MV Argo – An Optimized Liveaboard Diving Experience in Cocos Island

Photo courtesy from Undersea Hunter Group

MV Argo

Deck Plan of MV Argo

Company: The Undersea Hunter Group
Year Built: 2008
Type of Vessel: Steel Hulled Yacht
Length: 39 meters (129 feet)
Beam: 8 meters (26 feet)
Cruising Speed: 10 knots
Maximum Capacity: 16 dive guest + 9 crew

There are several vessels offering liveaboard diving in Cocos Island where their competing standards has led the MV Argo to offer a more comfortable stay and total customer satisfaction. Although you will be living in this vessel for over a week during your trip to Cocos Island, the space created from the 8m x 39m multi-level deck of MV Argo gives you a considerable amount of working and living comfort.

On-board Lodging

The MV Argo has 8 cabin suites that is carpeted all throughout where each room have its own air-conditioning with thermostat control, a private bathroom, flat screen TV and a DVD player, satellite phone where you can make international calls and access the web for data about Cocos Island, email or perhaps reading this particular article. It has a built-in furniture like shelves, drawers with hanging hooks, desk and chair. For charging of electronic gadgets, each room is equipped with a 110 volt electrical outlet.

Located mostly on the lower deck with 2 rooms found on the upper deck, each cabin is uniquely designed with a wall theme and a hand painted artwork by Costa Rican based Argentinian painter Carlos Hiller.

Lower Deck Cabins

Cabin 2: Shark Theme

Cabin 3: Whale Theme

Cabin 4: Sailfish Theme

Cabin 5: Dolphin Theme

Cabin 6: Turtle Theme

Upper Deck Cabins

Cabin 7: Manta Ray Theme

Cabin 8: Sting Ray Theme

Now that you are convinced with the features of each room, your next concern is about sleeping where you may think having a good night’s rest may be hard due to the side yawning of the boat. This liveaboard experience can infact sets you into sleep mode easily as the boat is installed with a custom built stabilizing system making your sleeping experience similar to your actual land-base home.

Worried about your stock pile of dirty clothes? Relax and do not worry as it offers free laundry service during the cruise.

Fine Dining at Sea

Centrally located at the main deck is the dining room where you can have a gastronomic feast from American and Costa Rican cuisine where each dish is delectably prepared by their in-house chef. Often served are fresh fruits, salads, fish, chicken and beef. Just in case you have any special dietary requirements, do not hesitate to inform their staff especially on the booking process for them to prepare beforehand.

Situated just beside the dining hall is the Main Salon where it is a great place to socialize with other guest. Evening entertainments are usually done in the main salon where you can view photos taken during the day, watch DVD or play games. Take note of this: the refrigerator is constantly replenished with beer, softdrinks and the nearby counter is always filled with snacks.

Organized Diving

The moment you get on board MV Argo, one of the first thing that you will do is to settle in with your diving equipment where each guest is provided with their own equipment storage. You have to take note that you should not mix your camera with your equipment as there is a separate storage for cameras and strobes.

Aside from this, you will appreciate the spacious deck that allows you to comfortably set-up your gears without bumping in or hitting someone’s elbow.

Before the start of your dive, you will be given a Personal Position Indicating Beacon that will be attached to your BCD just incase you get lost underwater from the dive group. By the way, Nitrox is totally free of charge where it is being used in most of the dives here in Cocos Island. Their skiff boat, powered by a twin outboard engine, will ferry you to a particular dive site making your travel more faster and giving you more time underwater. The best part of diving is that all their dive guides are trained professionally where every underwater tour is considered “smooth sailing“.

Experience the Abyss

This is probably the highlight of your expedition to Cocos Island where you can experience this once in a lifetime opportunity to go deep sea diving in a seamount called Everest. The MV Argo has an onboard Deep Sea Submersible which is a fully pressurized craft that is capable of descending down up to the abyssal depths of the ocean. Just imagine exploring a submerged mountain at 100 meters (330 feet) deep and goes all the way down to 300 meters (1,000 feet) in a virtually dark environment where the only source of light is from your submersible. Each descent allows 2 guest to get onboard and go deep sea diving where you can see prickly sharks and other oddly looking creatures.

For more information, you can read our related article about Deep Sea Diving in Everest.

Pre and Post Boarding Care

Regardless of what hotel you checked-in, the staff and crew will arrange a transportation for you going to and back from Puntarenas where the MV Argo is safely docked. Your arrival at MV Argo for the start of your trip might be easy and light. But as you go back to port and finish your trip where you have gained experience and bonded with friends . . . for us is the hardest part. As if you do not want to end this liveaboard cruise. But as this cruise needs to end and prepare itself for another trip and welcome its new guest, a complimentary handshake to the staff and crew can be a great token of gratitude while simultaneously saying: Thank You and till the next trip.

Book with us SOON

We are announcing to all Cocoholics (addicts of Cocos Island) and to those who are seeking the ultimate dive adventure that we are on the final stage of the agreement between the Undersea Hunter Group where we can assist and book you to your liveaboard cruise with MV Argo.

Allow us to handle the tedious booking process and have more time preparing for your actual liveaboard trip to Cocos Island.

Reference

Undersea Hunter Group: www.underseahunter.com

Dive Zone: www.divezone.net

Dive the World: www.dive-the-world.com

Video courtesy from DiveTheWorldVids

About Tristan Paylado
Tristan is a marine biologist and a CMAS 2-Star Dive Instructor
View all posts by Tristan Paylado →