Trip Report Coco View Trip Report: July/August 2018

[tkaelin]

Thanks for a great report. CCV moving up on my list.

 

[Trailboss123]

@Trailboss123
Hi Greg,

Excellent report, thanks. I may make it to CCV one of these days, but my list is long.

Take care, good diving, Craig

Have fun in Bonaire- safe travels!

 

[Trailboss123]

Apples to apples.

CCV never discounts (other than a freebie for trip #10), so, as above... $1500

RoAgg costs $2300 or so, and IF you decide to go during tropical storm season (aka "Aggressors 30th Anniversary Sale"), let's call that $1610. If you do go then, if you do get that rate, don't forget to add in some RoAgg's not-included extras. Transfer to and from airport, which they will schedule at $45 per person each way (+$90), food & liquids and a place to sit on both ends of the trip including one required dinner out, +$100, and a "Port Fee" of $125. (They have no sand fleas. so that saves you $4 in DEET.)

That adds in another $315 to the rainy season 30% discounted fare, make it $1925.

If you look at the "Captains Log", you'll decipher that most/many excursions are showing a reality of 22 dives maximum, which is plenty, but stretches the "up to" 5 dives a day pitch. The ship also does not offer WiFi as does CCV, but personally I could care less and I think if you're deciding on speed of download, go to Cayman. I limp my gimpy self into 27/wk at CCV.

If you want to visit the Bay Islands during nicer weather, CCV still costs $1500, but the RoAgg will cost you $2600. (including those other fees)

I would gladly pay $425 for a "better" trip experience, but after 30 trips to CCV, having dived all over the Bay Islands (including all of the RoAgg's dive sites), having done 25+ Live Aboards, well... we scheduled another 2 week CCV trip for 2019. Maybe it's the WiFi.

The debate as to what is better or best will go on, but just remember... apples aint oranges.

They had done a big upgrade to the WIFI a week or two before we arrived and made mention of it during the Saturday evening orientation. I found it quite reliable and plenty fast for my needs. I did need to stay in touch on some work related matters, so I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[scubadada]

Have fun in Bonaire- safe travels!

Thanks, just about to board the AA flight in Miami, first time we've flown directly to Bonaire. Don't think we'll miss Insel

 

[Sam Miller III]

There is a Charles Dickenson book titled Great Expectations !
There is the modern version Great Expectations titled Trailboss 123.
Always a great report and always wonderful accompanying pictures- Great Expectations fulfilled

I and others appreciate your past reports, your present report and look forward to many future reports

Keep up the great work

Sam Miller, 111

 

[SoCalRich]

Great report Trail Boss & photo

s as well. Not much more to add, except how impressed I was with the verity and amount of sea life there was to encounter. CCV is the place to dive your buns off.
Again thank you for your generosity, kindness and your willing to share your dive experience with others.

Good Divin,
SoCalRich

 

[Trailboss123]

Great report Trail Boss & photo

s as well. Not much more to add, except how impressed I was with the verity and amount of sea life there was to encounter. CCV is the place to dive your buns off.
Again thank you for your generosity, kindness and your willing to share your dive experience with others.

Good Divin,
SoCalRich

Thanks Rich-- It was great to hang and dive with you and all of the other WAVES Project family all week.
Your seahorse foto is killer! Wish any of mine had turned out so well. I just can't seem to take a good foto of a seahorse, to save my life.

Here is a little plug for the WAVES Project-- Help a wounded warrior reach the water! Home - Waves Project
Me and my organization are big believers in what they are doing. Home - Serving California

 

[Ironborn]

Highlight for me during the week was finding a very huge Goliath Grouper on the Coco View Wall. He could be found for 3 days in a row in the same area in 20 feet of water.

Great report. I really liked CCV too and would concur with almost all of your observations.

I think I might have seen that same Goliath grouper in roughly the same area, but maybe a bit closer to shore, when I was there in early July. About how big would you say it was?

 

[Trailboss123]

At least 5 feet long and very thick and older.

 

[Ironborn]

At least 5 feet long and very thick and older.

Yeah, that might be the same grouper that I saw, but only once.

I had originally been concerned that diving CCV's "Front Yard" over and over again might get too repetitive, but it did not, at least during that one-week trip of mine. One thing that I liked was looking for potentially resident animals in the same spots in which I had seen them before - and I often did, such as the mantis shrimp that had built his burrow near the safety stop buoy, the turtles in the wheelhouse of the Prince Albert at night, the barracuda hiding under the dive platform, or this grouper that you saw repeatedly. Repeat sightings of resident animals are especially good for photographers that want to get just the right shot of a subject.

Did you see or hear anything about the turtles on the wheelhouse of the wreck at night?