Cayos Cochinos

Plantation Beach Resort, July 1995, Joey & Cindy Alford, Baton Rouge, LA. "Don and Roger great and helpful. Manager Helen made you feel like this was your home away from home. [Editors note: Helen is no longer there. Rumor is she's opening a restaurant on the mainland] Diving easy, no currents, most shallow. 3 boat dives/day and beach dives. Nice walls, beautiful hard and soft corals. 5 to 6 dives easy each day. Macro heaven; upside-down jelly fish, green & pink tipped with spotted cleaning shrimp, red snapping shrimp, teardrop crabs, fingerprint siphons, black spotted nudibranch, blue bell tunicates, octopus, sailfin blenny, pike fish. Enjoyable trip."

Plantation Beach Resort, December 1995, Jim Parkhill, McAllen, TX. "No-sweat diving except for Roatan Banks, open ocean submerged reef with current. Storms brought rough seas, currents, swells and reduced vis; navigation tricky - top 40' pea soup and dive boat on surface could not be seen from below. . . . Diving far from world-class, but good Caribbean diving. Good macro, occasional ray, turtle or nurse shark. Mediocre walls. Best sites were shallower. Weather forced missing some better sites. . . . Location and atmosphere great. Rooms rustic but comfortable. Facilities adequate, operation efficient. Pro 42 dive boat a delight. . . . Owners Dave, Jack and Suzanne, as well as managers Lewis and Holly promote a homey, relaxed atmosphere. Cooking is worth going back for. Divemaster Roger accommodates the divers. Hard working mate Tataya deserves his nickname: The Machine."

Guanaja

Bayman Bay Club, July 1995, Gary Johnson, Houston, TX. "Accommodates 35: only six there. Hiked to waterfall; full of mosquitoes with steep, slippery rocks. Rained every night, but did not interfere with diving. No-see-ums ate me up, but did not bother my buddy. Not much to do but dive, but diving was good, especially the canyons and caves around Michael's Rock. Divemaster Alonza was great. Friendly and helpful. All equipment loaded on and off boat and set up between dives. Had fun, but too quiet. Planes on-schedule and luggage arrived when we did."

Bayman Bay Club, October 1995 William Knoll, Littleton, CO. "Four guests at resort. Bugs minimal; mix DEET 50/50 with Skin-So-Soft. Each dive unique; shore dives good. Equipment storage on dock convenient to boat and offshore reefs. Dive boat operators good but not certified divemasters. Food good and abundant, but spicy and rich (pack Tums). Views from main lodge and cabanas spectacular. Cabanas rustic, comfortable, equipped with hammocks, ceiling fans, comfortable bed. Staff friendly and helpful. Great place. Camera which was stolen from bag on trip leg from San Pedro Sula."

Bayman Bay Club, December 1995, William Rambo, Newtown, PA. "Food poor. Rooms sparse and unfinished. Dive staff friendly and competent. Diving OK except for the lack of fish. Bugs bad."

Bayman Bay Club, June 1996, Benjamin Fox, Sparta, NJ. "Sheer relaxation. 3 boat dives/day, unlimited shore diving and snorkeling; casual, clean, excellent, wonderful staff, good food. No a/c; fans sufficient. Quiet. Crevices, some caves, no big fish, but nice. Divemaster and captain excellent. vis: 50­70 ft. water: 80°­86°. No-see-ums are terrible. Lather yourself with Skin-So-Soft (drowns them, not repels them)."

Posada del Sol, August 1995, Anthony Ciampa, WSMR, NM. "Good shore diving off pier; lots of macro life. Sunken pleasure boat, twin engine airplane and a small wooded freighter marked with a rope on the bottom. Divemasters helpful and knowledgeable; concerned about coral damage. Changed tanks between each dive. Provided strong arms so divers would not slip as we moved to the stern. Requested we stay above 100' and 3­5' away from wall. Depth not strictly enforced. Computer use and common sense prevailed. Fish life sparse. Photo Pro (Paul) provided rental cameras and lens, E-6 processing and answered questions. Food great, tasteful, mostly fresh fish. Staff made trip a success."

Posada Del Sol, September 1995, Boyce Appel, Atlanta, GA. "Hot: only fans to cool; eaten by bugs; bottles of DEET you had to bathe in to survive. Diving stunk - out of 18, 2 were just OK - the rest terrible! Low vis, No fish! Facilities and staff excellent."

Posada Del Sol, September 1995, Steven Bradshaw & Linda Salmans, Rancho Cordova, CA. "Resort run professionally by sincere people. Biting bugs, but with repellent it is a moderate nuisance. Food excellent, divemasters become friends and professional guides, waiters caring, grounds beautiful, boats nicely equipped, maintained, and go to both sides of Guanaja. Fruit after each dive; divemasters change tanks. Optional $40 trip to Barbaretta Island for diving is worth it. Baggage handling by any Honduran airline is a joke, with tipping expected every 50 ft. (mainland only)."

