I'm considering a place like Coco View. Any feedback on Coco View for a single diver is appreciated.
Interesting phraseology begs for an equal answer: There is no place like Coco View (not in the Caribbean, anyway)
CoCoView Explained In Pictures Photos by Doc_Adelman | Photobucket (People often ask me what a good CCV comparison would be- We like Hotel Atlantis on Batangas Beach, Philippines and most any liveaboard... if that gives you a basis for my perspective) I've been diving with most any major dive-op on Roatan.
Solo divers are not uncommon. Macro photographers often are alone, no matter what their log-book says, but there will always be somebody you can hook up with.
As far as diving - DM/guide in the water. A friendly DM/diver ratio. I enjoy macro photography and would like an operation that will not rush me through a dive. Any suggestion on which operation is a good fit for what I'm looking for ? I do take some wide angle pictures, but prefer the small stuff.
Roatan can offer
a very diverse environment that few people are aware of. CCV is
on the South side, in the center of a four mile zone that is unique in the Caribbean. Sunlit walls all throughout the day, soft and hard Coral density and diversity are unparalleled. Vertical walls start in 5-15fsw and drop straight to a sand shelf at 90'.
Macro critters like Sunlight, florid environments and shallows. Do the math.
North/West side dives (
From West Bay to AKR and points East along the Northern shore) are, because of the u/w terrain, deeper and darker. Because of their proximity to the patrolled Marina Reserva, the critters there are more pelagics and larger examples. In that you specifically state MACRO, I understand that you have seen your share of Parrotfish, Barracuda, Lobster and whatever else is on the laminated ID card that everybody buys on their first day of warm-water-pretty-fish diving. Then, if you're lucky, you graduate!
Any number of divers never get past gawking at Sharks. I had a large group of British divers in the Bahamas, all with one thing on their minds (it's what they knew): Sharks. I slowed one of them down, offered him a look through my simple glass magnifying lens... I couldn't get it away from him the rest of the trip. At CCV, magnifying lenses are so common, it's almost odd to see a diver without one. Stan Waterman (the famous shooter) only comes to CCV when on Roatan.
Same with all the published "Reef Guide" and Fish ID books... they dive with CCV exclusively. This is one of the last of
the real Dive Resorts (not just
a Resort that offers diving) left in the Caribbean, certainly the stand-out on Roatan in that regard.
Dives 1 & 3 are requested to be limited to 1hr BT's, the #2 & 4 dives are limited only by your abilities and SAC. We often do 1.75 hr BT's, poking along, very shallow, looking for macro.
The CCV DM's main responsibility is being a Naturalist Guide. They do not fake this by feeding animals. Stay close to the DM and be ready to shoot when he points and bangs his tank. Get your shot, allow others (who will be gathering at this point) to get theirs. If it's really cool, hang back and let the other shooters move on. But don't tarry too long, he has already found something new ahead.
Most cool stuff is
above 60fsw. I do my 5 dives a day,
on air. Think about that.
That step past Macro is
NOT Macro Its MICRO Photos by Doc_Adelman | Photobucket
The night dive is
every night. (not by appointment "once a week") You simply can not get lost if you listen to the briefing. It lasts from 4:30 pm until 9 am, no limits. Located 100 feet from your bed. Not a thrash in the surf, more of a swimming pool with a sandy walkway in. Superb for beginners and "Macro hogs", too.
So, as I said, good for beginners and also the advanced. Where the South side loses out in perception is from the large intermediate group of divers who have not yet understood the Naturalist advantages of perfecting buoyancy and close-in observational skills. Once you have it, you know, until then, there is no explaining it. Many divers reach that "A-Ha!" moment while at CCV. Magnifying glasses are often Step #1.
As far as where I stay - fairly priced. Safe ! A/C or fan. Wifi in the room. I leave my BC at home, and travel with just my reg, mask/fins. So, I would need to rent a BC. Wet suit ? ...
I never lock my door. Don't use the "safe". If you mean the other kind of "safe", yes- the resort is on it's own private island with armed security 24/7. Nobody there but guests and employees. No disco for the locals, nobody "just passing through", no horde of pod people from the cruise ship coming to pester Flipper, no day-spa for them, either. Very common to see laptops and cameras left on dining room tables for a day. There is A/C but rarely use it on the over the water rooms. WiFi is resort-wide but remember that it has to go through the mainland, so if people download movies (they need a life), it will get slow in the early evening hours. But, yes-
in every room, they do have WiFi.
The dive shop (Dockside) has great rental gear. I have rented my gear a number of times, always looks clean and works perfectly. Renting a wetsuit is no problem unless you're an odd size. Always email Dockside Dive and reserve what you need. Rarely do they see many divers who need rental gear, but with maybe 17 complete sets, I guess they could run short if they had to supply gear in lieu of lost baggage. The water temps run 80-82 as a minimum (excluding post rain-storm) and can often run 84°+ along this shallow South side. I dive with a Polarfleece, sometimes at night, mostly just as a rash guard for potential jellies.
If you want 4+1 each day, if you came to dive, if you are to the level of wanting something more than your 15th Lobster, CCV is it. The big downside to CCV is getting a reservation- they stay booked pretty solid. Again- You do the math
