Scuba Diving in Roatan, Honduras
I came to Roatan not knowing what to expect. Diver friends recommended this place saying that one wouldn’t be disappointed and I have to say they were right. Everything from the location, the dive spots, the West Bay beach and West End food options with warm nights is mesmerizing about Honduras.
Adventure diving scuba vacation is the best in Roatan, Honduras, get the best of the cage-less shark dive at this location.
Diving
Shark Dive
I still think back in amazement of my adventure diving scuba vacation in Roatan. Picture yourself on a bank, 70 feet under, surrounded by over 20 sharks, all hanging out for their bait! Which is a box full of fish for them to eat. We went with a local dive shop which was arranged by our hotel, they do these tours every day. You start by watching a video on how to be safe with sharks around. Honestly, it was simple, don’t annoy them, no flash lights, no big probing selfie-stick go pros. We spend about 45mins in total between going down, watching the sharks gather, seeing them eat, disappear and searching for shark teeth. Shark lose their teeth constantly and you get to take some home as great souvenirs.
The Beach & Snorkeling
The beach at West Bay is spectacular, there’s plenty of room, its safe and secure, the water is clear and the diving is a short boat ride away. Walk right into the ocean from your beach side villa with your mask and fins. You will see a range of marine life including sting rays just hanging out near the shore. The beach is cleaned every day and there aren’t many local sellers distracting you. Plenty of activities for families and divers alike. I personally enjoyed how easy it was to get from the beach to the jetty for diving in less than 5 minutes.
Night Dive/Snorkeling
When you’ve had a long day of diving, you can take a nice night snorkel or dive off West Bay beach. It’s a relaxing experience and you get to see lobsters, octopus, schools of squid, lots of little microorganisms that light up at night. I also spotted sting rays asleep peacefully – until we arrived.
Scuba Diving in West Bay, HondurasScubagal Tips for Adventure Diving Scuba Vacation in Roatan
Cage-Less Shark Dive – this is a must do. The whole trip is well organized from the briefing you get to the way the dive is set up, to how you stand or sit right in front of the area where the sharks arrive.
Hotel location dive shop vs. local – this is a 100% local option. There are a ton of local dive shops in West End, you can dive for peanuts and 3-4 times a day. It’s a divers paradise.
Hotel vs. airbnb vs. VRBO – Some of the hotel rooms are owned as time-shares and this is a real plus because you get the hotel servicing but you’re paying like it’s a private villa. Look for those options where you get a villa located in the hotel. This was such a score, same price as a hotel room, but fully serviced with a kitchette and laundry. Also, a great option for a family or a group of divers going together
Food/water is somewhat safe - Local food is a must do, but stick to bottled water in Roatan. There’s plenty of local cheap eating areas as well as nice restaurants across the West Bay. If you’re staying by the beach, there’s a cheap ferry that will take you across to West End where there’s lots of bars and restaurants.
Getting around – you can take the ferry into West End if you’re staying in West Bay, or catch a 10min cab – both are cheap. All cabs are safe, each cab has a woman in it to ensure security of tourists.
Scuba diving holiday packages – you can look into getting a package for your adventure diving scuba vacation, but I recommend using VRBO to book the accommodation at a decent rate and then visiting local dive shops to get the best diving deals to get as many dives as possible.
Currency – Honduras has a local currency “Lempiras.” We exchanged some at the airport to get around for ferry rides, cabs and tips. Overall though we found people were more than happy to deal in US dollars. Note, sometimes the change you get will be in the local currency even though you paid in US dollar. Be sure to take smaller US dollar notes.
