SCUBA Diving Coco Cay – How RCCL can Improve the Experience With Just Four Easy Tweaks!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines can easily make the fun SCUBA dive at Coco Cay even more fun with just a few simple tweaks to the already great scheme.
First of all, towing the divers out by personal watercraft is great. With the distance to the drop zone too far to swim but too close to warrant a boat ride; this is a perfect and rather innovative, creative, fun solution.
However, I have some tips that RCCL could employ to make the experience even better!
1. Slow it down.
This was a medium-speed dive, about the speed of a slightly fast drift dive. In retrospect, we probably could have slowed down a lot more and just really enjoyed looking at all of the variety of fish on each enormous coral head.
If we do this again, and we are the only divers, I will request that we set the pace. There’s not such a huge variety to see that speeding along will gain you additional views, so might as well slow down and enjoy some micro!
2. Add SCUBA gear staging stations on the existing poles.
When we were ready to put on our dive gear, the dive instructors wanted to hold up our gear as we adjusted our straps. I was uncomfortable having someone stand there holding my gear while I fiddle with straps, so I opted to set my gear on one of their picnic tables. This probably was not really what they wanted, since my gear could really ruin the finish on the tables.
They seemed reluctant to have me pick up my own gear, maybe liability issues? And I have a feeling they did not really want my dive tank scraping the new paint on the picnic tables, but it seems the safer solution to me
Butting heads and trying to keep gear like expensive regulators from lying on the sand on the small concrete pad in front of the dive shop.
I actually had a couple worries about them holding my gear. One worry was that I would take too long. Also I didn’t want them to the gear on their own foot, or anywhere else. Plus, I wasn’t comfortable wiggling around a lot to get things situated with them supporting my gear.
Devil’s Den solution
We described to the dive crew the system that they use at Devil’s Den in Florida. It is extremely simple; a small ledge at about waist height, and a bungee cord and about where the top of the dive tank reaches, like on a dive boat
Instead of having to bend over to assemble your gear; you assemble it at chest height, and then simply back up to it, strap yourself in, and go. Divers can take as long as they like to make adjustments without inconveniencing anyone.
3. Valet gear pickup
The only other special treatment to an otherwise fabulous dive would have been for one of those 4×4 vehicles zooming around the island to plan to make a stop by the beach as we emerged from the water.
Each diver could remove their wet, heavy gear into the back of the vehicle, and have their gear taken uphill back to the dive shop. They already have the 4×4’s. It’s not a long drive, just a long-ish walk.
4. Group photo.
Normally, I’m not a fan of the group photo. HOWEVER, there is a photo opportunity station right by the dive shop. What better place to suggest a photo than when people are more unlikely to have their camera in their hand due to being soaking wet, or be more likely to want a group shot!
This is a perfect opportunity missed! The dive leader can lead the group the eight feet to the sign, and arrange for a photographer to head that way when he/she sees the 4×4 retrieving the divers’ gear.
With an excursion like this, if it is a family or group diving, this is an even better photo op than with everyone sitting around all cleaned up at the formal dinner that night. THIS is the moment they have just completed an exciting experience! Take advantage, RCCL – this is the one photo we might buy!
More dive from cruise ship information
For further information, when considering dives from a cruise ship, I always check the boards on Cruise Critic to see what the “Expert Cruisers” say.
Here’s what I found on Coco Cay: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2418512-making-my-4th-attempt-to-dive-at-coco-cay-fingers-crossed/http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=ZC05&DestinationCode=Also, there are several videos on YouTube from divers at Coco Cay.
What we used to take our photos – oour budget-friendly choice!
We used inexpensive GoPro 3’s to get all our great shots – they are affordable, easy-to-use, compact, and dependable. We used the waterproof camera housing, also quite reasonably-priced.
We also added handles with leashes so we could keep the cameras attached to our BCD or on our wrists. For under $200, you can get some amazing results from these teeny cameras! Below are links to the camera we used, the waterproof casing, handle, and a new Vecino light we tested out for the first time on this trip.
What to read next: Scuba Diving at CoCo Cay from RCCL
