Specific Roatan Questions

[Doc]

Roatanman - You do amaze me !

Then you'll love this: :boings:

Since you have called my experince base into question, yes there probably is a broad difference between my 52 weeks of diving and your 120 weeks on Roatan.

I mis-spoke. I have not really dived 52 weeks on Roatan.

It was more like Roatan, Utila, Guanaja, Cayos, Cisne, Helena, Moratt, Barbaretta... all of the Bay Islands. Cow & Calf, Fort Key, Alligator Nose, Diamond Rock, Spyglass, plus too, all of the sites printed on the t-shirts the shops sell. Some of it, maybe 30 to 37 logged hours was being towed behind a boat on a dive plane surveying the potential dive sites. Some of it was spending countless hours inside Mary's Place while it was closed doing reef surveys and counts. But that's irrelevant, because few commercial ops are going to these other far-flung sites yet.

I have owned properties on the island of Roatan. I have worked for the government of Roatan.

What side of the island that will develop- you bet it's my opinion. It means nothing as to the character or the quality of the diving, just where I believe that resorts will develop. As a matter of fact, it is where resorts have begun developing, certainly versus the North side. Just a real-estate fact, nothing to get rattled about, bargains are had elsewhere if anyone is looking.

I like that list of ops that will take you around during the Northers, and that's a tribute to your observational skills. I will comment further on "If you have a cutomers wanting to dive you are going to take them if you have any business sense!". This is a truism, but it only applies if they have the financial base and physical equipment to perform this task. Thus- not all dive ops are created equal. I don't think anyone but the elite would drag a boat around if it wasn't full to capacity, certainly not for one or two.

This means that we should select our dive-ops with care.

Here's the original querry: We're looking into going to Roatan in June or July.
Can you all please let me know what you can about general ocean conditions then?
Is is a calm time of year or rough? Does it not matter since it's never very rough?
Is one part of the island calmer than the other? (Coco vs. AKR)
Anything else I should consider for that time of year, or when considering these two resorts as my likely destination? Thanks, I know these subjects have been discussed before....

We all may have elaborated as to other months and differences, but what they heck, that's what the internet is all about!

To which I add and restate for emphasis:
Roatan is like an elephant being examined and described by blind men. You remember the story, right? One says, "It is like a rope" as he feels the tail. Another shouts, "It is as a tree trunk" as he hugs the leg. Yet another proclaims that an elephant "Is most like a snake!" as he handles the trunk.

This is an elephant I have ridden.

Roatan and the Bay Islands are the last frontier (almost) in the Caribbean. Certainly they are on the cusp of development (read: destruction), so to any and all- come on down and see it before we go Cozumel on you. I go to a lot of week long dive trips every year, but I always find time to take two+ weeks in Roatan.

Something for everybody!

 

[Bratface]

Thank you Doc Adelman. I was at CCV during Hurricane Wilma and will be going back in April and as often as I can after that. We all love diving, but it is sad to see over-development occur. It is happening in Bonaire as well. As divers we all have a huge responsibility to protect the reefs and the fish.

 

[shadowdiver]

June/July is a fantastic time to visit the island of Roatan. At this time of year is tends to be calmer on the Northside. Anthony's Key Resort is right in the middle of the Marine Reserve and in my point of view (over 2500 dives off and around the Bay Islands), where the more interesting dive sites are. Including Bears Den (cave dive), Hole in the Wall (swim thrus) and two wrecks. The majority of dive operations are on the North side. There's a reason for this. There is no need to worry about not being able to dive at the time of year that you mention. The Northers that Doc talks about usually blow in January. AKR is actually much closer to the West End and it is much easier to get around the island from there. At Cocoview you will need to take a boat to and from the island. I guess it depends if you want hard core diving all the time or a bit of diving with a bit of checking out the island.

 

[Chaseh]

Thanks for all your information. I hope my first week there will be soon.

BTW, Tom Hanks was not in Multiplicity, Michael Keaton was.

This calls into question any credibility Roatanman might of had. Just kidding.

 

[mjnansen]

I'd like to add Native Sons to the list of West side independents that do South side dives in bad weather- Alvin maintains his own dock in Flowers Bay and prefers to move his boats in bad weather so they don't get pounded while tied up. So Native Sons is happy to go out with only a few divers- been out with them many times with just my husband and myself on both sides!
As for Roatanmans statement about the future of diving on Roatan, I have to agree with him (I know, hardly ever happens, but I don't agree for the same reasons) I think Roatan is going to have much of it's future growth occur to the east- if nothing else just availability of land. I'm not sure that it will all be on the South side, but I do think that the bigger more upscale developments will come to the East side. I shudder to think about the long term future of beautiful Camp Bay if a serious developer ever gets ahold of it!

 

[spudusaf]

I am trying to get a trip to Utila the island next to Roatan for July if you are interested. I do not care if it is singles or couples that come. I was there last summer and it is amazing. The location is Deep Blue Resort, Utila. Look up there website it is fantastic. Very good diving, great accomdations, great food, the staff is amazing and you are spoiled rotten. If you are interested please let me know. THe more that go the cheaper the cost.

 

[smithvillemike]

What are the waves/currents like in late September? We have a group of instructors and a divemaster going down the last week of September and are trying to deceide between CCV, Bay Islands, Fantasy Island and Reef House Resort. Any suggestions?

 

[shadowdiver]

Any suggestions?

Yeah! Stay away from all three and get you and your buddies to West End/West Bay. check out www.roatanet.com . If I had to choose between the 3 you mentioned. CCV. Anthony's Key Resort is great and so is the Inn of Last resort, the owners Donna and Andy are great people.

 

[Doc]

What are the waves/currents like in late September?

The waves thing has been hashed to death above and many times previously.

There are essentialy no currents to fret about, certainly at your certification levels.

Cara a Cara (the Shark Dive of of Dixon Cove) has some current (thus the attraction for the Sharks), but it is very minor, usually .25 mph, rarely maybe it's .75 m.p.h. (There are Jon Lines and Down Lines aplenty combined with a good pre-dive briefing) It is the strongest current regularly seen by many divers to Roatan, so it's imagined as a heavy current and can be quite an eye opener for the uninitiated.

As far as which resort, you do the math. Do you want a dedicated dive resort, or something else? There is no correct single answer.

 

[Bay Island Diver]

Woo-hoo, Spot on Doc - Although I have seen the Cara Cara current running at over 3 knots!

Will