CocoView suggestions?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

DM Gary

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
174
Reaction score
24
Location
McKinney, TX
# of dives
500 - 999
I should have asked Scubaboard this before now, but better late than never:

We're headed to CocoView on Saturday for a week of diving. Are there any dive sites we shouldn't miss? I see they offer "all day and remote" trips...are those worth the extra cost?
Any other suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated!
 
How much more are they? Are they named already?
 
I don't know anything about them. I was hoping someone here would have some insight.
 
@Doc is your guy for those questions. I've only been there 6 times. Never did one of those trips.
 
Any dive sites you shouldn’t miss?

it’s more a matter of just not missing any dives...at all.

CCV offers maximum bottom time. If your vacation was to be for diving, the answer to your question is purely mathematical.

“Everybody” does morning boat Dive #1 and afternoon boat Dive #3. The dive sites are posted and you know the names of the sites. As the boat returns to CCV, you are offered the drop-off dive. (morning dive #2, afternoon dive #4)

This is where tropical laze can kick in. The lure of the hammock, a lounger in the Sun, a ridiculously good bar drink.

“Screw you guys, I’m going diving” (-Jacques Cartman, South Park)

You can sleep back in Texas, let’s flop into the water. As much as some “divers” decry the ten weekly offered drop-off dives on either of two different walls...don’t skip these!

This May I will go to CCV for once-a-year since 1984 trip, maybe been there for 75 weeks? I just get on the boat, haven’t looked or cared “where” it was headed.

[“disclaimer”: I freely admit to being a CCV Fanboy, no less-so than for specific dive ops in the South Pacific, skiing in Utah, or for most any red head that walks by, just sayin’. After a while, you can just spot a tasty cheeseburger)


The beauty of CCV is the biggest problem for it. The underwater terrain in Roatan is fairly redundant from the range of any given dive op. Many divers are stimulated by reef shapes, no less than when they enjoy a “wreck”.

Roatan presents a universally redundant reef shape. Yes, it is sloping, shadowed and deep on the West/North, but from any given dive-op, including CCV (where it is vertical, Sunlit and shallow), the local shape available is predictably similar. Not a lot of differences in reef shape that present an easy woo-hoo view.

What is “different” that is near CCV? Calvin’s Crack, Mary’s Place, those are the dramatic ones...big fissures, cracks, slots, swim throughs. There’s a few hidden chimneys right in front of CCV, most are not mentioned by DMs because they aren’t for noobs. One that is super easy is 2T2S (two tall two small), right in front of Beach House 13, go explore.

The rest of the reef structure locally is Horribly, predictably...the same!!!.

CCV is stuck in the middle of a rare thing. 4 miles of repetitive reef structure. Straight up-and-down vertical non-sloping walls. They start shallow, 3-20’ below the surface. They drop to 3000’ so it’s good to consider your depth. There’s a predictable sand shelf at 90’, but beyond that, a dark blue. Not much to look at in that direction, so very few divers ever notice the Hammerheads.

This straight up-and-down reef structure? It faces directly South. The Sun is on it all day long. This is a rare thing in the Mar Caribe, the only other place I’ve found roughly similar is Cuba, but they’re not as protected as on the South shore of Roatan...not often struck by any storm.

For millennia, all this local reef structure has done is to grow. It sits in the Lee of any storm and provides a nursery for the rest of the Sea. You see this nowhere else.

if you can see it.

And that’s the gift of CCV, the unusual local structure of the reef rewards those who go very slowly, get in close, having a real studied gaze. Many divers say, I don’t follow DiveMasters” Well, bless your heart, skippy.

>>The CCV DMs are all UW Naturalist guides. Follow them, see stuff. Or don’t.<<

Those walls can be boring. At CCV, there have some placed UW landmarks that are fun to look at. Four minutes into the shore dive, there’s the Prince Albert (PA) 140’ ship in 50fsw and a DC3 aircraft, a lost 40’ dive boat from FIBR an anchor chain, all sorts of stuff.

