And while anything can happen, Hurricanes are not common in the Bay Islands, The last hurricane tomake landfall in the Bay Islands was about 14 years ago
Roatan for divers broadening their horizons?
- Thread starter Jpenn
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And while anything can happen, Hurricanes are not common in the Bay Islands, The last hurricane tomake landfall in the Bay Islands was about 14 years ago
simonds
Registered
It has been about 3 years since I've been to Fantasy Island so I can't comment on what is going on there now. In the past we would make three boat trips per day as opposed to Coco View, which only does two per day. We could also be dropped off at the Prince Albert on the way back in - for the gonzo divers. As a resort Coco View appeals more to divers, Fantasy had a diverse clientele - sometimes big crowds of families from the mainland. You will hit rain in Roatan in the fall. We were down at West Bay early last October and didn't get rained on until the end of the week. Going to the north west side of the island is very chancy in the winter due to high winds on that side. Good luck.
gb_williams
Contributor
My wife and I enjoyed CoCoView very much. I enjoyed the boat dives and the 24/7 shore diving. But, based on what you’re looking for, that’s not what I would recommend.
My top recommendation would be Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman and for a number of reasons. First, the diving. The water in Grand Cayman is much clearer than Roatan. There were a couple of times in Roatan when viz was less than 10 feet – both on the wall and when trying to do a shore dive. The only time we had good viz on shore dives was at slack tide.
At Cobalt, you start the day with a 2-tank boat dive with Divetech, the on-site operator. They have two boats, and since Cobalt Coast is a small, boutique hotel, I’ve never felt crowded on their boats. On all boat dives there are three DM/Instructors. One stays on the boat and two are in the water. For each dive, they do a very thorough, informative and amusing briefing complete with well-drawn site maps.
The first dive is a deep dive on the wall. These are among my favorite dives anywhere. Because Cobalt Coast is on the northwestern part of the island, weather permitting you’ll dive the less visited North Wall – some of the best sites are along this wall. The second dive will be a shallower dive 40’ to 60’. The DMs will give you as much or as little assistance as you ask for. Stay with either DM (one leading, one trail) and you’ll see some interesting creatures and beautiful sights. When you’re new, they will definitely keep a close eye on you to quietly access your skills. If they are comfortable with your skill level and the site conditions, they will let you go on your own (with your buddy) if you prefer. (My wife and I do this often on sites we’re familiar with.)
After lunch, you’re on your own. Divetech offers afternoon trips to the Kittywake and to Sting Ray City. But, having done that, I prefer shore diving. There are two excellent shore dives available – all included in your package. One is off the pier at Cobalt Coast. There is a mini-wall with lots to see and many fish and critters. That’s from 20’ to 60’. Past the mini-wall are sand flats and coral fingers that go out to the North Wall, which begins at 80’. I’m very happy to swim with the turtles, watch the morays and see all the fish and coral along the mini-wall.
The second shore dive is at Lighthouse Point, just a mile down the road. Here, Divetech has another shop with tanks, weights, dunk tanks and benches. If you’re staying on a dive package, Divetech will shuttle you back and forth from Cobalt Coast to Lighthouse almost any time you like.
If you like night dives – which I thoroughly do – either shore site is excellent. You can check out a tank before the shop closes and go when you like. Or, you can go on one of the guided night dives during the week.
Now, for the second reason that I think you’ll like Cobalt Coast better than CoCoView – the hotel.
It’s located in a residential area, well away from the noise of George Town and the traffic of Seven Mile Beach. Built in the style of a Caribbean plantation house, it’s a small hotel with – I would guess – not more than 25 rooms. Most of the rooms are suites, with a sitting area facing the shore and a large bedroom in back. Each suite has a small refrigerator and coffee maker, plus a wet bar.
Cobalt Coast offers an all-inclusive package, as well as an optional meal-plan for $60 per person per day. My wife and I prefer the meal plan. There is an excellent breakfast buffet included in your dive package. On our first visit, we decided to go it on our own for meals. We found we were spending a lot more than $60 per person per day going to local restaurants. The cost of a rental car, (or jitney or taxi), plus the cost of meals was more. And, we also found that we were eating all of our lunches and most of our dinners at the excellent restaurant on premise. The menu is varied and the food is delightful … from Indian curry to Caribbean jerk to American and continental … from hamburgers to salads to something fresh and local from the sea. (The chef does great things with Lionfish; I love the ceviche and tea soup.) The meal plan dinner includes appetizer, soup or salad and entrée and dessert. The daily specials are hard to resist.