Posada del Sol, September 1995, Bruce Reinhart, Vienna, VA. "More a vacation resort than a serious dive operation. Sunset rum-punch cruise, all-day excursion to other side of island, mountain hike, picnic, barbecue,. Beautiful Spanish villa. No AC, lighting is poor in dressing area. Abundant coral, topography of reef is good. Lack of fish on most reefs. Fish are small. A customer oriented resort and the service by the staff was great."

Posada Del Sol, November 1995, Mark J. Buchfuhrer, Long Beach, CA. "Diving good, food excellent. Dives limited to table profiles; times 50% to 75% shorter than my computer. Despite applying Skin-so-soft umpteen times a day, I ended up with 200 bites, lasting a week after I got back home. Resort is beautiful, people friendly."

Posada Del Sol, August 1996, Gloria Davis, St. James MS. "Flight 10 hrs and 6 airports, 2 short delays. Beautiful resort between a steep mountain and the sea, no TV, one VCR in the bar for movies and dive tapes, no radio, newspaper, nor telephones. Service great and friendly, especially liked 6 am coffee service to our room. Food great, healthily prepared, plentiful. Rooms spotless, but never saw our maid. No AC but no need for it. Sand fleas the worst, but Skin So Soft worked well - bites I got still bothered me after a week. . . . Dive operation well run and on time, Divemasters pointed out the unusual. Boat broke down on one dive; sent another to tow us to another site; never missed a dive. . . . Used computer, but if going below 100' let them know. Could go with guide or on our own. Saw 2 sharks, one a 9' Nurse, 4 Dolphins that live around resort; sighted them 4 times; eagle rays, spotted drums, high hat, morays, squid, toadfish, blue bell tunicates. Nice night dive off shore; octopus. . . . Six-hour layover in San Pedro Sula; take the City Tour, nice way to spend the day."

Roatan

Anthony's Key Resort, July 1995, John Evans, Aliquippa, PA. "One excellent divemaster, one irresponsible divemaster. Resort staff excellent, caring and capable. No large fish except at Fish Den and West end Wall; night dives lacked critters, coral OK. Food above average; varied menu and outdoor buffets, lunch, picnic. TACA lost luggage. Loaned me dive equipment at no charge. Tanks 3000 psi. Rooms basic, clean and comfortable."

Anthony's Key Resort, July 1995, Marilyn Koukol, Okinawa, Japan. "No current. Vis 60­80 ft. Large groupers, French angels, porcupine puffers, basketstars, crabs and beautiful sponges. Diving enjoyable, easy. No sharks or rays. Bungalows fine though quite warm, and we were on windy side. Food good and plentiful. Staff friendly but most dive guides seemed bored. Limited dives to 40­50 minutes. Returned to boats with 1800 psi. . . . Everyone covered with bites, even though we went through 2 bottles of Skin So Soft. Relaxing diving, but doesn't compare to the South Pacific! The Dolphin Dive was fun and great for photographs."

Anthony's Key Resort, November 1995, Charles North, Gaithersburg, MD. "Small, dark rooms. Diving and staff excellent. Meals are good with seconds. Staff friendly and helpful. Gift shop has prices higher than 5th Ave."

Anthony's Key Resort, December 1995, Joan Glick, Ventnor, NJ. "Resort nice, rooms adequate. Screens in windows didn't work; had to use a/c to protect from bugs. Food excellent. Bar prices reasonable. Diving great. Plenty of deep dives, canyons to 140 ft. Lots of marine life. Whale sharks seen by other boats. Drift dives. Staff attentive; left divers alone based on experience. Night diving good. Shore diving around peninsula; staff takes tanks over. Bugs a problem but OK if you wore repellent. Staff friendly. Commuter flights jam packed with people and luggage; plane would never have taken off in US. It barely got off the ground."

Anthony's Key, December 1995, Roman Pibl, Denver, CO. "Resort nice, but rustic. Advertise unlimited tanks, but no convenient shore diving. Planes cannot land at Roatan after sun sets, so if your plane leaves late from U.S. you go elsewhere for first night - in our case El Salvador. Staff at the resort is helpful. No beach. vis: 50­75 ft. water: 75°­78°."

Anthony's Key Resort, December 1995, Ralph Garcia, San Diego, CA. "Rain first 2.5 days; then 1.5 days of clouds and 3 days perfect. Vis 40­90+ feet w/suspended particles; 82° water; easy 1 knot drift diving. OK night dives; abundant but not colorful hard and soft coral; sheer walls; abundant macro life; roomy covered dive boats; 3 dives daily with 2 night dives per week; great food/service/$1.50 local beers/BBQs/theme parties and nondiving activities; rustic accommodations (ceiling fan, all wood bungalows, private bathrooms, some with private porch/hammocks. No-see-ums bites, despite "DEET". Excellent, well-run establishment with efficient dive operation. . . . The Institute of Marine Sciences was next door; watched dolphins train and play from our patio. . . . TACA so late that missed connecting flights in Houston."

Anthony's Key Resort, January 1996, John and April Cochrane, East Haven, CT. "Staff helpful, polite and friendly. By second day, most knew your name. Cabins rustic, clean and comfortable. No-see-ums no problem although we did use Skin-So-Soft. . . . Doctor on call 24 hrs. When my husband got vertigo on a night dive, Dr. Gus was on-site in 30 minutes. Had a wonderful week! Got bit by parrot; namely Paco!"

