Roatan Recommendations

[diversteve]

Yes, we are trying to get the most diving possibly, shooting for 4 per day. Most resorts offer 6 days of 3 tank diving, therefore, having a shore dive site as part of the resort would be desirable. Right now the best price options are AKR-however, they have no rooms with AC for the week we are going. The reefhouse has quoted me a pretty decent price. I am sure CoCoview would be wonderful but it is about $500 more per person. $500.00 will buy a lot of other options including a down payment on a future trip. Again, I don't need to be entertained or wowed by a beautiful resort.

Maybe Fantasy Island also? Across the channel from Cocoview, it should (at last check) price substantially cheaper and has a good dive operator on site. Average food, average rooms - they recently did renovations to the public spaces. Although it's a 3 boat dives/day resort, they share Cocoview's reef from the other side of the channel. Roatan Resorts | Fantasy Island Resort & Marina | Roatan, Honduras Site #3 here: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Honduras, Roatan, Caribbean From what I understand the visibility isn't as great on that side due to the beach. Also there's a battered plane wreck they put down in the wrong place. I am reliably certain you can get out to the Prince Albert from there - although we did it via another shops boat, we went by close enough to FIBR to see some details.

Do some research here and on Trip Advisor also since the resort has gone thru at least 3 changes of ownership in the past decade. I think Doc just mentioned the current mgr. just left also - the owner's son.

The 4th boat dive is what's making it difficult since you're not going to find that at any AI resort but Cocoview. Except that it's really 2 plus 2 there also - they just drop you on the way back in on the wall/wreck every 2nd dive. The resorts doing 3 boat dives do each at a different site.

The other factor with AKR is they have a pretty average shore dive - and it's shallow for a long way out. There's also a second "muck" dive that you can do in the lagoon between the dive shop and the Key. It actually looked decent, we had to do a mask check there to dolphin dive so I poked around for a minute or two. Just off the dock where the boats are. The Key dive is: Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Front Porch of Honduras, Roatan, Caribbean - I know Al M. slightly, that's likely a pretty objective review.

When are you going? If anytime between now and about October - I'd want A/C. The hillside (cheaper) rooms at AKR might be doable in the winter. October is often the wettest month also.

 

[Tool Belt]

CCv rocks, you will be as happy as this parrot fish!!

 

[Doc]

....Los Rocas, which I knew nothing about. They are offering a very cost attractive dive package, however, it only comes with 5 days of 2 tank boat dives. That is why I asked if there was an option to add additional boat dives or if shore diving was an option.
Yes, we are trying to get the most diving possibly, shooting for 4 per day.

Okay, so if you are getting 10 dives, and you want to add an additional 4/day, that would be another 10... add in another $300 to $325 per person for the additional dives.

Resort based shore diving? The only real options there are AKR (read DiverSteve on that), CCV, RHR (highly weather dependent) and FIBR (read below). There is no add-on cost at these AIs for doing their shore dive.

Most resorts offer 6 days of 3 tank diving

Kind of, but not really. Most of the dive ops are set up on a EurAsian schedule which assumes that you will select one of the two first boat departures, not both. Then the afternoon dive. It can be an almost impossible hump to make the transition between dive boat #1 and boat #2. A very short pier interval. The people that do this on Monday grow tired of the hustle after one day. It becomes a defacto 2x a day offering.

What you are really trying to find is a dive op that has the wherewithal to outfit the dive boat with a second tank for each diver. A two tank boat dive. This theoretical 20 mins between morning boats is really tiring.

I am sure CoCoview would be wonderful but it is about $500 more per person. $500.00 will buy a lot of other options including a down payment on a future trip.

So, if you do that math in paragraph 2 above... at CCV you can easily get 27 in a week, and if you were thinking of adding those 17 additional dives in, that would be $510 to $595 additional. All of a sudden, if what you are saying below is correct, CCV starts to make perfect sense.

I want to be fed, sleep (with air conditioning) and dive. I hope that clarifies the question.

Yes, but again, now you have to whip out the calculator and consider "ala-carte" versus what's prix fixe.