That can get really boring. For some. Until you slow down and really gawk, all you see is that shipwreck. Structure attracts critters. Some large, most very small.

With this? That “boredom” suddenly abates.

the shore dive into the Front Yard....
6620D593-522E-45A0-9D2C-A9EEAE52CF14.jpeg
a sketch of what lies beneath in the aerial....

7A801AFB-DAC3-4C79-94FD-3B9B11FD9806.jpeg


Which are the “must do” dives?

For me? The Front Yard and every “drop off” dive. Absolutely. Every time I’m there for any given week, I’m doing these same dives 15+ times. Never bored, always something different.

Day Trips? They’re a bit of fun and adventure. The really cool thing to me is that between dives they’ll take you to one of those jungle shacks on piers that seem to be a bar....by some definition. These are not places that 98% of Roatan visitors ever see. You’re enjoying them at a high-noon surface interval...are you pirate enough to party here at night? The mind reels. You can sense the debauchery.

Is the diving worth the minor extra expense charged to pay for the diesel fuel? I guess. It’s different. You’re out with your friends all sea-doggy and all. It’s a good social thing. (I’m only guessing, maybe $30?)

Dives to skip: the “organized weekly boat night dive”. Why pay when it’s free as a shore dive? It is done at a 35’ mooring but... the best night diving is really much shallower, like you get from the shore dive. The boat night dive can quickly devolve into that flashlight scene in ET. The boat entry into 35fsw does seem to relieve psychologically some of the “creepy factor” of having to wade out into the darkness in 3’ of water.

Other topic: nitrox EAN. I’ve never bothered with it at CCV even though I’m doing 27-30 dives in a week. My BTs run regularly up to 1:45. On air. YMMV. A guess, but my avg depth might be 24’, maybe less. That is inarguably where the rare gems offered by this odd reef reside.

I mean really, where else on a resort shore dive in 25fsw do you predictably find this....

84FCF22C-FA2F-4EA6-BF7C-EEF6129DCCD2.png


Must Do Dive? The ones you’ll take on the UW Naturalist Specialty. The things you will learn about how to find the cool stuff! Patty at the dive shop is a brilliant resource, as is the photo pro, a published author. Dive with these people.

So where am I going to the OP question? NEVER miss a night dive! This is the serendipitous nature of CCV’s physical location, leave your room, fall in the water.

We set a specific 8pm “in the water” target. A night dive every night, keep the group very small, 3 or 4, no more. Keep it stupid shallow. Photographers should rely on one ore more “spotters”. Have a path selected, stick to it. Ask DMs how to deal with any concerns with weather.

CCV’s “must do dives” are simply NOT in one of those hammocks.
 
Any dive sites you shouldn’t miss?

it’s more a matter of just not missing any dives...at all.

CCV offers maximum bottom time. If your vacation was to be for diving, the answer to your question is purely mathematical.

“Everybody” does morning boat Dive #1 and afternoon boat Dive #3. The dive sites are posted and you know the names of the sites. As the boat returns to CCV, you are offered the drop-off dive. (morning dive #2, afternoon dive #4)

This is where tropical laze can kick in. The lure of the hammock, a lounger in the Sun, a ridiculously good bar drink.

“Screw you guys, I’m going diving” (-Jacques Cartman, South Park)

You can sleep back in Texas, let’s flop into the water. As much as some “divers” decry the ten weekly offered drop-off dives on either of two different walls...don’t skip these!

This May I will go to CCV for once-a-year since 1984 trip, maybe been there for 75 weeks? I just get on the boat, haven’t looked or cared “where” it was headed.

[“disclaimer”: I freely admit to being a CCV Fanboy, no less-so than for specific dive ops in the South Pacific, skiing in Utah, or for most any red head that walks by, just sayin’. After a while, you can just spot a tasty cheeseburger)


The beauty of CCV is the biggest problem for it. The underwater terrain in Roatan is fairly redundant from the range of any given dive op. Many divers are stimulated by reef shapes, no less than when they enjoy a “wreck”.