Anthony's Key Resort, February 1996, Bill and Nancy Vogler, Dillon Beach, CA. "4­6' swells; didn t dive one day. Boats sent to south side (Fantasy Island) and guests bussed for two dives. No float lines on drift dives; keeping people together in choppy swell and unsettled seas resulted in a lot of sea sickness or upset divers. Dive platforms and ladders on boats archaic! Have to stand on own fins when ready to enter the water. The ladders with no hand holds; in pitching seas a nightmare. Facilities nice, staff friendly. CoCo View got all their dives in that week."

Anthony's Key, May 1996, Marilyn Allen, Aurora, CO. "Beautiful resort, great service. Advised it was a mix of singles and couples, but couples oriented; go with friend or group. Diving got boring, too much the same. Not challenging for advanced divers . Vis: 40­110 ft. water: 80°. Take bug spray. Great Vacation."

Anthony's Key Resort, August 1996, Jim Parkhill, McAllen, TX. "Easy drift diving. Go down and come up as a group. Skilled buddy team left to own. Couple of sites to 130'. Diving not world class, but a notch above most Caribbean locations. Less pelagic action than Cozumel, Caymans or Belize; interesting topography with a mix of walls, canyons and swim throughs. Size and abundance of crustaceans make Roatan a favorite night dive location. Dolphin dive is worth the price. Facilities rustic but comfortable - and very picturesque. Boats return to dock between each dive. No-hassle diving. Visited a year ago, staff recognized and treated me like an old friend. Dolphin Discovery Camp for Kids outstanding."

Bay Islands Beach Resort, May 1995, David Starr, Melbourne, FL. "Diving on north shore of Roatan; perfect for all levels. Walls spectacular. Staff friendly. Meals excellent; served in a formal manner though casual atmosphere. Fantastic value. Rooms decorated with a simple 'island style.' Clean and air conditioned! No-see-ums not bad."

Bay Islands Beach Resort, September 1995, George Zawacki, Arlington Heights, IL. "Much diving off reef in front of resort. Divemasters took us us through tunnels and caves. Considerable freedom for experienced divers. Three dives a day; third after lunch. Near AKR. All diving within Marine Reserve. No pelagics: fish life interesting and colorful, sizable groupers. Boat had full canopy; crowded the first day, uncomfortably so. The staff was excellent at handling cameras but did little to assist other divers with equipment. Except for the need to control the sand fleas with Skin So Soft, it was a pleasant, relaxing week."

Bay Islands Beach Resort, September 1995, Jerry Portwood, Bullhead City, AZ. "Facilities four stars. Staff five stars. Unrestricted dive profiles. Corals, sponges and tropical fish - excellent. Large fish - good. Large pelagics - poor. Diving for inexperienced - excellent. Diving for experienced - excellent. Computer diving - no restrictions. Accommodations - very good. Shore diving - fair - with a long surface swim - excellent. Staff service - excellent. Divemasters - excellent. Value very good. Water temp.: 84 to 87 deg F; Air: 89 deg; Vis: 60' to 200'+; Weather: Sunny, cloudy, rainy, humid. (typical paradise); Water: calm and flat; Shopping: limited."

Bay Islands Beach Resort, September 1995, JoAnn Ketring, Dunedin, FL. "Made you feel welcome. Dive staff friendly and helpful. Recorded your depth and bottom time on each dive. Follow the divemaster or go on your own. Divemasters pointed out critters. Check-out dive day one. Food was good and varied."

Bay Island Beach, April 1996, Calvin & Debbie Hill, Grand Prairie, TX. "Everything about Roatan excellent. Peaceful. Wonderful resort and the best food you will ever eat on a dive trip. Did not like sand fleas, but hey! It is a jungle. vis: 75­150 ft. water: 82°. True diving escape."

Ben's Dive Resort, August 1995, John Suttles, New Orleans, LA. "Only dive operation on the north central coast. Dove when we wanted, where we wanted, as often as we wanted. Reefs on the north shore are healthy, vibrant and dramatic. Spotted eagle rays, sharks and large unabashed green morays swimming in the open; never saw another diver. Ben and his dive shop manager, Robert previously managed the dive operations at Fantasy Island and imported their same management skills and attention to detail, individual comfort and interest. vis: 60­80 ft. water: 80°­82°."

CoCo View Resort, March 1995, J.M. Ford, Clayton, MO. "TACA flights on time, luggage accounted for. Nonstop from Houston, New Orleans and Miami. Divemasters and boat captains knowledgeable, competent and polite. Boats large, comfortable. Center-hull opening and ladder unique, convenient for divers with large camera setups. Primarily wall diving, little current, excellent vis. Reports of diminished fish population exaggerated. Rooms clean and comfortable. Food quite good and plentiful, the menu varied. Little night life. No-see-ums, but DEET and Skin So Soft effective."

CoCo View Resort, April 1995, Gary and Carol Kehrer, Punta Gordit, FL. "4­6 people on boat; dive computers to 130'. Rooms and food were excellent. $775 and $225 airfare. TACA air excellent, meals, drinks, and movie from Miami. Good place for beginners; varied sites for advanced divers."

