Must it be SSI for some reason? You’re limiting your choices pretty dramatically.
In the physical character described for your desired “larger boats with substantial ladders”, this by their cost and required capacity will be found at older, more established and better financed shops, that in and of itself is NOT a descriptor of the majority of Roatan’s day dive ops. Bigger operations are predictably not SSI, on a Roatan, they’re PADI. Mox nix?
I think I’d put “full overhead Sun coverage” way higher on my list, but I’m a formerly blonde green eye Sun sponge.
They are also going to be found at AI operations. Your comment in regards to shop focus being on instruction versus resort diving? That’s strictly a factor of your internalized perception. In the destination environment, all sorts of divers show up, professionals are offering instruction and dive master dive leading, whatever it takes on any day.
Proponents of specific operations will wax poetic here in regards to their perfect certification experience. This is similar to kids gossiping about what a good kisser they are. We know what we know, now lump that in with SSI (or whatever) fans exhorting a specific shop for that reason alone.
All dive ops do training. Period. Full stop. There is simply NOT one that is better or more attuned to it by the (small or large) volume they do. Some dive ops are too small to legitimately offer BOTH recreational diving and training on the same day- due to inadequate staff (Instructors are the new minimum to work as a DM Guide) or lack of boat space. If I’m told that rec diving and OW training are going to be simultaneously offered on a 28’ open boat, I’ll sit back and enjoy the circus, most likely from shore.
By your boat requirements, if I were to give you the “best boats” by those standards, from the top: CCV (also the lead instructor of 30 years is a female); AKR (deep vee fleet of ProDives); FIBR (unfortunately a hot-mess of a resort); SUBWAY (which services several resorts) tied with BFK... Again, these are all AI Resorts with deep pockets.
They may likely have a staff member who is currently paid up with SSI, but an OW Cert, is after all, an OW Cert. (iNcOmInG!!)
If you really want what is instead offered by “West End” day dive ops? This is where you’d be better suited to do 10-12 dives in a week, near access to varied dining and booze, music and late night. Here you will find many dive ops.
I think your intentions are admirable, but it shows a misperception of not only the adequate quality available on a West End, but also the local conditions. It gets fuggly in W/N zones during Caribbean Storm Season (Aug > Feb), but otherwise it’s calm enough that she (and you, too) should be learning to use boats with temporary wooden ladders and slightly less upscale. It’s a big dive world out there.
The West End day dive ops offer boats that are more than adequate for local conditions, and by design and execution compare very well on a Caribbean (and surpass most International) standards.
If you want to boost your and her dive count by 27 in that dive vacation week, go to one of the AIs that I listed. If you want a vacation with simply her getting certified, give a West End day dive op consideration.
Remember a few things: You and your buddy are NOT going to be together during that Certification Time frame. Go away. Shouldn’t likely be on the same boat. You are going to be her dive buddy immediately after that. (We can only look at your stated “dive count”... are you ready to be her next new best instructor?). if she’s needing it, maybe hire a private DM? On Roatan, it’s inexpensive- but avoid any op that says “she’ll be okay in the DMs group“, they’re dodging their inability to provide this sometimes very desirable service.
Pure heresy here on the nets- but my take: a boat’s a boat, an OW Check Out is a C Card. There are very few failures in either category.
Decide the quantity of diving you really want, make that serious evaluation, chose from there.