Roatan in Sept. - Anthony's vs Coco View?

[ScubaJoy65]

There are some really good looking divers in the water, if you like your “diver-love” dressed for 82° (year round) water.

As Lily Allen would say, avoid such negative nellies.

It’s true that advertising drives everything in every SCUBA Magazine, Chapbook, and e-media site, but Roatan has been in the forefront of any Caribbean destination since 1982. Gotta be a reason.

IF you stay with a better DM, they should be showing you a Pipefish or Seahorse on every dive. Pretty much-so the norm at CCV. (it lies on the LEE of all the storms) so it’s all about micro.

For those who “want to go exploring on their own”, well, they might just see rocks and sand. Pretty common. A first class naturalist DM is the key, follow him like a puppy. Which is what we are: puppies. By his eye, we don’t know sh*t. Sounds like your ‘local diver acquaintances“ might be used to diving Jupiter?

Big fish! That simply is NOT what Roatan offers that is unique. Sure, certain operators lay claim to zones that you will see….the same bigger fish/critters that you can see anywhere in the Caribbean. Did you drag yourself to Roatan (and pay the airfare?) just to see Barracuda, Parrotfish and pay-per-view Sharks?

Money poorly spent. Roatan’s singular unique feature to anything else in the Caribbean is it’s shape and location in the bottom of the Western basin. It is in a backwater. The one single zone in Roatan that is unique? It’s the South shore, 5 miles either side of CCV. (only four dive ops are located here, CCV is the big player, the only real shore-dive today on Roatan)

That special 10 mile shore zone: Shallow Sunlit vertical walls. It is a nursery for all, haven to the little stuff. It baffles a lot of divers who are not yet able to see the micro, it disappoints divers who are still agog over “big fish”. Seeing things smaller than a toaster takes time. The preoccupation with GoPro (etc) exacerbates this.

I have seen Hammerheads, Whale Sharks, 8’ Rays, couch sized Groupers, all sorts of stuff, right from shore-dive range of CoCo View. But that’s absolutely NOT the attraction for me. I get my jollies using a magnifying glass and flashlight (during the day and night), going slowly, looking with care, follow that DM. I heave thousands of dives in the Bay Islands, I never leave the DM…ever.

I think your friend‘s comments were due to a combination of the three factors: Mediocre DM, the urge to explore, being able to see vs. look-at.

So, you’re asking us if Roatan, the single hot-spot for divers today, if Roatan will make you giggle?

Depends upon your giggle meter.

I like the way you write. You made me RLOL.

Thanks for taking the time to share your insights.

Our giggle meter is easily triggered - so we're looking forward to making it sing when we go.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Sounds like we're going to have a good time. Thanks for sharing. Our trip there is in April 2023 and we're looking forward to it already.

They may even have the new dockside resort office and bar and dining hall and coffee bar open by then. It looked almost finished August last. And really finished this past June. So maybe ...

 

[ScubaJoy65]

They may even have the new dockside resort office and bar and dining hall and coffee bar open by then. It looked almost finished August last. And really finished this past June. So maybe ...

So now... that we've decided to green light this trip... I'm hearing that bugs are an issue. (Good grief - it is a tropical rain forest - right!?!) Anyhoo - what was your bug experience?

 

[Hydo]

My wife and I were at CoCoView in late June. The bugs didn't bother us at all - we didn't even use the picaridin-based repellants we brought with us. I was expecting to use it after each dive because mosquitos love me (and my wife doesn't need repellant when I'm nearby - they all come for me ). I'd bring something with you although many swear by the repellants sold in the dive shop. Hopefully you'll be like us and not need any!

 

[Brodydog]

So now... that we've decided to green light this trip... I'm hearing that bugs are an issue. (Good grief - it is a tropical rain forest - right!?!) Anyhoo - what was your bug experience?

The no see ums can get quite ugly and brutal with some people. Every time I go I see at least one person covered in bites. I sometimes get a few bites even though I try to use repellant often. Be especially vigilant to spray yourself down around dusk and dawn, when they are most active.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

The no see ums can get quite ugly and brutal with some people. Every time I go I see at least one person covered in bites. I sometimes get a few bites even though I try to use repellant often. Be especially vigilant to spray yourself down around dusk and dawn, when they are most active.

Thanks for the insight, Brodydog.

My husband has suggested - after all this wonderful input - that we have enough time to research other all inclusive dive resort options. So now I’m hunting around the many options out there. Who knows what I’ll find.