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It smells funny.
Roatan must dives
- Thread starter Rob Bennett
- Start date
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CajunDiva
Contributor
No, it's not funny. It's a legitimate Aggressor Fleet boat that is going into service in the Bay Islands beginning June 3rd.
This is a reputable business:
Aggressor Fleet - Official Website
This is a reputable business:
Aggressor Fleet - Official Website
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It's the former MV Pearl out of Utila b4 Laguna Beach stopped operations last year. Same family owned both. Former DivEncounters (Peter Hughes) booked boat.
One thing that seems to make more logistics sense is they're basing the boat in French Harbor and doing a couple days to Utila and Cayos Cochinos. Makes it a lot easier to get to.
They're doing a lot of the same dives available thru local operators but that works for Aggressor in Cayman as well.
One thing that seems to make more logistics sense is they're basing the boat in French Harbor and doing a couple days to Utila and Cayos Cochinos. Makes it a lot easier to get to.
They're doing a lot of the same dives available thru local operators but that works for Aggressor in Cayman as well.
Last edited:
Brodydog
Contributor
It's a trip I would consider. I would love to start out in Roatan and still get to visit the other 2 islands. Yes some of the sites may be accessible via land based operators, but traveling at night and getting to dive such a wide area in 1 week has lure to it.
I'm hoping they'll start out with lower intro rates for the trip like they did with their Bahamas itinerary.
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Nice to know there's another attempt. Maybe.
The killer here has always been the insane airfare to Roatan. The resorts have kept their costs low to involuntarily subsidize the $900 airfares. Ships don't have that option...unless they don't run the engines...and that's been known to happen.
They will mostly dive the South shore. That's a hard sell when the passengers can look ashore at CoCoView for half the price, but that's where the only proper moorings exist.
So they have to move the boat. That's something that they generally avoid...it costs money.
If they have a full passenger manifest to pay for fuel, and if the weather is good, they can scamper over to Utila, but only to dive- no real safe harbor, then back you go to the safety of Roatan's Souther harbors. Some might anchor off Utila or Cayos for the night, but this is the kind of stuff that liveaboard disaster books are made of.
Crossing to Utila is quick, but Cayos Cochinos is 30 miles and dead across the wind and wave.
When it was the BIA, they teased about a run to Cisne/Swan Island. (Google it). The fuel cost would have been double. I've made the run, and it's not worth it, no more that any liveaboard that doesn't give you better bang for the buck than land based. Obvious fact, but some die hards will show up and pay more to dive the same stuff- that's what killed the Tobago route. People figured it out.
Basing in French Harbour is cheaper than the previous wharf in Coxen Hole where they were getting raped by fees. Remember that this is Honduras- what that means is that 27 people and agencies are taking their cut from your take. Getting any specialized part takes a week. An uphill struggle.
Ideally, you would pick passengers up on the mainland where you could fly in cheaply, then run the boat to the dive sites. But by doing that, the boat is taking the risk because fuel costs are part of every trip, not just when the boat is fully loaded and the weather is perfect.
Aggressor, Hughes etc is just a flag of convenience. You got a boat? If you meet the minimums, XYZ Liveaboards will allow you to brand your boat accordingly, they will market it and handle bookings. This is why XYZ boats vary so widely in terms of experience, quality, etc. It's a very loosely-goosey franchise. Helps limit liability when the boats get all upside down.
So, why would anyone ever repeat the same experiment for the fourth time? So I got this great liveaboard that's just tied up, you know any divers who want to invest in the XYZ Liveaboard fleet?
For the customer? Go on the first few offered voyages. After that, if experience shows anything, best of luck.
The killer here has always been the insane airfare to Roatan. The resorts have kept their costs low to involuntarily subsidize the $900 airfares. Ships don't have that option...unless they don't run the engines...and that's been known to happen.
They will mostly dive the South shore. That's a hard sell when the passengers can look ashore at CoCoView for half the price, but that's where the only proper moorings exist.
So they have to move the boat. That's something that they generally avoid...it costs money.
If they have a full passenger manifest to pay for fuel, and if the weather is good, they can scamper over to Utila, but only to dive- no real safe harbor, then back you go to the safety of Roatan's Souther harbors. Some might anchor off Utila or Cayos for the night, but this is the kind of stuff that liveaboard disaster books are made of.
Crossing to Utila is quick, but Cayos Cochinos is 30 miles and dead across the wind and wave.
When it was the BIA, they teased about a run to Cisne/Swan Island. (Google it). The fuel cost would have been double. I've made the run, and it's not worth it, no more that any liveaboard that doesn't give you better bang for the buck than land based. Obvious fact, but some die hards will show up and pay more to dive the same stuff- that's what killed the Tobago route. People figured it out.
Basing in French Harbour is cheaper than the previous wharf in Coxen Hole where they were getting raped by fees. Remember that this is Honduras- what that means is that 27 people and agencies are taking their cut from your take. Getting any specialized part takes a week. An uphill struggle.
Ideally, you would pick passengers up on the mainland where you could fly in cheaply, then run the boat to the dive sites. But by doing that, the boat is taking the risk because fuel costs are part of every trip, not just when the boat is fully loaded and the weather is perfect.
Aggressor, Hughes etc is just a flag of convenience. You got a boat? If you meet the minimums, XYZ Liveaboards will allow you to brand your boat accordingly, they will market it and handle bookings. This is why XYZ boats vary so widely in terms of experience, quality, etc. It's a very loosely-goosey franchise. Helps limit liability when the boats get all upside down.
So, why would anyone ever repeat the same experiment for the fourth time? So I got this great liveaboard that's just tied up, you know any divers who want to invest in the XYZ Liveaboard fleet?
For the customer? Go on the first few offered voyages. After that, if experience shows anything, best of luck.
dlofting
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While I might be able to dive the same sites land based, it is the convenience of already being on the water and the ability to dive all the different sites in 1 week that is appealing.
Maybe being based out of Roatan instead of Utila will help them. Plus, gas cost lower now than in the past. I wish them luck and definitely consider doing this liveaboard.
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