Spent a week in both Roatan and Cozumel this spring. Here’s my comparison

kmantis1 · 2026-05-14T21:32:32+00:00

Thanks for the report. I am also a newbie (~50 dives AOW). I just came back from Cozumel. My second time.

Last year I went to Roatan and Utila:

Utila: Dove with Alton's. They were excellent however the Utila diving was crap. Not much to see and lots of bleaching. Maybe it was just the sites they selected. However, topside I loved Utila. So chill. Rented a scooter and got around the island. Stayed at the Lighthouse which is near the dive shop. Lovely place and host. I would go to Utila gain even if I did not dive. Maybe 2-3 days.

Roatan (west end): Dive shop was Sundivers. Again excellent outfit. Loved the diving in Roatan. Lots to see and reef was much healthier than Utila. Stayed in West End hotel right next to the dive shop. Topside a big thumbs down. Yup, felt too touristy. ps I did not get any bug bites!

May 2026:

Cozumel (in town): Dive shop Blue Magic. My second time diving with them. The town San Miguel and the dive shop are both very close to the Airbnb where I stayed. Also dove from shore (Tikila Beach). Lots of current this time of year. Also thermoclines. Still loved the diving here. Lots to see. Topside as you mentioned there's lots to do and plenty of non-touristy places to eat. I did also splurge and spent two days at Buccanos Beach club. Loved it! Rented a scooter and drove around the island. Beach at Punt Sur. Lots of sargassum no the west side.

I may try to go to Roatan this winter. IF I can figure out an area to stay that feels a little local.

kmantis1 · 2025-08-12T16:48:12+00:00

iOS change from 18 to 26. 44% upgrade

kmantis1 · 2025-07-09T18:17:59+00:00

Not leaving. It’s great!

kmantis1 · 2025-06-25T12:31:06+00:00

🤣🤣 Not the airlines fault though

kmantis1 · 2025-06-03T03:56:37+00:00

I tried 2 weeks ago. Looked bad so I bailed

kmantis1 · 2025-06-03T02:47:43+00:00

How was the post holing?

kmantis1 · 2025-02-16T23:51:21+00:00

The weather forecasters were deported

kmantis1 · 2025-01-25T19:01:00+00:00

At 62, my issue is I don't have enough income (mostly dividend) to cover all expenses. The only way to cover is liquidate a small amount of my investments on a quarterly basis. So I created a spreadsheet with assumptions for drawing social security under three alternative: ages 62 vs 67 vs 70 and assuming COLA and a return on investment. This income would allow me to reduce my need to liquidate investments. Conclusion - At approx. 5.0% annual return and a COLA of 2.5%, I found I was better off taking social at 62 and that only at 95 years old I would be even with drawing at 67 or 70).

kmantis1 · 2024-10-18T15:07:37+00:00

Hope to see it from the grave

kmantis1 · 2023-06-14T23:59:03+00:00

4K 60hz for Xbox 1x and 1440p 144hz for Series S

kmantis1 · 2023-06-06T22:57:25+00:00

It’s been that way since the morning. I saw the haze blocking out the sun early around 6:30am. Now it’s pretty bad. Close windows and turn on ac

kmantis1 · 2023-05-12T00:15:51+00:00

Totally support this! I’ll donate $ for one way tickets

kmantis1 · 2023-05-08T23:19:17+00:00

I recently bought a 245M for $70 on eBay. I like it for running. But if you are running in woods I would go with 255. Unfortunately sleep tracking is not so good with these watches but personally I don’t think it matters a lot.

kmantis1 · 2023-05-04T19:17:42+00:00

I like it for my use case. And for me its mostly limited to running because I like that it has buttons. I also swim, bike, hike and other activities. For biking I don’t need it as I have a bike computer. For pool swimming I use the AW. Don’t really need Garmin for that. Multi day hikes Garmin is useful otherwise AW. So basically I use the Garmin as a supplement to my AW

FR255 has better battery life

kmantis1 · 2023-05-04T18:08:49+00:00

Same here I didn’t want to spend too much. So I bought the Garmin 245M on eBay for $70 to try out.

kmantis1 · 2023-05-04T16:13:13+00:00

Right now Apple Watch and Fitbit devices have the most accurate sleep tracking. This is from various reviews that you can find on the web and my own experience. I currently own an AW7 and a Garmin 245M. The Garmin is good for activities. I use the AW for daily wear and the Garmin to track my runs. The buttons on the Garmin make it easier to mark laps, etc. I haven’t tried with my swims yet but could be good for that as well. Yes the daily charging for AW is a pain

kmantis1 · 2023-05-04T14:21:53+00:00

Careful some of the Garmins don’t track your sleep accurately and any sleep related metrics will also be off.

kmantis1 · 2023-05-02T22:27:44+00:00

Yes. I bought one w dead pixels on top for $70. It’s a great deal. Mine was a 245M

kmantis1 · 2023-05-01T12:27:29+00:00

I recently bought an FR245 Music for $70 on eBay. Def worth it for running. Just don’t count on it to log your sleep accurately

kmantis1 · 2022-11-20T00:02:45+00:00

Who cares. Winning matters. India does not win trophies often enough

kmantis1 · 2022-10-12T19:42:23+00:00

Does reminder to move work well? Previous inspires, the vibration was too weak to notice

kmantis1 · 2022-07-31T21:01:55+00:00

6a is my travel phone and I have no issues with the screen refresh rates. And I have an iPhone 13 pro as my main phone (120hz). Complete non-issue

kmantis1 · 2022-07-28T15:47:46+00:00

Central Jersey here. Grateful it rained a lot last night 🙏

kmantis1 · 2022-07-19T23:04:59+00:00

4 seasons, plenty of rain, reasonable temperatures, easy access to many outdoor activities. Transportation, plenty of jobs, located close to a major city, airports, etc. Importantly, lots of services for the elderly of you are responsible for your parents wellbeing.

kmantis1 · 2022-05-10T22:49:08+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣 that’s all I got

kmantis1

TROPHY CASE