[mayres]

I have not done much research myself, but to the best of my knowledge you are correct - coir is the husk part of the coconut. I can purchase it locally in a brick form. It is amazing how much media a small brick fluffs up to - it comes compressed in brick from from other areas of the world. My thought process at this point is that it should last a lot longer than sphag and have similar moisture retentive properties. Only have been using it since July - so far excellent results. The product I purchased is not leathery at all to start and extremely porous.
After a short research period on the internet - coir is ground waste from coconut husks with most of the fiber removed (which is used for making ropes, pads, mattresses and a host of other items). Quality of media can vary significantly depending upon source - Sri Lanka appears to generally have the best material (which is what I found at a hydroponics store in town). Poor quality material can have excess salt which will need to be well rinsed. mike