CoCo View Resort, May 1995, Jan Dickson, Amarillo, TX. "Dive 'till you drop.' Divemasters great. Night dives a macro photo feast! John Haught (photo pro) full of helpful hints and advice. E-6 processing. Repaired reg that broke quickly; reasonable rate. You are limited only by your computer and stamina on dives. 'Half your air or half your time - come back. Signal photographers for some pics. Made 6 dives one day and 5 on 3 days - 4 the rest of the days for a total of 27 dives! Price reasonable!"

CoCo View Resort, June 1995, Jay Levine, Charlottesville, VA. "Diving easy. Fish not plentiful but coral beautiful, plentiful and varied. Tunnels to go through and vertical ascents through chimneys. Arranged snorkeling with dolphins at Anthony's Key. . . . Went inland for 3 days to visit Mayan ruins at Copan, banana farms, and the villages. Used Maya Tropic Tours in San Pedro Sula. Tour guide here Luis and did great job."

CoCo View Resort, July 1995, Shawn Horn, Dallas, TX. "Love the area and the laid back resort. Some wear and tear on the reefs."

CoCo View Resort, September 1995, Bill Muir, Lake Ridge, VA. "Tremendous week! 5-1/2 diving days, 24 dives. Wreck at 60' in front yard; two walls. Food good. Enjoyed the BBQ. Strong storm one night with a lot of rooms getting wet. Several PADI specialties can be done. Saw seahorses." Bring good insect repellent!"

CoCo View, September 1995, Pete and Helen Reinhardt, Madison, WI. "Great night dive from shore, watching hunting octopus. . . . Helped a lot when Helen got an ear infection - brought us to a doctor. . . . Easily fixed a leaky high pressure seat on Pete's regulator, patiently returned to dock when another diver blew their hose. . . . Where's the fish? Unremarkable dive sites - begin to all look the same. Sea wasps at 40ft. on two of four night dives. Wish we had hoods to protect us from sea wasps."

CoCo View Resort, September 1995, Gerard Kelly, Katy, TX. "Poor vis, scarce fish, beautiful walls. Bugs a problem. Food good and plentiful. Lack of consideration by a select few idiots that statistical laws demand be among 24 divers/boat. Rooms large, no a/c. Staff handled luggage. $449 R/T Houston - great value. TACA on time & did not lose luggage. Saw seahorse and one frog fish."

CoCo View, October 1995, Michael Miller/Anne Selby, Gaston IN. "Water: 80­82 degrees, Vis: 60­85 feet. Cliff Yeary has left; new management. Food continues to improve. Coral was bleached. Fabulous place to dive 4+ times a day."

CoCo View Resort, November 1995, Frank Rudy, Camp Hill, PA. "Direct flights from Houston, Miami, New Orleans via TACA. CoCo View on a small island reached by boat. Rooms rustic, clean, comfortable. Rooms on land have ac. Larger bungalows and cabanas are on stilts over water; no ac. Several large boats. 2 boat dives per day and drop off dives on CoCo View and Newman's walls on the way back from the boat dives. Easy to do 4­5 dives per day. Divers do their own thing; computers encouraged. Abundant hard and soft corals. The resort and dive operation are well run. The food is ample and varied. Cookouts on a small Caye beside the resort."

CoCo View Resort, November 1995, Robert Van Jones, Punta Gorda, FL. "Three new buildings over the water, four units each. Rooms 17' x 25', great view, double and single bed, comfortable furnishings, three fans. Divers given mesh bags to stow gear after rinsing. Trips 9AM and 2PM on walls only 10­15 min ride from dock. Excellent corals, sponges, small fish only. On return from wall can be dropped off on close wall or wreck of Prince Albert (300' freighter). No restrictions on computer use, never rushed to return to boat. Shore diving from 5AM to 11PM."

CoCo View, December 1995, Mark Skolaski, Madison, WI. "Well run resort, hot shore diving. Almost no large critters; vis: 75­150 ft. water: 82°­90°. . . . Take antihistamines and bring lots of bug spray. Mosquitos and no-seeums are Hell! Great food and service. Don't miss the bartenders' stories."

CoCo View, January 1996, David A. Smith and Nancy Smith, Cambridge, MA. "Like scuba camp for adults or a stationary live-aboard: isolated, diving only, communal dining, friendly, easygoing atmosphere. Hearty, uninspiring food (salad bar, red beans and rice, lasagna, fried everything, sandwiches, occasional BBQ; bring your own hot sauce!). Bottled water, lemonade, ice tea at all hours. No diarrhea. Clubhouse open, airy: pool table, ping pong, darts, board games, bar. Evening social center, pretty quiet. Rooms spacious, screened in, most have no A/C but fans (cool enough at night), decent bathrooms with aging plumbing. Showers low pressure, water extremely hard. . . . Encouraged tipping $30­35/guest/week) into staff pool; we tipped divemaster only. . . . TACA and USAir lost luggage, delivered two days later. Gave us free loaner mask fins-snorkel. Rentals expensive ($25/day for regulator/BCD, $8/day for light). Four dives/day no effort; night shore dive easy. Decent briefings. Divemasters (especially Osman) good at finding critters. Drop-offs or shore dives on walls adjacent to resort interesting, leading to a channel with a large sunken freighter (the Prince Albert) and a DC-3. Wreck can be penetrated, good skill practice and exploration. Fills 2800 PSI, once 2400 PSI. Vis 50­75 feet. Windy/rainy at night, sunny days. Huge vertical and overhanging walls with lush coral of many types (especially barrel sponges and gorgonia), good from 25­90 feet. Few pelagics. No-see-ums omnipresent! Bonaire has better fish, visibility, restaurants, above-water activities. Roatan good value for money ($1,450 for a week's diving, room and food for two)."

