>My experience with CocoView was that we had to wait over an hour at the airport for the bus to pick us up ... >apparently the bus driver got delayed taking one of his relatives to market or something. By the time we arrived at >CocoView the daily orientation was over, and they wouldn't let us dive until tne following day.
>Missing a whole diving day out of your vacation really hurts ... especially when it's the FIRST day. I even offered to >pay a DM to just take our little group on a private orientation so we could dive (it wasn't even noon yet), and they >wouldn't do it.
Bob
We have had to wait a little too but I found that it is generally on the 2nd wave of airline flights. The other day the first Delta was late, the first Continental was early and the 2nd Delta was on time. There were three jets on the ground at the same time and you have experienced customs. They were dropping off the outbound flights at the same time so the airport was an absolute mad house. I understand though about the driver doing a family errand... just report it to Liz and that should never happen again. We usually arrive about 2 PM
Check out dives were always the next morning since I have been going there. I have seen some done on Saturday but only with prior arrangements. I asked Liz about this as we had a newbie with us and she said that Saturday is the only day off for most of the DM's. I even offered to do the checkout since I am an instructor and know the front yard pretty well. I couldn't due to liability issues which I understand. We snorkeled our first year there and now my buddy Daryl and I race to get in a dive on Saturday but now everyone must go through the Sunday morning briefing to discuss if there has been any changes since our last visit.
I come in from Austin Texas, stay very hydrated (at my age I rarely pass a bathroom anyway) and do a "gentle" first dive so we feel okay getting one in on our arrival day. Since you have been there before you can bypass the newbies and go dive.
I totally agree about the sunrise being a wonderful time to dive. Now if I could just get everyone to do one more thing when diving there.... SLOW DOWN !!!!! Mel, our DM for this trip and one we have been with a couple of times had me lead through Mary's Place and I told everyone that I would be peeing a lot during the transit so to stay far behind me.
We were all through the crack and holding at the point for Mel in just about 15 - 20 minutes - which is a very long time for that dive.