Patty’s Paradise Coco View Resort Roatan

Martin Gomez Aug 12, 2026

16. Patty’s Paradise

Dive type: Reef + steep wall + reef ledge
Mooring depth: approximately 40 ft / 12 m
Entry landmark: Sand chute
Main feature: Steep wall, tube sponges, and a rich outcropping reef ledge
Special significance: Named by CoCo View Resort in July 2019 in honor of Patty Grier for her service, devotion, and enthusiasm for the scuba diving community.

What makes Patty’s Paradise special?

Patty’s Paradise is interesting for two reasons.

First, it has a distinctive underwater profile: you begin around 40 feet at a sand chute, then follow a steep wall where you'll encounter tube sponges and a prominent reef ledge projecting from the wall.

Second, this site has a personal connection to CoCo View.

In July 2019, CoCo View presented the site to Patty Grier in recognition of her contribution to the diving community. Patty remains closely associated with CoCo View and Dockside Dive Center; the resort currently lists a free buoyancy clinic with her on Sundays.

So when you're briefing this dive, there's actually a little story behind the name.

The beginning of the dive

The mooring is in approximately 40 feet of water at a sand chute.

That's already deeper than many of the shallow reef sites we've covered.

Compare:

Parrot Tree → 10–20 ft reef top

Missing Link → 20–30 ft reef top

Little French Cay → 25–30 ft reef top

Patty’s Paradise → mooring around 40 ft

So the dive begins with more of a wall-diving character almost immediately.

Use the sand chute as a landmark

Sand chutes are useful because they're visually distinctive.

Instead of seeing nothing but continuous coral, you have:

Coral → sand → coral

That contrast can help orient you underwater.

During the descent, take a moment to notice where the sand chute is in relation to the mooring and wall.

Good divers don't only follow the divemaster.

They develop a mental picture of the site.

Then follow the wall

From the sand chute, CoCo View describes the dive as following a steep wall.

This is where the scenery becomes dramatic.

You're no longer simply swimming over the reef.

You're suspended beside it:

Wall on one side

Blue water on the other

Depth beneath you

That creates the classic Roatán wall-diving sensation.

Watch your depth

And just like at John’s Spot and Newman’s Wall, a steep wall requires good depth awareness.

There's a simple rule:

Follow the wall horizontally—not downward.

A diver can easily become distracted by something below and gradually descend without realizing it.

Check your computer regularly.

Especially when you're:

Taking photographs

Looking underneath a ledge

Following another diver

Watching marine life

Looking into the blue

The wall isn't going to tell you when you've gone too deep.

The tube sponges

One of the features CoCo View specifically mentions at Patty’s Paradise is tube sponges along the steep wall.

These are classic Caribbean reef subjects.

They grow upward from the reef and can create beautiful shapes and textures along the wall.

For photographers, they're especially useful because they can become a strong foreground subject.

Think:

Tube sponge → diver → wall → blue water

That immediately creates depth in a photograph.

Don't only look at the sponge

When you see a large sponge, don't just think:

“Nice sponge.”

Look around it.

The base, surrounding coral and nearby crevices can provide habitat for smaller reef creatures.

But maintain your distance.

You don't need to put your face or camera directly against the reef to investigate it.

The reef ledge

The other defining feature is what CoCo View describes as a rich outcropping reef ledge on the wall.

This is important because it breaks up the vertical structure.

Instead of:

wall → wall → wall

you encounter a section projecting outward.

That creates additional surfaces for coral and marine growth and gives divers another perspective on the reef.

It also creates excellent photographic opportunities.

Think in three dimensions

At a wall site, divers often make the mistake of looking only straight ahead.

But around a ledge you should look:

Above it

Below it

Along its edge

Around the sides

and then

Away from it into the blue

That turns one reef formation into several different areas to explore.

Marine life

I wouldn't promise a specific animal at Patty’s Paradise.

CoCo View's description emphasizes the wall, tube sponges, and reef ledge, rather than identifying one guaranteed signature species.

So the better briefing is:

“Enjoy the structure and keep your eyes open.”

Roatán diving in general offers tropical reef fish, eels and other Caribbean marine life, but what you encounter on any particular dive naturally varies.

Use the three-direction rule

Patty’s Paradise is another perfect place to practice:

1. Look at the wall.

Search the coral, sponges and ledges.

