Someone talk me into this...

[Christi]

Disclaimer: I've already posted this verbatim on the CocoView message board...but am looking for seasoned feedback.

Some of my dearest friends have a trip planned to CocoView this June. I've paid a deposit, but I'm not 100% committed yet. I have several concerns/issues that are curbing my enthusiasm. I know that most here are CocoView fanatics...but I'm hoping for some true objective feedback here. My issues, in no particular order:

1. Sand fleas - I have heard horror stories about them...and quite frankly...they are a deal breaker for me at this point. I am not willing to put 100% DEET on my skin and I hate the idea of having to walk around constantly spraying chemicals on my skin to keep them away...that's not my idea of a relaxing vacation.

2. The airfare to Roatan is outrageous, especially given that I first have to get from CZM to IAH. How can I justify spending $1200 to get there, when I can get to FIJI for that?

3. MOST people I talk to who dive here (Cozumel) and also there say that I will be very disappointed in the diving. I'm not hard to please when it comes to diving, but I do want variety, I do want great photo opportunities, and I want visibility over 30 feet.

4. The idea of getting "dropped off" for the second dive and swimming back in on the same reef everyday sounds tedious and boring...after the first day or two. I'm not sure I understand how this is a GOOD thing. Why not do two dives out on the reef, and then drop the divers off for a third tank if they opt? I'm not in any way trying to say how they should run the operation...I'm just wondering about the WHY behind this. I've never been there, so I need some clarification here.

From what I understand, it's a great house reef...so why not leave it for shore dives and then take advantage of the boat dives for those you can't get to by shore?

Thanks in advance for your sincere feedback and restraint from flaming me for my questions. My questions are sincere...and I'm simply trying to justify why I should make this trip when there are so many other places I want to go.

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

I stayed there for one week , your concerns are real , Sand Fleas rule Roatans beaches . The resort is very rustic , dives are very repetative . I would take Cozumel any time over Roatan . I have decided that my two weeks I have spent there is enough , stay on coz , fly to Fiji .

 

[herman]

Having been to CCV 3 times, here is my take on it and you should know I call it as I see it.

1. So far I have had zero problems with bugs except at the BBQ they have on a small out island. Skeeters were really bad there one year and the next trip I went armed for bear and never saw one- go figure, otherwise bugs have been a non issue. It seems to be a mixture of tolerance to bugs and luck of the draw.

2. Can't help there, air is what it is.

3. In all fairness I have been to Coz once but to me the diving is better in Roatan. If for no other reason than I much prefer self propelled diving -for lack of a better term- as opposed to drift diving. You can go at your own pace and look for the little creatures that are everywhere if you choose to look. I tend to dive very slow and look in every nook and cranny to see what is looking back at me. Coz divers strike me as divers who just want to hang back, float along and watch the world go by rather than be involved in it. Nothing wrong with that, just not my style. With the exception of a couple of days (hurricane Wilma) the vis around CCV is easily 30+, depending on the tide and once your away from the resort it improves greatly.

4. I felt the same way until I spent some dives doing it. If you are just cruising along the reef, like is done in Coz I suppose it could be boring. On the other hand I find it a great time to dive my way. On the drop off dives I usually clock 75 to 90 minutes on the dive, usually solo. When was the last time you hung around and watched jawfish cleaning their borrows. Spend some time with the little fish and they will accept you and come within inches of you. I have photos of them looking into my camera from 2 or 3 inches which they swam up to because I took the time to be accepted as a non threat. Dives like that are simply not possible on Coz. Also, the dive is along a wall so you have the option of diving it at different depths on each dive.

I usually do 2 to 3 dive trips a year, most times to Bonaire or CCV and I never get bored at either place. Coz is the one place I have visited that I have no real desire to return to. I tell myself that I should give it one more shot but somewhat like you, I can't seem to convince myself to give it another try but at least I went once. If for no other reason, go to see for yourself and at least you will know for sure how you feel about it.

 

[deco_martini]

I've been diving with your op twice Christi. I love Coz to death. Honduras/Coco are great for people who want to eat/sleep/dive. After the first day, putting on deet (not 100 percent either) got to be as mundane as putting on suncreen.