The third reason is the hospitality. Even for first-time visitors, coming here is like coming home to dive. It’s like meeting old friends for the first time. Nowhere have I met a host more congenial and more customer focused than Arie … unless it’s Dora, the office manager. They are at the entrance to greet you when you step off the bus. Arie always has a tale to tell and just might sit down at your table during lunch to tell you one. The atmosphere is more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel. And, you’re among friends … fellow divers. There is really only one reason to stay at Cobalt Coast, and that’s because you want to spend your time diving. My wife and I have a number of good friends who we have kept in touch with.
So, check out their website www.cobaltcoast.com and give it a look. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
My top recommendation would be Cobalt Coast on Grand Cayman and for a number of reasons. First, the diving. The water in Grand Cayman is much clearer than Roatan. There were a couple of times in Roatan when viz was less than 10 feet – both on the wall and when trying to do a shore dive. The only time we had good viz on shore dives was at slack tide.
At Cobalt, you start the day with a 2-tank boat dive with Divetech, the on-site operator. They have two boats, and since Cobalt Coast is a small, boutique hotel, I’ve never felt crowded on their boats. On all boat dives there are three DM/Instructors. One stays on the boat and two are in the water. For each dive, they do a very thorough, informative and amusing briefing complete with well-drawn site maps.
The first dive is a deep dive on the wall. These are among my favorite dives anywhere. Because Cobalt Coast is on the northwestern part of the island, weather permitting you’ll dive the less visited North Wall – some of the best sites are along this wall. The second dive will be a shallower dive 40’ to 60’. The DMs will give you as much or as little assistance as you ask for. Stay with either DM (one leading, one trail) and you’ll see some interesting creatures and beautiful sights. When you’re new, they will definitely keep a close eye on you to quietly access your skills. If they are comfortable with your skill level and the site conditions, they will let you go on your own (with your buddy) if you prefer. (My wife and I do this often on sites we’re familiar with.)
After lunch, you’re on your own. Divetech offers afternoon trips to the Kittywake and to Sting Ray City. But, having done that, I prefer shore diving. There are two excellent shore dives available – all included in your package. One is off the pier at Cobalt Coast. There is a mini-wall with lots to see and many fish and critters. That’s from 20’ to 60’. Past the mini-wall are sand flats and coral fingers that go out to the North Wall, which begins at 80’. I’m very happy to swim with the turtles, watch the morays and see all the fish and coral along the mini-wall.
The second shore dive is at Lighthouse Point, just a mile down the road. Here, Divetech has another shop with tanks, weights, dunk tanks and benches. If you’re staying on a dive package, Divetech will shuttle you back and forth from Cobalt Coast to Lighthouse almost any time you like.
If you like night dives – which I thoroughly do – either shore site is excellent. You can check out a tank before the shop closes and go when you like. Or, you can go on one of the guided night dives during the week.
Now, for the second reason that I think you’ll like Cobalt Coast better than CoCoView – the hotel.
It’s located in a residential area, well away from the noise of George Town and the traffic of Seven Mile Beach. Built in the style of a Caribbean plantation house, it’s a small hotel with – I would guess – not more than 25 rooms. Most of the rooms are suites, with a sitting area facing the shore and a large bedroom in back. Each suite has a small refrigerator and coffee maker, plus a wet bar.
Cobalt Coast offers an all-inclusive package, as well as an optional meal-plan for $60 per person per day. My wife and I prefer the meal plan. There is an excellent breakfast buffet included in your dive package. On our first visit, we decided to go it on our own for meals. We found we were spending a lot more than $60 per person per day going to local restaurants. The cost of a rental car, (or jitney or taxi), plus the cost of meals was more. And, we also found that we were eating all of our lunches and most of our dinners at the excellent restaurant on premise. The menu is varied and the food is delightful … from Indian curry to Caribbean jerk to American and continental … from hamburgers to salads to something fresh and local from the sea. (The chef does great things with Lionfish; I love the ceviche and tea soup.) The meal plan dinner includes appetizer, soup or salad and entrée and dessert. The daily specials are hard to resist.
The third reason is the hospitality. Even for first-time visitors, coming here is like coming home to dive. It’s like meeting old friends for the first time. Nowhere have I met a host more congenial and more customer focused than Arie … unless it’s Dora, the office manager. They are at the entrance to greet you when you step off the bus. Arie always has a tale to tell and just might sit down at your table during lunch to tell you one. The atmosphere is more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel. And, you’re among friends … fellow divers. There is really only one reason to stay at Cobalt Coast, and that’s because you want to spend your time diving. My wife and I have a number of good friends who we have kept in touch with.
