Cayman Brac input

[KathyV]

Reading about the Cayman options on the forum over time, I suspect Brac gets 'pinched,' with people wanting topside activities directed to Grand Cayman, people wanting the allegedly 'best diving in the Caribbean' directed to Little Cayman, and Brac? Maybe the rest of you perceive a different rep., but the impression I got from postings over the years could be summed up as 'almost as good as Little Cayman, and cheaper' (comparing LCBR to CBBR, no consideration for shore diving).

If my impression of Cayman Brac's 'forum impression' is accurate, it could explain that 'homely step-sister' bit. If people want the best, why settle for less (if Brac is less and I'm not saying it is!)? If you're willing to compromise on that to enjoy a better topside experience, why not choose amongst the myriad offerings on Grand Cayman?

Do any of you get that same impression about how Brac is discussed? If it is, do you think that's fair, or off the mark?

An expanding shore diving scene could indeed by a game changer.

Richard.

I like Brac better than Little Cayman although I know that I am in a minority. Both are lovely but there's a bit more to do and see on Brac. Little Cayman is very flat and the topography is rather boring. The bluff and the caves and wetlands add some interest to Brac's topography and there are also a few more places to eat and shop too - but not many.

And the community on Brac is really nice - a very small town feel. People are nice on LC but there are hardly any locals. They have a permanent population of just 200 people on LC and the island almost completely shuts down in the summer (really!). The population on Brac is only around 2000 so it is still very small, but there is more of a community feel IMO. The locals often come to the CBBR to join in for Sunday Brunch and Bingo night and the Friday night barbecue and everyone has a lot of fun.

Plus if the weather is bad I think that you have more options for good diving around Brac than around LC. I have dived the south side of LC and it is nice but the Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson's Bight are the big draws - and when that isn't an option your LC dive vacation becomes much less exciting.

It's also a bit easier to get to Brac. Not a lot of flights but they receive jets, turboprops, and twin otters both day and night. On LC you only have the twin otters during the daylight hours so missing luggage is pretty common.

There is also a chamber on Brac but not on Little, although the islands are close and they can usually get you over to Brac for care if needed.

It's hard to explain but I like Brac better, but I like LC too and I can easily understand the appeal of the BBW that makes LC so attractive.

I enjoy all 3 of the Cayman islands, there's a lot to see and do on GC and excellent diving and a beautiful beach. And if you are traveling with non-divers then GC has the best topside options. I think that divers should give all 3 Cayman islands a try.

I wish that I was on any of them right now. Here at home the air temp is currently 1 F and the wind chill is -16 F, brrrrrr! Oh to be in Cayman!

 

[drrich2]

Appreciate the added info., and that's just the sort prospective customers need. When people are striving to discriminate between different destination options (& there are many!), they go on other's reports & recommendations. I suspect that's more an issue with all-inclusive options; I see Cayman Brac Reach Resort mentioned more than any other option on the forum, and it's your one-stop-shop for room, board, pool and boat diving.

When you've stayed at CBBR, any idea about what % of customers got off the reservation, so to speak, and roamed around the island, ate out elsewhere, mingled with the locals, etc...?

That's an irony; people who post with a desire to embrace local culture elsewhere often don't seem to be keen on A.I., yet a nice combo. of the two sounds like a perk for Cayman Brac.

Richard.

 

[scubadada]

My exposure to Cayman Brac outside of CBBR was a whole day of bike riding the day we lost due to Tropical Storm Phillipe and the half day I had the day before I left. Though the amount of ground I was able to cover was limited, it was incredibly valuable. If I return, I would rent a car and take advantage of the extensive shore diving available.

 

[KathyV]

Appreciate the added info., and that's just the sort prospective customers need. When people are striving to discriminate between different destination options (& there are many!), they go on other's reports & recommendations. I suspect that's more an issue with all-inclusive options; I see Cayman Brac Reach Resort mentioned more than any other option on the forum, and it's your one-stop-shop for room, board, pool and boat diving.

When you've stayed at CBBR, any idea about what % of customers got off the reservation, so to speak, and roamed around the island, ate out elsewhere, mingled with the locals, etc...?

That's an irony; people who post with a desire to embrace local culture elsewhere often don't seem to be keen on A.I., yet a nice combo. of the two sounds like a perk for Cayman Brac.

Richard.

I think that most people stay around the resort and don't venture out much on both Brac and Little. We've met people that have visited several times but never left the resort except on a dive boat.

We usually rent a car for a day and drive around and stop at various places. There are small interesting museums on both islands that are worth a visit. You can also borrow bicycles and cycle around the resort area at both CBBR and LCBR - but it is hot so we usually don't get too far on bikes.

There is a lovely wetland across from CBBR with lookout platforms and lots of wildlife, and the resort is well-positioned to enjoy gorgeous sunsets.

On LC the iguana population and frigate bird populations are more apparent and quite interesting. Both islands have Booby Birds that can be fun to watch.