CoCo View, February 1996, Robert E. LaMear, IL, St. Louis, MO. "Good walls, coral variety. Computer divers get more than enough bottom time. (Two went to chamber while we were there.) You're treated as an adult; act like one. Vis: 40­60 ft. water:77°­79°" . . . . Two developed diarrhea, one severe. Beach house; utensils rusty, Water pressure so bad that a toilet flush shut off shower. Snorkel with dolphins at AKR; book earlier to secure afternoon before departure day."

CoCo View, March 1996, J. M. Ford, Manchester, MO. "Food better than last year. Staff helpful and friendly, condition of grounds good. No-see-ums less bothersome than last year. All tanks 3200 psi. Cliff, long-time director of dive operations and left and his presence is missed: item: divemaster ran out of air on dive; item: dive boat broke loose from its moorings during dive. Vis: 75­100 ft. Water, 79­80°."

CoCo View, March 1996, Jack A. Buck, San Jose, CA. "Food good and plentiful, had to eat at scheduled times. Diving wonderful. Vis 75­100 feet due to the runoff from the rain. Dive your own profile if you wished, or you could stay with the group, 4­5 dives were the norm, one day we had 6. . . . Entire staff, from the owners to the kitchen help were always trying to make things better; asking how things were, do you need anything else, etc. Got boarding passes for the guests so that they would not have to deal with the airlines, precleared us thru customs, so we would not have to deal with that. When the TACA flight was delayed they sent lunch to the airport for all who waited. When the airport closed, they came back, picked us up, and let us stay at the resort for another nite at no cost!"

CoCo View, April 1996, Mark and Glenda Jo Sams, Ocilla, GA. "Staff made trip effortless. Boats spacious, well organized and punctual. Sites no more than 8 minutes. Divemasters knowledgeable, friendly, great sense of humor. Each dive was preceded with a briefing including map and location of sea life. Healthy coral and sponges. Some barracuda, grouper, large parrot fish. Shore diving good. . . . Cabanas had no ac, but over the water and always a breeze. . . . Meals: two entrees (American style food). Everyone ate together including the staff. T-shirts and shorts the attire. Bar open until midnight. Two cookouts with local entertainment and free beer. Nikonos V and video for rent. . . . Sand fleas, no problems mon! vis: 50­120 ft. water: 80°­85°."

CoCo View, May 1996, Linda Crow, San Clemente, CA. "Great operation. vis: 40­60ft. . . . Try to route through New Orleans on TACA direct to Roatan. Routes with stops are a nightmare."

Coco View Resort, May 1996, R. Theil, MI. "Diving excellent. vis: 80­90 ft. water: 80°. Operation 1st rate. Don t expect large critters. Rooms well cared for, but rustic. Staff friendly. Dive staff knowledgeable. New management: A seamless transfer."

CoCo View, June 1996, C. Douglas Rorex, Olney, IL. "Water 82, Vis 75 to 100 feet. People friendly. Divemasters excellent, enjoy their work. Shore diving excellent. Allowed to dive solo, night or day, twenty-four hours a day. Most of fish and best coral above 75 feet. Candy Basslet, which I have only on rare occasion found above 150 feet, was as shallow as 60 feet. Food excellent and a lot of it. Accommodations acceptable. TACA lost our carry-on luggage (we had to check it in at the gate). CoCo View provided, at no cost, regulators, BCDS, and masks until ours arrived the next day (some guests did not get theirs for three days). Return flight cancelled; had to run to catch an American flight."

CoCo View, June 1996, Gary Trommer, Austin, TX. "Bugs not too bad. Night dives great. vis: 50­100 ft. water: 84°."

Fantasy Island Resort, April 1995, James L. Waller, Sioux Falls, SD. "Water: 78­79 Degree, Vis 80­100 feet. Nice beach, excellent food and accommodations - much better than CoCo View and Anthony's Key. Most sites are wall dives with excellent coral and plenty of small tropicals. Few large fish. Some divemasters not fluent in English. One divemaster couldn't find his way back to the boat; another kept a group out so long they nearly exhausted their air."

Fantasy Island, May 1995, Rick Berg, Irvine, CA. "Several 5­6 foot barracudas, large green morays, seven foot nurse shark, not as much smaller tropical fish as expected. With ticket problems, bug problems both above and below the surface, camera equipment problems - in our 20 years of traveling this was the worst trip."

