BOSS underwater adventures? or who else?

[Brad1972]

researching excursions for next years cruise in Roatan and some of us want to do the underwater scooter snuba or snorkeling adventure. So far only company I see that does the scooters is BOSS over on west end. https://www.discoverroatan.net/boss-underwater-adventure/

But it says on that page this package is only for resort or landside quests and not for cruise ship passengers. I dont see a package or price for cruise ship passengers unless I go directly through Carnivals excursions and more money. and less time.

https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/mahogany-bay-isla-roatan/boss-underwater-adventure-518092#

doesnt seem worth it then. $125 for 3.5 hours and that's total time from ship to facility, snorkel time and back. Seems last time i was there is takes about 30 minutes to drive to west end then 30 minutes of loading on to the boat and unloading all the scooters into the water, snorkel and then crane all the scooters back into the boat again then off the boat and drive back to the cruise ship in 3.5 hours??? So maybe an hour to snorkel?? for $125?? I dont know about that.

 

Then I look at Tabyana beach break and they have the helmet diving. http://www.tabyanabeach.com/activities.html

but no prices are advertised. anyone know how much the helmet diving is at Tabyana and if they even still currently offer it? this might be a better choice as we all want to go to Tabyana beach break anyway after BOSS underwater adventure and again dont know if we want to spend $125 for the BOSS tour.

 

Anyone have more info on BOSS scooters and if its only available through cruise ship if your a cruise ship passenger? other companies that offer the same thing? How is the Tabyana helmet diving and how much is it? Is it still available also at Tabyana as I've read many threads on Tabyana beach break but not much of any mention of the helmet diving. Any info would be helpful.

[Herbi]

I've just gone through a similar thought process when researching BOSS scooters!

 

It seems that we (as cruise passengers) are not allowed to book directly with the supplier - this could be due to a contractual agreement between them and CCL. I was doing some research into Grand Cayman and found a supplier of a dolphin encounter openly said on their website they're not allowed to sell to any cruise passengers of CCL due to their contract - it must be that CCL want to offer the excursion for 20USD more for exactly the same thing.

 

Unfortunately, it looks like they are the only supplier of BOSS scooters available so I'm thinking of paying carnival prices.

[ABQrobin]

MY opinion..... Boss scooters are stupid. Just my opinion. They make a buzzing noise underwater and the fish go away. If you are looking to see fish, do a snorkeling tour.

 

 

as a scuba diver, I have seen them....

 

This is from cozumel a few years ago...

 

Just my opinion.

robin

[Herbi]

MY opinion..... Boss scooters are stupid. Just my opinion. They make a buzzing noise underwater and the fish go away. If you are looking to see fish, do a snorkeling tour.

 

 

 

Thanks Robin, I hadn't thought of that.

 

In that case, maybe the helmet diving suggested by Brad in OP would be a better idea. I have found info about Sea Trek helmet diving and snuba at Tabyana beach on tripadvisor...

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g944573-d1048436-r125777123-Tabyana_Beach-West_Bay_Roatan_Bay_Islands.html

[ABQrobin]

The helmet diving is an okay introduction to what scuba diving might be like. If you are leaning towards diving...

[Mtngal33]

We did this excursion through Carnival in Roatan. It was tons of fun. The scooters were very quiet with no buzzing noise.

[Brad1972]

I would love to go scuba diving but i'm not PADI certified and the time you have in port is just long enough to have 1 dive lesson and a price 4 times what I could get it here in Denver. Bad part is the final lesson or test where you have to dive a certain depth and then when coming back up stop at each point to decompress so you dont get the bends, There is no place in Denver or Colorado deep enough to do it. nearest place is blue hole in New Mexico. Cost is VERY expensive and can run several hundred dollars to even a couple thousand for the trip down there to do it. Some day i'll choke and cough and gag up the money to do it. cost of a cruise for my family wipes me each year.

 

We all decided that BOSS adventure is too much so where just going to snorkel off the beach at Tabyana beach. Some people in my group have never snorkeled and have a fear of putting their face in water and breathing trough a tube. I'm hoping to calm them enough of it and get them to try it so they can see how simple and easy it is. Not that you have to out in water where you are deeper then your belly to see coral and fish at Tabyana anyway. Thats one of their fears too is not being able to touch the bottom. Before our first cruise my wife had never been in the ocean or on a beach someplace tropical. She's 42 years old had never swam or been in the ocean. Now she's hooked and loves the ocean but still wont venture out too far where she cant touch bottom. 1 step at a time.

[ABQrobin]

I would love to go scuba diving but i'm not PADI certified and the time you have in port is just long enough to have 1 dive lesson and a price 4 times what I could get it here in Denver. Bad part is the final lesson or test where you have to dive a certain depth and then when coming back up stop at each point to decompress so you dont get the bends, There is no place in Denver or Colorado deep enough to do it. nearest place is blue hole in New Mexico. Cost is VERY expensive and can run several hundred dollars to even a couple thousand for the trip down there to do it. Some day i'll choke and cough and gag up the money to do it. cost of a cruise for my family wipes me each year.

 

We all decided that BOSS adventure is too much so where just going to snorkel off the beach at Tabyana beach. Some people in my group have never snorkeled and have a fear of putting their face in water and breathing trough a tube. I'm hoping to calm them enough of it and get them to try it so they can see how simple and easy it is. Not that you have to out in water where you are deeper then your belly to see coral and fish at Tabyana anyway. Thats one of their fears too is not being able to touch the bottom. Before our first cruise my wife had never been in the ocean or on a beach someplace tropical. She's 42 years old had never swam or been in the ocean. Now she's hooked and loves the ocean but still wont venture out too far where she cant touch bottom. 1 step at a time.

 

Yes, becoming a certified diver is an expensive proposition for most people. We did it when we lived in Colorado Springs 17 years ago. Took the classroom and pool sessions there, then did our certification dives in Cozumel over two days (4 dives have to be done over two days) when we took a week vacation there a few months later. Yes, Blue Hole NM is the closest place to Denver to do the certification dives, so unless you have 2 days with an instructor somewhere on vacation it is the only way to do it. PADI now offers the coursework online, so you only have to go to a local dive shop for the pool practice session which have to be done before the open water 4 dives.

 

You can however do a "Discover" diving 1 or 2 dives at almost any port where there is diving, like Roatan. These do NOT count towards your certification, but they can give you an idea if diving is for you. Just an option before you shell out the cost of the course.