I found Cactus Juice to work well while at Coco View. https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Juice...s=gateway&sprefix=Cactus+Juice,aps,181&sr=8-1Thanks Alan. I'll order some now. Appreciate the suggestion.
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I found Cactus Juice to work well while at Coco View. https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Juice...s=gateway&sprefix=Cactus+Juice,aps,181&sr=8-1Thanks Alan. I'll order some now. Appreciate the suggestion.
Cactus juice worked well. Thanks for the scoop.I found Cactus Juice to work well while at Coco View. https://www.amazon.com/Cactus-Juice-Eco-spray-6oz/dp/B000FXWOJM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33LKARNH3O3XV&keywords=cactus+juice+bug+spray&qid=1552431938&s=gateway&sprefix=Cactus+Juice,aps,181&sr=8-1
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 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.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.
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.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!)
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.