Cobalt Coast Resort

[KathyV]

Changes I would want to see at cobalt would include: ... Dive boats that don't try to include newbies, recreational divers and tech divers at the same time, compromising the experience for all. This is why Dive Tech is not my go to dive op on GC...

This should be an interesting transition. I like Reef Divers at LCBR, but was not impressed with their operation at Brac Reef. We were at Cobalt Coast last trip and I really enjoyed it. I found DiveTech a notch above Reef Divers. There were several folks using rebreathers, double tanks, and side mounts and doing more technical dives, whereas I have never seen anyone with a rebreather at LCBR (that doesn't mean it doesn't happen). My take is replacing DiveTech with Reef Divers would be a step down in the type of diving offered, but maybe Reef Divers would step up their service. One of the reasons we went to Cobalt Coast rather than LCBR was to try a rebreather.

I think DiveTech and Reef Divers cater to different divers with some overlap. I suspect Reef Divers is going to always be focused on rec diving...

I agree with BDSC, I think Reef Divers is geared toward providing valet services for recreational divers on vacation; but my understanding is that DiveTech has always held a niche role in the Cayman dive community as the tech diving experts, as their name indicates. They offer training classes and diving opportunities in areas such as rebreathers, deep diving/trimix, and the use of high-tech equipment; but they also offered recreational diving and family/children's dive services.

I have never dived with DiveTech but Doctorfish says that sometimes they put all these different types of divers together on the same boat and it wasn't always the best experience. I can understand that. Maybe now they will focus primarily on their tech diving and specialty services and Reef Divers will focus on the recreational divers.

---------- Post added August 24th, 2015 at 03:31 PM ----------

I am at LCBR this week and Reggie is not here now. Was told that Dive Tech is moving their operation down to Lighthouse. Was also told that RD Grand Cayman would be focused almost exclusively on the guests staying at the resort...no cruise shippers and limited walk-ins. May not be that different from what is currently there. Also heard they may do only morning two tank plans with unlimited shore diving.

Thanks Aggie, I see that Tropical Storm Danny has fizzeled out so hopefully you will have great diving weather and vis! And I hope that nothing comes of Erika and that they don't use up any more letters in the alphabet before we get there in Oct/Nov! Good news that they will not cater to the cruise ship business at the new Cobalt Coast resort. They are pretty far away to be attractive to the cruise ship passengers anyway.

As far as I know, Sunset House and Cobalt Coast are currently the only resorts/dive ops that offer unlimited shore dives on days that include boat dives. That would be very attractive to anyone that wants to do a lot of dives on GC without paying twice the price of boat dives - if they can find afternoon dives. Also a nice option for night dives.

And I imagine that guests will also be able to pay a small fee for shore dives on days that they are not doing boat dives. When we were on GC last year I think it was around $15 per tank for shore dives. That's pretty cheap for the Caymans.

The shore diving may be the biggest attraction of Cobalt Coast.

 

[scubadada]

You probably already saw the announcement regarding DiveTech http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/scuba-industry-news/ I had not heard about the changes at Cobalt Coast. I would like to see the option for 4 boat dives per day, not to include night dives a couple days per week. I have made two trips to Cobalt Coast and both were fantastic.

Of course, Cobalt Coast/Reef Divers would still have a very tough time against my favorite, Compass Point/Ocean Divers

 

[KathyV]

deleted, wrong thread, sorry!

 

[scubadada]

Cobalt Coast has revised its website, no longer mentions Divetech but talks about its onsite dive operator without additional detail. No mention of change in ownership, Arie is still listed. Shore diving now only mentions Cobalt Ridge at the resort. I look forward to more detail regarding ownership, dive operator and offerings.

Divetech has an all new website, no mention of Cobalt Coast, has several options for accommodations including Lighthouse Point. Appears to now have two tank afternoon boat trips. Shore diving at Lighthouse Point only. They still have the West Bay Express DPV dive. They have some interesting "experience" dives including sidemount, free, and tek (backmounted doubles). I did not see the rebreather experience but assume they still have it.

Some very interesting changes on Grand Cayman. Cobalt Coast and Divetech have been among my favorites on Grand Cayman for sometime and may remain so if I can ever tear myself away from Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers on a future visit to the island.

 

[Doctorfish]

The unlimited shore diving at Cobalt Coast that keeps being mentioned on this thread has one caveat. The resort is on the north and much of the time the weather precludes diving from there. Dive tech got around this issue by including shore diving at their other site on the west, Lighthouse, which is sheltered. Wonder is Reef Divers will have a similar arrangement. They would be smart to cut a deal with Olin Miller at Sundivers, Turtle Reef. It would be a win, win.

 

[scubadada]

The unlimited shore diving at Cobalt Coast that keeps being mentioned on this thread has one caveat. The resort is on the north and much of the time the weather precludes diving from there. Dive tech got around this issue by including shore diving at their other site on the west, Lighthouse, which is sheltered. Wonder is Reef Divers will have a similar arrangement. They would be smart to cut a deal with Olin Miller at Sundivers, Turtle Reef. It would be a win, win.

Interesting that Divetech used to run Turtle Reef before Sun Divers

 

[Damselfish]

Interesting that Divetech used to run Turtle Reef before Sun Divers

I think that change happened when Divetech opened at Lighthouse Point. Probably didn't make sense for them to have 3 outlets so close.

 

[BDSC]

From what I understand, the deal with the purchase of Cobalt Coast will actually close in November.

 

[scubadada]

I think that change happened when Divetech opened at Lighthouse Point. Probably didn't make sense for them to have 3 outlets so close.

I always thought that Divetech had lost the business and that Sun Divers was the new operator, maybe something connected to Cracked Conch/Macabucha. It was a while ago, I thought Lighthouse Point came a bit later than the change at Turtle Reef. A local historian would know for sure. Politics and business on Grand Cayman are complex

---------- Post added August 29th, 2015 at 12:11 PM ----------

Where will the Divetech boats leave from, the Lighthouse Point dock?

 

[Bubbles below]

Boats will load at Lighthouse Point, in the North Sound, and West Bay dock, as needed based on weather. We offer shore diving at Lighthouse Point, as this is what we can offer This is from there Facebook comment page. They also shared a link of their new venture on pitchengine.com on their facebook page. It looks like they're last day is Dec 1 at Cobalt Coast after 15 yrs.