Maybe Fantasy Island also? Across the channel from Cocoview, it should (at last check) price substantially cheaper and has a good dive operator on site. Average food, average rooms - they recently did renovations to the public spaces. Although it's a 3 boat dives/day resort, they share Cocoview's reef from the other side of the channel.

FIBR is an absolute train wreck. Where do I begin?

The in-house dive operation has lost all of their long term DMs, and that was the Resort's only saving grace. It may be across from CCV, but FIBR's dredging has ruined their entrance to the "same" shore dive.

Do some research here and on Trip Advisor also since the resort has gone thru at least 3 changes of ownership in the past decade.

TwitAdvisor ? Even mentioning that thing gives it an aire of credibility. A careful inspection of the recent flurry of 5* reviews will show that they have seemingly attracted visits from a lot of first time ever TA posters. From far flung parts of the world. They tried to insert the home town name of Wausa Wisconsin on one sock-puppet's user profile, but spell check corrected it to Warsaw. There is no Warsaw Wisconsin.

Apparently also some of their recent guests enjoyed "The Seahorse Festival", which during the weeks that was held at CocoView, FIBR had no guests in house. Pretty transparent stuff.

The 4th boat dive is what's making it difficult since you're not going to find that at any AI resort but Cocoview. Except that it's really 2 plus 2 there also - they just drop you on the way back in on the wall/wreck every 2nd dive.

This is a common misperception (and oft parroted comment) from people who have never actually been to CCV.

The other factor with AKR is they have a pretty average shore dive - and it's shallow for a long way out.

It's not "average", it is the result of shallow waves crashing on coral rocks. The access is limited by wave action as well as the resort's limited hours of operation.

With that Two-for-One sale still going on, no AC or not, I gotta tell'ya Rudebob, you're really blowing it by not going to AKR... if you want to dive a lot, dive cheap, and with a Grade A dive operation.

 

[Rudebob]

Doc:

It is obvious that you are a big proponent of CCV, and I agree that AKR is the best deal-if, and a big if, you can tolerate not having A/C. What is your opinion of reefhouse? I know it is older but seems to basically offer what we are looking for. I have been in touch with them and they have offered us a rate discounted from what is posted on their site.


BTW, I did email CCV for rates and availability and have yet to get a reply. Most all other resorts I contacted got back to me within the day and in a couple of cases, minutes.

 

[Doc]

I like RHR for sure, as long as you understand what it offers. I have seen all their rooms, been in their boats, eaten a meal there, and done the shore dive, and all their local dive sites. I'm old and need the easier boarding ladders as at CCV, the RHR boats are tough on a hobbling old man like me.

If if you go to my photobucket site (thru the "micro" reference in my sig line), you'll find I have a photobucket album for RHR. Reef House Resort Roatan Photos by Doc_Adelman | Photobucket Look at the pix, read the descriptions. RHR is one of four functional real-deal dive resorts still operating on Roatan. Nice rooms, idyllic location and spectacular view rim the lounge/bar.

If if you want to talk to CCV, call the 800 number on their website, don't email... You may have sent a note to the resort- reservations are handled stateside via the 800#. Yes, that's my go-to place on Roatan, but there are other ways to spend a vacation, even on RTB.

 

[KathyV]

Doc: It is obvious that you are a big proponent of CCV, and I agree that AKR is the best deal-if, and a big if, you can tolerate not having A/C. What is your opinion of reefhouse? I know it is older but seems to basically offer what we are looking for. I have been in touch with them and they have offered us a rate discounted from what is posted on their site.

Below is a link to a recent trip report by Stoo about his visit to Reef House. He had a good time and might go back. We were there many years ago and we also had a good time and have some good memories, but we don't have any desire to go back. It was "fun but nothing special" and his comments about "roaches, sewage, noise, piles of garbage, rafts of plastic refuse, and few large sea creatures" makes it seem even less attractive now - just my opinion.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...port-reefhouse-resort-roatan.html#post7338090

---------- Post added March 23rd, 2015 at 07:30 PM ----------

This suggestion is totally "out there" because it is not Roatan but I recently received the ad below for the Plaza Resort in Bonaire and it meets your requirements of eat, sleep, and dive. It includes all meals and air conditioning and the price is pretty reasonable. You can get maximum dives in Bonaire (mostly shore dives) but you will need to rent a truck. The water in Bonaire will be warm in May. The Plaza it is a large property so they will probably have rooms even though you are booking at short notice.