Roatan presents a universally redundant reef shape. Yes, it is sloping, shadowed and deep on the West/North, but from any given dive-op, including CCV (where it is vertical, Sunlit and shallow), the local shape available is predictably similar. Not a lot of differences in reef shape that present an easy woo-hoo view.

What is “different” that is near CCV? Calvin’s Crack, Mary’s Place, those are the dramatic ones...big fissures, cracks, slots, swim throughs. There’s a few hidden chimneys right in front of CCV, most are not mentioned by DMs because they aren’t for noobs. One that is super easy is 2T2S (two tall two small), right in front of Beach House 13, go explore.

The rest of the reef structure locally is Horribly, predictably...the same!!!.

CCV is stuck in the middle of a rare thing. 4 miles of repetitive reef structure. Straight up-and-down vertical non-sloping walls. They start shallow, 3-20’ below the surface. They drop to 3000’ so it’s good to consider your depth. There’s a predictable sand shelf at 90’, but beyond that, a dark blue. Not much to look at in that direction, so very few divers ever notice the Hammerheads.

This straight up-and-down reef structure? It faces directly South. The Sun is on it all day long. This is a rare thing in the Mar Caribe, the only other place I’ve found roughly similar is Cuba, but they’re not as protected as on the South shore of Roatan...not often struck by any storm.

For millennia, all this local reef structure has done is to grow. It sits in the Lee of any storm and provides a nursery for the rest of the Sea. You see this nowhere else.

if you can see it.

And that’s the gift of CCV, the unusual local structure of the reef rewards those who go very slowly, get in close, having a real studied gaze. Many divers say, I don’t follow DiveMasters” Well, good for you, skippy.

>>The CCV DMs are all UW Naturalist guides. Follow them, see stuff. Or don’t.<<

Those walls can be boring. At CCV, there have some placed UW landmarks that are fun to look at. Four minutes into the shore dive, there’s the Prince Albert (PA) 140’ ship in 50fsw and a DC3 aircraft, a lost 40’ dive boat from FIBR an anchor chain, all sorts of stuff.

That can get really boring. For some. Until you slow down and really gawk, all you see is that shipwreck. Structure attracts critters. Some large, most very small.

With this? That “boredom” suddenly abates.

the shore dive into the Front Yard....
View attachment 643033
a sketch of what lies beneath in the aerial....

View attachment 643062

Which are the “must do” dives?

For me? The Front Yard and every “drop off” dive. Absolutely. Every time I’m there for any given week, I’m doing these same dives 15+ times. Never bored, always something different.

Day Trips? They’re a bit of fun and adventure. The really cool thing to me is that between dives they’ll take you to one of those jungle shacks on piers that seem to be a bar....by some definition. These are not places that 98% of Roatan visitors ever see. You’re enjoying them at a high-noon surface interval...are you pirate enough to party here at night? The mind reels. You can sense the debauchery.

Is the diving worth the minor extra expense charged to pay for the diesel fuel? I guess. It’s different. You’re out with your friends all sea-doggy and all. It’s a good social thing. (I’m only guessing, maybe $30?)

Dives to skip: the “organized weekly boat night dive”. Why pay when it’s free as a shore dive? It is done at a 35’ mooring but... the best night diving is really much shallower, like you get from the shore dive. The boat night dive can quickly devolve into that flashlight scene in ET. The boat entry into 35fsw does seem to relieve psychologically some of the “creepy factor” of having to wade out into the darkness in 3’ of water.

Other topic: nitrox EAN. I’ve never bothered with it at CCV even though I’m doing 27-30 dives in a week. My BTs run regularly up to 1:45. On air. YMMV

Must Do Dive? The ones you’ll take on the UW Naturalist Specialty. The things you will learn about how to find the cool stuff! Patty at the dive shop is a brilliant resource, as is the photo pro, a published author. Dive with these people.

So where am I going to the OP question? NEVER miss a night dive! This is the serendipitous nature of CCV’s physical location, leave your room, fall in the water.

We set a specific 8pm “in the water” target. A night dive every night, keep the group very small, 3 or 4, no more. Keep it stupid shallow. Photographers should rely on one ore more “spotters”. Have a path selected, stick to it. Ask DMs how to deal with any concerns with weather.

