AKR (Anthony's Key) is located on the North side (West End) and CCV (Cocoview) is on the Southern shore.
Take a look at previous threads in regards to weather. The rough stuff comes from the North. For a portion of the year, the North is predictable dead flat (May-Aug). The South side usually has a minimum 1' running sea, but almost never any real wave action, comparatively.
The shore dive at AKR is exposed to the North and is thus very dependent upon weather. Eons of this weather have shaped the terrain underwater. It is a fairly austere dive, and I will wager that none of the imagery they feature on the shore dive page is accessible to us mere mortals, again- due to the years of weather. AKR limits the access to 3-9pm.
The shore dive at Cocoview is legendary, and for good reason. Although some think that it is "the same dive" as from neighboring FIBR, this is not the case... if you have done both. CCV starts at the sandy shoreline and becomes an immediate aquarium from the start. There are lots of threads here on the chain that takes you out to the shipwreck and aircraft or the two walls. Many people come to CCV, dive all day, and never do a boat dive. It is a haven for night divers because of ease of access and navigational aids underwater. It is open 24/7, and is even doable under the worst weather due to it's reef protection.
Lately, the diving world has become more interested in what is called "muck diving". This has been around for a while, but with all of those photographers with macro capabilities running out of things to gawk at and photograph... they have discovered the places they used to swim past- the muddy lunar flats... there is amazing stuff right there.
For that reason alone, I would highly recommend that you look at AKR's shore dive, but then turn around 180° and jump into their inner lagoon. This muck diving is not for everyone and the viz is, of course, dismal. You should wear a full body cover. Great stuff, especially under their dive boat docks. At CCV, this muck diving is also available to the West, around Hawksbill Key.
Visibility? It's pretty simple to explain on Roatan. Storms (wind and wave) come from the North, this has pushed farming and tillable soil to the South. (close your eyes, repeat and visualize)
The North side will always have superior gross visibility. The island soil does not wash down into the Ocean on that side, although development of properties along the East end on the North coast (Black Pearl Golf Course, Tuqouise Bay and others) have begun to increase particulates and sedimentation. Viz is okay, but also understand that in this area you are looking at bigger fish- the more common sights in the Caribbean.
Along the South side, it is a bit murkier and there is less water exchange. In this shallow Sunlit environment of vertical walls, that's why the divers concentrate on the little critters- like Pipefish, Seahorses, Neck Crabs, Blennies and such. When you are looking for these creatures, you notice them about 8' away, similar to any night dive, so viz is not an issue. You're just looking for things at a much closer distance away.
This points up an interesting phenomenon on Roatan. Comparatively few divers visit the South side. Most go to dive the same sites as AKR. (from West End and in the environs of the Roatan Marine Park). Most divers who visit (any Caribbean island) are nowhere near as comfortable underwater as they will be after their next 70 warm-water-pretty-fish dives. They are largely still quite taken with Baracudas, Groupers, Crabs and Lobsters. For this, the North side, especially in the RMP, wins hands down... even the shore dive from AKR. The bulk of divers look for and understand (only) this.
More advanced divers who have mastered buoyancy and close-in observational skills will revel in the South side. The CCV shore dive is absolutely unique in the Caribbean, a shallow paradise for such critters, it is a reef nursery. Less advanced divers or those who will not follow the naturalist DM- they will likely get on Trip Advisor and post how the diving sucked.
It boils down to how much access you want and how easy you want it- and what you are looking for when you get there. I have done both shore dives (and both the AKR & CCV muck dives). I see absolutely no value in night boat dives- they are always too deep and too rushed with people in the flashlight scene from ET. I do my night dive every night, as a shore dive. CCV is my choice for that hands down. If you really only want one shore dive during the week, I wouldn't think this should be a deciding factor in and of itself.
There are a number of other checklist reasons that AKR might be more desirable for the precise needs of a specific individual, but if shore diving is the criteria, it's CCV.
