I am going in a couple weeks. A couple dive ops I have looked into have suggested that their morning dives were for advanced divers. I only have OW and Nitrox but have several dives deeper than 60'. I was told I could show my log book since I don't have my AOW. I don't keep a log book but have a spread sheet of my dives and have close to 40 dives over 80'. I also have most of my dives downloaded from my computer. I know I am still a rookie in the diving world and I am still learning. What are some of the profiles of the advanced dives you would see off of the West End, depth, currents etc.?
West End advanced sites
- Thread starter Streydog
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CajunDiva
Contributor
There are lots of deep dives off of West End and conditions vary with weather.
Just a thought...it seems like the prime time to go ahead and complete your Advanced certification. Then you don't ever have to worry about dive sites again...
Just a thought...it seems like the prime time to go ahead and complete your Advanced certification. Then you don't ever have to worry about dive sites again...
On average though how deep are the normal morning dives in that area? The majority of my diving has been in Cozumel and the first dive with the dive op I have been using usually averages around 85' give or take unless it is at Punta Sur or Maricaibo where it can be a little over 100'. Sure you could go much deeper but I have not been with a group that does.
I should have asked the direct questions to the dive op earlier, my fault. I might take the AOW there haven't decided yet, I have 12 days to make a decision. Either way I will make the most of this trip.
I should have asked the direct questions to the dive op earlier, my fault. I might take the AOW there haven't decided yet, I have 12 days to make a decision. Either way I will make the most of this trip.
Most charters (boat dives) will start with the deepest dives first, then go progressively shallower as your residual nitrogen level increases throughout the day. In the Bay Islands, many, if not most dive sites are along reef walls with the potential of 100+ foot depths on nearly every dive. Some reefs may reach the surface or nearly so, others top out at 30 - 50 feet down.
If getting your AOW is an option on this trip, it may be worth it for this and future dates.
If getting your AOW is an option on this trip, it may be worth it for this and future dates.
CajunDiva
Contributor
I know...I will sound like a prude. But with only your OW certification, you should be diving to a depth of 60'. I know, I know...dive ops commonly take OW divers deeper than that. But have an accident and see how quickly that dive op will be crucified.
Your best move is to get the Advanced certification and be done with it. Then you're good to the recreational limits of 130' and if you want more you can follow more technical pursuits.
Dive sites, walls, and especially wrecks on that side of the island are commonly deeper than 60'. El Aguila and Odyssey wrecks are deep.
Your best move is to get the Advanced certification and be done with it. Then you're good to the recreational limits of 130' and if you want more you can follow more technical pursuits.
Dive sites, walls, and especially wrecks on that side of the island are commonly deeper than 60'. El Aguila and Odyssey wrecks are deep.
victorzamora
Contributor
Depends on who you're diving with, but the 6 or so dive shops I've been with don't really care. The diving in Roatan is mostly pretty safe. There are a few sites that they want experienced or AOW divers for....these are generally high-current drift dives that aren't difficult but are easy to underestimate and have an issue.
Night dives usually require an AOW cert, but the DMs will frequently waive that if you're competent in the water. Some simply won't be able to.
To follow up what CajunDiva said: I got my AOW in Roatan. My wife got her AOW on our honeymoon in Mx. AOW is minimal bookwork, no confined-water work, and is mostly fun/experience dives. It's 5 total dives, and requires Deep and Nav. Nav is a bit of a chore, but nbd. I recommend Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) as well. After that, you can do two of: drift, night, wreck, etc. When I did my AOW, I asked the instructor which specialties were the most fun, and he was great. He told me Texas was his favorite dive site and it was a serious drift dive, and that we should add "Drift" to my AOW dives to do that and check it off. My wife and I both did fun AOW courses and got to experience new stuff. If you've considered getting your AOW before (a very useful "ticket" to get you on more advanced dives in other places), doing it at a destination isn't bad. Other courses I don't recommend wasting your vacation time on, but AOW can be done enjoyably.
Night dives usually require an AOW cert, but the DMs will frequently waive that if you're competent in the water. Some simply won't be able to.