CCV’s “must do dives” are simply NOT in one of those hammocks.

Doc, the OP is referring to going out for an all-day trip on the big boat. I was on the maiden voyage of that boat but have never dived from her.
 
Doc, Wow! Thank you for all the information. We'll look into the day trips when we get there; we should at least try one. The plan at this point is to dive, dive, and dive some more. My wife is good for 3-4 a day, but mostly she leaves the night diving to me. I'll get a few in with or without her.
We dived off Anthony's Key ten years ago and were really impressed with the reef and the life on it. We've looked forward to getting back to Roatan since.
 
Doc, Wow! Thank you for all the information. We'll look into the day trips when we get there; we should at least try one. The plan at this point is to dive, dive, and dive some more. My wife is good for 3-4 a day, but mostly she leaves the night diving to me. I'll get a few in with or without her.
We dived off Anthony's Key ten years ago and were really impressed with the reef and the life on it. We've looked forward to getting back to Roatan since.

Night dives at CCV are a blast. Grab a tank and walk into the water. Get your wife to try it. It’s easy and well worth it. You’ll see when you’re there. Bring lights for both of you. You won’t regret it.
 
Doc, the OP is referring to going out for an all-day trip on the big boat. I was on the maiden voyage of that boat but have never dived from her.

I saw the question as three different ones or maybe the answer just played out that way. All day trips come in a few different flavors.

CCV offers day trips that utilize the standard 5o’ dive boats much more often than the specialized deep vee hulled boat that you recall riding in. (It’s name escapes me. Buehler?)

That specific (cabin cruiser looking) boat is used when sea conditions exist to allow visits to the Sea Mounts (just a few minutes SW of the Airport) or on the long open Sea crossing to Cayos Cochinos, a tertiary of “the Islas de la Bahia”. Maybe to Pigeon Cays...again, all very weather dependent. Demand also matters.

Without otherwise distracting history, I’ve been there, done that. It’s a good life experience. The diving around a Sea Mount offers a different challenge, it can flummox some, no less than any new visual or condition experience. DMs are very aware of divers depth, as the occasional diver may not. They will explain what to do if current is encountered. I’d rate the possible “challenge factor” at a 4 out of 10. It does offer the minor possibility of seeing sharky sharks.

A crossing to dive Utila? Not worth my time. That’s a long way to go.

To Cayos? Again, a very long hump. There is a nice sea mount that is pleasantly in the Lee of wind and wave.

Around to the North/West side? Can be quite a bash. The big attraction there I fear is only the land based portion. The lure of the placed wrecks? They are at 100’ and in shreds. Dolphins Den is a known and remarkable dive site but it is on the North side, way way East. Rarely if ever.

@tridacna my only experience on that boat was taking her or her sister-clone out in 8 foot seas just to see how she rode. It’s very much so a custom design, not a refit cabin cruiser. I still laugh that the dive flag is painted on backwards.

Almost every “day trip” I’ve seen was done off one of the fifty footers.

These all day trips went East along the Southern shore. The reef structure maintains a longer sloping structure down East. Ergo it is shallow and flat fairly far from shore. One dive they often do is “Hole in the Wall” (a dive site on the North later claimed the same name). This one is a diagonal squarish 9’ tunnel that is visually fun. This is on the way to Pigeon Cays.

This possibility of diving the South East is inviting for a huge reason. It is upstream of the current flow, it has no local terrestrial construction causing siltation. The reef remains free of sedimentation. Contrarily, it does take an occasional storm bashing, so growth is not vertically high.

Here’s a view above East looking way back towards the “civilized” end of Roatan...that’s Utila way back there!

FAF9945E-E740-4EB0-8412-0FBB15FBA66E.jpeg


On a side note, it should be understood that it is commonly said that this apparent East end virginity is allowed because of “limited diver presence”, not really...it is simply because of no sedimentation caused by dirt run off from digging resort foundations. Worth seeing? Yes.
 

Back
Top Bottom