Just got back from the sorocco aggressor 1st trip of the year. 17 dives offered. We lost three due to a compressors failing on day one and the second failing on day two.
The good: Mantas, on nearly every dive. We also had three dives with close encounters with dolphins one of which lasted nearly 10 minutes. Also lots and lots of sharks. White tip. Silver tips, hammerhead, galapagos, and silky. The manta got very close while they fed, which meant visibility was limited in the 50 to 60 range. Water temperature was general 78 to 81. I wish I would have brought my 3mm full vs my 5mm.
The ugly: the ship needed some TLC, rust was visible, and some of the wooden flooring should be replaced. Typically, AC issues in room and the strong smell of varnish which disappeared as the trip went long. Clearly, the boat needed a week or two to work on these cosmetic issues.
The bad: the food was ok but not the typical aggressor outstanding food. It was bland, and the 1st time, I had to add pepper and other seasonings. The snacks were the same pretty much each day.
The zodiac boats were very small for the 10 people on board. 8 divers, a DM, and the boat driver. Gear did get banged around and some broken. If a diver sat out a dive it vastly increase the comfort. As we also put on our BCD/tank and weights while on the zodiac. So prepare for that as bigger boats would be nice.
The rear ugly, was no safety briefing on emergency exits, protocol for fire, muster area. Several fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguisher where not in working order. Clearly the US coast guard would not have cleared this ship, but it's based in Mexico. No log book of nitrox levels was recorded, and no log of divers max depth and time logged. Also on the last day, a seal on the compressor failed. Resulting in a bad air mic. Which the crew was unable to fix, and clean the tanks which resulted in the lost of three dives. Also means our regulators will need a complete cleaning on the side of
caution. We also had to pay the full cost of nitrox even through we lost about 20% of the dives.
Non working smoke alarms, fire extinguisher not charged, broken fire alarms.
This was my 9th aggressor, and while the diving was amazing, the level of service was lacking. Even the typical turkey dinner offered on thrusday didn't happen, and it was Thanksgiving on this trip.
This boat could be great. I would rate the diving as some of the best for encounters with manta and dolphins. The DM were great, however the rest of the service is less then the normal aggressor standard. Bathrooms were normally cleaned during the 1st dive and often didn't get cleaned. No one greeting you with a warm towel after the shower on the dive deck, no fresh drink after a dive. Nothing special done for a diver 500 dive. The guest made a bigger deal out of it. Iron diver awards where a last minute thing.
I truly hope future guests have a better trip.
While not my worst trip, it was only saved by the amazing manta and dolphin encounters. So while I may keep traveling with aggressor I know a few guest on the boat state they would not consider the brand for future trips. But for the price it was not worth it.
The good: Mantas, on nearly every dive. We also had three dives with close encounters with dolphins one of which lasted nearly 10 minutes. Also lots and lots of sharks. White tip. Silver tips, hammerhead, galapagos, and silky. The manta got very close while they fed, which meant visibility was limited in the 50 to 60 range. Water temperature was general 78 to 81. I wish I would have brought my 3mm full vs my 5mm.
The ugly: the ship needed some TLC, rust was visible, and some of the wooden flooring should be replaced. Typically, AC issues in room and the strong smell of varnish which disappeared as the trip went long. Clearly, the boat needed a week or two to work on these cosmetic issues.
The bad: the food was ok but not the typical aggressor outstanding food. It was bland, and the 1st time, I had to add pepper and other seasonings. The snacks were the same pretty much each day.
The zodiac boats were very small for the 10 people on board. 8 divers, a DM, and the boat driver. Gear did get banged around and some broken. If a diver sat out a dive it vastly increase the comfort. As we also put on our BCD/tank and weights while on the zodiac. So prepare for that as bigger boats would be nice.
The rear ugly, was no safety briefing on emergency exits, protocol for fire, muster area. Several fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguisher where not in working order. Clearly the US coast guard would not have cleared this ship, but it's based in Mexico. No log book of nitrox levels was recorded, and no log of divers max depth and time logged. Also on the last day, a seal on the compressor failed. Resulting in a bad air mic. Which the crew was unable to fix, and clean the tanks which resulted in the lost of three dives. Also means our regulators will need a complete cleaning on the side of
caution. We also had to pay the full cost of nitrox even through we lost about 20% of the dives.Non working smoke alarms, fire extinguisher not charged, broken fire alarms.
This was my 9th aggressor, and while the diving was amazing, the level of service was lacking. Even the typical turkey dinner offered on thrusday didn't happen, and it was Thanksgiving on this trip.
This boat could be great. I would rate the diving as some of the best for encounters with manta and dolphins. The DM were great, however the rest of the service is less then the normal aggressor standard. Bathrooms were normally cleaned during the 1st dive and often didn't get cleaned. No one greeting you with a warm towel after the shower on the dive deck, no fresh drink after a dive. Nothing special done for a diver 500 dive. The guest made a bigger deal out of it. Iron diver awards where a last minute thing.
I truly hope future guests have a better trip.
While not my worst trip, it was only saved by the amazing manta and dolphin encounters. So while I may keep traveling with aggressor I know a few guest on the boat state they would not consider the brand for future trips. But for the price it was not worth it.