To follow up what CajunDiva said: I got my AOW in Roatan. My wife got her AOW on our honeymoon in Mx. AOW is minimal bookwork, no confined-water work, and is mostly fun/experience dives. It's 5 total dives, and requires Deep and Nav. Nav is a bit of a chore, but nbd. I recommend Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) as well. After that, you can do two of: drift, night, wreck, etc. When I did my AOW, I asked the instructor which specialties were the most fun, and he was great. He told me Texas was his favorite dive site and it was a serious drift dive, and that we should add "Drift" to my AOW dives to do that and check it off. My wife and I both did fun AOW courses and got to experience new stuff. If you've considered getting your AOW before (a very useful "ticket" to get you on more advanced dives in other places), doing it at a destination isn't bad. Other courses I don't recommend wasting your vacation time on, but AOW can be done enjoyably.
I guess I have spoiled, my last 75 dives have been with the same dive operator. I have grown with them and they know own my skill level. I can understand a shop not wanting to go out on limb and say what sites they will take you to without seeing you dive. I just am not thrilled about the possibility of not being able to do some dives without taking AOW.
I understand some dives you can dive 100'+ on. What do the typical morning dives look like with some of the ops in the West End? West End Diver, Coconut Tree, Rotana Divers?
I understand some dives you can dive 100'+ on. What do the typical morning dives look like with some of the ops in the West End? West End Diver, Coconut Tree, Rotana Divers?
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The "requirement" of holding an AOW card to perform some specific activities is not enforced by the SCUBA Police.
Some agencies (that I pay yearly & dearly) have made it a way for a dive op (and an Agency) to suck money out of your pocket to teach you to go beyond the you're-gonna-die limit of 60' depth.
If you know you have the abilities to handle that super scary 60-100' range, if the dive op won't take you unless you have a laminated AOW card, move down the West End road and look between the bars, you'll find another dive op that will drag their DMs back over from next door and take you out.
Other than some occasional really marginal boats, there isn't much diving in Roatan that is "advanced", none that a first-time visitor will be offered. It's all dirt simple, okay, maybe that 1 big night dive adventure offered per week, but that usually looks like that flashlight scene from ET, so it's kind of like a cloudy day. Not a big challenge.
Roatan profiles, and certainly not the frequency of limited repetitive dives offered by the day-dive ops of the West End do not require the use of EAN. The presentation of such a cert card should mean nothing other than you are okay to pay extra for a tank with a green stripe on it.
I think your notes of dives would suffice for me, but I'd still watch you like a hawk, which any decent dive op will. However.....
I do find this to cause my eyebrow to raise:
Your average depth for the dive? Really? Maximum, right? If you want to claim your abilities, always use the right words.
Go, have fun, don't worry.
Some agencies (that I pay yearly & dearly) have made it a way for a dive op (and an Agency) to suck money out of your pocket to teach you to go beyond the you're-gonna-die limit of 60' depth.
If you know you have the abilities to handle that super scary 60-100' range, if the dive op won't take you unless you have a laminated AOW card, move down the West End road and look between the bars, you'll find another dive op that will drag their DMs back over from next door and take you out.
Other than some occasional really marginal boats, there isn't much diving in Roatan that is "advanced", none that a first-time visitor will be offered. It's all dirt simple, okay, maybe that 1 big night dive adventure offered per week, but that usually looks like that flashlight scene from ET, so it's kind of like a cloudy day. Not a big challenge.
Roatan profiles, and certainly not the frequency of limited repetitive dives offered by the day-dive ops of the West End do not require the use of EAN. The presentation of such a cert card should mean nothing other than you are okay to pay extra for a tank with a green stripe on it.
I think your notes of dives would suffice for me, but I'd still watch you like a hawk, which any decent dive op will. However.....
I do find this to cause my eyebrow to raise:
Your average depth for the dive? Really? Maximum, right? If you want to claim your abilities, always use the right words.
Go, have fun, don't worry.
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victorzamora
Contributor
I've found that the West End and West Bay operators do about the same, but haven't dove with CCV or AKR. My understanding is that many of those dives are shallower.
My wife's first dive after class was in Roatan, on the south side of the island. Sand was ~80ft but the average depth was shallower as the reef goes all the way to the surface.
Like I said, the dives that AOW is "required" on are few and far between....and if you show yourself to be a competent and capable diver, many will let you on the more "advanced" dives. I've never been depth-limited in Roatan by a cert card (with ~200 dives there) and only once ran across a dive op requiring AOW for a night dive. You can do 3 dives per day any day in Roatan with an OW card and never feel like you're "missing out."
My experience in other places has not been the same, which is why I suggested considering getting your AOW card. Get that ticket punched so you don't have to worry about it in the future. I think I paid $60 over what the 5 dives would've cost, anyway, and only did one "working" dive (nav).
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