Cayman Tank Rentals and Food?

[stbrnd]

This is my first post on this site. Been enjoying it quietly for the past few days.

We are leaving in a few days for a 9 day trip to Grand Cayman. We will be staying in a private home about a mile from Rum Point on the North Side. The house is on the beach and is about 150yds to the wall. So we want to do a couple of shore dives.

After a long phone call and question and answer period, Red Sail at Rum point said they would (reluctantly) rent me one tank at a time, air only, no EANx.

Is there another operator that will rent Nitrox for off-site use on the island?

This is the first time I have stayed in the North Side. Any decent (good food/less than 100$) restaurants around the area?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

A large chunk of their reluctance is that most of the north shore in the Northside district is a No Scuba Diving Zone!

There are actually two seperate No Diving Zones and in these areas scuba diving is not allowed inside the wall drop off. Technically you can make a shore entry, surface swim out to the wall, do a free descent onto the wall and do your dive. You then need to make a free ascent to the surface out at the wall and then surface swim to shore. A surface marker is required.

These No Diving Zones were created specifically to provide regions for local fishing boats to ply their trade without hooking any divers.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Is there another operator that will rent Nitrox for off-site use on the island?

Maybe, but nowhere near Rum Point. Red Sail has the only dive shop in Northside and they have to have all of their tank fills brough in by truck or boat. No compressor on site. You'll need to drive into Georgetown at the least to search out nitrox fills.

This is the first time I have stayed in the North Side. Any decent (good food/less than 100$) restaurants around the area?

Sunday afternoon BBQ at the Driftwood Sports Bar is catered by Dirty Reid's. It's quite good and a great deal at CI$10 per plate.

Over The Edge can be ok, but service can be s-l-o-w.

The bar and grill at Kaibo Yacht Club is decent grub, but I think they are just about to shut down for vacation for about a month.

My neighbors in Old Man Bay set out a roadside stand on Fridays for lunch. I work those days so I've never actually eaten their food.

That pretty much covers all of the dining options in Northside.

 

[stbrnd]

I know about the NO DIVE ZONES and from what I have been told, this house is between the two zones. At least that is what I was told. The house is called Parrot-ise and is about a mile from Rum Point to the East. I have been to Grand Cayman before and even went to Rum Point, but we always stayed at seven mile beach.

If Georgetown is where a EAN tank can be rented thats fine. Where in Georgetown?

 

[CJ's]

Try at the Seaview Hotel. Their dive shop is run by Treasure Island Divers and they are geared up towards tank rentals. I'm sure if you give them a call in advance they can arrange to have some Nitrox for you. I'm assuming you have your own analyser?

If this doesn't work out you can try Aqua Air who operate out of Morgan's Harbour in West Bay. They are a business dedicated to filling tanks and supplying Nitrox to commercial dive operations but may be able to help you out.

If these don't work let me know and I can give other suggestions.

CJ

 

[stbrnd]

Thanks for the info. I dont think I will have computer access while I am there, but I will have a phone. If you want to PM me a local number and I could call ya. I will get there about 1 pm Sat.

 

[nipi]

Try phoning Jim at the Cayman Dive Lodge in East End (345 947 7555) to see if he'll rent you a EAN tank.

If your house is where you say it is you should be able to shore dive right off it. It is not in a NoDive Zone. There are a couple of buoyed sites near you - Delia's Delight which is just to the W of Driftwood & Andes Wall & Andes Reef which are further to the W (I think). There's a particularly good shore dive (unbuoyed) at the next sand turnoff after Driftwood heading towards Rum Point. Then there's the Gallery, the Anchor Chain & Chippie's White Spot (but they're in the NoDive zone so I can't tell you where).

The ND Zones are ridiculous. In them, you have more chance of being run over by a local wide boy on a jet ski than being hooked by a fisherman. I heard they were originally introduced because the local fishermen complained to their local MLA (politician) that divers were throwing their fishpots over the wall (!). Fishermen are voters while most divers are not so she (I think it was Edna) got the law changed to introduce the ND Zones & got re-elected in the next election.