On LC it's pretty easy to walk from the LCBR to Blossom Village (about 4 store fronts, the Hungry Iguana Restaurant, and a gas pump) but the road has a border of heavy vegetation and if you walk back at dusk or after dark you will encounter a ferocious gauntlet of mosquitos, especially if the wind is down.

On LC you can spend an afternoon touring the Marine Science Facility but after you have done that once, it's not too exciting. But the Scientists frequently show up at the beach bar at LCBR for trivia night, and they usually win the prize bottle of wine!

I have heard that some folks also kayak over to Owens Island off LC for a picnic and snorkeling, but the descriptions I've read about the mosquitos on the island have kept me away!

The infinity pool and double decker bar at CBBR are gorgeous and I think that the food is a little better at CBBR, too - especially the desserts!

TV reception is poor at both resorts - except in the bars. WiFi is better at CBBR. Both resorts have small spas, lobby computers, small gyms, take/leave a book libraries, tennis/basketball courts, and hammocks.

If the weather is good you can take a boat trip over to LC from CB to dive BBW, and vice versa to dive the Russian Frigate off of Brac.

I like them both, but I like Brac a little bit more.

 

[KathyV]

Cayman Brac is a nice place. I don't think you have much to worry about at this time. The carrying capacity was much greater before Divi Tiara closed in 2006, well before Hurricane Paloma in 2008. Then the associated time shares, Club Tiara, closed in 2008. I've already mentioned the closure of the Alexander Hotel in 2014. CBBR is a nice easy place to visit, it was not full when I visited in October. Maybe the popularity of their shore diving will take off, who knows? I certainly would not mind returning someday. So many places to dive, so little time...

Le Soleil d'Or, the high-end, farm to table, luxury resort on Brac also closed down recently.

A local once told me that the main reason that Divi Tiara pulled out so abruptly was because they wanted to establish a small casino at the resort to increase occupancy and profitability, but the conservative Cayman government does not condone gambling and refused.

I have been to other Divi resorts that had casinos (Bonaire and St. Croix) so it sounds like gambling could have been a contributing factor.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I used to live and work on Cayman Brac in 1999. The diving was some of the best in the Caribbean when I lived there. We would dive Little Cayman once a week. A school of squid was plentiful in the daytime my last dive on Bloody Bay Wall. We'd often encounter tarpon, turtles, and rays. Never saw a shark there. I've seen tiger sharks, hammerheads, and bull sharks a lot in the FL Keys and reef sharks galore in the Bahamas, but never spotted a shark on Brac. I'm sure a lot has changed while a lot has stayed the same. The Russian-built Cuban frigate, renamed the Capt. M/V Keith Tibbetts, is one of the coolest wrecks in the tropics. The 2004 hurricane broke it in half. I dove it while intact. The islanders were very friendly. It's like a small town where everyone knows everyone else.

I was injured in a car accident and Faith Hospital provided some of the best emergency medical care. I was run over by a car. The driver said he was doing 40 - 50 mph when he hit me. I had been standing on the center line of a road in a 25 mph zone talking to a woman in a car when BAM! The physicians were all London educated. The nurses were from the US, UK, and Australia. They told me that my doctor was the best trauma doc they've ever worked with anywhere. Divi Tiara Beach supplied the food at the time. They spoiled me. When I was medevaced to the USA, hospitals had nuclear medicine capabilities for bone scans, but not the personalized care I enjoyed for some weeks.

Some of my neighbors had colorful pasts as drug pilots. Used to be part of the unspoiled Caribbean.

 

[vincent54]

I'll add a note about shore diving.. Unlike Bonaire where there is a calm side, Brac is positioned to have rough entries on all sides when the wind sets on the usual NE. The only calm sites will be far west end. Going out through white water is easy, coming in is the problem. Finding your exit is difficult unless you set a mark at the entrance. I will set the flag on the east side of the cuts and located before I come ashore. You can't do that at public beach, follow the boulders out and don't get pushed west. in rough weather, only thing you'll see coming in is a wall of white without the marks to hit. Miss it and the iron ore will win. and check the current. big swells near end of island can generate some strong water flow. Safe diving.

 

[scubadada]

@KathyV

I heard the same story regarding a casino at Divi Tiara.

I heard a similar story about the Alexander Hotel, not sure if it was a casino, a marina, or both.

Personally, I give Brac credit for not selling out, that does not happen often.

Look at Bonaire and read their proposed 10 year development plan, I truly hope it remains a place I want to visit

 

[howswedeofme]

We are heading to CB in May and are renting a house through Home Away, a car through 4-D, and doing a boat/shore diving combo with Scuba Shack. They have combo deals for May, Oct, and Sept. We are hoping the weather cooperates so we can scoot over to LC for a two-tank on BBW. We liked topside Bonaire but found the shore diving a bit boring so we are hoping to combine some unique, but laid back, top side activities with some of the Cayman diving we love.

 

[mcohen1021]

so we are hoping to combine some unique, but laid back, top side activities with some of the Cayman diving we love

If you like caves, bats, birds and driving, you'll have a blast topside @Brac. Otherwise, take a good book - you can see everything there is to see in ½ day there.