Nibs77
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I'm making my first trip to CCV tomorrow! It's actually my first warm water diving trip anywhere. Needless to say, I'm a little excited!
CCV tomorrow!
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You will likely be spoiled for most other dive locations and resorts.
Follow your DM's lead. The CCV DMs are very good at pointing out the "cool little stuff".
CoCoView Explained in Pictures pictures by Doc_Adelman - Photobucket
That is what this highly localized area is best known for. Do all the dives you can, learn to night dive- do the shore dive lots. Post a report here when you return- or use the free internet access and post while you're enjoying the better weather.
We're in Chicago right now, looking at another snowstorm, We'll do Our World Underwater SCUBA Show here and be following your right on down to CoCoView!
Follow your DM's lead. The CCV DMs are very good at pointing out the "cool little stuff".
CoCoView Explained in Pictures pictures by Doc_Adelman - Photobucket
That is what this highly localized area is best known for. Do all the dives you can, learn to night dive- do the shore dive lots. Post a report here when you return- or use the free internet access and post while you're enjoying the better weather.
We're in Chicago right now, looking at another snowstorm, We'll do Our World Underwater SCUBA Show here and be following your right on down to CoCoView!
KevinG58
Contributor
Well we made it to CCV and back home safe and sound! The trip was better than I could have ever imagined despite some travel issues that our group had. My review, FWIW.
At the airport we were greeted by a lovely lady, and taken out to the shuttle bus. A short drive later we were at the boat house, and loaded onto the red skiff for a quick ride to the resort. The staff member that met us on the dock wasn't very thorough in her "tour", quickly running us through the dive locker area, to the office and kitchen. There we filled out paperwork on our own, and were left alone to go find our rooms. This could rub people the wrong way, if they were expecting a more personal greeting. I didn't really care, I'm a big boy and I can figure things out on my own! We spent the remainder of Saturday getting gear prepped in our lockers, eating, and exploring the resort.
After breakfast on Sunday, we did the mandatory orientation upstairs (helpful for us newbies) and then went out to do the check out dive with a DM. The tour of the front yard was nice, we saw a couple sea horses and a ray of some sort. After that dive, it was business as usual. Eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, sleep, repeat!
I managed to log 26 dives, with 20 hrs of bottom time. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, and more. We were assigned to Coco 1, and our DM (Mark) and Cap't (Gringo) were excellent. Mark had an uncanny knack for finding the little things that we would have missed without his guidance. I was convinced he had a pocket of sea horses with him, because he found some on every dive. Visibility was great, usually between 60-100 ft. Water temp was a steady 79F. The sea life was varied and seemed abundant. The night diving was awesome. We saw octopus on just about every night dive, sometimes 2-3.
The resort itself was fantastic. I had read a lot of reviews before going, and I was expecting it to be more rustic. I really didn't find it rustic at all. I have stayed in places far worse than CCV! The rooms were clean, the beds comfy, the food fantastic, and the staff friendly and helpful. I was mostly impressed at how easy it was to dive. Just grab a tank and go! You are not bound by anything other than your energy levels (and maybe dive tables!). You just go there and dive, as often as you want, whenever you want. What could be better than that?!
About my only complaint with the whole experience was the fact that the DM's are not working to rid the area of lionfish. We saw them on every dive, and on some dives we saw a dozen or more. Some were enormous, easily 2 lbs or more. They were active hunters, and seemed pretty darn efficient at it. We found them abundant on Cocoview wall, and in the front yard. Apparently some complaints have come in from customers that didn't like seeing the DM's killing fish, so management banned the killing of them by the DM's. I made sure to indicate in my comment card that I believe otherwise, and I would like to see the DM's doing what needs to be done to keep the lionfish populations under control.
Other than that, it was a wonderful experience, and I cannot wait to go back. And yes, I will go back. Harold was there when we were there, for the 103rd time. I don't know if I will break that record, but trip #2 is going to happen!!
At the airport we were greeted by a lovely lady, and taken out to the shuttle bus. A short drive later we were at the boat house, and loaded onto the red skiff for a quick ride to the resort. The staff member that met us on the dock wasn't very thorough in her "tour", quickly running us through the dive locker area, to the office and kitchen. There we filled out paperwork on our own, and were left alone to go find our rooms. This could rub people the wrong way, if they were expecting a more personal greeting. I didn't really care, I'm a big boy and I can figure things out on my own! We spent the remainder of Saturday getting gear prepped in our lockers, eating, and exploring the resort.
After breakfast on Sunday, we did the mandatory orientation upstairs (helpful for us newbies) and then went out to do the check out dive with a DM. The tour of the front yard was nice, we saw a couple sea horses and a ray of some sort. After that dive, it was business as usual. Eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, sleep, repeat!
