Good Resort for Divers
My girlfriend and I just returned from a Roatan diving vacation where we spent 7 days at CoCo View Resort doing 30 dives and 5 days at Anthony's Key Resort where we did an additional 9 dives. I've been diving for 20 years and I've been to most of the popular dive spots in the Caribbean (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Cozumel, Belize, Bonaire) and a handful of spots in the Pacific (Oahu, Mauai, Australia, and New Guinea). Thus, the review and comparison I've written below is aimed primarily at the diving community.
In summary, CoCo View has the better diving and communal areas while Anthony's Key has the better rooms and food. If I were headed back next week, since our goal is to dive, our preference would be CoCo View.
Rooms (AKR+)
CCV - Ocean Front room, dead ants, condensation, mildew
AKR - Key Supperior room, recommend staying on Anthony's Key, great rooms
Food (AKR+)
CCV - buffet style, average food,
CCV - provide iced tea, lemonade, and water all day
AKR - sit down style, absolutely incredible food
Surface Intervals and the Resort (CCV+)
CCV - more convenient, pool table, one shared television, ping pong table, dart board, board games, lots of hammocks, deck space, free wireless
AKR - not nearly as convenient, paid wireless, horseback riding, dolphin show daily
Storage Lockers (CCV+)
CCV - far better lockers
AKR - hangers only
Diving Routine (CCV+)
CCV - 4/5 dives daily, not time constrained
AKR - 3 (sometimes 4) dives daily, time constrained
Boats (CCV+)
Slight edge to CCV, AKR boats have no dry areas
Dive Masters / Captains (CCV+)
Our primary DM/Captain at CCV (Mark and Osman) were sensational. CCV grabs your BC/Reg each morning and afternoon and takes it to the boat and sets it up for you. They switch the gear between dives. I don't think Osman missed checking someone's air before they got in all week. When you were coming out of the water, one was on one ladder, one on the other, always there to help. Mark was always aware of where his divers were in the water and did a smashing job of finding fish life and making sure everyone saw it (lots of sea horses, etc). We did several drift dives and Osman did a great job picking us up in rough water, etc.
Nitrox
CCV - percentage target was 32%, varied from 29-37%, too much variance
Diving (CCV+)
CCV/South - healthier reef, far better shore diving, great for night dives, lots of sea horse
AKR/North - more swim throughs, smaller fish in general, turtles