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[fairfield59]

Hi everyone.  Got in to Roatan on Saturday, finally started diving today.  Yesterday was too windy to dive this side of island.

 

Staying at Las Rocas Resort, small (17 rooms I think) place.  At the north end of West Bay. Good rate for a single diver included 10 dives and breakfast daily.  ($699) Rooms are spartan, no  phone, no TV, no clock, although I think you can get all those things in the better category of room. Plenty of hot water, and a backup generator (its run twice since I got here)

 

Pretty benign first day of diving. Turtle, baracuda, some big grouper.  Vis was not great due to recent rain I guess.  Plus my eyes are starting to go on me so its harder to see stuff in the first place!

 

On-site dive op is good.  There were 3 divers plus a couple others finishing up their OW cert.  You setup your own gear for first dive of day, then they swap tanks for you.  I did a modified back roll entry, sort of a side roll flop entry.  Hand gear up to exit. (2) 45 minute dives to ~60 feet. Lighthouse was one, can't remember the other.

 

Rented a motorcycle for the week I'm here and went into West End yesterday.  Still low season, so I went where all the people were.  Sundowners for BBQ dinner.  Some guy from Texas was smoking all the food so I figured it would be good, and it was.  And pretty cheap.  Happy hour is pretty constant all over the island 4-6 with $2 local beers.  

 

Heading to the $18   3 tail lobster dinner tonight at Beachcombers in West Bay.  

 

More to come if anything exciting happens.....

 

Gerry

[fairfield59]

Finishing up week tomorrow, here's what I've dove so far for those interested in Roatan

Turtle crossing 

Lighthouse

West Ball Wall

Pablo's

Aquarium

Sea Quest Deep

Gibson Bay

 

Been turtles on most dives, 5 rays on Sea Quest this morning.  No sharks.  Lionfish on every dive, but usually 2-3.  Most not very big.

 

Had a unique experience this morning on first dive.  Just reached sandy bottom ~40 after back roll.  Just me and DM.  He felt funny, so he signaled me to wait for him while he went to surface and cleared his head of some congestion.  Came back down within 5 minutes, but felt weird to be sitting there by myself.  He came back down and dive went off without a hitch.

 

Surface interval today drove out from West Bay to Cal's Cantina, not sure if the SD group who goes to Media Luna has ever been there, it's fairly close to them. Worth the trip for view alone looking out from side of mountain.  Will post pics when I get back home.

 

In my opinion, this is a place where SD could do a kinda no frills trip.  I'm sure there are people who would rather eschew the all inclusive all meals/drinks type trip. (hey, I'm one of them...see my other trip reports) Las Rocas has single rates that are cheap, and doubles even cheaper, but a regular room is really too small for 2 people.  They have several bigger rooms that would accomodate 2.  You could definately get a 12-15 person trip in here easy and take over this place. The basic package includes breakfast, and you are right on West bay where there are alot of places for dinner, as well as West End which is only a few minutes away.  Get a bunch of motorcycles from Captain Van's like I did, and the island is open.

 

I would much rather be doing this trip with a bunch of other SD'ers instead of myself.  While talking to myself is very interesting, it gets old after a few days....

 

G