Dive Ops in Grand Cayman

[mi000ke]

I should also clarify that I recommended DiveTech because I believe that they will be close to you and I know that they do some pick-up and drop-off services, but we have only shore dived their house reef - we've never boat dived with them.

I've boat-dived with them many times, and they are great, so a good recommendation. That said, most of the shops will do a pick up.

 

[Catito]

Good to know! I don't think that we have ever dived with DNS but a friend of ours speaks highly of them.

@amoses I should also clarify that I recommended DiveTech because I believe that they will be close to you and I know that they do some pick-up and drop-off services, but we have only shore dived their house reef - we've never boat dived with them - but others can advise you.

Kathy: I am going to jump in here because I still cannot figure out how to post...if you had to decide between staying on the East end...or at the point...which would you choose?

Thank you

 

[KathyV]

Kathy: I am going to jump in here because I still cannot figure out how to post...if you had to decide between staying on the East end...or at the point...which would you choose?

Thank you

I think that depends on what you like to do on vacation, how much diving you want to do, what time of year that you plan to travel, how much money you want to spend, and how willing you are to devote vacation time to driving on the left side of the road.

I'm not trying to be evasive, but I am not sure that there is a "one size fits all" answer to this question.

If you are traveling with non-diving companions and/or you love to spend time at the beach and/or enjoy sampling gourmet foods on vacation - then you should probably stay in the Seven Mile Beach area, or just north of it in West Bay near Lighthouse Point.

If you really enjoy shore diving, then West Bay north of 7MB is a good choice because you have easy access to the most popular shore dives on Cayman.

If you are traveling in winter and spring, you have increased chances of getting winded out on the East and North sides. There's no guarantees about the weather, but you have better chances of calm diving on the West side during those months, and in the summer you have less chance of being hit with an influx of sargassum seaweed on the west side.

Over the years I have had some really great dives on the West side but some of my most memorable dives on GC have been on the dramatic East End and the North wall. If you decide to stay on the East End you will be rather far away from many the popular restaurants and attractions of GC - about 45 min to 60 minutes - and traffic can be very bad during rush hours, so you should be prepared to spend most of your time on the East End. That's not really a hardship (there is life on the East End and Northside! But it is not for everyone.)

If you are going to GC for an "eat, sleep, dive, and relax" vacation then someplace like Compass Point with Ocean Frontiers on the East End would probably be a very good choice for you.

If you want to increase your chances of calm weather, easy shore diving, and access to more topside activities - and still enjoy some very good diving with the best chances of calm conditions, then staying in the 7MB area or West Bay north of 7MB, at someplace like Lighthouse Point/DiveTech would likely be a good choice for you.

And budget is also a factor, the closer you are to 7MB the more expensive things tend to become - especially food and lodgings. The more remote areas are cheaper but you have to rent a car. I would probably rent a car in most areas of GC anyway, but if you don't want to rent one then you should stay in Central 7MB - the most developed and expensive district.

There are lots of dive sites and many dive ops on Cayman and I haven't sampled all of them, but you can find a wide range of locations, venues, and prices to best meet your needs, budgets, and tastes.

Some of the very best diving I have done in Cayman has been on Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman which is a very rural place that may be reached by taking a half-hour ride on a tiny plane.

The most dramatic and impressive topography I have enjoyed in Cayman has been on Cayman Brac, which also has some great dives but it is like LC in that it is very rural and it's not easy to get there.

Cayman's motto should be "we have something here for everyone!" I suggest coming back several times to try and enjoy all of the faces of Cayman - that's what I do!

 

[Catito]

I think that depends on what you like to do on vacation, how much diving you want to do, what time of year that you plan to travel, how much money you want to spend, and how willing you are to devote vacation time to driving on the left side of the road.

I'm not trying to be evasive, but I am not sure that there is a "one size fits all" answer to this question.

If you are traveling with non-diving companions and/or you love to spend time at the beach and/or enjoy sampling gourmet foods on vacation - then you should probably stay in the Seven Mile Beach area, or just north of it in West Bay near Lighthouse Point.

If you really enjoy shore diving, then West Bay north of 7MB is a good choice because you have easy access to the most popular shore dives on Cayman.

If you are traveling in winter and spring, you have increased chances of getting winded out on the East and North sides. There's no guarantees about the weather, but you have better chances of calm diving on the West side during those months, and in the summer you have less chance of being hit with an influx of sargassum seaweed on the west side.

Over the years I have had some really great dives on the West side but some of my most memorable dives on GC have been on the dramatic East End and the North wall. If you decide to stay on the East End you will be rather far away from many the popular restaurants and attractions of GC - about 45 min to 60 minutes - and traffic can be very bad during rush hours, so you should be prepared to spend most of your time on the East End. That's not really a hardship (there is life on the East End and Northside! But it is not for everyone.)

