So, what do you'all think?

[DeputyDan]

In discussing next years dive options, my daughter suggested that we return to COCO View. She loves the place. I am very cool with going back (Notice my avatar). Anyhow, my wife asks why we are going back to somewhere we have already been? Shouldn't we go somewhere we have never been instead.

So how about it - Would you choose to do a repeat or a new location?

I'm not really looking for an answer - just thought that it would be a good topic for general discussion!

 

[scubafanatic]

...well, about CoCoView specifically, I went summer of '05, and have a buddy who went Jan '09, and both of us strongly concluded it pretty much sucked ! I liked the resort, definitely designed by divers, for divers, rooms fine, food fine, layout/organization fine, but the actual diving sucked. Completely fished out, and vis quite poor/cloudy....dive bud says she ended dives after 1/3 or 1/2 of a tank out of complete boredom ! Neither of us has any interest in ever returning.

...the ONLY dive worth a d*mn was the offsite 'shark dive' where we paid $ 100-something for a 1-tank boat dive a mile or two off shore conducted by a separate dive op, which was a really beautiful dive, and the only thing about the diving worth remembering....unfortunately 1 quality/fun dive does not make a successful dive trip.

 

[DandyDon]

I've done FIBR 3 times, Florida Keys several, NC wrecks 3, Cozumel many, Calf Channel islands 3 different ways so yeah I'll go back to places I enjoyed. I've also flown to Seattle just to dive the Sound and San Juans, Montreal to dive Thousand Islands, Belize, etc so yeah I like going to new places and would return to any of those.

CCV, FIBR, and AKR all have great discount specials announced. See the Bay Islands forum.

 

[diversteve]

I never repeat destinations - except Maui as it's the only place I vacation first and dive second - because I have far too many Caribbean destinations yet to dive. And generally only do two trips a year.

Eventually I'm going to move on the South Pacific and then Africa/Australia - I don't do long flights well so have to commit more $$ for Business/First Class flights so I can sleep. Also need to commit to more than a week-long trip.

Lately I seem to be more interested in liveaboards although I do miss seeing some of the local culture as it tends to be a more insulating experience - but made up for by better/more diving.

 

[lulubelle]

There is nothing wrong with going back to a place that you really enjoy. There is comfort and relaxation in that.

I have been to Italy more than 50 times for instance, but have yet to see Greece. Would I like to? Yes of course. But spending time with good friends in a place I love often trumps going to new places.

I try to force myself to take my vacation time with a combination of the familiar (NC Coast, Italy, etc) and the unfamiliar (this year diving in L Cayman and Indonesia).

Having a daughter who loves to go places with her folks is priceless! Go for it.

 

[herman]

Do you REALLY want to listen to why we should have gone to CCV for an entire trip?
(You have to know his daughter. )

 

[spectrum]

It depends on what you really seek with your vacation time and $$.

Some long for new and different, need to see it all and will go to different places.

Others are happy with a sure thing where they arrive knowing the drill and have no stress about what the place will really be like when they get there. This of course is predicated on a very positive prior experience.

By bias is to the latter.

Pete

 

[RJP]

Lot of factors go into it: cost, location, timing, vacation schedules, etc.

In general I prefer to go "somewhere else" but when dealing with what I want, wife wants, and kids want, sometimes it just makes sense to go back to someplace that everyone likes.

For pure dive travel (me and my buddy) we've not repeated anyplace yet but will probably hit Bonaire or Cayman a second time simply because they are easy to get to and relatively inexpensive.

With the family we've repeated Curacao and Hawaii, mostly due to availability of frequent flyer miles/hotel points and easy travel logistics - plus we really liked both places.

 

[lulubelle]

Do you REALLY want to listen to why we should have gone to CCV for an entire trip?
(You have to know his daughter. )

Let me guess, it involved a boy?

 

[herman]

Let me guess, it involved a boy?

Nope, she likes CCV and diving.