Fantasy Island, May 1995, Sheila Harmer, Burbank, CA. "TACA airlines good (no late luggage). Food great. Bugs plentiful. Rooms OK. Unable to request desired rooms 30 days in advance. Dive boats crowded. No shower on boats or docks. North shore dock OK but no head on dock or boat. Several tanks with only 2200 psi. Allowed to 'dive your own plan.' Wet lockers crowded. Thimble Jellyfish larvae discouraged many divers. Resort provided transportation to clinic for those wishing medication for intractable itching bumps. Much coral to see. Good visibility. Not many critters."

Fantasy Island, July 1995, Patrick Corrado, Jacksonville, FL. "Resort, dive facilities, personnel and diving fantastic. Marine life weak, due to overfishing. Willing to run a boat for 1 or 2 divers. Boats roomy and never overpacked. No photo shop. Diving conducted from North side dock (10 minute bus ride) when winds kicked up. Food fabulous; multiple choices. Service terrific. All personnel helpful, pleasant and accommodating. Take A Chance Airlines overbooked and passengers routinely bumped (don't forget to reconfirm flight 72 hours in advance)."

Fantasy Island, August 1995, Harry Sure, Ft. Worth, TX. "Upscale dive resort. Food very good, staff efficient and friendly, diving unlimited with 3 boat dives a day, two night dives a week. Divemasters are good; do not set rigid profiles for computer divers. Reef outstanding, fish sparse. For the money is great!"

Fantasy Island, August 1995, Joe Johnston, Mt. Olive, MS. "18 to 22 on each boat - crowded. Boat on the other side of the island for variation. Many big groupers on the north side. Water off 1 1/2 days and lights off one evening. Big turnover in help, limited towels and soap. Food excellent. Not as good as 1991."

Fantasy Island, September 1995, Carol Kuma, Tampa, FL. "Reasonable, all-inclusive price. Walls surpass Cayman. Vis 75+ feet. Walls start in 10­30 feet. Fish population fair but the coral is awesome. Dive staff will take you anywhere"

Fantasy Island, December 1995, Troy and Jill Lange, Houston, TX. "Friendly staff, big boats/small groups of people, great for photography, helpful divemasters. Vis: 75­100 plus ft. water: 78°­84°. . . . Bad: No see-ums. Wish we knew not to bring Travelers checks; cash or credit much easier. Wish we spoke Spanish; a little language barrier. Take few clothes."

Fantasy Island, December 1995, Mr. and Mrs. John Stubbings, Northbrook, IL. "Dolphin experience at Institute terrific. Diving operation does not check conditions before letting people dive; got into several strong currents where the boat had to come get everyone even though it wasn't drift diving. One dive had a strong enough undertow to pull people down 20 ft. Beginning divers aborted these dives. On one dive, the boat's propeller fell off and the anchor had to be thrown into the coral - with divers directly below the boat. It was a drift dive and luckily all divers came up close to the immobilized boat. . . . Night dives the best; nurse shark and octopus. Shore dive -took us by boat to the entry point and picked us up there. Gazebo to dive from and cable to guide you to a DC-3 and the wreck of the Prince Albert. Lots of great life to see, and a big lobster water: 78°­82°. . . . TACA flies where it wants, when it wants with little regard for schedules. Lost a day of diving because TACA took us to El Salvador for a night! 20 ticketed passengers not allowed to board the oversold flight."

Fantasy Island, December 1995, Brad and Melissa Caudle, Tomball, TX. "The resort for divers. Only one on island with both north and south shore diving. TACA: lost a day of diving-spent night in El Salvador. vis: 70­100 ft. water: 80°­81°."

Fantasy Island, December 1995, Stephanie DiBelardino, Norfolk, VA. "Bills itself as a luxury resort, but pays no attention to details that differentiate a 3 star from 4 or 5 star. . . . Great coral and sponges. Dive operation is OK Vis. 75­125 ft. water: 76°­80°."

Fantasy Island, December 1995, Mr. & Mrs. John Stubbings, Northbrook, IL. "Dive operation left much to be desired. Boat lost a prop on one dive that could have hit divers below! Several dives in current too strong for experienced divers. Dive with dolphins at Marine Institute wonderful. vis: 50­70ft. water: 80­82°. TACA a nightmare."

Fantasy Island, January 1996, Kendall Botellio, Phoenix, AZ. "TACA did not lose a single bag! Only disappointment not being able to dive first dive because of paperwork and briefings. . . . Lots of healthy coral and excellent photo opportunities, especially macro! All wall diving with just a little current. To call it drift diving is stretching it. Water: 80°, VIS: 60 to 100 ft. . . . Food was both buffet style and off the menu, all of it good! Staff outstanding!"

Fantasy Island, June 1996, Linda Halaska, Kinawood, TX. "Good service. CoCo View wall wonderful for shore dive. vis: 80 ft. water: 80°. Too many bites, even with Skintastic. Good food. Deluxe rooms need new carpet, blinds. Boats broke down."