I managed to log 26 dives, with 20 hrs of bottom time. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, and more. We were assigned to Coco 1, and our DM (Mark) and Cap't (Gringo) were excellent. Mark had an uncanny knack for finding the little things that we would have missed without his guidance. I was convinced he had a pocket of sea horses with him, because he found some on every dive. Visibility was great, usually between 60-100 ft. Water temp was a steady 79F. The sea life was varied and seemed abundant. The night diving was awesome. We saw octopus on just about every night dive, sometimes 2-3.
The resort itself was fantastic. I had read a lot of reviews before going, and I was expecting it to be more rustic. I really didn't find it rustic at all. I have stayed in places far worse than CCV! The rooms were clean, the beds comfy, the food fantastic, and the staff friendly and helpful. I was mostly impressed at how easy it was to dive. Just grab a tank and go! You are not bound by anything other than your energy levels (and maybe dive tables!). You just go there and dive, as often as you want, whenever you want. What could be better than that?!
About my only complaint with the whole experience was the fact that the DM's are not working to rid the area of lionfish. We saw them on every dive, and on some dives we saw a dozen or more. Some were enormous, easily 2 lbs or more. They were active hunters, and seemed pretty darn efficient at it. We found them abundant on Cocoview wall, and in the front yard. Apparently some complaints have come in from customers that didn't like seeing the DM's killing fish, so management banned the killing of them by the DM's. I made sure to indicate in my comment card that I believe otherwise, and I would like to see the DM's doing what needs to be done to keep the lionfish populations under control.
Other than that, it was a wonderful experience, and I cannot wait to go back. And yes, I will go back. Harold was there when we were there, for the 103rd time. I don't know if I will break that record, but trip #2 is going to happen!!
parrotheaddiver
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Harold is always there ;-p....I have know Gringo (Ricardo) since he was a little boy...he worked in the yard Ms Ev taught him and all the boys english...she told them they would need to know english to work on the boats and that is the job they all wanted a lot of them have gone on to other jobs in other places...looking forward to June....glad you had a great time...
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The DMs that lead dives are there to be Naturalist Guides. That is their job. Other DMs are also working the area on their "non guest" time, and they are pretty effective Lionfish killers. Many resorts let their DMs guide a dive and hunt as well- guess which activity the DMs take highest interest and focus in? Perceptions govern our reality, much like the posts that you read prior to your trip.
I applaud your 26 dives in a week log! Not many people dive every dive that they can! But you will have to come back, you missed one
by my calculation. Harold? I can't explain. He just likes the place.
Cool! I'll be at Bananarama on Thursday! I don't mind the DMs waiting to hunt. I'd like them doing their job with the divers ... but then that's just me. Does CCV cater well to the non-diver? My wife doesn't dive but loves the beach and the sun.
- Messages
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CCV isn't the place for a non-diver, certainly not when compared to the areas served by Bananrama, where she will have better access to the limited possibilities offered on Roatan. CCV is on it's own private cay, some 35+ minute cab ride from the busy West End area. The West is where you want to be for fun in the Sun. The only reason CCV and other more remote Southern operations exist is that it offers a very different product.
Bananrama is a very well regarded and recommended day-dive op, but I don't know their current policy on DMs hunting while leading trips. Post a report upon your return!
Bananrama is a very well regarded and recommended day-dive op, but I don't know their current policy on DMs hunting while leading trips. Post a report upon your return!
Last edited:
Tool Belt
Contributor
Mark and Gringo are excellent.....are we there yet?
You are right RoatanMan, I did miss one dive. On Tuesday we did the off resort shark dive, so I only logged one dive that morning. It was worth it, the sharks were a blast! Next time I go back, I won't do the shark dive, so I hope to hit 27! Or maybe 28 if I could get my butt out of bed early enough to do a dawn dive!
And I agree, the DM's first priority should be leading a dive, and pointing out the little critters that most of us would fly right past. I just would have like to see someone (DM, hired assassin, ninja) working at keeping those darn lionfish under control! And it certainly wouldn't have to be during the guided dives, maybe the DM's should drop on Newmans or Cocoview and go hunting. Just a thought!
Anyway, I loved the resort, the people and the diving. Who could ask for anything else out of a vacation!
And I agree, the DM's first priority should be leading a dive, and pointing out the little critters that most of us would fly right past. I just would have like to see someone (DM, hired assassin, ninja) working at keeping those darn lionfish under control! And it certainly wouldn't have to be during the guided dives, maybe the DM's should drop on Newmans or Cocoview and go hunting. Just a thought!
Anyway, I loved the resort, the people and the diving. Who could ask for anything else out of a vacation!
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