So, check out their website www.cobaltcoast.com and give it a look. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
My diving philosophy was nevro visit a place twice, Roatan drew me in for mor than diving so I now go regularly, The only reason I went to the caymans , Brac. wasI won a free trip in a photo contest on my first trip. The water is clear, almost sterile, not much to see even with great vis. Of course this is just my opinion after two weeks and 50 dives.My favorite dives ob brac were late night shore dives we drove to
OP
Jpenn
Registered
@ gb_williams, what an amazing review and recommendation! I checked out the website and the flight schedule using our miles, that will most definitely be one of our next dive destination, thank you 
any particular time of the year you fancy?
any particular time of the year you fancy?
gb_williams
Contributor
Unless there is a hurricane blowing through -- which happens very rarely -- the weather is pretty good year round. What's nice about Cobalt Coast is its proximity to both the North and West Walls. If the wind is blowing too hard on the north, they simply drive everyone to West Bay and dive the northern part (best part) of the West Wall. If it's too windy in the south, they go north. For shore diving, when it's too windy at Cobalt Coast, Lighthouse Point is usually calm.
That being said, my favorite time is early summer -- just before the 4th of July. The sea is usually flat calm which means great shore diving and boat dives to all my favorite sites.
That being said, my favorite time is early summer -- just before the 4th of July. The sea is usually flat calm which means great shore diving and boat dives to all my favorite sites.
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I would also recommend CocoView. I have a couple of trips there and would go again any time the opportunity presents itself. The choice between Cocview shore diving and Bonaire shore diving really comes down to the ease of shore diving in CocView versus the variety of shore diving locations in Bonaire. As someone with crappy knees, I love shore diving at CocoView, but the hikes and/or gear hauls to some Bonaire sites, not so much. It is hard to beat the variety of sites that you can shore dive in Bonaire, but if you are looking to ease into shore diving, I'd recommend CocoView. Then plan a trip to Bonaire in the future.
AMEN and another Amen
As to the visibility, 10 feet??? Now I only have a little over 80 dives through the front yard and I have never seen ten foot vis. maybe 25 feet or so but I agree it is much better at slack or an incoming tide. To get ten foot vis you must be doing a night dive without a light. That said Coz and the Cayman islands offer better visibility so if maximum vis is your goal then you have to consider those destinations
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We have been to Roatan 11 times. We never stayed at CCV or FI but we did go to both resorts to check them out
for future trip planning. At CCV we were welcomed, they sent a skiff over to pick us up, offered us to stay for dinner
and watch the fire show. We enjoyed a cocktail under the palapa and toured the facility. It was clean, well cared for
and everyone we ran in to was friendly and helpful. We went to FI, after a lot of hassle to get past the guard gate
(more due to confusion than good security) we decided to have a soda and look over the amenities and we were told
we would have to buy a wrist band for $20 each just to go to the bar and order a $2 coke. We attempted to explain
we just wanted to have a soda and look around as we may want to stay in the future. They said yes we understand
but you have to buy the wristband. We declined and left. Stupidest marketing approach I have ever seen. Perhaps
they have a new owner/manager. CCV hands down FWIW. Roatan is awesome, enjoy! ><> Happy Diving
for future trip planning. At CCV we were welcomed, they sent a skiff over to pick us up, offered us to stay for dinner
and watch the fire show. We enjoyed a cocktail under the palapa and toured the facility. It was clean, well cared for
and everyone we ran in to was friendly and helpful. We went to FI, after a lot of hassle to get past the guard gate
(more due to confusion than good security) we decided to have a soda and look over the amenities and we were told
we would have to buy a wrist band for $20 each just to go to the bar and order a $2 coke. We attempted to explain
we just wanted to have a soda and look around as we may want to stay in the future. They said yes we understand
but you have to buy the wristband. We declined and left. Stupidest marketing approach I have ever seen. Perhaps
they have a new owner/manager. CCV hands down FWIW. Roatan is awesome, enjoy! ><> Happy Diving
At FI, my brother walked in, grabbed a plate, and sat down with us like he was staying there. All week he ate for free.
it never ceases to amaze me how proud people are when they rip off a small business. there's nothing as strange as people.
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