Trip Report Cayman Brac Trip Report

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Doctorfish

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Location
Canada
# of dives
2500 - 4999
Just back from a week at Cayman Brac Reef Resort after a 2 year hiatus.
There were only 18 other divers there that week so my experience may not be completely representative in all areas.

Many others have reviewed this dive lodge so will not do a full review but will concentrate on things that may have changed post Covid.

Getting into Grand Cayman was a breeze. Customs had a quick look at my vaccination confirmation and the Lateral Flow Test results done within 24 h before arrival.
We were comfortable on the airplane heading down knowing that all other passengers had had triple vaccination and a negative test as well. Everyone on the flight kept their mask on, more or less.
Arrived on GC at 14.30 and Cayman Express flight was not till 17.00 so no stress getting through customs. baggage claim, check in and security in about 1.5 hours.
Cayman Express flight to the Brac was on time and we were not charged for excess baggage.

Food at CBRR was good as always. There were a few previous frills missing such as lobster night, lox and cream cheese at breakfast, etc. but overall the food was fresh, and plentiful. At breakfast, there was still the made to order eggs, omelet, waffle option and at lunch and dinner there were always 3-4 entree choices including fish, poultry, meat as well as a soup and salads. Fresh fruits were a bit limited, but my wife and I never had a problem finding things we liked.
The buffet was served inside and guests had the choice of dining inside, on the screened in patio, or at the bar.
There was a BBQ on Friday night with ribs, steak, jerk chicken and fish.
Dessert is still the highlight of every lunch and supper with several pastry choices. The pastry chef is amazing.

Diving was much the same as previous trips.
They run Newton 46 boats and had 3 crew on board. There were only 20 divers so they ran one boat. It was a bit crowded but tolerable. Valet experience if you want that. Fresh water snacks and towels on board for every dive.
Dive profile was 110 feet/ 50 minutes, 60/60 and then 60/60 for the afternoon dives. If some divers ran longer the crew were quite chill with it. There was no Nitrox available because of compressor issues so had to dive air profiles. Not a deal breaker but would have preferred Nitrox.
My wife's computer crapped out and they were quick to provide a loaner for the rest of the trip free of charge.

The dive crew were absolutely outstanding. In all my years of Caribbean diving this was by far the best group I have ever had the privilege to dive with. They were totally engaged and could not do enough for the guests. There were a few newbies on the boat and they were very well looked after as were the rest of us. I always had a sense that the crew were actively managing safety, profiles, reef bashers and jackasses without seeming intrusive.

The reefs were very healthy and the soft corals and sponges were lush. No Stony Coral Disease as yet.
All the usual critters were there in abundance. Lots of turtles, grouper, eels and rays, occasional reef or nurse shark.
There was a loggerhead turtle on two dives. IMO, the highlight of the diving.
The seas were to high for the boats to get out at night so no night diving.

All in all, CBRR was as good or better than pre covid and it was a great week of diving.
 
Was it trouble getting test to return to the US, if applicable?
 
Nice! good to hear you had an enjoyable trip. I loved the week I spent there.

Surprised to hear about the abundance of turtles- we saw none in 2019, and the DM's mentioned they were very rare due to harassment and hunting. Good news, especially after the length of time they were vulnerable (no tourists).

Did you make it over to LC any days?
 
Thnx for posting always interested in this trip
 
I wasn't returning to US but those who were had lateral flow tests done at the hotel the afternoon before leaving. All was arranged by CBRR and looked seamless. Don't know the cost.

We did not get over to LC this time around because the seas were high. I personally prefer Brac diving to LC so I did not feel hard done by.


Loggerhead on the wall. A rare treat.
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I'm glad to see the cayman trip reviews again after such a long hiatus.
 
Awesome pic of the loggerhead! That is a MONSTER
 
It was my understanding that Reef Divers diverted a lot of staff, boats, and equipment from the Brac resort to the new South Caicos resort while they were getting it up and running in 2021. That was the reason given as to why CBBR would be the last of the Clearly Cayman resorts to re-open after the Cayman covid shutdown. Does the resort seem to be fully supplied and operational now?
 
Yes. The day I left they had 60 divers coming in and had 3 boats ready to go.
There was no shortage of staff at the hotel, dive shop or boats as far as I could tell.
The menu at the buffet was not as elaborate as previous visits but there was no shortage of supplies.
 
That'sd g
Yes. The day I left they had 60 divers coming in and had 3 boats ready to go.
There was no shortage of staff at the hotel, dive shop or boats as far as I could tell.
The menu at the buffet was not as elaborate as previous visits but there was no shortage of supplies.

That's great, thanks! One more question, was Sargassum weed a problem while you were on Brac?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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