Fantasy Island, July 1996, Bill Stacy, Valparaiso, IN. "Caribbean Air, begun in 1995, used a 1939 renovated DC-3 from San Pedro Sula; great plane. Baggage handlers all over San Pedro Sula. . . . Large room. AC and ceiling fan, refrigerator, satellite TV and phone. Resort is beautiful, the beach, man-made, is great! Food leaves a lot to be desired; lobster overcooked and dried out. Prices reasonable. Females stay away from the monkeys; two bitten during our stay. Dive operation okay. Storage areas and rinse tanks. People had to abort dives due to malfunctioning equipment; a spare regulator on board would have solved the problem. Dive boats covered; rinse tanks, but no camera tables. 40­80 ft. water: 82°­84°. Divemasters and captains terrific. Dive your own profile. Tanks only filled to 2700 psi. Easy diving, little current. With the exception of the marine park, fished out. Corals; some dead, others covered with algae. No-see-ums a problem on the beach. As a beach resort it gets a high rating; as a dive resort only fair."

Inn of the Last Resort, October 1995, Gerard Smith, League City, TX. "Two compressors, some rental gear. Two dive boats in 50'range plus smaller center console boat. Shore diving not possible at low tide. Reefs have more life than south shore reefs. Dive staff anxious to help. Adequate locked gear storage. Rinse and fresh e water shower needed on the dock. Felt like part of the family by owners Andy and Donna Arcaya and their staff."

Inn of Last Resort, January 1996, Patty and Edgra Bickham, Carbondale, CO. "Paradise. Wonderful resort for families, couples and singles. Clean rooms, excellent service. One large bed, two singles in a corner unit. Laundry returned the next day starched and ironed if you like. No "mañana" attitude. Dolphin Encounter at Institute: Get the encounter, not snorkel or dive for kids. Personal attention and you can hold them. vis. 60­80 ft. water: 82°­85°. . . . Salt & Pepper Restaurant: best dinners - go early."

Inn of the Last Resort, February 1996, Tracey Bennett, Honolulu, HI. "New resort, 30 rooms. Owners friendly and helpful, easily accommodating my no-red-meat diet. Great and abundant food. Dive sites 5­30 minutes by boat. Divemasters provided orientation to each site, then left us on our own if we wished. Dives varied - some shallower w/wall to visit, some w/chutes or tunnels. Terrific experience. vis:100­125 ft."

Inn of Last Resort, April 1996, Bob Webb, Stanford, CT. "Bob and Jerry run a great dive operation. Great reefs, walls, caverns, plenty of critters. Sites 5­15 minutes on West end of island. vis: 100­150 ft. water: 80­85. . . . Owners Donna and Andy Arcaya make everyone feel at home. Excellent food. Enjoy the antics of resident monkey and clown Panchita who love to steal candy, brushes, glasses from guests. Plenty of no-see-ums."

Reef House Resort, March 1995, Melinda Zanmiller, St. Paul, MN. "Secluded resort on Oak Ridge Cay. Safe - never locked door (never even got a key). Meals: shrimp, lobster, crab, fish. Excellent resort facilities, nice seaside bar, rooms a little rundown. Dive staff knowledgeable and attentive. Lots of tropicals, few big fish, a few nurse sharks. Lots of lobster, crab, huge barrel sponges), tunicates, flamingo tongues, sea fans in great shape. Boat well set up. Rinse tank on pier. Staff helpful and attentive. Wayne and Stephanie accommodate and solve problems, arrange side trips, fulfill food requests. Very congenial. Great trip."

Reef House Resort, September 1995 Bill and Elena Harriman Houston, TX. "Staff wheels your gear from beach to dive shop. Comfortable boat. Good food: kingfish, crab, lobster, shrimp, the best conch, chicken, hamburgers, fresh fruit. Sites along the southeast coast of Roatan are seldom visited by other because of location. They treat divers as responsible adults yet keep a watchful eye over beginners."

Reef House Resort, September 1995, Robert Shaklovitz, Houston, TX. "Water 83 F. Rooms basic, clean and comfortable. Food good. Dive staff capable and attentive. Diving so-so. Macro critters abound. Nice wall (and the largest concentration of fish) in front of the resort. Viz. 80 to 100 feet. Boats leave twice daily; divers have the option of one or two dives. Walls begin at between 10 and 40 feet; sponges of every size, shape and color; multiple varieties of hard corals. On a night dive several cryptic teardrop crabs and a few flamingo tongues."

Reef House, January 1996, Deborah Wetzel, Saxtons River, VT. "Corals affected by pollution and garbage. Variety of fish, but large fish have disappeared since last visit. 37 dives; safe and always something new. Wrecks, great wall in front. Excellent staghorn, squid, parrotfish, nudibranchs. Good staff for serious divers. Vis: 80­100 ft. water: 75°­80°.". . . Excellent meals: coconut bread, hot calypso sauce, hibiscus jelly. Dollar beers. Ask for new rooms. Like a scuba camp. Evening entertainment: searching lagoon with light for lobsters, octopus, brittle stars, eels. Bugs not that bad. No landing lights on Roatan so fly direct or you can get caught overnight. Bring home Calypso hot Sauce."

