Looking for a Cocoview-like experience (but somewhere else).

[FaithC]

Can anyone report how non-divers feel about CCV and other dive oriented resorts? My husband doesn't dive and my dive buddy's wife doesn't either. Just wondering if they would be bored.

 

[Stoo]

I will second LCBR... Superb wall diving and far better diving than Roatan IMHO. I didn't think the diving at Cayman Brac was that great. The resort itself was fine, and access was easier than Little Cayman.

I'd also suggest you look at Turneffe Island Resort in Belize. However, I think the single supplement is nasty, and the Internet was confined to one public terminal in the office, with limited hours and at extra cost.

I've not been there for a couple of years and that might have changed mind you...

 

[lmorin]

You did not mention whether you require all-inclusive services. If not, consider some of the possibilities on Bonaire. For example (the one I know best), if you rent a condo at Sand Dollar, there is no single supplement at all and there is free wireless. You could dive with either BDA or Dive Friends. If the former, you'd have to schlep your gear about 75 ft to the dock. If boat diving and you dive air, tanks will be loaded for you. If shore diving, then you will have to get your own tank and carry it 30 ft to the dock (and 30 ft back upon return). With Dive Friends, tanks are also down near the water with an easy beach entry. For the time being, Dive Friends boat dives are at another location to which (I believe) they will take you. Den Laman is located right at the BDA location, too, and appears to have wireless internet. Buddy and Capt. Don's have equally easy access to docks for shore diving and to boats for boat diving. Both places also have internet access. Of course, a limitation of all these places is that you will either have to eat all meals at the on-site or next door restaurant, buy groceries and cook for yourself (if you are in a unit with a kitchen), or go to other restaurants via a rental vehicle (yours or that of someone else). Regardless of where you choose to go, no place will be like CoCo View. It is by far the easiest gear management location I have seen.

 

[diving4ever]

You did not mention whether you require all-inclusive services. If not, consider some of the possibilities on Bonaire. For example (the one I know best), if you rent a condo at Sand Dollar, there is no single supplement at all and there is free wireless. You could dive with either BDA or Dive Friends. If the former, you'd have to schlep your gear about 75 ft to the dock. If boat diving and you dive air, tanks will be loaded for you. If shore diving, then you will have to get your own tank and carry it 30 ft to the dock (and 30 ft back upon return). With Dive Friends, tanks are also down near the water with an easy beach entry. For the time being, Dive Friends boat dives are at another location to which (I believe) they will take you. Den Laman is located right at the BDA location, too, and appears to have wireless internet. Buddy and Capt. Don's have equally easy access to docks for shore diving and to boats for boat diving. Both places also have internet access. Of course, a limitation of all these places is that you will either have to eat all meals at the on-site or next door restaurant, buy groceries and cook for yourself (if you are in a unit with a kitchen), or go to other restaurants via a rental vehicle (yours or that of someone else). Regardless of where you choose to go, no place will be like CoCo View. It is by far the easiest gear management location I have seen.

Imorin, Thanks for the leads on Bonaire. Its definitely been on my to do list and I don't care about AI. That said, I rarely shore dive since I'm travelling without a buddy 75% of the time, but the boat diving might work. Its a bit of a nightmare getting there from San Francisco, but if I had 10 days it might be worth it. Thanks for the idea.

Can anyone report how non-divers feel about CCV and other dive oriented resorts? My husband doesn't dive and my dive buddy's wife doesn't either. Just wondering if they would be bored.

Faith, I've been there with friends who brought non-diving spouses and family members to CCV. IMO, its a bad choice for non diving children or teenagers. Adults who like to snorkel, read, and drink at the bar will likely have a good time. There is nowhere to walk or stroll into town, but CCV does have several day adventures planned throughout the week. I'd get a list of those excursions and run them by the non-divers before booking. If family members really want to be able to get into town maybe consider the West Bay Beach area or even Barefoot Caye might provide a better compromise. All that said, its a great place to snorkel and totally unwind...as an added benefit you have the resort almost entirely to your self while the dive boats are out.

Melissa

 

[Randallr]

In the past two years, I've been to Cocoview, Scuba Club Cozumel, and Sunset Beach on Grand Cayman, seeking largely the same experience as the OP, and also traveling on my own. I had terrific experiences at all three, but on balance I liked Scuba Club Cozumel the best.

First and foremost, the diving was significantly better than Grand Cayman and superior to Roatan - more interesting and diverse underwater topography, fantastic marine life, and more prolific than CCV when I was there. For shore diving, it's hard to beat CCV, but SCC has terrific macro opportunities on its shore dive.

The dive operations at CCV and SCC were equivalent. Excellent facilities, fine divemasters, uncrowded boats. I loved the facilities at SCC - great, large room, beautiful views. At CCV, I stayed at one of the adjacent houses, and loved that. I did like Cocoview's ambience marginally better; as a single traveler, I found it a bit easier to meet people and hang with them afterwards. Food is equivalent at both places - pretty good, not gourmet. But at SCC, you can easily walk to town for some great options. And it's so inexpensive that you can buy the full meal package and still go to town a night or two and not feel a thing.

Sunset Beach was by far the easiest place to meet people, and had more single divers than the other two. Its restaurant and bar is a magnet for people from all over. It has the best photo operation in the Caribbean, Cathy Church's, although CCV has a great photo center, too. Sunset Beach has very good shore diving - not Bonaire quality, by any means, but very bountiful. The rooms were very good. I didn't like the diving on Grand Cayman's West End, and the dive boats at Sunset Beach were more crowded than the other two resorts.

Of the three, Scuba Club Cozumel is the one I dream most of going back to, and I plan to in Nov. or Dec., especially because it's the best quality for money. But I'd gladly go back to either of the others. Hope this helps you. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

---------- Post added October 6th, 2013 at 03:30 PM ----------

Sorry - I mean Sunset HOUSE on Grand Cayman. Sunset Beach is a hotel/restaurant on Shelter Islams, New York, where I used to live! But other than that, my comments hold.

 

[jake11]

We went to Atlantis Resort on Dumaguette for a week. Granted the travel was not great( but fairly easy) and you did suffer from some jet lag BUT... the diving was awesome and the food was really good. We also fit in some land tours during the week. Most days we did 4 dives a day and the shore diving was great! That is where we saw our first mandarin fish. Of course, when we go back we will split our time between Dumaguette and Puerto Galera! Also, we did have to carry all of our stuff each day a short distance down to the boats but they might have changed that by now????

 

[PatW]

Can anyone report how non-divers feel about CCV and other dive oriented resorts? My husband doesn't dive and my dive buddy's wife doesn't either. Just wondering if they would be bored.

I have been to CoCo View twice. It is pretty much all about diving. Unless you like snorkeling, kayaking and reading all day, I would not recommend it for a non diver. Most dive resorts suffer from similar problems especially if they are a bit remote. Activities are pretty limited to water sports and lazing around.