My hilarious review of the trip is here:
Scuba Diving - The Magazine Divers Trust

I pride it on being the best ever trip report on the old scubadiving.com.

Coco had my favorite night diving aside from Paradise in Coz. Whereas there was lots of large stuff on Paradise, the tiny critters at the Coco are a real treat at night.

Airfare is the real deal breaker. The Coco is great for price-per-dive but if the airfare costs more than the resort itself, its kind of ridiculous.

 

[lmorin]

Herman pretty much summed everything accurately. For sure it is not Cozumel. Don't expect it to be.

I'd balk at $1000, too. The diving value of just meandering around the shallow areas close to the resort is very high. Visibility there may not always be the best, however. Variety of the shallows, plus the wrecks, sloping sandy bottom etc is excellent. Yes, the dive boat drops you off to swim back for tank #2. What's your route? It's what you make of it and there is no need to ever repeat the same route as each of the two reefs goes from the surface down to 90+ ft. Some folks skip the return dive or ask to be dropped off directly in the more shallow regions, just to have 90-100 min dives poking around. I met one guy who sheepishly admitted that he fell asleep while just "hanging out" at the stern of the wreck, looking at little things. We've been there twice in August and experienced zero bugs. If they are there, forget the repellent and wash them off: dive 24 hr per day. You can, if you wish. A large part of my enthusiasm about Coco View simply comes from the layout of the place. By far the best set-up for a dive resort that I have experienced. Makes everything else simpler.

 

[halocline]

I'd be very hesitant to spend $1200 to fly from CZM to RTB. There's got to be a much cheaper way of getting there. Where's your sense of adventure?

I have never stayed at cocoview, and have never dove on the south side, but have done lots of diving on the north side of Roatan. The diving's different from coz, the visibility is not as good but still good, there is not the same density of fish life, but the coral and reef structures are pretty spectacular; plus many of the profiles are really great; 15-20 minutes deep, 15-20 at about 40ft, then the rest of the dive very shallow on the reef crest, usually in great light with some surge.

IMO one of the best things about Roatan as opposed to Coz is the funky atmosphere in the west end, and of course you'd be missing that at cocoview. But, that's just my taste, others will have a completely different reaction.

 

[Doc]

1. Sand fleas - I have heard horror stories about them...and quite frankly...they are a deal breaker for me at this point. I am not willing to put 100% DEET on my skin and I hate the idea of having to walk around constantly spraying chemicals on my skin to keep them away...that's not my idea of a relaxing vacation.

You might want to ask for your deposit back.

100% or the percentage of DEET is merely a reflection of how long the application will theoretically last before being sweated off. 20% DEET will work just as well, some swear by Cactus Juice (I think the sand fleas drink it) or doggie collars.

2. The airfare to Roatan is outrageous, especially given that I first have to get from CZM to IAH. How can I justify spending $1200 to get there, when I can get to FIJI for that?

Flying almost anywhere from Cozumel is costly. It's bad enough to fly from Houston!

3. MOST people I talk to who dive here (Cozumel) and also there say that I will be very disappointed in the diving.

Many people are.

The South side of Roatan, the area that runs from French Harbour to Oak Ridge, is well known for microscopic and macro critters. Many divers come there prepared only to spot larger animals such as Baracuda and Crustaceans. With your many dives and expertise, you are well equipped with perfect buoyancy and honed observational skills to enjoy it. Most are not, many go away disappointed.

I'm not hard to please when it comes to diving, but I do want variety, I do want great photo opportunities, and I want visibility over 30 feet.

Variety? The South shore of Roatan is regarded as having the broadest array of soft and hard Corals. If again you look at creatures, most of the Paul Humnann books can be checklisted from shore diving at CCV.

4. The idea of getting "dropped off" for the second dive and swimming back in on the same reef everyday sounds tedious and boring...after the first day or two. I'm not sure I understand how this is a GOOD thing.

After two days there, you will likely begin to understand. After many dives logged, I'm sure you'll agree that any given dive site looks entirely different ten minutes later. I doubt you'll get bored after a total of 9 dives in a week, split between two different walls (the dives merge at the Prince Albert Wreck where you make your way to shore), since that is essentially only four of "the same" dives in a week. Divers come in raving about what they have seen.

