Utila or Roatan

[north6633]

Hello all, my wife and I are new to diving. As a finisher to a trip to Vietnam trip last month we got our Open Water. We enjoyed it so much we are planning a trip that is oriented around diving. We are trying to work with $4000 budget, we know its going to be a struggle to do this and if we go over a bit its not the end of the world, we are not going skimp on a trip for a few hundred dollars.

So Utila and Roatan are on the list for consideration, along with Belize, Cozumel and to a lesser extent Bonaire.


Our plan is to get our AOW and we are looking for a good dive operator to dive with. As far as lodging goes we are pretty easy on that side. We need a clean and quite place to stay, we are not 5 star resort travelers. Actually not all that comfortable in places like that

So what is the differences between Utila and Roatan, from just reading threads and doing web searchers it appears that Utila is a little more inexpensive.

One thing we are looking for is a place that is a little less touristy. We will be doing this trip in March and the idea of going to a "spring break" destination like CZM does not appeal to us at all, even though from a strictly dollar and cents approach CZM is the cheapest.

Can we expect to dive in smaller groups at either of these destinations? I have posted a similar question in the Belize sub forum but I am having a hard time making a trip there fit our budget.

Thanks in advance


Paul

 

[Doc]

If you are getting your OW Cert in a one week visit, you can expect to dive in a very small group, likely you two plus the instructor. This will be the case likely until Wednesday, where you may be ready to join the regular divers.

You ask a huge, broad question in regards to Roatan vs. Utila.

You will likely get a lot of advice in regards to both, but understand that very few people have ever really seen or been diving on the huge differences of dive sites and operations available. Utila is a place that visitors can get a pretty good handle on, Roatan takes a lot of different resorts and options to begin to get a clue. Roatan's diving is dramatically different in four distinct u/w zones, and rarely does one diver on a weeklong get a perspective of what they did not see. Opinions offered can be very narrow in perspective.

A number of questions remain, but the chief among them is: how immersed in diving do you wish to get? Are you looking for a dive-centric focused AI resort, or were you looking for a guest-house that is serviced by a nearby day-dive operation?

Your spring time-frame, with air fares being what they are, plus the OW Cert (and gear rental????), yes, in a world class dive op, that is going to be a push. YOU TELL US.... how much is airfare for you at that time a year? A huge piece of the equation where you left us hanging.

Do you want to bother to shop and cook meals? Go out for every meal? Or just show up and eat, then go dive?

Lots of questions, lay out the requirements.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Utila tends to attract a lot of backpacker types--budget travelers who spend some time on Utila as part of an extended trip. Many come to do OW and find themselves loving the camaraderie and youthful dive-centric vibe. Some end up staying through Divemaster and more. I was such a person, marching off the ferry with only a vague idea to do my AOW and dive a bit. I ended up staying a month in a rented apartment. Roatan has some of the foregoing, but to a greater extent it has true dive resorts and attracts all kinds of people. To echo RoatanMan, Roatan has a wide range of options that can fit various goals and budgets, from luxury resorts on down. Roatan is larger than Utila, and I suppose there is more to do when not diving. If you enjoyed traveling on your own through Vietnam, I think Roatan and Utila would appeal to you.

In Belize, Caye Caulker is similar to Utila in that it has been firmly on the backpacker circuit since the '60s, though it attracts a wider range of people than just divers. Cozumel caters to more well-heeled dive vacationers, though it can certainly be done on a budget.

 

[laurenceh]

people who live or visit roatan will tell you that its the best place, utilians will do the same.
getting to either place via san pedro sula will probably be cheaper than flying direct from houston to roatan (utila is $212 rt from san pedro sula on cm airlines, saturdays only). aow is about $275 on utila, plus a bit more if you need to rent gear. you can stay in town on utila at a decent place (the lighthouse inn) for about $60 a night, or get out of town (my preference) and rent a house on a private beach for about $1500 a week. i've rented several homes in the past and can recommend my favorites.

