philmayer:
I LOVE CoCoView! 21 more days and I'm there!!
I understand the attraction.
We have been to many dive resorts and liveaboards all over the world. We measure all other opeartions by the CoCoView Standard. I do believe that there is arguably better diving in the Caribbean, but when you factor in the actual resort and the staff, the boats, the accomodations
and that shore dive, you have a combination that is hard to beat~ I will easily call it the best in the Caribbean and arguably the world.
The difficulty with researching an intended dive destination with the opinions, perceptions and experiences of others is that quite often those views are rather limited in breadth. We only know what we know.
Everyone searches for validation. They want to know that their vacation dollar was well spent, so they are certain that their last vacation at Club Dread was the bestest ever place! What better way to reassure themselves than by telling everyone else?
I am amazed at the lousy reviews that resorts get, yet ScubaBoarders still go to them and feel compelled to post a scathing report. Reminds me of that old Cheech and Chong routine regarding dog poop. "Hmm- smells like dog poop, feels like dog poop, tastes like dog poop- sure glad I didn't step in it!". Why speak when you didn't read?
Some folks want
dive vacations, some want
vacations with some diving. One is not a badge of honor over the other,
but few that seek the latter will ever admit to it. When picking a destination or resort,
this is critical. People come on ScubaBoard all the time asking, "which liveaboard is best for non-divers?" My answer is always: "NCL", meaning- any cruise ship. Cruise ship vacationers also come on all the time inquiring about "what is the best dive op" for their brief visit to an island. Answer? The
one they send you to from the ship. Do not try to mix "real diving"... at least in the Caribbean, with a relaxed vacation.
It all boils down to perceptions and needs, that which are actual and those which are self-admitted, or a result of self-denial. I have seen many folks claim they needed 5 dives a day where in fact they hit the bar every day at 4pm and flopped into bed at 2am. This doesn't mix well with diving- not for long.
CCV is the kind of place where the focus is strictly on diving. Sure- you will see the rare occasional individual or group that hits the bar before dinner and closes it~ but those are a rarity and exception. It is common to get 18>20 dives in a week, most go and log 25. This is a
dive resort, not a vacation resort.
The diving at CCV is indeed for advanced divers. There might not be any current, no deco dive depths, no treacherous shore entries... but it only rewards
advanced divers...
those with great buoyancy abilities and observational skills.
Do not be put off thinking you won't fit in. If you are eager and want to learn the simple tricks of locating the cool stuff, others will show you. If you're a diver who yacks thru the briefings and then crashes down to 140 feet and thinks the dive is a race- you might be on your own. If you ask one of the regulars for some pointers, prepare for an education. They may well learn a few things from you, too! It's a tribal kind of place.
Southside diving on Roatan is only visible to such advanced divers. Newbie divers also love it- but why not? They aren't really seeing much yet anyway, and CCV's boats and Shore Dive are so very simple that they are a perfect training ground, Dockside Dive Center's magic instructional touch is well known. The bulk of divers that show up on Roatan, however, are at that "next step". They aren't newbies, but they are just
"beginning to see".
Most of us are very comfortable with what we know and what we can recognize. Every intermediate loves Lobsters, Parrot Fish, Baracudas, Moray Eels and other big fun stuff. Don't forget the Shark Dive questions and the "will I see a Whale Shark?" threads. The establishment of the "Roatan Marine reserve" on the North and West have been a boon to tourism there- divers can once again find all of the stuff that they can recognize.
The Magic of Roatan, though, is hidden in the lush reefs of the South side. Divers who have great buoyancy, divers who can hover with no motion, divers who have been trained to see what others fly by- they see what lies hidden~ right before the eyes of others.
CCV is lucky in location. From the moment you walk into the shore dive- it becomes an aquarium of delights, right from the window of your Cabana- and out the 250 feet to the 140' Prince Albert wrecked tanker ship in 35>65fsw. That and the DC3 aircraft is the happy home of many critters, large and small. The two walls are also part of the shore dive. If you don't see a SeaHorse on every dive, follow the DM a bit closer.
Skip the wide-angle lenses. Bring the macro... and the micro! or a magnifying glass. Here's what they saw last week on the South side:
http://www.docksidedivecenter.com/WeeklyLog.html
It's the little stuff. You can't know what you don't know. Stay shallow, go slow. See it all. Just understand- it really
is a dive resort.
