Roatan temp and bug spray types?

[OMyMyOHellYes]

I really wish that one person would check their ego and quit assuming that their singular experience is universal and that their opinion should be extended to everyone else's informed choices.

Because of two particularly bad experiences from American Airlines (one to South America, one to Chicago), I generally refuse to fly them even though the international check-in counter at their main hub is 3.02 miles from my front door and my father retired as a wide-body Captain from their pilot ranks. It takes me longer to get where I'm going and is more hassle for me, but OK. Folks descended from a Celtic culture can hold a grudge. But folks should feel free to fly with them if they want. Go for it.

Somebody summed it up with the phrase "you do you and I'll do me".

 

[laurenceh]

I really wish everyone would stop hyping this location up. The bugs were awful at night. Not mosquitos, but other flying things that just made you skeeved out. The whole island is full of raw sewage and yes it's in the water. Prepare to come home with some sort of sickness. I had the ear infection from hell which was antibiotic resistant. It inflamed a nerve in my face and it sent me to the ER. Other divers most recently posted about bad cases of Montezuma's revenge- and let me tell you it's not from drinking the water, it's from diving in it. The entire reef is contaminated because it just runs off from the island.

We've been visiting and diving in the bay islands 3-5 times a year since 2004. Obviously your perception has not been my experience, my wife's experience or any of the friends that have often accompanied us. In recent years we have spent several months a year in that part of the world. Admittedly, we dive and stay on the neighboring island of Utila but I can't believe that (other than the number of visitors) it's that much different to Roatan.

 

[covediver]

Been to cocview twice in three years and was surprised at the trash in the water which is quickly cleaned up on the resort's shores. Lots of plastics in the water, Not a problem unique to the Bay Islands. As a dive resort experience, Cocoview was great. Nice people, decent diving, fun place, I would go back and probably will soon. Yes, there are bugs, the website and visitor info makes that clear. I use Bens 100 (100 percent deet) same thing I use in Alaska. I keep one small spray bottle in the dive locker, another in my room. I have not real problems unless I forget to put it on.

 

[covediver]

How big are these bugs, DDT?

Not that big, You don't really see them, but they are present.

 

[RobPNW]

Agent Orange couldn’t keep those sand fleas off my legs.

 

[happy-diver]

What about running through a bonfire on the beach, you know like the walking through hot coals thing

 

[Comm]

The ones that affect me the worst are tiny - about the size of a fleck of ground black pepper. Usually called sand fleas, sandflies, or (my personal favorite) "no-see-ums". I never feel their bite, only several hours later see the telltale red mark with a tiny darker red pinprick inside of it, along with horrible itching.

For the OP, read almost any trip report here on SB about Roatan and you'll usually find some mention of them and preventative suggestions - some of which are here in this thread already...

I recommend bringing a bottle of baby oil to cover the legs as it will drown the sand fleas. They are too small to swim through the baby oil and die. On top of the baby oil, i just use regular bug spray all over

 

[DirtFish]

What about running through a bonfire on the beach, you know like the walking through hot coals thing

What about running through a bonfire on the beach, you know like the walking through hot coals thing

Would only work for a few seconds, then you would be totally consumed by the invisible monsters from HELL.

 

[Allen-1]

I really wish everyone would stop hyping this location up. The bugs were awful at night. Not mosquitos, but other flying things that just made you skeeved out. The whole island is full of raw sewage and yes it's in the water. Prepare to come home with some sort of sickness. I had the ear infection from hell which was antibiotic resistant. It inflamed a nerve in my face and it sent me to the ER. Other divers most recently posted about bad cases of Montezuma's revenge- and let me tell you it's not from drinking the water, it's from diving in it. The entire reef is contaminated because it just runs off from the island.

Sorry you had such a poor experience.

I spent two weeks at Coco-View in October of 2022 and again in October of 2023 learning how to dive. Some of the most enjoyable time I've had in my entire life. I'm going back to Roatan in April 2025 for a week to go diving at the Mayan Princess. My non-diver wife's traveling with me this time so "dive camp" at CCV isn't really viable, whereas "resort life" at Mayan Princess is.

I live outside of Savannah, home of "sand gnats"; with that as background, I didn't notice any bugs in Roatan. I do remember laying in a hammock on the front balcony, looking up at a couple of bats hanging out and being glad they were there to eat the bugs.

As for the ear infection, I use "EarShield", and haven't had any ear infections. Not proof positive that it will work for you, but it, (or something similar), might be worth looking into.

 

[TNEngineer]

We love Roatan and have dived and and stayed there many times. I must agree that the no-see-ums are voracious... I personally brought multiple brands of "best in the world" bug repellents but was eaten alive just the same. Others were not, so I must just taste sweeter. The diving makes it worthwhile, though.