AKR and CocoView together

[scubamickey]

Thank you all again for your help. I'm going to Grand Cayman where the 2 morning boat dives are on a deep reef and you can choose to do your own profile and NOT be led by the hand. Unlimited shore diving and technical diving support. Exactly what we wanted. It will be a little more expensive but not being led around by a divemaster is of huge importance to me as a photographer and capable diver. We thought we might have found this with Coconut Divers, but their afternoon dives are geared toward beginners and snorkelers (I shudder at the thought). I remember now why we've never gone to Roatan

Bye and thanks again. Your input was invaluable. I almost made a huge mistake.

 

[Lorenzoid]

"Like." ... although it sure would be nice if someone were to actually do what you proposed and visit both AKR and CCV on the same trip. The great debate will rage on. And it's great fun to debate. First world problems, as they say.

Enjoy your GC trip!

 

[Dogbowl]

Usually I try to stay on topic, but since this thread has swerved pretty wildly, I'll reflect on your comment. If you're talking Roatan, what you currently desire for dive profiles is available from West End day-dive ops and guest houses, quite reasonably. It's the $ math winner for anything less than 12 dives a week. Use a search here on SB for lots of info.

So you think you don't like shore diving...yet?

I think I could hook you on CCV's shore dive. It's fun to do super shallow, we regularly log two hour bottom times, the intact 140 long shipwreck is in 35fsw, next to the DC3 airplane, and the entry is like walking into your front yard....maybe that's how it got its name.

After 8pm it becomes an easily navigated night dive. Lots of landmarks. We do 5 night dives each week...no booking in advance or extra fees.

But for now, look hard at the West End.

It's not the actual diving I don't like...it's just that I'm not physically able to handle the carrying of tanks and long walks back and forth. I'm too pooped by then to enjoy the dive. Don't get me wrong, one of these days, I'd love to dive at CCV with the big boys and the cool kids, but not at the moment. Not until I hit the gym and build serious muscle mass.

 

[Doc]

The CCV dive staff will carry your gear out and back the 85 paces to the shore dive. I know, I use a cane.

The older I get the more I head back to CCV. It's just this side of ADA handicap accessible.

(In the op comparison spirit...nobody ever mentioned the 67 steps needed at AKR to get to a meal)

 

[Dogbowl]

The CCV dive staff will carry your gear out and back the 85 paces to the shore dive. I know, I use a cane.

The older I get the more I head back to CCV. It's just this side of ADA handicap accessible.

(In the op comparison spirit...nobody ever mentioned the 67 steps needed at AKR to get to a meal)

Ok, you got me there...

 

[Trailboss123]

Thank you all again for your help. I'm going to Grand Cayman where the 2 morning boat dives are on a deep reef and you can choose to do your own profile and NOT be led by the hand. Unlimited shore diving and technical diving support. Exactly what we wanted. It will be a little more expensive but not being led around by a divemaster is of huge importance to me as a photographer and capable diver. We thought we might have found this with Coconut Divers, but their afternoon dives are geared toward beginners and snorkelers (I shudder at the thought). I remember now why we've never gone to Roatan

Bye and thanks again. Your input was invaluable. I almost made a huge mistake.

This may be too much condo for the 2 of you and more than you want to spend, but I will throw it out there. It is down the road from Divetech and also sits on arguably the best shore dive site on Grand Cayman (Hepp's Pipeline and Hepp's Wall.-- CoCoCondo - Your Home away from Home in the Caribbean - It's a pretty sweet deal for a group of 4-6 sharing the 3 bedrooms.

 

[gfaith]

I seriously like the drop off dives at CCV in fact I consider them a bonus. Just me and my buddy doing our own thing and we can make the dives really easy or deep and tough. It is real easy to get those 100' dives on both walls if that is what you want. Lots of really shallow night dives or early morning dives on your own time. As Doc points out the shop guys will help retrieve your gear and tanks anytime.

 

[KeithG]

Usually I try to stay on topic, but since this thread has swerved pretty wildly, I'll reflect on your comment. If you're talking Roatan, what you currently desire for dive profiles is available from West End day-dive ops and guest houses, quite reasonably. It's the $ math winner for anything less than 12 dives a week. Use a search here on SB for lots of info.

So you think you don't like shore diving...yet?

I think I could hook you on CCV's shore dive. It's fun to do super shallow, we regularly log two hour bottom times, the intact 140 long shipwreck is in 35fsw, next to the DC3 airplane, and the entry is like walking into your front yard....maybe that's how it got its name.

After 8pm it becomes an easily navigated night dive. Lots of landmarks. We do 5 night dives each week...no booking in advance or extra fees.

But for now, look hard at the West End.

Actually we hated the CCV shore dive since we have been spoiled by Bonaire dock dives.

The things we disliked (compared to a Bonaire dock dive):
- slogging our gear from the gear room down to the shore
- waddling out until it gets deep enough to put our fins on (my booties were full of sand by then)
- spending several more minutes paddling out in 3 feet of water until you can start the real dive
- getting bumped into by other divers while doing all of this...
- and finally - getting bitten a thousand times by no seem ums at the end of the dive

The dive site itself is fine. But you do need to understand what is involved before and after you dive.

 

[robint]

To each his/her own.
We have done Bonaire and CCV both and love them both for different reasons. We actually find the diving at CCV to be less taxing physically because we are not dragging tanks in and out of the truck, and driving around to each dive site.
We really LOVE the dropoff dives, also, because we like doing our own thing...me shooting video and Ron shooting still...we can go spend the whole hour, or however long our tanks last looking for a particular creature, or whatever we want, at the depth we want, for time we want. And the wreck there, right in front of resort, is a fantastic place to find almost anything.
Last trip, we did just the wreck multiple times.... my video:

and videos of the rest of the week here:
Roatan, 2013 on Vimeo

As I said..... been to both Bonaire and Roatan multiple times. Love them both.
Roatan has more lush beautiful reefs and dramatic walls, Bonaire has more fishlife but reefs are low profile.

robin

 

[Brodydog]

Hey Zoid, I've found we're normally in the same boat, but on this I beg to differ. On that particular trip we actually enjoyed AKR more than CocoView. I don't want to get into a big comparison as the OP is looking to do both so she'll get a chance to make her own call. We enjoyed both stops. Just want to put out there that opinions vary. Surprise, what else is new.

So now that the OP has decided on a different location I'd love to hear a detailed comparison of the 2 locations. I've been to CCV but not to AKR.