The "Drop Off" dives are the second and fourth boat dives of the day. Before lunch and dinner, as the boats retuirn from the 0900 and 1400 dive, you will be dropped over either Newman's Wall or CoCoView Wall. This is done because the Sunlight hits Newmans in the morning and CCV in the Afternoon. And the Sunlight is spectacular.

What I do would seem really nuts from your question! I have them drop me off, not on the walls, but I have them plop me down right on top of the PA Wreck. Maybe 300 feet from my room, in 45~65fsw. Talk about repetitive diving!

This is the single best way to get to know your night dive site. The biggest concern with most divers at night is navigation to get back home. At CCV it pays to understand where the wreck and DC3 aircraft is, the Boston Whaler wreck, and the anchor chain that is laid out on the sea floor that leads you back home through the Coral heads. It's really all about familiarity.

From what I understand, it's a great house reef...so why not leave it for shore dives and then take advantage of the boat dives for those you can't get to by shore?

It is also for the benefit of the very long term DM crew. By putting them in the water only twice on any give day, they tend to stay healthier longer.

Thanks in advance for your sincere feedback and restraint from flaming me for my questions. My questions are sincere...and I'm simply trying to justify why I should make this trip when there are so many other places I want to go.

Here is the Channel and it depicts the two walls where the deep blue vee comes together, Newmans to the bottom left and CCV Wall along the upper right....

You might see some cool ideas for dive op design- it is regarded as a model for easy physical flow of the dive day. The boats? Easy to see why they are well regarded, unusual and carefully designed. It will take a day or so of watching the operation and you will see why- for many- it becomes a universal standard for comparison.

The bugs? That's why the land is so cheap.

There are trade offs.

 

[CODMAN]

Honnestly Christi, I think you will be disapointed! Here is why I say that...

1- Yes there are some sandflies and you will need DEET if you don't want to get bitten (not 100%, but). So be prepared...

2- The vis is OK (60-80 feet sometimes... sometimes less...) and the marine life is typical caribean, except for it being more Macro oriented than other places. So you've seen this before...

3- If you've dived as much as your sig says you have and you are presently an instructor in Cozumel, you are not going to be all that impressed with Roatan or the unlimited diving you can do! After all, most instructors I've know aren,t looking for maximum bottom time since they usually get more than their share... Cocoview and Roatan usually appeal to people who want to dive as much as possible and who crave caribean reefs (like me, livin in Canada!). You have plenty of both already!

So basically you are paying a fortune (airfare) to get to a place where you can dive as much as you want (you already can where you work) on reefs not all that different from where you alreeady dive (all caribean reefs are similar, even though roatan is kind of different because of it's abundant and varied Macro), where there are sandflies (which you hate) and the vis is the same or worse than where you work.

Unless I'm totally wrong (just say so ) and you are the type of instructor who never gets enough of diving and caribean sea life, you will not be getting your money's worth here (especially because of the airfare)!

What I would suggest is take that $$ and get yourself over the pacific to asia. The marine life is so different and the diving so cheap (especially in the Philippines) you Will get your moneys worth! Unless you've dove there tons also, in which case all that's left is to hang yourself...

This said, I'm not dissing Roatan! I loved it! But from what I get from reading you, you won't find Roatan as wonderfull as many of us who can't dive as much as you do on caribean reefs! If you wren't a dive instructor in Coz, I'd say go for it you'll love it! But because of that, I'm not so sure...

Just my 0.02$

 

[Panchita]

still got one over-water bungalow and a spot for a single female available for end of June? 2008 pricing and a discount if we fill the second twelve... pm me for details!

Signed,
The Dear Friend who's trying to convince Christi... (and NO, this is not her room... )

 

[Christi]

still got one over-water bungalow and a spot for a single female available for end of June? 2008 pricing and a discount if we fill the second twelve... pm me for details!

Signed,
The Dear Friend who's trying to convince Christi... (and NO, this is not her room... )

Love ya...mean it