Diving in Roatan's West End an alternative to All Inclusive by calvin crane
Diving in Roatan is best done from the West End. Do you really want to be stuck in an all inclusive away from the action ? Below is an excerpt from a larger article giving a few details about the dive operations in Roatan's West End.
Ocean Connections (PADI Gold Palm)
In the heart of west end a brightly yellow coloured building houses their shop with a nice classroom and sits right on the water. Phil the English owner/manager a marine biologist along with Trevor are the core. Phil has been in Roatan 15 years and is a very amiable guy indeed. The most interesting thing they are currently finalising their in house PADI specialty course the reef eco diver. They do 1 tank dives and stick to their side of the island up to the point. Phil also likes to allow the dives to last as long as the air so expect more than a 40 minute dive. Phil said that he wanted to set up a shop in which he would like to dive in, if you have dived with them report your experience on Roatan-diving.com. I haven't personally dived with them, but wouldn't hesitate. They also offer nitrox courses and mix their own gas. The demographic which frequent them the most was thought to be Europeans. They have 2 boats allowing flexibility and separation of students with fun divers. They have 2 boats a 28footer the other an 18 footer. They don't like big groups 6 being enough per boat.
Sueno Del Mar (PADI Resort)
Jurgen and Arturo Instruct here in English German and Spanish. This is the only west end shop selling an extensive range of dive equipment. They have 3 boats all Skiffs of the following lengths 32, 28 and 18 feet long. They dive from the point to the Odyssea. The resort is sizable catering to 16 double rooms. Ray Lopez runs the business with 16 years of experience. The rooms are on their very own small private beach but the sand flies are not excluded! There is also a great volleyball court. They run airport transfers and seem to be catering more for the tourist who likes things more organised for example they offer shore excursions and arranged diving excursions for the cruise ship visitors. They have a good demographic of Americans and Canadians and probably wouldn't get too many backpackers diving here. They could put 30 divers in the water at any one time though this would not be their aim. They must do something right as they get good repeat visitors and get a lot of new customers from the internet. If you have experienced diving with sueno del mar please let the surfing public know on http://www.roatan-diving.com. If you wanted an organised holiday they would probably be a good bet.
Pura Vida (PADI Gold Palm Resort)
I spoke with Chris who has been with them for 4 years from the beginning and is one of the 2 IDC staff instructors. They are proud to offer diving from Pablo's to 4 sponges using their 3 boats the biggest a 33 footer with 2x200hp outboards. The variety of boats gives the divers more choice. They mix and teach nitrox and can turn you into an Assistant Instructor plus all the regular specialties. They have a nice big deck but the classroom is also here so it might not be so quiet to study here. They have a b latin culture among the instructors and this possibly shows in their customer demographic. They get other customers from the states and French Canadians too.
They are
Chris (Spanish and English)
Serena (Italian French English and Spanish)
Esteban (Spanish, English)
Tana (Spanish English and Italian)
Liber the other IDC staff instructor (Spanish and English)
They carry OXYGEN on their boats which is always good. This is also a resort place so you might like to check up on an organised week or two.
Reef Gliders (PADI Gold Palm)
Reef gliders are small and like it that way. 4 fun (or not do fun) divers per divemaster and 4 students per instructor is ideal for them, what about you?
They adhere to the standards necessary to be a PADI Gold Palm for example testing their air every three months. They can teach Nitrox but don't mix it. They have 2 boats one a 26 footer and the other a 22footer, they wouldn't have more than 14 divers in the water at once and this figure is more to give an idea of their capacity, I asked the question.
They teach everything up to and including divemasters. They will do any site that is within the marine reserve. Like Ocean Connections they sit right on the water in the heart of west end. So if you did your DMT here you might not get such big shoulders from carrying tanks so far. At the time of writing they are limited to teaching English and Scottish only. They are two Alexes and a Cameron. The shop is owned and managed by an English couple with 2 years experience Barry and Sarah. The shop likes to provide a more personal experience with their small groups and if you have an experience of diving with them let the www know by telling the world on Roatan-diving.com.
Coconut Tree Divers (PADI Gold Palm)
I have done my advanced and divemaster course here and know the shop and its managers well. I like the space the one boat "bottom time" gives however I get frustrated at the amount of dive sites covered and this is due in part to them having the one boat.
They are currently working on a new boat. They offer two tank dives in the morning and this is rare in west end. They cover Pablo's place to the odyssea, OXYGEN is available on the boat.
Will offers the new PADI tech deep course here and this is unique. They also mix and teach Nitrox, and all the other specialties including A.I.
Mark a marine biologist has taught me a lot about the reef here (and I'm sure will one day be a course director) has a wealth of experience and contributes to the forums on http://www.roatan-diving.com- go there and test him. This shop is a fun and young -oh no wait we have Pinot who is fast becoming a legend after he was forced to leave Utila. None of that last sentence was true except his age but I like him. Crazy Kate is just that and a lot of fun, then we also have lock up your daughter Hugh and Beckham look alike Irish Barry. I should also mention Tree Gaynoor and PJ who manage the place. A nice deck, beer cooler and sizeable shop means that there is a healthy after diving atmosphere most evenings I think this is what I like most about this shop. They have a great air conditioned classroom as well.
