COCO DIVE TIKEHAU

I recently dove with Coco Dive Center in Tikehau and had a mixed experience. The dive spot at the pass was beautiful, with a great variety of marine life—sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, moray eels, and more. However, it’s currently the only dive site they offer, and after four dives, it became a bit repetitive, especially since the manta cleaning station had no mantas during my visit.

Ivy (nicknamed “Tinkerbell”) was an outstanding guide—attentive, professional, and always pointing out interesting marine life. Her pre-dive briefings were clear and helpful. I’d give her 5 stars. Unfortunately, the second day with a different guide was disappointing. He wasn’t attentive, missed that one of us had a strap issue, downplayed a tank leak, and didn’t really watch the group.

The equipment could definitely be better maintained. I experienced three incidents of straps coming loose, a faulty o-ring that caused bubbling, and one of my regulators leaked air during a dive.

All in all, the pass is a great dive site with lots of life, and Ivy made the experience memorable. But the limited dive locations, inconsistent guiding, and equipment issues made it an uneven experience.

This is from Hanna Beatty, Ben’s wife off his email!
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Instead of relaxing on the beach during our honeymoon, my husband—in his typical fashion—convinced me to learn how to scuba dive. It sounded exciting on paper, but it also scared the life out of me.

I’m writing this review to share my amazing experience with Coco Dive, and especially with my instructor, Corto.

On the first day of open water training, I had what most people would consider a near-death experience—and Corto saved my life. While we were at the ocean floor, I started noticing my vision was getting blurry through my goggles. That sudden loss of visibility triggered a full-blown panic attack—40 feet underwater. In my panic, I ripped off my goggles and, worse, took out my regulator—the device you use to breathe. I also lost my contact lenses during all of this. I started drowning and kicked desperately toward the surface before everything went black.

Somehow, against all odds, Corto managed to stay calm and get the regulator back in my mouth while I was in full panic mode. He saved my life.

The next day, I was incredibly anxious about returning. I couldn’t stop thinking about the trauma from the day before, and it made it nearly impossible to focus on what Corto was trying to teach me. I know that couldn’t have been easy for him, but he remained patient, encouraging, and completely committed to helping me succeed.

A different instructor might have just rubber-stamped my certification and moved on. But not Corto. He made it clear he wouldn’t pass me unless I was truly ready—confident, calm, and capable underwater. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated how seriously he took that responsibility.

The third and final day of training brought even more pressure—it was my last chance to get certified. And honestly, after everything, I still wasn’t sure if scuba diving was even for me. As if matching my nerves, the weather turned stormy as we headed out on the boat. Pouring rain surrounded us, and I turned to Corto and said, “I can’t do this.”

But again, he didn’t pressure me. He stayed calm, smiling, and supportive.

Thankfully, the rain cleared. I decided to give it one more try. Corto allowed my husband to join me on the dive, which helped ease my anxiety. And then something amazing happened.

We saw a hammerhead shark, lionfish, and vibrant schools of fish. I started to relax. I practiced removing my goggles—this time with confidence. I finally experienced what people meant when they said scuba diving was like yoga underwater—peaceful, meditative, and grounding. It was one of the most incredible days of my life, and I’ve never been prouder of myself for pushing through.

The reason I’m sharing this in such detail is because of the impact Corto had on me. He didn’t just teach me how to dive—he helped me overcome deep fear and opened my eyes to a whole new world. Thanks to him, I now have a lifelong hobby to share with my husband—and hopefully one day, our future kids.

I’m beyond grateful to have had Corto as my instructor. He’s truly the best of the best. If he could guide me through this, I’m confident he can help anyone.

Thank you, Corto, for everything!

Also, shout out to Sebastian for being a great dive master to ben and so kind to us both!

Vous vous y sentirez comme chez vous.
Un centre "familiale" et à taille humaine. Une équipe disponible, réactive, attentionnée. Timing toujours respecté mais à la cool et sans pression. Les moniteurs sont tous au top. Les bateaux sont bien équipés et confortables. Les plongées sont magnifiques et font partie de mon top five (je plonge depuis 26 ans). Et puis n'hésitez pas à faire une "sunset". Tikehau sans Coco Dive ne serait pas Tikehau ;-).

Nous avons passé un super moment avec l’équipe de Cocodive, mention spéciale pour Ivy qui a été un vrai rayon de soleil !
Vous pouvez y aller les yeux fermés !

C'est parfait. le personnel est très sympathique et serviable.