SCUBA DIVING
We have been trying to scuba dive at least one port per cruise since Sakari took an interest to this several years ago.
We were just here 4 months ago and dove with West Bay Divers and had a great time. When I found out we were coming back here again, I knew I wanted to dive again but just a different dive location. However, I had broken my leg a few months prior and I just didn't know if I would be able to dive.
So Roatan...oh how we've loved you every time we've been here. This is my "go to" place for scuba diving. The reef here is just AMAZING!
I actually considered not wanting to cruise for the fact that I wouldn't be able to scuba dive, snorkel or swim really. So, I searched everywhere for something to do here. We felt like we've done a lot and we are not your "tour" type of people most of the time.
SLOTHS!! Just like me!! That would work. But going to see the sloths really wouldn't be an "all day" thing for me. So I really wasn't sure.
Then I got this really wild thought....like really really wild thought!!! I contacted West Bay Divers (that we dove with 4 months ago). I actually texted the owner of the company (who was so nice to text me after our dive last time to make sure we had a good time...like that has NEVER happened before with ANY tour/dive/excursion company. That really made me have high regards for this company). So after texting the owner, he gave me his email. I told him everything that had happened to me after returning from my last cruise, the condition I was in, and ask for his thoughts about being able to.....you got it, scuba dive!
To my surprise, he wrote me back instantly and told me that if I could obtain a release from my doctor that I was able to dive then they could accommodate me! They have the diving scooters and said that I could tandem with an instructor and it would pull me along with them and I wouldn't even have to worry about using my leg. SAY WHAT?!? PERFECT!!! I was so excited I almost jumped for joy, but sloths don't jump, so I stayed firmly planted on the ground.
I went for my ortho follow up at the beginning of December and got a release statement saying I could travel AND dive with no restrictions! (I had to chuckle at the "no restrictions").
So....WE'RE GOING DIVING TODAY!!!!
Right outside the port, we met up with our driver. He said "follow me". We crossed the street and started walking...and walking...and walking. Wait, I totally forgot that the last time we were here we had to walk down the street for our ride and it was hot and sunny out. This time it was hot, sunny and I had a broken leg and a super heavy boot!!! I was going SLOW!!! Like really slow! He kept turning around to see if I was back there. I'm pretty sure I was panting like a dog that just chased a rabbit.
He did take a shortcut to cut down on the walking and into the graveyard we went. Yikes! If this is any indication of what today might go like...I'm turning back now. And it would go on and on it seemed like.
We finally made it out of the graveyard and onto the street where we would still have a very long walk along an uneven road and side of the road, where we were dodging traffic as if we were playing frogger.
We FINALLY made it with me huffing and puffing and chanting "If I had known we would have to walk this far, I would have booked with someone else that picked me up at the port!" Seriously!
We arrived at West Bay Divers...it felt like we had just left here...and basically we did!
We checked in with the dive shop and immediately seen Eva, who was our dive instructor last time. The hubby made the comment "Weee'rrrreeee baaaaackkkkk" and laughed. I said with excitement "Are you our instructor again?" She told me no, that she already had another group going out with her that day. But she wasn't really smiling and didn't seem friendly for some reason. I felt like she was looking at us weird and almost biting her tongue about something. You know how you walk into a room and everyone shuts up and you just know they were talking about you? That's the unwelcome feeling I got at that moment. 🤔
Then we started talking about our "plans" for the day and then that's when they hit me with the news...they were NOT going to be taking me out with the scooter. They said it was against PADI rules for someone that is not certified to be on the scooter diving...even with an instructor. I told them about my conversation with the OWNER and he was the one who suggested it to begin with otherwise, I wouldn't have even scheduled a dive because I can't kick with my foot/leg. I told them everything that had happened to me and to my surprise, everyone already knew! They let it be known that I was the talk of the entire office and staff and they had all read my emails. Well, if they read my emails, then they knew what my intentions were for the day and SOMEONE should have told me that this was not going to happen. They explained to me they could get their license yanked if they did it. They called the owner of the company to discuss what to do next.
Meanwhile, I'm super hot about the situation and thinking I just wasted my time and money getting here for no reason because I really didn't want to just hang out on the beach and be hounded by the locals to buy stuff. By no means do I want someone to get their license taken away but I should have been told!