Went to a dive shop and asked the guy there about Roatan and biting insects. He tells me whatever you do don't bring any sprays with DEET in it, it's banned there. I can't seem to corroborate that anywhere online.

Is it banned? I see Picaridin is a good alternative, but I have tons of DEET stuff around the house already. What about sunscreen? I know Australia claims certain types are harmful to reefs.

What else to bring or pick up locally once we arrive? We'll have a kitchen in our place. We're going to be between West End and Sandy bay, not too far from Anthony's Key. Dive shop on site.

How do the water taxis or local busses (vans?) work?

After all the years since I last dived, all we have are masks and fins. Should we rent here and bring or just rent there? Roatan Divers is the shop (one of two).

I picked up a used SeaLife camera on Ebay for $100, any pointers (DC1400)? I know it needs some dessicant.

It's our 1st trip to the Caribbean for diving if you can't tell. About 2 and a half weeks to go...

CDC pubs show Lemon Eucalyptus  as effective, but do not show comparitive efficacy between it and DEET, et al.

I had good sunscreen results with Bullfrog. Little bottle fits nicely in a Pelican box. Liquid DEET might too, just sayin'...

If you're doing O/W, I'd take my own mask, snorkel and regulator,  & depth gauge or computer. I will not trusr 3rd world ops on those.

Is DEET prohibited there?

I no longer have my own reg. but can rent locally in Dallas for $80 a week with computer...

RTFM for the camera. Wife has one and it can take great pics.

Cactus Jack's bug juice (Amazon) is what I take when I go.

I'd rent there vs carrying it down if you don't have it. Also take a water bottle (plastic bottles are not in wide spread use there any more) that you can refill. I took a thermal one last trip.

Take a cab to Eldon's for groceries if you plan to do some cooking. Good selection of food and decent booze stock. Its off season now there but there will be plenty to do.

AKR 6 weeks ago...

Deet is not banned there. I just left Roatan today, and I bought some Deet from a store in Half Moon Bay (West End) last week. They had a bunch on the shelf.

I visited Roatan in 1993 and 1999.  The difference in the reef was pretty shocking, as in it was a lot more roughed up in '99.  Does anyone know what is it like today?

As for bugs, we used AVON Skin So Soft (in stick form) and to the best of my recollection it worked pretty well.  We still had some "no see um" bites by the end of the week, but I don't remember them being uncomfortable at all.

I found that out, brought DEET and Picaridin too. We thought we were good until we spent a couple of hours on the resort beach chairs in the middle of the day with only sunscreen on, lesson learned. Never felt the bites but we were scratching the next day. We came back on 7/6 some great dives, we were just down the beach from AKR...

The reef was beautiful where we were, Sandy Bay.

Really that whole reef is pretty good. Having done both sides of the island and about 50 dive spots, no real complaints.

Some more pics just because...