3 Roatan Sites You Should Dive on Nitrox

One of the many perks of diving on Roatan is the high volume of dive sites available in close proximity to land, with calm conditions and reefs starting shallow so that that we can easily dive on air.
Despite that fact that most of our dive sites are conducive to diving on air, we have a lot of Nitrox certified divers who like to dive on enriched air because of its many benefits. While it all comes down to personal preference, there are a few dive sites here on Roatan that we highly recommend diving on Nitrox in order to enjoy longer bottom times. 

Enriched air contains a higher oxygen content and lower nitrogen content air does, giving a diver the ability to extend their no-decompression limit (or dive time). For a few of our dive sites, given their topography and depth, we find it more enjoyable to dive on enriched air Nitrox (EANx32). Having your Enriched Air Diver certification and diving on Nitrox will allow you to explore these sites to their fullest and to ensure a conservative profile.

1. The Odyssey Shipwreck

This cargo ship measures 300ft/100m in length, is about a 20 minute boat ride from West End. Sunk in 2002, the wreck sits on the sand at 110 ft/30.5m, and diving on Nitrox allows you to explore the length and structure of this ship with ample no-decompression time to spare.

For example, according to the NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association) no-decompression dive tables, a diver using Nitrox 36 (or NOAA Nitrox II) may stay up to 50 minutes at 90ft/27m of sea water, while a diver using air may only stay a maximum of 30 minutes at this depth.

2. The Point

This is a top requested dive site from divers and a staff favorite, too! Less than a 10 minute boat ride from West End, this site encompasses the southern point of the island. It is famous for its giant barrel sponges, sea fans, and its nutrient rich water that brings in tons of fish ready to feed. Due to the topography of this site, we like diving it on Nitrox because it allows us to explore the wall, as well as the large plateau area (the area of this site that The Point is famous for) with an average depth of 50ft/15m. 

Weather conditions for this site can vary daily, so we like to check the conditions to ensure the wind and potential currents are appropriate to still make it a fun and enjoyable dive! 

3. The Seamounts of Cayos Cochinos 

The seamounts of Cayos Cochinos lie 18 miles off the point of Roatan and can be reached by special two-tank charter trip (weather permitting), and simply phenomenal when the conditions are right. None of the seamounts break the surface, and the diveable mounts peak between 70ft/21m and 40ft/12m in depth. To get the most bottom time out of each dive, we strongly encourage Nitrox for at least the first dive. The coral at the seamounts is healthy and vibrant, and you have the opportunity to see lots of different schools of fish hanging off the reef as they feed.

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Now, just because we recommend Nitrox for these dive sites does not mean you can't dive them on air. We simply think that these sites in particular are more enjoyable when you can spend longer enjoying the deeper topography of these sites!

Not a certified Nitrox diver yet? No worries, it's a fun, easy and enormously beneficial course! The PADI Enriched Air Diver certification can be done in a few hours, so it won't have to take up your entire vacation. Check with your local dive shop or drop us a line, and we would be happy to get you diving on EANx32!  

¿Estoy preparado para hacer el curso PADI Advanced Open Water?

For many Open Water Divers, the Advanced Open Water course can seem like an elusive or possibly intimidating certification. Do I have what it takes to be an advanced diver, and why should I even take a course like this?

Fear not, diving friends! Let's shed some light on what it takes to complete your PADI Advanced Open Water course. Enthusiasm is not required, but it's a huge plus!

The Advanced course takes a minimum of two days and consists of five PADI Adventure dives.

PADI offers many types of Adventure Dives to choose from. Underwater Navigation and Deep Dive are required, giving you three more Adventure Dives that you can choose. Here at Roatan Divers, the most popular Adventure Dives we teach are the Night Dive, Drift Dive, Underwater Naturalist, and Peak Performance Buoyancy.

Classroom time: For the Advanced course, you complete the Knowledge Reviews for the Adventure Dives you have chosen, then after a thorough briefing from your PADI Instructor, you go on an open water dive to apply what you have learned. Unlike the PADI Open Water Diver course, there are no confined water skills.

Why should I become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver?  

We love getting this question! One of the most common motivators for divers to pursue this certification is their desire to go on more elaborate, adventurous dives! Perhaps a deep dive to the El Aguila ship wreck that sits at 30m/100 feet? Maybe a night dive to catch the magical bioluminescence, or better buoyancy to give you control and confidence to avoid unwanted contact with the reef when looking at smaller marine life.  

