Splurge on a week off and consider...
COBALT COAST RESORT on GRAND CAYMAN
I considered that. It’s not the money, it’s the time off. Can’t be looking like I have more time off and go on more trips than my boss.
One of the potential problems with Cobalt Coast is that Reef Divers only does 2 AM boat dives per day. Being most north, the shore diving is prone to adverse conditions. You can always try going south to Lighthouse Point or Turtle Reef, but it will not be on your package. I can't figure out why they don't offer 3 boat dives per day like they do on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Does anybody know?
What you really want is a guaranteed 3rd dive per day like they offer at the other 2 resorts, not a promise if enough people sign up. I would have no interest in going to SRC. I would not mind going to the Kittiwake, once. The other two resorts also offer 1 or 2 night dives if there is interest. These are nice dives. Cobalt Coast is deficient
That area of Grand Cayman does get winded out often, but I think that is most likely to happen in fall and winter so the August trip that
@uncfnp is doing should be okay, but it will probably be very hot! And I believe that the unlimited shore dives include night dives on the house reef so that's nice!
Right now Reef Divers does offer some afternoon dives from CCGCR but sometimes for an extra charge, and these are usually "excursions" like trips to Stingray City.
This is just a guess on my part but I think that the Tibbetts family and the Clearly Cayman Resort corp are still sort of "figuring out what to do with the Cobalt Coast property" so perhaps they will eventually offer 1-tank dives in the afternoon as part of their packages, like they do at LCBR and CBBR. (Edited to add: the information that
@uncfnp just posted indicates that this may happen soon!).
In 2015 when we were staying at Little Cayman Beach Resort, and when the Cayman Brac Beach Resort was closed for extensive remodeling, a staff member at LCBR told me that the Tibbett's family had just invested a big hunk of money in CBBR for the infinity pool, 2-level beach bar and other remodeling on Brac, when the opportunity to buy Cobalt Coast came up suddenly because the founder and owner of the resort wanted to sell and retire.
The Cobalt Coast property offered several attractive features, including the opportunity to be the only resort/dive company with properties on all 3 Cayman islands; plus their proximity to the spectacular North Wall as well as access to diving the West side, and also shore diving on the House Reef most of the year - which isn't available at many GC properties. It also provides access to all the attractions and amenities of Grand Cayman - but purchasing it was a major investment.
I am sure that they are not hurting for money, but the LC staff member told me that the family had to sell off some property they owned on Grand Cayman to help finance the CC purchase, and that they would still need to invest a lot into the property to update it to the same level as their other resorts.
It sounds like they have been doing that, and now they are shutting down for a few months during the high season to update all the air-conditioning units and do some other renovations.
I have visited the CC property (but not stayed there) and dived with them once or twice and it looks nice but a bit dated, and they have a good operation, but the beach is tiny and man-made on iron shore, the pool is small, and they may not have an indoor, air-conditioned dining room - but I am not sure about that. But I saw the buffet set up on the bar in a roofed open-air area, and people eating lunch under a pergola, at the bar, and at tables near the waterside - so they may not have a dining room. (I like to eat in air-conditioned comfort, but maybe that will be part of the AC updates that they are doing now?!)
The resort does have a beautiful pier and dock and they have gorgeous views of the Caribbean Sea, as well as swimming, snorkeling, and diving opportunities right out front - which are not available at LCBR and CBBR.
So maybe they will make some other changes in the future to the property and the dive offerings, but right now it is the cheapest Clearly Cayman resort/dive/meal package available, and flying to GC is easier and cheaper than getting the other Cayman islands; so it has a lot of potential.
I will be interested to hear the comments of the SB members after their August trip.