Last month we returned to Cocoview and I am happy to report they just keep getting better. The original concept was great for those of us that just want to dive. 4-6 dives a day. Great, lite load boats. Great front yard. Comfy rooms and great service without pretense. That concept still reigns but is always refined to some degree. This year the food is once again a step forward. I say this as a rather good cook and food snob. Its not great, but is actually good. Much better than the pure sustenance of years before.
An airconditioned camera room has been added to the end of the dive lockers so you dont need to haul your gear back and forth from rooms.
Nothing is in disrepair (infact many locals are in constant employ). Fresh stain on the woodwork. the grounds swept daily. Etc.Etc.
This year was different on many levels. We stayed in CocoVilla. I had expected a roach haven with poor A/c. What we got was a beautifully crafted house. Solid and clean. All wood like the rest of the resort but obviously built for a full time resident, which is used to be. The rooms were large and comfortable. Fridge, microwave, TV, and Washer and Dryer! If you stay in the villa you really only need two pair of shorts and two shirts!
The house is about a 1/4 mile from the resort proper. It comes with dedicated beach cruisers. This may not sound great but it was. Barely enough distance to break a sweat but plenty of time to turn into a 9 year old. What a great way to start the day!
There is also a dedicated golf cart when needed.
The house comes with a grounds keeper. Anthony is one of the nicest people you will meet and kept the place immaculate.
There is a wonderful deck outside a large communal screen room.
The only downside was really the TV. one of the things I love about Coco is the checking out of media. So relaxing. In this case the TV got a bunch of use. We were there when Harvey went over. A buddy and I did an early AM dive and surfaced to rain, then wind, stinging wind. Some of the resort had been boarded up in advance and the reports looked like the dives would be cancelled for the day. Then, like magic, the sun came out and the wind died to nill (and stayed that way all week). But then the TV happened.
As the week came to an end rumors of Harvey hitting Houston became reality. We watched it build as we packed. We watched it hit as we had our flight cancelled.
Our buddies left for the east coast but being from San Antonio we were stuck. The staff found us a room until we knew what was going to happen. And then the next fight cancelled, and again and again. To complicate things the flight out of Houston made it out. One of the few. This meant that the guests trying to get out could not but the new guest did not get stuck in Houston so the place was over booked. But they found us rooms. Not only that but they offered a very serious discount to just stay the week. After many tedious hours we got a hold of United and confirmed flights for the following Saturday, we took the week. It was already Tuesday and our other options were go to LA or Chicago via Central America and wait to see when San Antonio opened. It was the right decision (although I am completely broke now).
This really changed things for us. We usually feel we need to gogogo. Get all those dives in. Then sleep when its all over.
We did 3 boat dive all the second week. It was mostly front yard critter hunting. 90-120 minute dives crawling along looking for the weird ones. And we found them. Nudis, Juv. Lined sole, Seahorse, sailfin blennies, Tripple fin blennies, Goliath Grouper, Eagle rays, Southern rays, eels (golden, white spot, green, sharp tail). I love that front yard. We planned our dives when the boats left and had things mostly to ourselves. Then even take a nap! I never do that! It was very relaxing and still managed 46 submerged hours in the 2 weeks.
Houston opened up Thursday night and we had clear weather on Saturday. But it was still hard to leave.
The staff is so good. The diving is so good. The resort is so good. Thank you Cocoview.
If Marble floors and fountains are your thing, dont bother. If you just want to dive and dive and dive and do so at a place that makes it so easy you can do so in a Nitrogen Zombie trance, this is your second home.
Here is a link to some shots. So many photo ops even an idiot like me can get a couple decent ones.
CocoView 8-17
An airconditioned camera room has been added to the end of the dive lockers so you dont need to haul your gear back and forth from rooms.
Nothing is in disrepair (infact many locals are in constant employ). Fresh stain on the woodwork. the grounds swept daily. Etc.Etc.
This year was different on many levels. We stayed in CocoVilla. I had expected a roach haven with poor A/c. What we got was a beautifully crafted house. Solid and clean. All wood like the rest of the resort but obviously built for a full time resident, which is used to be. The rooms were large and comfortable. Fridge, microwave, TV, and Washer and Dryer! If you stay in the villa you really only need two pair of shorts and two shirts!
The house is about a 1/4 mile from the resort proper. It comes with dedicated beach cruisers. This may not sound great but it was. Barely enough distance to break a sweat but plenty of time to turn into a 9 year old. What a great way to start the day!
There is also a dedicated golf cart when needed.
The house comes with a grounds keeper. Anthony is one of the nicest people you will meet and kept the place immaculate.
There is a wonderful deck outside a large communal screen room.
The only downside was really the TV. one of the things I love about Coco is the checking out of media. So relaxing. In this case the TV got a bunch of use. We were there when Harvey went over. A buddy and I did an early AM dive and surfaced to rain, then wind, stinging wind. Some of the resort had been boarded up in advance and the reports looked like the dives would be cancelled for the day. Then, like magic, the sun came out and the wind died to nill (and stayed that way all week). But then the TV happened.
As the week came to an end rumors of Harvey hitting Houston became reality. We watched it build as we packed. We watched it hit as we had our flight cancelled.
Our buddies left for the east coast but being from San Antonio we were stuck. The staff found us a room until we knew what was going to happen. And then the next fight cancelled, and again and again. To complicate things the flight out of Houston made it out. One of the few. This meant that the guests trying to get out could not but the new guest did not get stuck in Houston so the place was over booked. But they found us rooms. Not only that but they offered a very serious discount to just stay the week. After many tedious hours we got a hold of United and confirmed flights for the following Saturday, we took the week. It was already Tuesday and our other options were go to LA or Chicago via Central America and wait to see when San Antonio opened. It was the right decision (although I am completely broke now).
This really changed things for us. We usually feel we need to gogogo. Get all those dives in. Then sleep when its all over.
We did 3 boat dive all the second week. It was mostly front yard critter hunting. 90-120 minute dives crawling along looking for the weird ones. And we found them. Nudis, Juv. Lined sole, Seahorse, sailfin blennies, Tripple fin blennies, Goliath Grouper, Eagle rays, Southern rays, eels (golden, white spot, green, sharp tail). I love that front yard. We planned our dives when the boats left and had things mostly to ourselves. Then even take a nap! I never do that! It was very relaxing and still managed 46 submerged hours in the 2 weeks.
Houston opened up Thursday night and we had clear weather on Saturday. But it was still hard to leave.
The staff is so good. The diving is so good. The resort is so good. Thank you Cocoview.
If Marble floors and fountains are your thing, dont bother. If you just want to dive and dive and dive and do so at a place that makes it so easy you can do so in a Nitrogen Zombie trance, this is your second home.
Here is a link to some shots. So many photo ops even an idiot like me can get a couple decent ones.
CocoView 8-17