2. Look above and below.

See what's moving along the structure.

3. Look into the blue.

Don't spend 50 minutes staring six inches from the reef.

That last one is particularly important on wall dives.

Photography

This site sounds almost designed for wide angle.

You have:

Steep wall

Tube sponges

Reef ledge

Blue water

Divers

Those elements can create strong compositions.

Shot #1 — Sponge and diver

Position the tube sponge in the foreground.

Then:

Tube sponge → diver → blue water

The diver provides scale.

Shot #2 — The wall

Move slightly away from the reef and photograph another diver traveling alongside the wall.

Now the image tells the story:

“We're wall diving in Roatán.”

Shot #3 — Looking upward

Position yourself slightly below your buddy and shoot upward.

You can potentially capture:

Wall → tube sponge → diver → surface light

That gives the photograph vertical depth.

Don't chase depth for a photograph

Wall photography creates a common problem.

The photographer sees something beautiful below and thinks:

“I'll just drop another 10 feet.”

Then another subject appears below that.

And suddenly:

50 ft → 60 ft → 70 ft → 80 ft

without consciously planning the descent.

Always establish your depth first.

Then take the photograph.

Buoyancy first. Camera second.

Patty’s Paradise vs. John’s Spot

These two sites make an interesting comparison.

John’s Spot

Coral ridges → ~40-ft edge → very steep wall → huge sponges and overhangs

Patty’s Paradise

~40-ft sand chute → steep wall → tube sponges → outcropping reef ledge

Both are wall dives.

But the landmarks are different.

I would remember:

John’s Spot = coral ridges + giant wall

Patty’s Paradise = sand chute + tube sponges + ledge

Patty’s Paradise vs. Newman’s Wall

The difference is even easier.

Newman’s Wall

Very shallow reef top + sand chutes + sea fans + vertical wall.

Patty’s Paradise

Deeper starting point around 40 ft + sand chute + steep wall + tube sponges + reef ledge.

Newman’s gives you more of that dramatic:

shallow reef → deep wall

transition.

Patty’s starts you closer to the wall-diving environment.

The story behind the name

This is something I would definitely mention to guests.

You could say:

“This site isn't called Patty’s Paradise because somebody randomly liked the name. CoCo View dedicated it to Patty Grier in July 2019 to recognize her service and enthusiasm for the scuba diving community.”

That gives the dive a human connection.

And Patty continues to be part of the CoCo View experience: the resort currently advertises her Sunday buoyancy clinic for guests.

How I would describe Patty’s Paradise to a guest

“Patty’s Paradise is a beautiful wall dive with a little CoCo View history behind it. The site was dedicated to Patty Grier in 2019 in recognition of everything she's contributed to the diving community. We start around 40 feet at a sand chute and then follow a steep wall where you'll see tube sponges and a beautiful reef ledge projecting from the wall. Keep good control of your depth, take your time around the sponges and ledge, and remember to turn away from the reef occasionally and look into the blue.”

A simple way to remember Patty’s Paradise

Patty’s Paradise = Patty Grier + 40-ft sand chute + steep wall + tube sponges + reef ledge.

Site	What to remember
Mary’s Place	Cracks & channels
Calvin’s Crack	Descending crevice
Menagerhea’s Reef	Ledges, overhangs & sponges
Carib Point	Sea fans & schooling fish
Castle Canyon	Shallow reef formations
Chimney’s	Coral boulders & dramatic wall
Gold Chain Reef	Hard corals, slope & sand
Inside Outside	Lettuce Coral & narrow cuts
John’s Spot	Coral ridges & steep wall
Little French Cay	Shallow reef & overhangs
Missing Link	Hard-coral hedges & schooling fish
Mr. Bud	Wreck & artificial reef
Neverstain Bight	Cleaning stations & reef behavior
Newman’s Wall	Front Yard, sand chutes & vertical wall
Parrot Tree	Shallow coral hedges & deep cuts
Patty’s Paradise	Sand chute, tube sponges & reef ledge

Next: Two Tall Two Small. This one has a simple but distinctive profile: the mooring is around 20 feet, the wall is shallow with a sloping bottom, beautiful sea fans line the edge, and CoCo View specifically warns divers to watch for east/west surge.