

[Doc]

this is exactly what the OP said.... so they cannot dive with CCV.

Umm, no, if they are staying at Playa Miguel, they can dive at CCV.