Cayman Ideas

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Big Tank 58

Registered
Messages
58
Reaction score
43
Location
Algona IA
# of dives
500 - 999
We are thinking about going to the Cayman islands next year for something different and would appreciate your input. 2 couples wives don't dive so a nice beach / pool is important AI is ok but nesc. Breakfast included would be appreciated. Ideas for what island and resort would be appreciated. As for price middle of the road, would be fine. Don't need high end luxury. But must be a nice clean place on the ocean.
 
Hi Big Tank 58,

Normally we don't jump into these sorts of threads as it's too self-promoting. But your comment on 'something different' made me want to post a reply.

First, I'll assume you haven't been here before. Cayman is a bit different than some other tropical destinations. While there are resorts here, there are not as many as you'd find in other locations. Sunset House, Compass Point, and Cobalt Coast are the only diving style resorts on the island. Other accommodations like the Ritz, or Westin market themselves as resorts, but do not cater to divers and to my knowledge none of them aside from the 3 I mentioned above offer all-inclusive packages.

Second thing to remember is most of the shore on Grand Cayman is ironshore, (hard coral, no sand,) or surrounded by barrier reef (murky beaches.) The only true beach is the Seven Mile Beach area on the west side of the island. Moritz on the east end is the exception and has a reasonable beach for one that is surrounded by the barrier reef, but it's not nearly as good as the Seven Mile area. There are number of big hotels there (expensive) and a huge number of privately owned condos that are in short-term rental on Seven Mile.

For multi-couples that we see, many of them use VRBO or AirBNB to find a 2 bedroom condo, or 2 adjacent units and a rental car, and go diving with any of the dive ops here. People will self cater for some meals, and go out other nights to enjoy Grand Cayman's nightlife.

The reason I chimed in was to comment on the 'something different' part. Shameless plug warning - There are a number of great dive ops on this island. (26 as of my last count.) Each one has their own unique offering, and everyone has their own favorite. But we offer a pretty diverse experience. In addition to the usual, (2-tank wall/reef boat trips, shore diving, Kittiwake and stingray city) we also have lots of experiences that others don't offer. Such as underwater scooter rentals, the West Bay Express (a 1-way scooter dive) freediving classes and tryouts, try-technical diving sessions, sidemount clinics, photography lessons, and try-rebreather experiences.

Hope some of this helps.

Tony
 
We are thinking about going to the Cayman islands next year for something different and would appreciate your input. 2 couples wives don't dive so a nice beach / pool is important AI is ok but nesc. Breakfast included would be appreciated. Ideas for what island and resort would be appreciated. As for price middle of the road, would be fine. Don't need high end luxury. But must be a nice clean place on the ocean.

Speaking only about Cayman Brac, there is only one dive resort, so your choice there is limited. There are several VRBO places with pools, but food with be on your own. Nice sandy beaches are limited on the Brac as are activities, so unless you enjoy really chilling out you might want to look elsewhere. However if you think the Brac might work for you guys go ahead and DM me.
 
Could you be more specific - how many dives do you want to do per day or week? Do you want to be at a place with a dive op onsite are you okay with being picked up by van or on the beach by boat? Are you also interested in shore diving? Are the non-diving members of your party interested in shopping, restaurants, and other entertainments or are they mostly looking to enjoy nature and relaxation? Are you okay with renting a car and driving on the left? What is your ballpark budget excluding airfare?

Grand Cayman is usually the best choice for mixed parties of divers and non-divers, because there are lots of things to enjoy topside and the Seven Mile Beach is a gorgeous destination. But 7MB is a very developed area and there can be traffic and congestion, but renting a condo as @Divetech Cayman suggests is a good way to find a quiet place on the beach.

Eating out can be very expensive on Grand Cayman, so renting a condo or house also allows you to prepare some simple meals and then go out for a great meal about once a day. Having a car gives you options regarding where to stay and places to eat and visit. But if you don't want to rent a car then you should stay in central 7MB although that is generally considered to be the most developed and expensive area.

What time of year do you plan to travel? 7MB is on the West Side of GC and that side is generally the most protected from winds and it is often the area when you will find the calmest diving, especially if you are traveling in late fall and early winter when the winds can be a problem. Most of the shore diving is available on the West side.

There is usually lots of sea life on the West Side but not always the best reefs. The most dramatic walls are on the more remote North Wall and the East End but the winter winds can limit access (especially on the North Wall). You are most likely to see sharks on the East End but you will be distant from many of the popular tourist attractions.

Some of the best Cayman diving IMO can be found on the Sister Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. They are a short flight from GC and there isn't much to do besides eat, sleep, relax, dive, and enjoy nature on LB and CB.

Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall is spectacular, the reefs are close to shore and start shallow, but if you travel during rough weather you may need to dive the more protected south side of the island, and that is okay but a bit disappointing.

Cayman Brac has beautiful walls and reefs and may offer more options to dive other sides of the island depending on weather (like Grand Cayman) but the reefs start a little deeper and are not as spectacular as LC. The Brac Bluff is a gorgeous cliff rising high above the sea and there are opportunities to hike and climb and go caving on CB.

When we stay in the sister islands we prefer an all-inclusive resort like the Cayman Brac Beach Resort and the Little Cayman Beach Resort because there are few restaurants and shops and the food prices are quite high. These 2 resorts are on the beach but they are not good swimming beaches, but they have pools and the CBBR has an outstanding infinity pool. Both resorts have dive ops and small spas onsites and we have found the food to be abundant and excellent at both places.

My guess is that your first trip to Cayman with non-diving companions should be Grand Cayman, but please give us some more info and we may be able to suggest the best options for your needs.
 
As usual, Kathy nailed it!

I did Cayman Brac Beach Resort in late December and loved it.

Here is the review I posted:

Cayman Brac Beach Resort December 28 2019- January 4 2020

Non-divers will probably get bored, as there is not much to do besides lay by the pool/beach ride bikes, play ping pong, read, or go hike the bluff. To some, that is the dream vacation, to others not so much. It will depend on your group. Several non-diving spouses there when I was and they couldn't have been happier.

The resort is beautiful, the food was great, diving top notch and staff incredible.

It all depends on you interests and expectations!
 
We got back from Grand Cayman a couple days ago. We stayed at the Comfort Inn, it's one of the cheaper places to stay, not a resort, but it ts a clean well run hotel. Its not on the beach but just a short walk down a path to the beach. There is a nice pool area with a small bar/restaurant. Ambassador Divers is onsite and runs standard 2-tank boat dives morning and afternoon and will also do a night shore dive.they also do diving classes, freediving, stingray city and accommodated some guys that wanted to do some lionfish hunting during the dives.

The Marriott is next door more of a "resort style" in either case they are well located for a short walk to several good restaurants. The beach is kind of a downside for this end of 7MB. My understanding is they lost a bunch of it in a recent storm so its narrow and can be a bit crowded

I think somebody mentioned this above most of the dive operations on the island are good and seem to be similar in price. you'd just need to look around if you want something in particular.
 

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