Cayman Island Shoredives

[divin'dog]

... My advice on diving Eden/Grotto is to pick a non cruise ship day...

^^^ Important advice!

Also, unless the silversides are in, it's not that exciting (for me). Swim-throughs are fun but boring after a few. Then it all starts to look the same. When the silversides are in, it is fantastic as the life is just explosive with tarpon swimming in and out the tunnels/baitballs as they feed themselves.

Google silversides at Cayman on youtube and you'll see why it can be one of the most fun dives you'll make.

Also, it is not a bad shore dive to do. It's a little bit of a swim but I don't think it's bad. ymmv.

 

[Lateralus]

^^^ Important advice!

Also, unless the silversides are in, it's not that exciting (for me). Swim-throughs are fun but boring after a few. Then it all starts to look the same. When the silversides are in, it is fantastic as the life is just explosive with tarpon swimming in and out the tunnels/baitballs as they feed themselves.

Google silversides at Cayman on youtube and you'll see why it can be one of the most fun dives you'll make.

I'm a bit different. I enjoy swim-throughs greatly. With that said I wouldn't mind seeing the Silversides though.

How do you know what days the crusie ships are in so you can avoid them? Is there a schedule?

 

[Lateralus]

Turtle Reef is the shortest of the three. They are all easy in good conditions which is most of the time. I think Lighthouse is the longest of the three but to its mini wall is still not that far. The swim out to the deep wall is. My advice on diving Eden/Grotto is to pick a non cruise ship day and Sun is by far the best as no traffic and easy drive in and out of GT as most businesses in GT closed on Sun.

Is there a cruise schedule or is just luck?

 

[Joneill]

Is there a cruise schedule or is just luck?

Ship Schedules - Port Authority of the Cayman Islands

 

[diversteve]

Personally I'd put Eden Rock last on the list. Turtle Reef is arguably the best shore dive followed by Lighthouse Point. I'd go to Sunset House b4 Eden Rock also - Eden Rock suffers from decades of cruise divers - the port is 100yds away plus last fall a container ship scraped a big section of the reef and collapsed one of the caverns.

It was tired the first time we did it - in 2003. I doubt it's gotten better.

The shop is open a little later than the cruisers sail typically so it's possible to go down there abour 4pm and get two dives in - most will be heading back to their ships then. It's a tender port so they all line up at the cruise landing.

I agree with the above poster - no silversides and it's a pretty boring dive - a few wistful looking tarpon hovering in the shadows. If they showed up this year - it would be around now.

 

[tkaelin]

Is there a cruise schedule or is just luck

I use cruisett.com

 

[FindingMenno]

For my shore dives from Lighthouse Point, I usually plan for 5 minutes swim to the 'mini wall', and another 7 minutes to reach the main deep wall. This at a steady but relaxed pace.

 

[KathyV]

Personally I'd put Eden Rock last on the list. Turtle Reef is arguably the best shore dive followed by Lighthouse Point. I'd go to Sunset House b4 Eden Rock also - Eden Rock suffers from decades of cruise divers - the port is 100yds away plus last fall a container ship scraped a big section of the reef and collapsed one of the caverns.

It was tired the first time we did it - in 2003. I doubt it's gotten better.

The shop is open a little later than the cruisers sail typically so it's possible to go down there abour 4pm and get two dives in - most will be heading back to their ships then. It's a tender port so they all line up at the cruise landing.

I agree with the above poster - no silversides and it's a pretty boring dive - a few wistful looking tarpon hovering in the shadows. If they showed up this year - it would be around now.

Turtle Reef and Lighthouse Point are terrific but Hepp's Wall and Hepp's Pipeline by Coconut Bay are also really great shore dives.

We usually head for Turtle Reef because it is so easy and it's a really nice dive. Plenty of parking, you can gear up and rinse in nice facilities, there's an easy entry and exit, You can shower off when you are done and change clothes in a large, clean restroom with AC, and then sit down and order a delicious serving of cracked conch at Macabuca - what could be better?!

Coconut Bay and Hepp's is a little less easy unless you are staying at the condos, and the ladder isn't as easy for entry and exit IMO, but it offers some excellent diving and it is worth checking while you are shore diving Grand Cayman.

I've never had the opportunity to shore dive Cobalt Coast, but I've read that it is a bit of a swim but a very good dive when the weather cooperates. And according to @EastEndDiver they've recently installed some new facilities to make shore diving easier - so it may be worth checking it out.

 

[Divetech Cayman]

https://www.divetech.com/shore-diving

Are the mooring balls you refer to next to the statue (Guardian of the reef)? The link has an image of the dive at the bottom of it's page.

Hi Lateralus, the best way to see where the mini-wall and the Guardian are is to have a look on our homepage: https://www.divetech.com/
The mini-wall is roughly where the ‘tech’ of the ‘Welcome to Divetech’ is. This looking from laptop, not a mobile device.

Menno

 

[dberry]

https://www.divetech.com/shore-diving

Are the mooring balls you refer to next to the statue (Guardian of the reef)? The link has an image of the dive at the bottom of it's page.

No, I was referring to the dives at Devil's Grotto and Eden Rock; these are much further south than the Guardian of the reef.

Eden Rock Diving Center Grand Cayman