We've been to Bonaire several times and I've never stayed at the Plaza but I have visited the property and it seems nice - much nicer than Reef House IMO. I have read mixed reviews about the place, but I think it's the only all-inclusive on Bonaire, so it may be an option for you. Just an idea, I hope you find a great place to go for your dive vacation!

BONAIRE Plaza Beach Resort Toucan Diving 20% Off All-Inclusive Rates

$888 pp/dbl

• 7 nights accommodations • 6 days of unlimited shore diving • +$140 pp for 6 1-tank boat dives • All meals + beverages incl. alcohol • WiFi + entertainment • Non-motorized watersports • Travel Apr 4-Dec 18 2015 • Book by Apr 13 2015

 

[ReefHound]

Doc:

It is obvious that you are a big proponent of CCV, and I agree that AKR is the best deal-if, and a big if, you can tolerate not having A/C. What is your opinion of reefhouse? I know it is older but seems to basically offer what we are looking for. I have been in touch with them and they have offered us a rate discounted from what is posted on their site.


BTW, I did email CCV for rates and availability and have yet to get a reply. Most all other resorts I contacted got back to me within the day and in a couple of cases, minutes.

Im at AKR right now with my gf. We were booked in dock bungalow non-AC because that was all that was available. She wanted to upgrade to Superior for the AC and the fridge. A week before the trip our agent said Saturday night was all full but we could switch to Superior on Sunday for next 6 nights. The first night we were ok without the AC and considered canceling our upgrade. We didn't but the point is the AC was not crucial. It is a bit toasty and muggy in the afternoon but it was fine in the evening and a bit cool by morning.

As for the diving, the 15 scheduled boat dives and a few shore dives is all the diving I care for. To me, 27 in a week is insane. I like to relax and enjoy other things too. But then I work as a dm on a dive boat on weekends in the summer so I'll get in 100 or so dives this summer.

 

[diversteve]

The in-house dive operation has lost all of their long term DMs, and that was the Resort's only saving grace.

There goes that I guess.

This is a common misperception (and oft parroted comment) from people who have never actually been to CCV.

While it's true that I haven't, maybe enlighten us as to where they do drop off - Since:

Boat Dives

There are two boat trips that depart from CoCo View daily, which means you get up to four tank dives from the boat if you do a drop-off on the way home.

Roatan Dive Resort Boats | CoCo View Resort

Or do they drop you off somewhere away from CCV's "front yard"? I'd be interested in your marking up a map/google map image showing where they drop if you would be willing to do it for future reference.

Because I do occasionally recommend CCV also - in this case I agree it's about the best option for Rudebob discounting the cost.

Even though Las Rocas offers 10 or 15 dive packages, I doubt they offer 2-10 dive pkgs pp/wk to get to 20. One option is buy 5 dives with West Bay Divers for $190 - they do a 4th dive at 3:30PM also. About 600' south of Las Rocas acording to Google Maps. Both boats likely leave from the beach there - typically those operators use Pangas. Most dives in that area generally are 10-15 minutes ride from the shop - many often even return between dives. That's the program at AKR also IIRC.

 

[Doc]

...Or do they drop you off somewhere away from CCV's "front yard"? I'd be interested in your marking up a map/google map image showing where they drop if you would be willing to do it for future reference.
....While it's true that I haven't (been to CCV), maybe enlighten us as to where they do drop off ...
Because I do occasionally recommend CCV also -

Okay- I had nothing else on my calendar at o4oo this day, so: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...drop-off-same-dive-over-over.html#post7372213

I don't have much to say about "after-dive" activities on Roatan or anywhere else, I just stick to of what I have personal knowledge. Although I've logged 1000's of dives along every shore on Roatan (North, West, East/South, East/North), I might have about 1800+ of them out of CCV.

That, and I enjoy cartography.

 

[KathyV]

I wouldn't go anywhere in the tropics without air conditioning. We tried that a couple of times in our early days but never again. It's okay if there is a good strong breeze but if the wind drops then the heat and humidity become oppressive and the stinging, biting insects show up to feast on you - and the screens often cannot keep them out.