Roatan?

[Sally Fletcher]

I would recommend checking out West End Divers (www.westenddivers.info). They are located in the middle of the town of West End. They do 'stay and dive' packages with a couple of hotels, and hence, you can just work out which one best suits your needs and get everything done through them. We contacted West End Divers via email (westenddivers@gmail.com) prior to our arrival and they were very helpful. Enjoy!

 

[Doc]

Your kiddin right? Didn't you say

?

This is chill diving. Find it on Roatan's North side during January.

I think this is a chill bar. Most SCUBA divers are nowhere "chill" enough to get in.

 

[billmosel]

I would check out West Bay Beach. There are a lot of choices for what you're looking for. I was there in November for the 3rd time and it seems that West Bay is what you want. Check out vrbo.com. I dove with bananarama whom were fantastic. Just a few options.

 

[Cudabait]

I'm looking to take a week vacation from So Cal, looks like Roatan or Cozumel are the best options. I prefer chill hotels over resorts, it seems that Cozumel is more of a resort destination, so I'm figuring Roatan is the the better option.

I'd like to find a hotel with a balcony / deck, on the beach, a hammock to relax in, and a chill bar to have a few drinks at night. I'd also like a high quality dive operator on site for ease of use and challenging / interesting dives.

My last trips were to Fiji, Australia, Bali and Belize.

Any recommendations on where to go and stay?

Traveler......you don't say when you are going. Time of year on Roatan is important concerning where on island yhou choose. Winter months not too good for West End......Rainey season and northers can mess it up. Otherwise, March thru Sept is great for west end marine park diving, Here's a video I made while diving with Splash Inn 2 months ago. All I can say is good things about their operation!!! ROATAN SPLASH INN, A DIVING ADVENTURE - YouTube

 

[RTBDiver]

I do not think there really is a good "chill" bar in this sense on Roatan, Ironically enough the folks who own the ICEBAR in Orlando previously owned the home down the road from me in Flowers Bay, I guess they could not find a chill bar so opened their ownand could not afford or rely on RECO to provide the power for such a thing

 

[jlevine]

When do you plan to go? Roatan is great between mid-February and Mid-November but there are more "challenging" times (for example Holy Week, just before Easter). You can go to http://www.roatanet.com for more information about the island. Everyone has their biases. My personal favorite is Roatan - Las Rocas Resort & Dive Center, Bay Islands of Honduras.

 

[dmoore19]

I have been to AKR and while a Resort, found it pretty laid back. The bar there pretty quiet (in my experience). I found the dive op there a very well run operation. 3 dives a day is just right for me, other places there you can get 4 or 5. Can't speak to much about the time of year, we went in December and did a night dive on New Years Eve. The weather that year was lovely though the day we left a Norther was moving in, We had 7 beautiful days there. We were there with a group and had a great time. Not much for a beach though. We had a key superior and there was a deck with a hammock. Not sure if that helps or not. I am by no stretch an expert on the destination but found AKR to suit my needs and would go again. Thinking about it again in August.

 

[VicScubaVentures]

I did a week's stay at CoCo View Resort on the south side of Roatan at the beginning of December. Water temps were in the low 80's with vis anywhere between 70 and 100 feet. Just for fun I took my drysuit, it was definitely overkill as I was really comfortable in my 3mm shorty wetsuit. The "resort" isn't 4-star, but the dive op is 5-star (plus). Rooms are clean and cozy, food is good (not gourmet, but not bland), and there was always lots of it. Since CCV is on one of smaller barrier key islands, it's quite isolated ...limited internet access, no TV or phone in room (I loved it). Diving is 24/7 with unlimited nitrox as an add-on for $125 per week (32% was the standard fill, always 3000psi or better). It's possible to do 4-6 dives a day without over-tiring yourself. The first boat leaves at 0830 ....you do your guided site dive for an hour or so, then a surface interval and then back to the resort dock, but they'll drop you off at one of the 2 house reefs or on the wreck of the Prince Albert and you make your own way back to shore easily in time for lunch. Second boat leaves at 1400hrs, and after your site dive they'll drop you off on the house reefs or the Prince Albert. Add in a night dive and/or a sunrise dive and you're easily at 6 dives. I got in 19 dives over my 7 day stay, and I didn't push as hard as I could have. Lots of photo opportunities with a very healthy reef and marine ecosystem. I loved it so much I'm going back for a week in April .... how's that for an endorsement?! CoCo View Resort Roatan Scuba Roatan Diving located in Roatan, Honduras diving, scuba and snorkeling. is the website.

Enjoy Roatan!!
Craig.

 

[craracer]

I've stayed at AKR, Fantasy Island, and CCV. Hands down, CCV wins if your goal is to dive your brains out. I agree with Vic's comments. IMHO, AKR's accommodations are slightly better, but I don't think it's a deal breaker at all. Diving at CCV is far and away easier, and more plentiful than at AKR. Fantasy Island......at the risk of offending some, don't even bother.

During my last visit to CCV I think I did something like 26 dives over a weeks time. I've been there 3 times during the last year, and it's my favorite place to date. Come hell or high water, I will be back there several times this year. They have a special way of making you feel like family, not just another Joe-schmo to exploit or ignore.

 

[dolesorchard]

godive19, I gave my input based on my limited experience. I wish someone had suggested that I take a winter coat for surface intervals before I went. As I understand it the conditions we saw were not especially common but can occur any time during the winter, as in Maine its all about the wind direction and cold/warm fronts. Better to be prepared.