Advice on Cayman Brac Beach Resort for a single diver

[Illini_Fan]

I'm looking for a new dive destination and a buddy mentioned Cayman Brac - so I figured I'd do some research.

I'm a single diver and I've historically used liveaboards that do insta-buddies or have DM lead groups. I've also done CoCo View in Roatan where you can easily find other divers. I've also done Cozumel half a dozen times but that was always with a buddy.

With that background how is CBBR for single divers?

How's the weather in mid-January? Is that an historically windy time that leads to lost dive days? Is the resort similar to CoCo View in that the majority of the divers are Saturday to Saturday? Or like Cozumel in that people come and go on their own schedule and you are never sure who will be on the boat with you?

Any help with my questions or other things I should be aware of, is appreciated

Tom

 

[KathyV]

I love CBBR but I think that there will be a major single supplement fee if you are traveling alone. I have never been there in January ad I travel with my buddy so I will let others respond to those questions. You can follow the divemaster or go off with your buddy. Most divers are there from Saturday to Saturday but there are a few that will come at other times. You are usually on the same boat with the same crew and divers for most of the week.

What do you like to do on vacation besides dive? There's not a lot of nightlife on Brac, it is a small, rural island but there are opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty.

Have you been to Bonaire? Scubaboard is hosting a trip there in January and it should be easy to find a buddy with that group:
ScubaBoard SURGE 2018 Bonaire Package Deal

 

[Illini_Fan]

KathyV - thanks for the ScubaBoard Bonaire info. I haven't been, but had stayed away since it was shore diving and I diidn't want to be at the whim of trying to find a buddy once there.

The fact that CBBR doesn't list their single supplement is something I noticed, but I haven't called them yet to find out how much damage that will add to the bill.

I'm find with the lack of other activities - CoCo View has nothing either. Reading, chatting with other divers, binge watching whatever show I've downloaded are all activities that I'm happy to engage in cover the non-diving part of the day. Plus napping.

thanks

 

[snowdog61]

We were there last December, Surge showed up a few weeks later. Windy?, well it was certainly breezy but not enough to affect the diving. There wasn't really any shore diving available off of CBBR that I remember - we snorkeled a tidal pool (inshore canal) that connects CBBR with the boat docks that the onsite shop uses. Plenty of other divers there and we didn't miss really anything by just hanging out. We did the 'tour' of the island via the local cabby - if you go, make sure to stop by and see Foots' place - he's quite the character and you'll see his place frequently from the dive boat. Overall experience - Nice place and well run operation. Did like the diving on Little Cayman better so that'd be my preference if we decide on a return visit. It was on my list and the fiancee was enamored with it on a previous visit so that was good enough for me - YMMV

 

[idocsteve]

Here's another possibility for you to consider and it applies to virtually ANY dive trip not just to the destination you had in mind.

Go on Match.com or Plenty of Fish and write in your profile that you enjoy scuba diving and you want to meet a partner who also likes to scuba dive or is willing to learn to scuba dive. Exchange messages, go on dates. Find yourself a significant other to go places with and to dive with and to show things to and to point things out to you that you would have missed. Then after the dive talk about all the stuff you saw, then rub each others shoulders and do other stuff. It's a lot of fun.

 

[snowdog61]

Go on Match.com or Plenty of Fish and write in your profile that you enjoy scuba diving and you want to meet a partner who also likes to scuba dive or is willing to learn to scuba dive. Exchange messages, go on dates. Find yourself a significant other to go places with and to dive with and to show things to and to point things out to you that you would have missed. Then after the dive talk about all the stuff you saw, then rub each others shoulders and do other stuff. It's a lot of fun.

Actually that is exactly how I met mine almost 3 yrs ago - getting married in June right before we go on the Invasion.

 

[idocsteve]

I'm with my GF 5 years now. She had a certification from many years ago, hadn't dived much. We did a few refresher dives off the shore, and we just completed our 4th tropical dive trip last week.Got her Nitrox and AOW certified so we can dive almost anywhere.

Back when I was actively dating I wouldn't even consider a second date with a woman who wouldn't consider putting a scuba tank on her back.

I've been on too many trips watching too many diving couples having so much more fun than I was being by myself. Don't get me wrong, solo diving is good too, but it's not nearly as good as having someone to share it with.

 

[Fathom044]

I am leading a trip in July that you are welcome to join. I can give you costs. Prices are based on double occupancy. You could always share a room if you are comfortable with that. As for shore diving, there are lots of shore dives available in Brac, especially on the north side. You can rent cylinders at Reef Divers for $12 and you would need a car. If you are committed to January, the weather should not effect the diving UNLESS a system moves in. We had some rough weather in March and lost a day. There is no way to predict/plan for that.

 

[Illini_Fan]

I should have used solo not single. I'm very happily married, but my wife doesn't dive. She gives me the proverbial "hall pass" for a week each January to go diving. Thus to everyone with the Match.com or similar topics, thanks but I'm good on that front. I've also done a SingleDivers trip in the past and that isn't a bad option so I need to look at their calendar as well.

 

[PatW]

I have done a fair bit of diving at "The Brac". My wife, who is my usual partner, misses about 25 percent of the dives either because he back aches or her ears need a rest.

On your first dive, the dive masters keep a pretty close eye on you. If you have good buoyancy skills, come up with 500 psi in your tank, don't kick coral or do something heedless, they will give you a pretty long leash. You can dive with the dive master. The dive master is the last in and first out.

I have a friend who dove with at the Brac just a few weeks ago. He got there a couple of days before we did. He could not pair up because he was on a boat with a pretty cohesive group. He was told to dive with the dive master and come up when the dive master did. But he is good on air, has excellent buoyancy skills, has good finning technique, so after the first dive, they cut him some slack.

Most of the time, one can find an insta buddy or dive with an amenable established buddy team.

I have seen cases where they have terminated diving privileges. In the cases I have seen, it took an incident that was egregious and that the diver did not seemed unable to appreciate the seriousness of the situation and the necessity for behavior modification. I have seen cases where divers made mistakes and when pointed out tried to amend their ways and were fine.

Generally, towards the end of dives, there is a group of divers under the boat and one can pair up on an ad hoc basis.

The Brac has daily flights in and out. Most of the divers arrive and depart on Saturday. But many come in and depart on other days.