Reef House Resort, January 1996, Bill Chisholm, Putney, VT. "Plan dives on divers' interest. Divemaster strict with rules, but let us roam at leisurely pace; I often stayed under the boat for over an hour while everyone was onboard. Small resort at the south end of island. 16 people and the boat was fine. Staff friendly and thoughtful. Home cooking: fish, lobster, conch, squid soup, casseroles. Fresh fruit plate if wanted. Litter from village; must start cleaning up this Island before it looses its tourists.

Reef House, March 1996, Craig and Kerry Laub, Potomac, MD. "Staff friendly and accommodating. Local seafood; Honduran dishes; kitchen staff accommodating. Accommodations worn, but passable. Dive boats and equipment all in good shape. Wind churned up waves eliminating shore diving and limiting trips. Two 1-tank dives/ day plus one night dive. Plenty of fish. Wind kept bugs at bay."

Roatan Beach Resort, October 1995, Howard Block, West Palm Beach, FL. "17 dives in 7 days; as many tanks as you like for beach diving. Great marine park. Swim throughs being followed by packs of 20­60 lbs. groupers and hoards of large yellow tail snappers. . . . 44 acres, 9 rooms and 3 full suites (all air conditioned). The boat is 30 ft. accommodates 18 divers comfortably. Arranged a crab hunt one night - a great time. An island buffet is also included. Excellent buy for the dollars."

Romeo's Resort, June 1995, Donald and Merideth Parker, Las Vega, NV. "Only divers for an entire week. Dive staff and hotel staff try as hard as had there been 60 divers (max capacity). Better deal than AKR ($400 less each) for same package. Would have enjoyed company, however, satisfied with the diving; meals/accommodations adequate. Appeared to be in a state of decline. Dive boats needed maintenance, hotel needed clean up, fix up, paint, mow. Diving on windward side: reboarding the boat can be tricky in 4­5' swells."

Romeo's Resort, October 1995, Carol Risdall, Rapid City, SD. "Pool full of algae, filters did not run. One battery to start the two boats operating. On one night dive we went out without port, starboard, bow and stern lights. On another dive the boat was difficult to steer because the hull was filled with water and the bilge didn't work. Many times had no water, electricity nor towels. Staff worked hard to please despite the lack of amenities."

Romeo's Resort, October 1995, Doreen Jeffey, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. "No running water, power outages, boats constantly breaking down. To flush toilets we went downstairs to the pool to fill our pail with the water to put in toilet. Boats are unsafe, batteries brought on board to start the engine and then taken to another boat to start; breakdown after breakdown."

Romeo's Resort, October 1995, Patrick Wilstrom, Brasstown, NC. Caught in a tailspin of rapid decline; demonstrating again 'that you get what you pay for.' Water and electricity intermittent at best. An interesting cost saving technique: had only one battery to be shared between both boats and the resort bus. We loved the diving and laughed our way through the inconveniences."

Seagrape Plantation, April 1995, Alex Thiermann, Olney, MD. "West end the best location. Marine sanctuary guarantees large groupers (4 ft. Jewfish), large lobsters and crabs. Moray eels, sea turtles and eagle rays common. Reef excellent, diversity of hard corals and gorgonias, seafans, whips, angels, triggers, tangs, surgeons, grammas. Dive shop first-class, staff professional and accommodating. The resort, owned and managed by a local family is also simple, clean, very friendly with excellent food."

Seagrape, December 1995, Phyllis Sebewe, Rockford, IL. "Great operators! Moved boats to opposite side of island when seas got rough. Never missed a day of diving. Accommodations (except for new building of 4 cabins together) leave a bit to be desired. Need refurbishing. Food OK. Great Christmas dinner. Breakfast good; lunch-dinner basic. Price is right if your not fussy. Good location can walk someplace! vis: 50­80 ft. water: 78°."

Sueno Del Mar, May 1995, Lawrence Long, Denver, CO. "New, large rooms and nice. Only 8 rooms and well kept. 3 dives a day and one night dive. Excellent staff. Computer divers dive according to abilities, plenty of bottom time. Two dive boats,never crowded. Isolated from the resorts. Bring bug repellent."

Utila

Utila Lodge, April 1995, Sue Downey, Conroe, TX. "Staff accommodated our requests. Boat captain was fantastic! Lodge on stilts over the water; spacious rooms, screened porches & room for storage. Dining is family-style; food good & plentiful. Boat a few steps from rooms. Rinse tanks on dock. Boat well maintained, plenty of room. Diving great, little current, constant surge during safety stops led some divers to feel queasy. Free to dive computer profiles, though a divemaster always available. Brilliant corals, fans, sponges; tropicals in abundance. Vis 100+. Stayed with 2 whale sharks for 45 mins."

Utila Lodge, May 1996, Edwin Granite, Wilmington,DE. "Great operation! Vis: 75­100ft. water: 78­81°."

Utila Reef Resort, February 1996, Clay Hathaway, Bossier City, LA. "I have traveled all over the Caribbean. This resort was the most responsive to the group's needs above and below the water. 5 stars."

Utila Reef Resort, July 1996, Gary Muccido, Norwood, NJ. "Excellent reefs. to excellent marine life. Superb shallow dives. Extensive intact soft corals, gorgonians. Reefs overall in excellent condition."

Copyright 1997 by DSDL, Inc.Publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.