Where To Go?

[bkpix]

Have not been to the Bay Islands for five years, but my wife and I are thinking about going back in January. Last time there we spent a week at Fantasy Island on Roatan and a week at Laguna Beach Resort on Utila.

It looks like there are many more options available now then five years ago and I would ask for suggestions from you good folks who have been there lately. It is going to be our 25th anniversary; so we are looking for something nice.

All-inclusive is nice if the food is good and the rooms are nice. We are wanting to do as much diving as we can, so three boat dives plus some shore diving is what we are looking for.

Last time at Fantasy Island we had a good time, but they were working on their water system and everybody wound up getting sick. Laguna Beach Resort was pretty, but the no-see-ums were outrageously bad and the food was just plain bad as well.

We are thinking about the West End of Roatan. Have seen lots of new resorts on the internet; what do you folks think about them. Two weeks at a great spot on either island, or one week on Roatan and one on Utila, or maybe Guanaja; just looking for a great time. Lots of diving, good food, king sized bed, cable TV, etc.

Thanks for your input!!

BKPIX[/FONT]

 

[Doc]

There are a lot of threads here on this topic.

Most of them come to the conclusion that the only real shore dive on Roatan is the one you have already done from FIBR (and CCV). This is the case, to date, with the totality of the Bay Islands.

The no-see-ums are everywhere on Roatan, I believe they are not as bad on the breezy South side.

The problem that occurred at FIBR years ago was not due to water, it was from a government approved Cheese plant- which has since been corrected.

The West end holds many delights, but shore diving is not one of them. It is awfully taxing to do three dives a day at anything other than an AI. Still, the choice of different restaurants every night might be a lot of fun.

 

[itsjustme0770]

On Utila, I think you have a couple of options. If shore diving is a must, I think you have three choices-Laguna Beach, Utopia Dive Village and Deep Blue in no particular order.
As I understand it all three are all inclusive, including three boat dives per day and all the shore diving you want. I believe that Utopia is the most expensive of the three, but I also understand it is a bit more upscale. I have been to Utopia (but not stayed there) as we own some property just down the beach from them and it is very nice. I freely admit that I have not been to Laguna Beach or Deep Blue, but they both get very good reviews and I think maintain a presence here on the board. I'd say that Laguna Beach has the nicest boats on the island. At last count I think there were two Newton 36' and one Newton 42. I think there are trip reviews on all three on Tripadvisor. If you wanted a bit more of an "in-town" experience, you can take a look at Utila Lodge. I know a number of those folks and think very highly of them and their operation.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[DRsharky]

We are not located on Roatan, but offer private diving, so you could have the boat just for yourselves, check this

» Private Diving

You can stay either in all inclusive or in some independent hotels
see this web site

» Where to stay in Bayahibe

 

[marcoa]

Doing three dives a day is not taxing at Coconut Tree Divers. We do four dives a day and have night dives every Tuesday and Thursday. I love what I do, as do the other instructors here. We do not rush our people out of the water. Not only that, we live here-- we're not writing from another country with outdated information about the old days.

Stop the madness, the steady stream of BS!!!

 

[itsjustme0770]

Steady stream of BS? Not sure what or who you are referring to, but a couple of points. 1. Plenty of people find more than 2 dives a day taxing, some are raring to go after 5. All depends on your wants and needs. A dive instructor who is bugging me to dive when I'd rather not? Now that's taxing. 2. Just because folks are out of the country doesn't mean that they don't have insights and some of us are actually much more heavily invested in the Bay Islands than some who live and work there. Feel free to disagree, or correct, but some might suggest that you are too close to the action to be objective, no? 3. Relax, opinions are like a#$holes, everyone has one.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[marcoa]

I was responding to the post by RoatanMan which reads:

The West end holds many delights, but shore diving is not one of them. It is awfully taxing to do three dives a day at anything other than an AI. Still, the choice of different restaurants every night might be a lot of fun.

The point you make is actually what I'm referring to. Talking objective, I try my best to provide accurate info without spin. In the end, these are all opinions.

Best wishes,

-marco

 

[TrumpetFishLover]

It is awfully taxing to do three dives a day at anything other than an AI.

Isn't that more of a personal preference and opinion than reality?

The person who made this thread clearly wants to make 3+ dives each day and to tell them that it's taxing unless you are AI or higher, is in my opinion, almost insulting.

I can understand your perspective however, having dove for 3 weeks straight, with anywhere from 2-5 dives daily and me diving that often because I wanted to. Responsible and safe divers know and understand their personal limits and would not dive more than they felt they could in any given period of time.

As for where to dive on Utila, itsjustme listed all the all-inclusive places on the island. I personally never had the opportunity to make it to the resorts (aside from Utila Lodge) but I've heard nothing but good things about all of them. I know some of the staff at Deep Blue and they are a really great bunch.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[Doc]

Isn't that more of a personal preference and opinion than reality?

The person who made this thread clearly wants to make 3+ dives each day and to tell them that it's taxing unless you are AI or higher, is in my opinion, almost insulting.

I don't understand how a simple fact about diving could be "almost insulting".

OK, sure: it's just as easy to do 3+ at an ala carte operation :blinking: as it is at an AI. I have never seen it, but oky doky.

I don't really understand why this math elicits so much emotion. It is what it is. Not necessarily better or worse, it just is simple usage of time.

It is indeed, a personal preference, and I never say otherwise. I go on dive vacations and look for 4 day dives and 1 night dive each and every day. It isn't for everyone, but that's why I come to Roatan. Never said anything different. My wife does 3x a day and two or three night dives in a week. Monetarily, and AI is the only way it makes sense. In that we go there only to dive and sleep, emotion is cut out of the equation.

I don't know what "an AI or higher" might be.

Taking all the emotion out of it is easy for me. I am selling nothing. Some posters on SB are employed by operations they hail. I just advise all to consider with care exactly what they want from their vacation.

If you want 3 dives a day and a night dive 3 or 4 nights- be sure to ask your potential dive operator how this would be done. If you want 4 day dives- again, ask them how this can be done.

If you want two a day, any dive op on Roatan can do that for you. It might take you both the morning and afternoon to do it, but again- ask your dive provider how they do things.

Many outfits run boat trips with one tank per trip. Some provide a second tank on the boat. This really expedites your day, clearing your afternoon schedule for other activities. Ask any dive op how they run their daily schedule.

Some places run 1 tank trips at 0900, 1200, and 1530 hrs. That allows them to take a varied group of people out, people who pick from the daily schedule- what works for them. It's a great thing.

The boats come in and fill the tanks, reload the boat, and off they go. If you want to join in subsequent trips, you will watch a well choreographed changeout of the diveboat and guests.

If you are staying for the next run- you won't have enough time to do very much in between the first and second boat. Exactly what is the shore interval and how far are you staying from the pier? Wanna eat? Shower off? I find that to be what I call taxing.

There is no one answer for everybody, unfortunately when you talk straight mathematics, it tends to raise the emotional levels of the proponents of the ala carte dive ops. I just don't get why that is.

Pick what works best for you: do the numbers... or run on emotion. Your perception = reality.

It's all good. (or at least that's my view)

 

[vladimir]

The person who made this thread clearly wants to make 3+ dives each day and to tell them that it's taxing unless you are AI or higher, is in my opinion, almost insulting.

What does this mean? "AI" means all-inclusive, right? How does a diver get to be "all-inclusive or higher?"