 

[drrich2]

Since you mentioned Bonaire, be mindful that some options are cheaper if you're willing to rent a place that's not oceanfront. For example, the WannaDive dive shop serves a range of different places - Eden Beach Resort is oceanfront, but the Dive Hut is not. The latter is cheaper. BuddyDive is oceanfront with a nice house reef.

With a Bonaire trip, the plane ticket is a big part of the cost. The resort stay with diving package can be priced quite well. You'd probably need to be able to drive stick (though BuddyDive could provide automatics for a $200 upcharge), and of course be willing to do shore entries & exits. My first 4 Bonaire trips were with a group, which can be a nice introduction, though it's not strictly necessary.

I'll echo Roatanman's question; how immersed in diving do you wish to get? I'm talking about this trip. You didn't mention live-aboards, did you? Any particular reason why not aside from the cost of some?

Richard.

 

[north6633]

You make some good points RoatanMan., We have our Open Water cert, we are considering getting out Advanced Open Water Cert. But generally want to get more diving experience, our thought being takingteh Advanced Open water will be a good way to starting diving, work on our skills we already learned and pick up some new ones.

As for airfare to get to the its a wash. I am looking at going the Marh 17-24 and airfare to Roatan is close to $1000, but if I fly into San Pedro Sula, and go to Utila, it will be close to $1000, so that really not an issue.

In an Ideal world , we would stay at a hotel that provides breakfast and we woudl eat out the rest of the time. We ahev looked at AI resorts, they tend to bust the budget, and then there is just part of us that does not like to be locked into one place.

As for diving, we are new, with a total 4 open water dives. We went on a 2 week motorcycle trip in Vietnam and it end in Nha Trang. We had a week before we headed home and decide to give diving a go since we were tired of being on the move. We enjoyed it way more than we ever expected. So now we want to go to a place have fun diving, not be in big crowds and get more experience. I realize there is a lot of choices, that's what is so difficult about this at some level, just sorting out what will work. In reality at our experience level, warm water and good viability and good weather will make a great dive.

As for gear we have mask snorkel and fins, will have to rent the rest.

Thanks for the responses

Paul

 

[CathyE]

Hi,

You might consider forgoing the AOW right now. Take this trip to practice the skills learned on your OW and enjoy diving without spending a bunch of your time in a classroom or studying. Do a refresher dive and hire a private dive master with the leftover money, have him work with you on your skills and buoyancy.

Not having the AOW yet won't hold you back from much. I've met divers with hundreds of dives that haven't bothered with it.

 

[cam_snapper]

Further to what CathyE said - you'll actually get more out of your AOW course once you have a lot more diving under your belts. You don't yet know what you need to learn, and what it means. Go to either Utila or Roatan, and just dive as much as you can.

 

[north6633]

Thanks for the responses, I like the idea of just getting a quick refresher or hiring DM for out first couple dives. I wish we would have had a chance to do some fun dives after we got our OW, but we ran out of time.

Is there much land based activities on Roatan or Utila?

 

[Stout]

4 grand, Two grand to get here ? Ya, you'll rock Utila with 2 grand especially if you're only coming for a week.

Outside of the AIs, the island is pretty dive school oriented, you'll have a DM on every dive and since you haven't dived in a while you'll want a tune up, no worries one tank, your own personalised DM going over all the basics with you. AOW might be worth considering but not necessary unless you want to go deep or do night dives.

Email Alton's dive shop on Utila ask them what they can do for you package wise. I've never been with them however I was in their shop threatening to dive with them today and all reports I've heard on them have been positive.

Topside, I wouldn't say Utila offers a wealth of attractions which is why I'm sitting here on the internet. I suppose I could be out getting hammered in the bar..maybe tomorrow night.

A hotel that serves breakfast might be a problem, the boats leave pretty early so you may want to consider stocking up on supplies and self catering, I go for the Doritos and Coke myself, delicious and nutritious. OK I'm making that up, I have a kitchen.

There's plenty of places for lunch and dinner, the food is generally pretty good.

The island isn't even remotely "touristy" however it is tourist friendly with none of the crap you would have run into in Vietnam. There's no one trying to sell you anything or lighten your wallet in any way.