Frequently Asked Questions
How much of the course fees are payable up front as a deposit?
We ask for a fully refundable $100deposit to confirm your place on the course. If you will be staying in our DM house we will also require a $100 deposit to reserve a room. Many dive centers in less desireable locations will charge course fees up front or require nonrefundable deposits, we know that you won’t be disappointed by what you find when you arrive if you are we will refund you!
Is there cheap accommodation within walking distance of the dive centre?
Our dive centre is in the very centre of West End, sitting right on the shores of Half Moon Bay, a white sandy beach with crystal clear waters. The West End has always been the tourist heart of Roatan, as far as the budget traveler has been concerned. There are a large number of cheap hotels/dorms ranging from $5 to $50 a night with a few in excess of that!
We have DM accommodations close to the dive center starting at $65/week. If you are doing your IDC with us we offer two free weeks in the DM house.
Is the dive centre in an isolated spot with few other activities nearby or a town with a good selection of bars, restaurants and stores nearby?
We are in West End. The huge majority of Roatan’s tourism is along the western coast of the Island. Resorts spread the length and breadth of the island but anything you would describe as a tourist town is found on the West coast. There are two main communities:
- West Bay is full of upscale resorts, many of which are all inclusive and lie along a simply beautiful white sand beach. There are a few bars and restaurants, these get very busy during frequent cruise ship visits.
- West End is a sleepy beach town along the shores of West End bay and half moon bay. There are number of bars and restaurants, best described by the Bay Island Diver website. On Friday and Saturday nights the place fills with islanders and every place in town is busy, but the rest of the week it is a small selection of tasty restaurants and chilled beach bars. There are stores in which you can buy groceries.
How many boats and compressors does the dive centre have?
Coconut Tree has three Bauer K15 compressors
Four boats. One boat carries up to twenty divers, the second up to 15 the third and fourth are skiffs which carry 6-8.
Is equipment rental included, what sort of equipment is it?
We prefer you to have your own equipment and have some excellent packages available. Use of our rental equipment while you are doing your course IS included in the price though. We use Diverite regulators and Oceanic OceanPro weight intergrated BCDs.
Are there any equipment purchase opportunities at discounted pro rates?
Yes – We can offer competitive deals on a variet of equipment. We are dealers in:
- Oceanic
- Diverite
- Trident
- Pinnacle
- Bare
- SeaLife
What will the weather be like?
The weather in Roatan is roughly as follows:
- January: Rainy Season. Occasional Northers which can stop diving on the Northern coast and heavy rain affects visability on the southern.
- February: End of Rainy Season. Expect maybe one or two northers. largely sunny at warm.
- March: Spring: Fantastic diving, great vis, calm, warm but not to hot air, and cool water meaning minimum algae and maximum coral colour.
- April: Fantastic diving, great vis, calm, warm but not to hot air, and cool water meaning minimum algae and maximum coral colour.
- May: Fantastic diving, great vis, calm, warm but not to hot air, and cool water meaning minimum algae and maximum coral colour.
- June: Great diving on the northern coast. On the southern coast the trade winds start to affect boat diving, usually worse in the afternoon.
- July: Great diving on the northern coast. On the southern coast the trade winds start to affect boat diving, usually worse in the afternoon.
- August: Great diving on the northern coast. On the southern coast the trade winds start to affect boat diving, usually worse in the afternoon.
- September: Great diving on the northern coast. On the southern coast the trade winds start to affect boat diving, usually worse in the afternoon.
- October: Fantastic diving, great vis and calm. Its gets a bit humid at times.
- November Rainy Season, Occasional Northers which can stop diving on the Northern coast and heavy rain affects visability on the southern.
- December Rainy Season, Occasional Northers which can stop diving on the Northern coast and heavy rain affects visability on the southern.
Here are some stats:
SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD |
Average Temp |
Average inches of rain |
Average rainy days |
January |
76.9 |
12.18 |
13 |
February |
78.6 |
3.52 |
8 |
March |
80.6 |
2.66 |
4 |
April |
82.0 |
9 .6 |
3 (Short showers at night) |
May |
83.4 |
2.11 |
4 (Short showers at night) |
June |
84.4 |
2.22 |
5 (Short showers at night) |
July |
84.4 |
6.35 |
11 (Short showers at night) |
August |
84.4 |
5.21 |
11 (Short showers at night) |
September |
85.0 |
4.99 |
7 (Short showers at night) |
October |
82.4 |
14.97 |
14 |
November |
79.1 |
19.89 |
18 |
December |
78.0 |
14.26 |
16 |