Cocos on Argos, last minute trip..

[alam555]

I am debating a last minute trip to cocos on argos end of June Raja Ampat and Red Sea don't work out for my schedule.
Never been, first time on a liveaboard, and to top it all of, I just switched to BP/W Halcyon after nearly 30 years with Mares airtrim!! needless to say, lots of first and looking forward to it.

any advice would be appreciated. Water temp? recommended wetsuit? hood?
I am flying into SJO via IAH so will likely end up with an overnight in SJO. How is the connection to departure port?

thank you.

 

[rongoodman]

I go with a 5mm suit and light hood. The Aggressor boats use a shuttle from two designated Holiday Inns over to the port, about a two hour ride. I think the Argos uses the same service, Rudy the driver just changes T-shirts. You'll need to find out which hotels the Argos uses. Pick-up times vary, depending on the tides. Here's a recent Captain's Log: Aggressor® | Official Site | Liveaboards, Safaris & River Cruises. My main advice is to understand your computer. Some of the dives are deeper and can edge into deco. People routinely get locked out because they don't understand what their dive computer is telling them to do or how to set it up. By all means, plan on using Nitrox. I've never gotten sea sick on the crossing, but some people do. I expect it gets rougher as the summer progresses into the rainy season. The bottom is mostly fractured volcanic rock, so on the dives where you'll be waiting there a pair of light gloves is a good idea. And watch out for the sea urchins! They're thick on the bottom at some sites and if you're tucked into the rocks waiting near a cleaning station it's very easy to put your hand or leg on one as the current pushes you around. Most of the dives are negative entries, except for a couple where the current is so strong you have to pull down a line. Gloves are handy on those too. Some of the rides out to the sites are 15-20 minutes and you might be waiting for other divers, so you'll need sun protection for your head unless you're going to keep your hood on the whole time. The boat will give you a Nautilus Lifeline and an SMB to carry, so think about where you're going to put them. I like the halcyon-weighted-bellows-pocket.

Welcome to the Undersea Hunter Group, Cocos Island

 

[Dan]

Just do it!

I went there last September, Cocos Diving Trip Report, 17 -27 September, 2018 Already made my return in 2020, Gathering a group for Cocos with Argo on 10-20 September 2020

Wore exactly the same wetsuit thickness like @rongoodman suggested (5mm with light hood) & got my urchin tattoo souvenir on my knee too. LOL.

 

[alam555]

Just do it!

I went there last September, Cocos Diving Trip Report, 17 -27 September, 2018 Already made my return in 2020, Gathering a group for Cocos with Argo on 10-20 September 2020

Wore exactly the same wetsuit thickness like @rongoodman suggested (5mm with light hood) & got my urchin tattoo souvenir on my knee too. LOL.

wonderful trip report. Thank you for taking the time to share. Very helpful

 

[alam555]

My main advice is to understand your computer. Some of the dives are deeper and can edge into deco. People routinely get locked out because they don't understand what their dive computer is telling them to do or how to set it up.

Welcome to the Undersea Hunter Group, Cocos Island

Great point!. I am stressing out about the new BP/W setup but its more important to manage the ongoing dives as the suit setup is really just a one time thing. Thank you

 

[peeweediver]

Ditto to the above recommendations. I get cold easy. 2 years ago, I wore a 5mm with lavacore t-shirt underneath and a beanie for a hood. I was not cold on the dives. You spend lots of time hunkered in the rocks so no movement means a bit colder experience. No matter how careful I tried to be, I took at least 4 urchin hits. 3 knees and one hand. Gloves a must to hold on. Need not be diving gloves as warmth is not their use. Just good, flexible, tough gloves. Threw mine out after the trip because fingers were shredded. Pay attention to the Lifeline instructions. One buddy team lost a flash on the back roll, swam 10 feet down to try to retrieve it (nope) and was blown way off the rock due to current. Tried to deploy the SMB at 20 feet and it went straight sideways, not up. Activated the Lifeline and was picked-up hundreds of yards away, initially out of sight from the boat and the panga. The crew and the Island rangers were thrilled that the system worked. From the divers' signal to pick up was 7-9 minutes and the ping went to the ranger station, our boat (Sea Hunter) and to the other LOB in the area so everyone was involved.
BCD set-up is not so critical because you're really not diving a lot. You're perched in the rocks. Take what you are comfortable with and know well.
Oh yeah, the diving. Diving for 27 years. No other dives have ever made my mouthpiece hang out of my open mouth like these dives. Had hammerheads swimming right past and over me so often along with the always looking up at schools. No kidding, could have hugged about 8 of them as they passed right next to me, between me and the next diver in the rocks...my spouse. Thought a few were going to kiss her.
Enjoy!!

Rob

 

[rongoodman]

I'm going back at the end of July and this whole discussion is getting me seriously psyched up! One other thing to mention is that given the currents you might end up doing drifting safety stops out in the blue. Sometimes there are amazing things to see out there, sometimes just blue. Just so you know...