CoCo View trip report and photo essay

[saudio]

Hi Everyone. I don't post here often, but I prepared this trip report after returning from Coco View in December, and I thought folks here might enjoy it. As you will read and see, I had a pretty darn good time, and more fun than I expected.

The report is hosted on Awoosh.com (http://www.Awoosh.com), a private and non-profit website hosted by JudyG. There is a wealth of travel and other diving information there, along with thousands of wonderful photos and videos. It's a place well worth visiting when you are dry and longing for a virtual nitrogen fix.

The report header is not on the main Awoosh page for the moment while Judy works through some issues with a new computer, for now you can view the report by clicking on the link below. I hope you enjoy, and I'll make an effort to answer any questions you may have.

All images were taken with a Canon 7D, Nauticam housing, Inon z240 strobes.


Saudio's Trip Reports (http://www.awoosh.com/Saudio/Cocoview/Saudio_Cocoview.html)

Cheers,

Mike

[RoatanMan]

Well that was tremendous.

I am now selling my u/w camera ;)

[peeweediver]

Absolutely great trip and pics. We're going in June and I have two questions. Due to some side effects we're leaning against malaria meds. Did you determine that most everyone there had taken them? Second, you only paid $10 per diver to get your orientation separate? Was it a Saturday? The staff has offered us Saturday afternoon orientation, but for $35 per diver. Still a good deal since it really is their day off. Just wondering if your's was on Saturday. Anyway, thanks so much for a great posting.

Rob

[craracer]

Absolutely fantastic photos, and a great writeup. I wish my shots looked a tenth as good as yours.

[saudio]

Well that was tremendous.

I am now selling my u/w camera ;)

thank you doc, and I've seen your photographs. If you sell your camera, I'll buy it and sell mine ;-)

[saudio]

Absolutely great trip and pics. We're going in June and I have two questions. Due to some side effects we're leaning against malaria meds. Did you determine that most everyone there had taken them? Second, you only paid $10 per diver to get your orientation separate? Was it a Saturday? The staff has offered us Saturday afternoon orientation, but for $35 per diver. Still a good deal since it really is their day off. Just wondering if your's was on Saturday. Anyway, thanks so much for a great posting.

Rob

Thanks PeeWee. Regarding the malaria meds, I really didn't ask around but I doubt everyone was taking them. But as for side effects, I'm pretty sensitive to medications, and last summer I took my family to Tanzania and after some research we all took Malarone with no side effects whatsoever. It's very expensive, but once I knew I would have no side effects I decided it was not worth the risk to go unprotected. I think the odds of you contracting malaria there are slim if you are careful with mosquito exposure, but malaria is a nasty disease.

As for the orientation charge, I seem to recall that we got the $10 price because we organized a group of 6 divers (it actually became about a dozen eventually) for the orientation. The $35 charge may be for a single diver. And ours was on a Saturday.

Hope that helps.

[saudio]

Absolutely fantastic photos, and a great writeup. I wish my shots looked a tenth as good as yours.

That is very kind. I'll bet yours are better than you think. Being critical is part of learning though. I hate most of mine.

[Byte Me]

Great write up and really great shots. I logged 20 dives the week my wife and I were there a couple years ago. It's the leader on the board right now for our 2012 trip and I'm not the one pushing it, my non-diving wife is!! Happy to hear nothing has changed since we were there!

[saudio]

Great write up and really great shots. I logged 20 dives the week my wife and I were there a couple years ago. It's the leader on the board right now for our 2012 trip and I'm not the one pushing it, my non-diving wife is!! Happy to hear nothing has changed since we were there!


That's remarkable. I like CoCoView, but I definitely wouldn't want to spend a week there if I wasn't diving...

[CajunDiva]

Thank you so much Mike for taking the time to compose this piece. Your write-up is very informative and well written...I enjoyed it very much! Pictures are amazing too:D

[GoodKarmaKid]

Super report, great pics, very accurate review of Coco View. They do an outstanding job for avid divers.


Jason

[deeper thoughts]

great report

[rtbmediver]

Hi peeweediver,

For CoCoView guests, electing to do the beach orientation dive, on the day of their arrival, instead of the next morning, the charges are:

1 to 2 divers - US$25.00 total

3 divers - up to a max of 8 divers/DM is US$10.00 per each diver.

Sorry you received the wrong information.

Doc Radawski
CoCoView Dive Ops

[saudio]

Thank you so much Mike for taking the time to compose this piece. Your write-up is very informative and well written...I enjoyed it very much! Pictures are amazing too:D

It was really my pleasure, the photos and these trip reports are my souvenirs of great trips. My memory isn't so good so I need them :-)

[peeweediver]

Hi Doc Radawski:

Thanks for the clarification, but as I mentioned, you guys are great to agree to help us on your day off, so any cost is reasonable...well, almost any. We're so excited about coming to CCV that I'd give you my credit card number on this board to cover the whole group. Uhm, maybe I'm getting carried away. See you on June 18th!

Rob

[LynnB]

Your pictures were incredible....
Thanks I enjoyed that.

[morecowbells]

Wonderful and informative trip report! The maps and views of the place are especially helpful for people like me who have never visited CCV, yet have been curious about staying there. Amazing pics. Exactly how close did you have to get to that lion fish to get such an awesome close up:confused:

[ygthad]

Great Report and Picture were the best.. Thanks

[saudio]

Your pictures were incredible....
Thanks I enjoyed that.

Thank you very much!

[saudio]

Wonderful and informative trip report! The maps and views of the place are especially helpful for people like me who have never visited CCV, yet have been curious about staying there. Amazing pics. Exactly how close did you have to get to that lion fish to get such an awesome close up:confused:

I should mention that the map and aerial view were images I plucked off of the internet.

I think I was a couple feet away from him, and I believe I was using my Canon 18-55 zoom lens that dive.

Thanks!

[parrotheaddiver]

Mike thanks for posting your report over here....I read it again in case I missed anything :-D
aka Apocalypso on the other board ;-p

[ScubaSam]

Wow, incredible pictures and a great dive report. I need to plan a vacation there soon.

Thanks for posting!