Olin417
New
We are interested. Where is it and how much for a week? 4 adults and one child 3 yrs old.
Thanks Renee
Sept or Oct is good
Thanks Renee
Sept or Oct is good
Cayman East End in Late October?
- Thread starter dwilli10
- Start date
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Here is the link to Ocean Frontiers; www.oceanfrontiers.com Leslie handles the reservations and can answer your detailed questions. She is quite nice and very knowledgable.
Chris
Chris
EastEndDiver
Contributor
Olin417 did you get my PM?
Skinsfan1311
Contributor
You can't go wrong, with OF. It is a class operation all the way. I dove with them, last August, and will be diving with them again next June.
We stayed at the Morritt's, and it was very nice. Good luck!
We stayed at the Morritt's, and it was very nice. Good luck!
letsgodiving
Contributor
dwilli10:
Hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th, with September/October being the most active months. I personally wouldn't book a Caribbean vacation between August and November because it is a bummer if you have to cancel.
Plus I like to be at home in Florida at that time of year just in case I need to sit on the roof to stop it blowing away.
glendivesalot
Guest
I have been to Grand Cayman diving 14 times. I love the East End Diving and have dove with Ocean Frontiers many times and they are a great dive operator. I have stayed at the Reef Resort and love it. If you want to dive the East End, I suggest this combo.
However, I think you should think about this. East End diving is more advanced diving. And conditions are rougher than other locations. For new divers, I suggest you start on the West Wall. Conditions are always smooth water and no current. Great diving there too. Once you have gotten comfortable with wall diving and deep diving, then you will be ready for either the North Wall or the East End diving.
I have been diving 36 years, but my wife is just now getting certified. I am taking her to Grand Cayman Sept 21 and we are diving the west side. I want her to get comfortable with the perfect conditions she will encounter there. Next year, I will take her to the East End, or Little Cayman or Cozumel. But not as a brand new diver.
Besides, the west side has soooooooo many great shore dives. You can do two boat dives in the morning and then do inexpensive, but great shore dives in the afternoon or evening. I really suggest you consider the west side. And if you want to dive the East side later in your trip, it's just a 25 mile drive away. I've done that several times - stay in the west but go over and do the east on a day trip. Good luck.
However, I think you should think about this. East End diving is more advanced diving. And conditions are rougher than other locations. For new divers, I suggest you start on the West Wall. Conditions are always smooth water and no current. Great diving there too. Once you have gotten comfortable with wall diving and deep diving, then you will be ready for either the North Wall or the East End diving.
I have been diving 36 years, but my wife is just now getting certified. I am taking her to Grand Cayman Sept 21 and we are diving the west side. I want her to get comfortable with the perfect conditions she will encounter there. Next year, I will take her to the East End, or Little Cayman or Cozumel. But not as a brand new diver.
Besides, the west side has soooooooo many great shore dives. You can do two boat dives in the morning and then do inexpensive, but great shore dives in the afternoon or evening. I really suggest you consider the west side. And if you want to dive the East side later in your trip, it's just a 25 mile drive away. I've done that several times - stay in the west but go over and do the east on a day trip. Good luck.
However, I think you should think about this. East End diving is more advanced diving. And conditions are rougher than other locations. For new divers, I suggest you start on the West Wall.
The statement 'east end diving is more advanced' is not accurate. I taught many classes on the east end and none of the students dropped out because of water conditions.
The surface conditions can get a bit rough (primarily Dec. through Feb.) but they are not rough 'everyday'. I've seen the west side, including the north wall, closed down while the east end was nice and smooth.
Throughout my 12 month tenure, there were only 2 day's in which the seas were too rough to dive.
Bottom line is no matter where you go, you may have to deal with weather. I've been to Cozumel and dealt with the port being closed because the seas were to rough for the small boats. I've received a call at 6am, while visiting Cabo San Lucas, stating the diving has been cancelled due to a severe thunderstorm. Cabo is a desert.
Cheers
Chris
The statement 'east end diving is more advanced' is not accurate. I taught many classes on the east end and none of the students dropped out because of water conditions.
The surface conditions can get a bit rough (primarily Dec. through Feb.) but they are not rough 'everyday'. I've seen the west side, including the north wall, closed down while the east end was nice and smooth.
Throughout my 12 month tenure, there were only 2 day's in which the seas were too rough to dive.
Bottom line is no matter where you go, you may have to deal with weather. I've been to Cozumel and dealt with the port being closed because the seas were to rough for the small boats. I've received a call at 6am, while visiting Cabo San Lucas, stating the diving has been cancelled due to a severe thunderstorm. Cabo is a desert.
Cheers
Chris
Late October typically is pretty nice weather. Seas on East End can still run 3-5ft, but the dive operators will go around to either the north or south shore for calmer seas.
It is still hurricane season. Keep that in mind when making decisions about trip insurance. Should a storm threaten, dive operators have to secure their boats in safe harbour a day or two before the storm might hit. That can result in several days in a row without diving, even if a storm veers off and doesn't hit.
As to accomodations... Morritt's is still rebuilding from the hurricane of Sept 2004. The dock has been replaced, and one of the oceanfront buildings as well. They have a dive shop on site with departures from their dock.
The Reef Resort has been running normally since shortly after that hurricane. They have the retail portion of a dive shop on site, but you have to go about 3 miles down the road to pick up the boat. Ocean Frontiers will send a van to pick you up, and they will store and rinse your gear for you.
It is still hurricane season. Keep that in mind when making decisions about trip insurance. Should a storm threaten, dive operators have to secure their boats in safe harbour a day or two before the storm might hit. That can result in several days in a row without diving, even if a storm veers off and doesn't hit.
As to accomodations... Morritt's is still rebuilding from the hurricane of Sept 2004. The dock has been replaced, and one of the oceanfront buildings as well. They have a dive shop on site with departures from their dock.
The Reef Resort has been running normally since shortly after that hurricane. They have the retail portion of a dive shop on site, but you have to go about 3 miles down the road to pick up the boat. Ocean Frontiers will send a van to pick you up, and they will store and rinse your gear for you.
budaman
Contributor
Our last trip to Morritt's & the East End was in Oct.05 & our next is this Sept. and I am so ready! The week we went in '05, the first part of the week we were getting residual effects from Hurricane Wilma & SMB & the South side were very rough, so we dove the North Side. The last part of the week, Beta passed over Cuba & the North Side was rough....so, off to the South Side. We had excellent diving all week. Morritt's had just opened back up & Tortuga Divers was not back up to speed, so we went with Ocean Frontiers & they are a class act all the way...and yes, Leslie is great! We had dove with Tortuga prior to Ivan & they had a very good operation, so with the dock up & their operation going 100%, we will be giving them a shot. Don't know how much influence from Red Sail has been injected though...hope it is not too corporate now. There are pics from our last trip in the link below.
Mike
http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
Mike
http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
OP
dwilli10
Registered
Forget about late Oct. The ball and chain and I have booked plane tix for the week following Thanksgiving. The weather will be what the weather will be and it sure sounds like Ocean Frontiers is the way to go. Has anyone stayed at their condos (Compass Point)?
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