Bonaire or Cayman

[scubaNYC16]

Planing a trip for 4th of July week, haven't been to either. Would be great to hear form someone who's been to both that can compare diving and vibe. Cayman seems too built up and touristy but maybe I'm wrong. Thanks for your help.​

 

[drrich2]

Have you done a lot of shore diving? There's some in Grand Cayman, but a whole lot in Bonaire. If you'd enjoy driving around (manual transmission truck, or about $150 upcharge for an automatic) driving when, where & how you want, that could make your decision. If you like boat dives, you could do either, but of course G.C. is famous for that.

What, if anything, do you want to do besides diving?

Richard.

 

[Doc]

Bonaire is "built-up and touristy" in the small zone around the dock in the town of Krinkydink.

Grand Cayman is built-up just about everywhere you turn.

And this is a deciding factor... why?

If you are interested in "island vibe"...

vibe (v b)n. SlangA vibration. Often used in the plural: a nostalgic vibe to the decor; a stranger who gave off bad vibes. Sorry, I just had to look that up. (I still got nothin') I think you are likely to get "down home and tribal" more easily on Bonaire. This same level of vibe will cost more on Cayman, but in general, it's worth it, just from the vibe perspective. I am long past searching for "island vibe" as I am likely in bed snoring long before peak vibe time, but I think the chicks on Cayman might wear perfume, stuff like that. I prefer the diving on Bonaire, even though it has not yet fully recovered from the long-ago Hurricane. Grand Cayman has a lot of little prissy dive rules and the reef is fairly well trashed from years of on-shore development and run-off. GC has some very nice boutique type stores, Bonaire not so much. GC you can spend stupid money on fabulous meals, Bonaire you can spend little or nothing on adventurous dining. Vibe may be problematic to bring back with you to the US, so ingest all you can hold before you leave. It doesn't travel well in luggage.

 

[drrich2]

It's worth mentioning that there's more to 'Cayman' than Grand Cayman. Look at some of the threads on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Haven't been to either, but it's my understanding from reading that either is a good deal different from Grand Cayman.

Richard.

 

[DiveMaven]

Grand Cayman = fast paced, sophistocated, beaches, out all night vibe
Bonaire = slow, casual, no beaches, in bed by 10 vibe

Grand Cayman = boat diving on walls with some shore diving available
Bonaire = shore diving on walls and double-reefs with some boat diving available

 

[BUDMANOK]

Grand Cayman has a lot of little prissy dive rules and the reef is fairly well trashed from years of on-shore development and run-off.

that's pretty harsh for GC. yes some of the reefs closer in that are overused by the cruise boat crowd are trashed but there are still some amazing dives on Grand Cayman. there is a lot of GC especially on the east end that is not built-up.The ease of getting to GC from the USA is a big selling point for me.

 

[diveprof]

Bonaire vs. Cayman? Well if it is Grand Cayman vs. Bonaire - Bonaire it is. If Little Cayman vs. Bonaire - Little Cayman would be the winner. Little Cayman has a small island feel, but all parties better be a diver because there is not much else to do. The wall diving at Little Cayman is spectacular with good marine life. That's why Little Cayman Beach Resort has such a tremendous repeat business. The three dive a day package is a nice way to go. The coral (West End) of Grand Cayman has seen better days. There are some nice dives particularly on the North and East end, but Grand Cayman is an expensive, resort location. Bonaire is nice, but you do not get the spectacular walls. However, if you want to dive totally to your schedule, Bonaire is nice that way. Just need a pickup truck. However, if you are taking this trip solo, you may find it hard to find a dive buddy for the shore diving.

 

[Doctorfish]

I don't think it's that cut and dried. GC has some spectacular wall diving on the north and east. Babylon, for instance, is a breathtaking location as is Ghost Mountain and many others. There is nothing like these sites on Bonaire where all of the diving on the west and north is either reef or mini wall. If you want lots of sponges, soft corals, walls and a chance to see pelagics, then GC tops Bonaire in my opinion. GC is pricier than Bonaire, but in the off season, you can find some bargain packages at places like Cobalt Coast and Reef Resort and dive the north or east on a budget. Not all of GC is built up either, once you get out of Georgetown and Seven Mile Beach, the rest of the island still has some Caribbean charm. Bonaire has great easy access shore diving which is great for macro but no real walls.

Little Cayman has both of these beat by a mile when it comes to the diving, but as pointed out, there is not much else to do and it's an expensive package, even in summer. We alternate between all three islands and like them all different. If I had to do a forced rank order it would be: LC > Bonaire > GC. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, it's just a matter of what you want and can afford.

As far as "prissy dive rules", I disagree with the comment from Doc; I've had far more aggravation on Bonaire from martinet dive masters than on GC or LC.

 

[BDSC]

Another vote for Little Cayman if the choice was between Bonaire and Little Cayman. I've done both numerous times and for the diving itself, Little Cayman wins easily. Of course most places at LC are all-inclusive and some folks may or may not like that. I can tell you the food at LCBR is excellent. Maybe better than excellent. But if you like trying different places to eat and just all around having a bit more to do than just diving, Bonaire might be a better fit.

 

[cardzard]

Join the ScubaBoard Invasion to Bonaire. It's only 1 week earlier and we have it all.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/invade-bonaire-2013/437012-invade-bonaire-2013-package-deal.html