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Scuba Nomad

A different experience on Roatan

25/May/2023

scuba nomad logo

Roatan, Honduras is no doubt one of the favorite scuba diving destinations in the Caribbean. Stunning colorful reefs, crystal clear waters and outstanding dive conditions open the door to scuba divers of all levels and interests. From non-certified divers eager to explore new boundaries, couples and families searching for a relaxing and adventurous vacation, underwater explorers, photographers and tec divers willing to push the limits a little bit further, Roatan has something for every scuba diver enthusiast.

 

Roatan facilitates advantages for tourists such as an international airport capable of hosting several arrivals and departures a day, various levels of lodging facilities which range from isolated and luxurious resorts to local hotels or even hostels and air-bnbs in town, while presenting white sandy beaches and a multi-cultural gastronomy. However, the main attraction is the reef. The island is located over the second largest reef barrier in the world, the Mesoamerican Reef Barrier.

 

Scuba diving in Roatan is the most popular activity. The island flourishes with dive operators around the main touristic locations, West End, West Bay and Sandy Bay, and also some more secluded dive resorts over the North-eastern end. Since the reef is very close to shore and the Roatan Marine Park sets mooring lines for boats to tie up to every 40 to 50m/130 to 150ft all around the island, diving here is very comfortable. Short boat rides will take you to some of the best dive sites available.

 

While most of the diving follows this trend, scuba diving will mainly happen near the dive shop of your choosing. Adventuring as far as 20 to 40 minutes away, some of the best sites on the island await.

 

Scuba Nomad presents an alternative to the traditional way of diving the Roatan Reef. They offer the opportunity to explore the island´s underwater territories as well as the cultural and gastronomic ones.

scuba nomad dive team looking at the camera

Scuba Nomad. Breaking the mold

Natalia (Naty) and Luca are both dive instructors. They met on Roatan a few years ago, but the world pandemic took them through paths apart. As the world restarted and borders reopened they met back on the island. Sharing their passion for scuba diving, they decided that Roatan had a lot more to offer to enhance an already extraordinary scuba dive experience.

 

“We were inspired by the desire of integrating our own experience and skill set, our passion for the ocean and scuba diving, and the excitement for discovering new territories.”

 

Working along with local communities they have managed to integrate scuba diving together with a cultural and culinary experience. Their business model is one of participation. They have created a network of local businesses willing to open their doors to divers and show them more of their culture and customs. Scuba Nomad does not have a physical location, since their only limit is the island itself. They pride themselves on their excel logistics and coordination to arrange diving trips from different local dive operators all around the island.

 

“Our goal is to show the island in an alternative and adventurous way. We want our customers to get out of crowded dive resorts and packed dive boats. We want them to visit unexplored locations. In a few words, we want them to get out of Roatan´s comfort zone.”

scuba nomad dive team loading the truck

Their commitment to the local culture and environment

Engaging with local communities has brought both Luca and Naty very satisfying experiences. Since the pandemic, Naty started organizing the Roatan Local Market, which provided an opportunity for local artisans to show their products to the big expat community living on Roatan and get an income to push through a very tough period of time. This project eventually opened the door to new connections which eventually led to the foundation of Scuba Nomad.

 

Applying a similar philosophy, Scuba Nomad partners up with small and medium size scuba shops, hotels, restaurants, boat captains and bus drivers to contribute to their development and the common growth.

 

“We choose small dive centers with good customers service which cover remote dive locations and not a lot of people has access to due to their distance to the touristic mainstream. In this way we contribute with their growth.”

 

On the other hand, as seasoned scuba dive instructors, both Natalia and Luca apply a responsible behavior towards caring for the environment. This fact together with their positive interactions with the local communities provide local people and businesses an example of a correct ecologic behavior. This role model conduct is also a key part of their business model, demonstrating to their partners and clientele that living for the environment can prove to be economically successful.

Playing with the goods

The only time I noticed Naty and Luca could not set foot on common ground was when it came to decide their favorite dive site. Since they are not limited to the usual dive locations, their knowledge of new, unexplored and exciting sites is vast.

 

This might be the most difficult question to answer”, they agreed. “Visiting so many different areas we have discovered very impressive diving spots. The list is long, but if we have to pick a couple we would say Rock Star in the north and Punta Caribe in the South. Rock Star is impressive due to its spectacular canyon topography and coral towers while Punta Caribe is going to leave you with your mouth wide open due to the healthy condition of an intact reef.”

scuba nomad dive team descending onto the reef

Their eyes set on the horizon

As their clientele grows and their business model proves successful, new goals are set. Fortunately, their ambitions seem to never cloud their sustainable and authentic ways and commitment to the local communities that started evolving towards a more ecological and sustainable source of income.

 

“Our goal is to be able to accommodate a bigger number of customers and in this way increase the income for our partners. At last, we aim to export our philosophy of partnership with small and medium size entrepreneurs to the neighboring islands”

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While diving through a traditional dive shop can result in a successfully comfortable experience, Scuba Nomad calls for leaving the comfort zone and diving into a whole new Roatan. Their ways will take you to immerse yourself in the local culture, to get acquainted with new corners of the island and to dive in remote unexplored locations. There is no better way of ending a scuba dive trip than owning the satisfaction of knowing we are helping the local people while enjoying the underwater world and a hot bowl of sustainably prepared Machuca!

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Visit www.scubanomadroatan.com

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