The very popular Deep and Night Dives can be a bit more complex, so they require additional knowledge and safety aspects to consider. This course allows you to expand your skills and confidence to make you a more well rounded scuba diver. 

One of the biggest struggles for new divers is gaining better control their positioning and buoyancy on a dive. The Peak Performance Buoyancy dive is a great opportunity to experiment and challenge yourself in this area. It can even help improve your air consumption along the way!

Common misconceptions

Let's clear up a few of the myths that might be stopping you from starting your PADI Advanced Open Water course. 

• There is no minimum number of dives required if you're already a PADI Open Water or Junior Open Water Diver. 

• As a PADI Open Water Diver you are certified to a depth of 18m/60ft, so if you'd like to go deeper, additional training is strongly encouraged. 

• Open Water divers over 15 years old can participate in ALL of the Adventure Dives that are available in the PADI Advanced Open Water course. After completing the course, they will be certified to dive to a depth of up to 30m/100ft.

• Junior Open Water divers over the age of 12 can participate in many of the Adventure Dives as well. After completing the Advanced course they will be certified up to 21m/70ft, which will automatically upgrade to 30m/100ft when they turn 15.

Now that you have a better understanding of what the PADI Advanced Open Water course consists of now, you can talk to your local dive shop if this is the right course for you!

If you're interested in speaking to us or have any additional questions, please contact us today!

¡Probemos el buceo!

Te encanta el mar y disfrutas haciendo snorkel. Sin embargo, a veces te gustaría poder acercarte un poco más al arrecife y a todos los peces, y te vendría bien que entrara menos agua salada en tu tubo de snorkel. Has oído que se tarda unos días en obtener el título de buceo, y no estás seguro de estar preparado para dar un paso tan grande. ¿Qué opciones tienes?

¡No te preocupes, ya está aquí el programa «Discover Scuba Diving» de PADI! Del mismo modo que puedes probar un coche antes de comprarlo, puedes probar el buceo antes de realizar el curso de certificación. El programa PADI Discover Scuba Diving es un curso de medio día de duración que te introduce en el mundo submarino, al tiempo que te enseña a manejar el equipo y las habilidades básicas de seguridad bajo el agua. Podrás vivir una inmersión real, igual que los buceadores certificados, todo ello bajo la supervisión de un instructor PADI para garantizar tu seguridad y comodidad.

En Roatan Divers, nuestro programa PADI DSD habitual es el siguiente:

1. Tu instructor te explicará lo esencial que debes saber sobre el buceo, tu equipo y algunas técnicas básicas de buceo. También verás un breve vídeo del programa PADI DSD que te ayudará a visualizar tu experiencia submarina.

Ver a tamaño completo

2. ¡Ahora es el momento de empezar a hacer burbujas! Entrarás en aguas poco profundas con tu instructor para practicar algunas habilidades subacuáticas. Normalmente lo hacemos en la preciosa Half Moon Bay, situada justo al lado del centro de buceo, donde podrás familiarizarte con tu equipo de buceo y practicar cómo será bucear en aguas abiertas.

3. Ya has ganado algo de confianza y ahora te dispones a realizar una inmersión a una profundidad máxima de 12 m/40 pies en el mar Caribe. Tu instructor evaluará las condiciones meteorológicas y del agua y elegirá un punto de inmersión que se adapte perfectamente a tu nivel de experiencia. Contamos con más de 30 puntos de inmersión a menos de 10 minutos en barco desde el centro de buceo, ¡así que hay un montón de posibilidades!

Cuando te embarques en tu experiencia «Discover Scuba Diving» de PADI, siempre contarás con la compañía de tu instructor PADI, un profesional con amplia experiencia, que se encargará de que todo salga a la perfección y de que disfrutes de la mejor experiencia posible mientras buceas y exploras el saludable y vibrante arrecife mesoamericano.

Si te ha gustado tu experiencia «Discover Scuba Diving» de PADI y quieres bucear un poco más, ¡dínoslo y organizaremos más inmersiones DSD contigo y tu instructor! Y si te has aficionado al buceo y estás listo para ampliar tus habilidades y tu formación, el curso PADI Open Water Diver es lo que necesitas. Ponte en contacto con nosotros si tienes alguna duda o estás listo para empezar tu aventura de buceo, ¡y déjanos ayudarte a planificar la experiencia de tu vida!