Just returned from Brac Reef Resort with a group of 29 from our LDS. Thanks to SB posters who gave me plenty to read about the island and diving in that area. Here's my take on things:
Flight: Chicago to Charlotte then to Grand Cayman (US Air), 6 hour lay-over then to Cayman Brac (Cayman Air). We had 6 hours in the Cayman Airport both ways and the 2nd floor restaurant was great to hang out. We had lots of people so lots to talk about with different people. It might be different if it was just spouse and me, but not too bad.
Resort: Rebuilt after 2008 hurricane and it still seems relatively new. Nice size rooms, very nice eating area, tennis court, pool, nice bar, study/computer room and walk to end of island for sunset or wetland viewing. Trudy, the manager, was great and all the staff were very nice, helpful, and funny. It's hard to know if being with a group of 29 helps the service, but I observed other non-group couples treated equally well and with the same great attitude and humor. As compared to other dive resorts in the Caribbean that I've stayed in, as nice or a step nicer.
Food: Very good selection of interesting, tasty dishes. Soups were wonderful. Despite every effort, could not pass on the desserts because we'd have three choices and all were great. My wife is a vegetarian and they made a separate, very well prepared and tasty, dish for her for every lunch and dinner. Made to order egg and waffle station was a treat for breakfast with lots of other things and plenty of fruit. Best food of the 8 different resorts in the Caribbean I've stayed in.
Diving: No real current, close by sites except an hour over to Little Cayman for Bloody Bay Wall, so the boat rides were easy as was the diving. Very healthy reefs with loads of sea fans and other soft corral in very good shape. Fields of sea fans, which surprised me. Good underwater topography. Lots of crevices and swim throughs to enjoy. Many large schools of fish: grunts, snappers, and jacks. Some smaller stuff. A few turtles, reef sharks, and nurse sharks. Tons and tons of groupers and a good number of rays. Lionfish, but nowhere near as many as I saw in Roatan, Cozumel, or San Salvador in 2012. DM spearing went on with every dive and shark/grouper/moray eel eating followed. So, lots of small fish which was nice to see.
Boat staff: We had Brett, Steve, and Becky. Amazingly friendly, nice, and slow as guides, which we like for photography and we just like it very slow. We mostly went off on our own, but my wife and I followed each of them once or twice and enjoyed the pace and the tour. It is an interesting process to get in the water. You walk to the back of the boat with mask and fins in hand. Sit in one of three spots, put on mask and fins. They bring your set up to you and help you put it on then you jump in and they hand in the camera after entry. They don't want people walking to the back of the boat with gear or even just fins on, so they haul it to you. Very hard work for them, but they were great about it. Same after exit. You sit in one of three spots, they take off your gear and change tanks and place it all in your spot.
Equipment handling: After the end of the two-tank morning dive, you take your wetsuit off the boat, rinse and hang to dry. You can take your camera and computers, but your BC, reg, fins, booties, etc. stay on. After last dive of the day (we booked a three dive day package), leave your BC and reg and all else goes with you to rinse tanks then you can hang in a secure area for the next day.
Conclusion: We will go back.
We enjoyed everything about our stay, diving, eating, and conversing with friendly staff.
A few sample pictures of the coral and some fish.
Rob
Flight: Chicago to Charlotte then to Grand Cayman (US Air), 6 hour lay-over then to Cayman Brac (Cayman Air). We had 6 hours in the Cayman Airport both ways and the 2nd floor restaurant was great to hang out. We had lots of people so lots to talk about with different people. It might be different if it was just spouse and me, but not too bad.
Resort: Rebuilt after 2008 hurricane and it still seems relatively new. Nice size rooms, very nice eating area, tennis court, pool, nice bar, study/computer room and walk to end of island for sunset or wetland viewing. Trudy, the manager, was great and all the staff were very nice, helpful, and funny. It's hard to know if being with a group of 29 helps the service, but I observed other non-group couples treated equally well and with the same great attitude and humor. As compared to other dive resorts in the Caribbean that I've stayed in, as nice or a step nicer.
Food: Very good selection of interesting, tasty dishes. Soups were wonderful. Despite every effort, could not pass on the desserts because we'd have three choices and all were great. My wife is a vegetarian and they made a separate, very well prepared and tasty, dish for her for every lunch and dinner. Made to order egg and waffle station was a treat for breakfast with lots of other things and plenty of fruit. Best food of the 8 different resorts in the Caribbean I've stayed in.
Diving: No real current, close by sites except an hour over to Little Cayman for Bloody Bay Wall, so the boat rides were easy as was the diving. Very healthy reefs with loads of sea fans and other soft corral in very good shape. Fields of sea fans, which surprised me. Good underwater topography. Lots of crevices and swim throughs to enjoy. Many large schools of fish: grunts, snappers, and jacks. Some smaller stuff. A few turtles, reef sharks, and nurse sharks. Tons and tons of groupers and a good number of rays. Lionfish, but nowhere near as many as I saw in Roatan, Cozumel, or San Salvador in 2012. DM spearing went on with every dive and shark/grouper/moray eel eating followed. So, lots of small fish which was nice to see.
Boat staff: We had Brett, Steve, and Becky. Amazingly friendly, nice, and slow as guides, which we like for photography and we just like it very slow. We mostly went off on our own, but my wife and I followed each of them once or twice and enjoyed the pace and the tour. It is an interesting process to get in the water. You walk to the back of the boat with mask and fins in hand. Sit in one of three spots, put on mask and fins. They bring your set up to you and help you put it on then you jump in and they hand in the camera after entry. They don't want people walking to the back of the boat with gear or even just fins on, so they haul it to you. Very hard work for them, but they were great about it. Same after exit. You sit in one of three spots, they take off your gear and change tanks and place it all in your spot.
Equipment handling: After the end of the two-tank morning dive, you take your wetsuit off the boat, rinse and hang to dry. You can take your camera and computers, but your BC, reg, fins, booties, etc. stay on. After last dive of the day (we booked a three dive day package), leave your BC and reg and all else goes with you to rinse tanks then you can hang in a secure area for the next day.
Conclusion: We will go back.
A few sample pictures of the coral and some fish.
Rob