Tyll's Dive- Independent
Tyll's dive for me has one of the most unattractive fascias for a dive shop in west end. This is due to it being set back on the wrong side of the road and it being a rather white concrete structure with no sign but a painted wall instead. It feels enclosed and these small things might stop me diving there true it is and what a snob I am!
I want now to dive with these guys since getting to know them more and it has nothing to do with them having some hot DMT's right now. I had a wonderful conversation with Uwe and Dorte at Ilias' BBQ one evening and I really feel that they were my kind of people. On with the show, they have 2 boats able to take 12 and 8 divers. Interestingly they use a drop tank on their deep dives which is very good. What they DO have is a passion for diving and in all their staff this is important to Uwe and Dorte the owner/managers. Their instructors need to commit to a long duration of work to work there.
The current core is Uwe, Dorte, Tanguy, Jimena and Sarah (with Marcus the boat captain) covering English, Spanish, French, German and Danish.
They always have DM's and DMT's on dives and they set up your equipment for you if you are not on a course. I'm not sure where I stand on that, now I can do it I'm happy to have someone set up my equipment but it has been only through practise that I can do that! They have a maximum of 4 students per course and there is no rush for a student to finish a course, a very good thing I think. Their range is from Pablo's to Spooky channel but would arrange special trips. They don't do Nitrox. They will also do SSI and NAUI referrals. In all it reminds of a very European operation. They get their divers from being listed in the lonely planet from walk-ins and they have a good word of mouth and repeat custom. Tyll the original owner no longer has anything to do with the shop.
Seagrape- Independent
Seagrape divers are a bit off the beaten track but they are situated in one of the better accommodation spots for backpackers. All new equipment and two very good boats they can boast. They could accommodate 30 divers at a time! The speed of the boats mean that they can offer a trip per week to Barbaretta with a BBQ there as well. I could not ascertain the price. They have a better range of dive sites than most but would need the divers to make it worthwhile. They currently don't sell marine park tags but do intend to.
West end divers- Independent
A well established shop, now run by a young fun crowd. They have 3 boats the biggest "BAD BOY" is usually always rented out and they make use of the popular skiff type boats, they have 19 sets of regulators if needed. Their dive site knowledge is very good and they know their Macro's, something you'd better appreciate diving in Roatan. They dive the usual spots and are good supporters of the marine park and attend ALL the meetings. They get their customers from the internet and network with a few hotels in West End and a lot from walk in trade. Their staff include Shirtless Nick (manager), Luke, Anders and Mel.
Native sons- Independent
With a clientele of 60% vacationers and 40% backpackers Native sons operates alongside their accommodation business called Chillies. They are locally owned and operated.
They have 2 boats and a capacity of 24 Regulators but would normally dive with smaller groups of on average 7 per boat. They get around to the other side with at least 6 divers to Mary's place a great dive site and further around the north side than most for example to Steve's dream.. Their boats are a good comfortable size.
They have a relaxed atmosphere in their lovely garden in Half moon bay. I did a night dive one time so know first hand how it is. I felt they had a shortage of suits but a combination kept me warm in the end. I had to sort out my tank band as well, and would not have mentioned this but there were a couple of loose tanks other than mine. No big deal RUINS is for Releases and straps. They can teach nitrox but can't blend their own. They can teach in Spanish English and German through Ryan, Andrea, Mel and Mark. Safety is of great importance to them and they have OXYGEN on board.
Happy Divers
I didn't interview Happy Divers but have spoken on several occasions to their current instructor Leo. They get their tanks filled at Native Sons. They didn't have the best image but are working on correcting things I'm told. They are well located in Half Moon Bay and could do much better and are working on that.
The other options for diving on Roatan are the all inclusive places or the shops up in West Bay which are more expensive along with everything else up there.
Whomever you choose to dive with you will notice the following about diving in Roatan.
The water has good visibility, you will see some large groupers or Jew fish, will marvel at the beauty of the coral formations. You will drift dive along walls swim through channels and tunnels, and traverse a wreck or two. You will probably see some barracuda's turtle's possibly a few rays and you will pay less for all this and more than you would anywhere else in the world. You may be shown a variety of macro fishes and organisms that you never knew existed as when the above guys don't show the dm's can be guaranteed to find pistol shrimp arrow crabs and maybe a file fish.
What's the downside, well you may be disappointed in the nightlife in Roatan especially if you like to dance to a good beat. And there does lack a variety of affordable activities for example to go fishing for a day is $250 ! And it's difficult to organise. But if you're passionate about diving then it could be worth a stop, and it's a great place to do that course on the cheap. There are a few good restaurants around and a drive along the island has its rewards. I feel these negatives are in part due to the lack of tourism and that's not altogether bad. Drink prices are not as cheap as they could be and you may pay equivalent to your local watering hole in the U.S. which is important for the backpacker crowd drinks being 1/3 cheaper in Utila for example.
Please visit http://www.roatan-diving.com to find out more about the dive operations there and get the links to their websites.
About the Author
Calvin Crane an Englishman born in Cambridgeshire is new to travel writting and in his own words "it shows"! But his style is emrging and hopes it's a break from the norm. He has a personal blog here http://www.calvincrane.com where you can find out what he's currently doing and where he can be found.
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