Advice needed for trip (July26-Aug10)

[breken]

So I'm planning on spending some quality time in the Caymans and I need some advice. I would certainly love to do as much diving as possible. More then one island is a possibility. The first part of my trip should be a bit lighter on diving (my girlfriend is newly certified) the second week of the trip should be the best diving possible (she's leaving earlier then I am and I have another diving friend joining me). I'd also like to relax a bit, see what sights there are to see, and basically have the entire experience.

So my question is what kind of itinerary would experienced Cayman travelers recommend for this? A week on Grand Cayman and a week on little Cayman? Recommendations for places to stay? Should I try to book at an an inclusive, or figure out the hotel and diving independent?

Hoping the wisdom of the masses will help me a bit with my trip planning. All I have so far is the plane ticket!

 

[DeputyDan]

I would do the first week on GC - more non-diving activities and nightlife for the GF
I would do the second week on LC with the dive buddy

I can't advise on lodging but a couple of places on GC to look at are

Cobalt Coast Dive Resort - dive and vacation packages in Grand Cayman

Scuba Diving Adventures & Dive Vacations - East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Ocean Frontiers Home Page

Cayman Hotels: Turtle Nest Inn, Grand Cayman - Exotic & Affordable Beachfront Alternative.

The Reef | Cayman Islands Only All Beachfront Resort

 

[divesergeant]

I agree with DeputyDan about the timing. GCM with the GF, and a sister island with the hard-core dive buddy. Or, a week near SMB with the GF and then a week on the East End with Ocean Frontiers would also work. You could still rent a car and drive into SMB for some nightlife with the dive buddy that way.

We tend to stay away from all-inclusives, favoring the plan of eating out to experience the island more. If you stay near SMB you will find no end to the great restaurants.

My favorite SMB dive op is Neptune's Divers, (www.Neptune'sDivers.com) . Casey and Keith are like family now, and Casey is great with newer divers. Many others will also post their dive op recommendations. Check out the various websites and choose the one that seems to feel right for you.

Hope this helps!
DS

 

[breken]

This would be opening up a can of worms I'm assuming, but is the diving on the sister islands better the the east end enough to justify the trip over?

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

I recommend Grand Cayman the 1st week and Little Cayman for the second.
We just had a group get back and they had a blast diving with Sunset House. The other option that we send people to is Dive Tech which uses Cobalt Coast Dive Resort.

On Little Cayman you have Little Cayman Beach Resort.

I also do Travel so let me know if you need help with this. Usually I can match if not beat any On-line price.

 

[caymaniac]

This would be opening up a can of worms I'm assuming, but is the diving on the sister islands better the the east end enough to justify the trip over?

In one word, "yes". Although GC is a terrific place to dive, LC is perhaps the best in the Caribbean. You won't always get sharks like Turks&Caicos but the walls are more spectacular. We've most recently spent a week on GC and haven't stayed there for awhile it was great, the sea life really good...but it doesn't beat LC.
Your GF will really enjoy 7milebeach area, there's no beach to walk on LC, there's no nightlife on LC other than a night dive or the stars.
Go hardcore on LC and do 3 dives a day, you'll never regret it.

 

[DandH]

We just returned from GC and the North Wall was closed off due to weather conditions, so if you stay at Cobalt, they'll be shuttling you to another location for diving. I would check prior to arriving.
Just my two cents, but a la carte seems to work best. You can even negotiated deals at the last minute and if you keep your eye on coupons and meal deals, you can cut your food prices dramatically by looking for specials.

Also, as new divers the thought of the Northwall and even the West wall can be overwhelming. At the northwall, you go to 60' and check your gear and then go down the wall. The dive companies think nothing of it, but for newly certified, it can be anxiety building. There are plenty of great shore dives in the 30-60 foot range up and down the coast.

 

[South4Scuba]

I highly recommend Little Cayman for a new diver. The boats (Reef Divers) are large well equiped special dive boats that make it easy to enter and exit the water. I remember when I was new to diving I was very intimidated by the beginning and end of each dive. In between was a great adventure. The boats at LC will tie up to a mooring ball and wait for you to casually return when you run out of gas. For new divers that is sometimes 20 minutes or less.

Also at LC you can choose to dive shallow or deep on most every dive. While the gang dives off the Bloody Bay Wall into 100' you can explore in 20' to 40' of water if that is what your newbie wants to do. There are very few places like LC where you can have great dives in 20' of water.

If you do decide to stay on Grand Cayman, we recently stayed at the Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach and it is very inexpensive. GC is one of the most expensive places anywhere for hotels. The Comfort Suites is not "on" the beach, but it is within 100 yards and you don't have to cross a road to get to the beach. Our rooms were $89 per night with a free breakfast. It is not luxurious, but the rooms are clean and comfortable.