Roatan - Coco View Resort or Aggressor Liveaboard?

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Thank you all for your feedback. We just returned from our trip, so I thought I would provide my first-hand feedback while the experiences are fresh. We did the first week on the aggressor and then the second week at Coco View Resort. The Roatan Aggressor was an amazing experience with the usual benefits of liveaboard diving. In addition to the excellently prepared meals, 5 dives a day, and always having your gear ready, the Aggressor took us to dive the seamounts of Cayos Cachinos and several dives sites on both sides of Utila. Both of those destinations are not options from Cocoview. A highlight dive was the shark dive, which is included on the Aggressor. It was so great, we asked to dive it twice. The Aggressor crew went above and beyond and some crew members were sent out on the skiff to the fish market in Utilia to stock up on fish heads for bait since the shark dive is typically only done once. In addition, we dived the site at 7 am before other operators arrived, and were allowed to take our own videos and pictures, something not allowed by local operators. Another advantage to the Aggressor is that most of the divers were advanced divers, and you have the flexibility to either follow the dive master or dive your own dive. The only downside to the Aggressor are the accommodations. The cabins and tiny and poorly designed. That said, we spent very little time in our cabin. Overall, the Aggressor was an incredible experience.
Coco View Resort was a completely different experience. After being there for a week, you can see how some divers might find the culture alluring and fun at Coco View (we did not). The accommodations are much better than on the Aggressor, and you also have the option of unlimited diving. They also offer free and unlimited kayaking, paddle boards, and snorkeling. They offer a two tank boat dive in the morning (the second dive is a drop off dive at their front yard), and another two tank dive in the afternoon also with a drop off in the front yard. It was nice to have two walls and Prince Albert to dive whenever you wanted. I was not a fan of the fact that they only allowed for 30-minute surface intervals after deep dives. I also did not care for the center well in the boat for returning during rough surface currents. I saw many divers constantly bang the regulators into the bottom of the boat. Another frustrating part of diving with Coco View is that many of the divers and not experienced or advanced, and all dives were lead dives. We would usually spend the first ten minutes of dives waiting on divers to get their bouncy figured out. I was not a fan of the boat diving with Coco View. The food is served buffet style and gets a good C- in my books. The most edible meal of the week was the fried chicken and fries. The staff was average to below at Coco View too.
All in all, liveaboard diving is the way to go. If I were to do it again, I would do the Aggressor without Coco View. I have heard good things about Anthony's Key, if you are looking for resort type diving, but liveaboard diving is the only way to go in my opinion. Hope this helps some future divers.
 
I was not a fan of the fact that they only allowed for 30-minute surface intervals after deep dives. I also did not care for the center well in the boat for returning during rough surface currents.

Glad to see a compare & contrast review, from back-to-back trips. If I hit 2 destinations a year apart, it's hard to compare because my recollection of the 1st is already pretty fuzzy.

What was the cost to use nitrox? If you used air, did your dive computer indicate concerning levels of nitrogen loading? I ask because I've noticed a number of posters dislike short surface intervals (I'm not singling out Roatan about this), and I wonder how much of that is objectively driven vs. a sort of 'culture of diving preference for an hour or so?

IIRC, some like that center well for re-boarding. You're the first I've heard from that didn't. Would you have preferred a ladder entry in those rough surface currents? I've not done the 'center well' approach, so can only imagine it.

Other reports I've read about CocoView's food tended to be favorable. Wonder if they 'had a bad week,' or your tastes just weren't a good match? I know some people like saltier vs. bland food, rare vs. well-done meats, etc...and sometimes there's criticism from niche perspectives like vegans, etc...(another thing I can only imagine!).

Richard.
 
Glad to see a compare & contrast review, from back-to-back trips. If I hit 2 destinations a year apart, it's hard to compare because my recollection of the 1st is already pretty fuzzy.

What was the cost to use nitrox? If you used air, did your dive computer indicate concerning levels of nitrogen loading? I ask because I've noticed a number of posters dislike short surface intervals (I'm not singling out Roatan about this), and I wonder how much of that is objectively driven vs. a sort of 'culture of diving preference for an hour or so?

IIRC, some like that center well for re-boarding. You're the first I've heard from that didn't. Would you have preferred a ladder entry in those rough surface currents? I've not done the 'center well' approach, so can only imagine it.

Other reports I've read about CocoView's food tended to be favorable. Wonder if they 'had a bad week,' or your tastes just weren't a good match? I know some people like saltier vs. bland food, rare vs. well-done meats, etc...and sometimes there's criticism from niche perspectives like vegans, etc...(another thing I can only imagine!).

Richard.
I just looked at my dive log from my trip to Coco View last year. My shortest surface interval between boat dives was 41 minutes and longest was 61 minutes. Average was about 47 minutes or so and I was one of the last to board the boat. I was diving Nitrox all week and I did 29 dives in 5 1/2 days and never got close to hitting my NDL. As for boarding the boat, no one is obligated to use the center well reentry. It is an option that some people choose in rougher waters. I used it once and didn't feel that it made a big difference and if anything, as the OP mentioned, I found it a bit more risky and was happy to board the boat up the stern ladder. We had some sporty surface conditions that week. Nothing anyone can do about that and I felt like the boat was as good as any other for re-boarding in such conditions. All that said, the idea of going back to do the Bay Islands aboard the Aggressor has a strong appeal to me, particularly if I can get an itinerary like the OP did that takes in a good amount of diving on Utlia and the Cayos Cochinos seamounts, which I have only heard great things about. The sand fleas didn't bother me, but I know that is a huge issue for the majority of people and might be another deciding factor for opting for the liveaboard. As for the food, I think if I was coming off of the Agressor after a week and then Coco View for a week, I would probably feel that the food was a step down as well. Unless you get a smoking hot discount on the Agressor and with the exception of Bonaire, Coco View is pretty hard to beat in terms of $$ spent to amount of diving, accommodation and meals though.
 
Other reports I've read about CocoView's food tended to be favorable. Wonder if they 'had a bad week,' or your tastes just weren't a good match? I know some people like saltier vs. bland food, rare vs. well-done meats, etc...and sometimes there's criticism from niche perspectives like vegans, etc...(another thing I can only imagine!)
it’s been a number of years since we were there but the reviews seemed to be the same then - most people ok with the food and a small number that didn’t like it. I think it’s a matter of taste. And maybe some people like the rest of the place so convince themselves mediocre cafeteria food is good. I dunno, I don’t get it. I’m not a meat eater and thought the food mostly sucked. My husband is a meat eater and was less unhappy but wasn’t impressed either. We like good food - not necessarily looking for gourmet, just good. The food is one of the main reasons I don’t see us returning.
 
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