If you are going to GC for an "eat, sleep, dive, and relax" vacation then someplace like Compass Point with Ocean Frontiers on the East End would probably be a very good choice for you.

If you want to increase your chances of calm weather, easy shore diving, and access to more topside activities - and still enjoy some very good diving with the best chances of calm conditions, then staying in the 7MB area or West Bay north of 7MB, at someplace like Lighthouse Point/DiveTech would likely be a good choice for you.

And budget is also a factor, the closer you are to 7MB the more expensive things tend to become - especially food and lodgings. The more remote areas are cheaper but you have to rent a car. I would probably rent a car in most areas of GC anyway, but if you don't want to rent one then you should stay in Central 7MB - the most developed and expensive district.

There are lots of dive sites and many dive ops on Cayman and I haven't sampled all of them, but you can find a wide range of locations, venues, and prices to best meet your needs, budgets, and tastes.

Some of the very best diving I have done in Cayman has been on Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman which is a very rural place that may be reached by taking a half-hour ride on a tiny plane.

The most dramatic and impressive topography I have enjoyed in Cayman has been on Cayman Brac, which also has some great dives but it is like LC in that it is very rural and it's not easy to get there.

Cayman's motto should be "we have something here for everyone!" I suggest coming back several times to try and enjoy all of the faces of Cayman - that's what I do!

Thank you. I have been to Grand Cayman several times...but as a snorkeler. The first time I made a mistake and stayed on the East End (not good for snorkeling) and did a lot of driving back and forth. Now, as a new diver, I am reconsidering my reservations at Compass for Lighthouse. We are both divers, only going for diving—not interested in beachy stuff this time around, both relatively inexperienced divers, going late March.

We loved shore diving in Bonaire (and shallow boat diving)...so, in light of the possible winds and our experience...Lighthouse?

Thank you for your help. If you can post one more time in light of this info I’d appreciate it.

 

[KathyV]

Thank you. I have been to Grand Cayman several times...but as a snorkeler. The first time I made a mistake and stayed on the East End (not good for snorkeling) and did a lot of driving back and forth. Now, as a new diver, I am reconsidering my reservations at Compass for Lighthouse. We are both divers, only going for diving—not interested in beachy stuff this time around, both relatively inexperienced divers, going late March.

We loved shore diving in Bonaire (and shallow boat diving)...so, in light of the possible winds and our experience...Lighthouse?

Thank you for your help. If you can post one more time in light of this info I’d appreciate it.

Since you are planning to go soon keep in mind that places book up pretty fast in the winter/spring especially on the West side and your budget is also a big factor. Late March is peak season during Spring Break and you may not be able to find much availability at this late juncture. Will you lose your deposit at CP if you cancel?

Lighthouse Point sounds like a great choice but you could also look for another condo in that area and make arrangements with another dive op - many will pick you up or you could drive to meet the boat. I have visited the LP site and shore dived there in the past, but I have never stayed there or boat dived with DiveTech so I can't advise you.

If you want a dedicated dive resort you could also look at Cobalt Coast, north of LP, with lodgings, food, and diving included. They have unlimited shore diving on the house reef but it can get winded out in the Winter and Spring. If it is very windy their boats won't leave from the house dock, they will put you in vans and probably take you to West dock, so Lighthouse Point is a safer shore dive.

If you want to be closer to town with the safest bet for shore diving then Sunset House may be a good option. I haven't dived their house reef in a long time but others can advise you.

By late March the Winter winds may be calming down as we head into Spring. Try to get feedback from someone that has stayed at Compass Point at that time of year in the past. We have visited CP and dived with OF but not recently and not in the Spring, so I am not your best resource.

 

[caydiver]

Lighthouse Point is a lovely spot and Dive Tech is a great op. I was there yesterday (not to dive just to pay for Nitrox). The facility is lovely. There are only 2 or 3 ops I would not recommend from a local reputational standpoint and even those on a bad day are better than ops we have been with in other countries. Very well regulated and run ops pretty much across the board here. So far this winter is very windy and consistently so. Conditions on the EE have been really off. Normally by March everything is calming down but sometimes normal isn’t relative.

 

[jonhall]

@KathyV - great job as usual in providing great info about different areas of the island(s).

The first time I made a mistake and stayed on the East End (not good for snorkeling)

The time of year may make a difference. Have been on the East End in summer and winter. When we were there in June of 2010, snorkeling at the pier of Morritt's Tortuga Club was my first close up encounter with a reef shark - tropical fish were around, probably due to the fact there is a restaurant on their pier. My wife and I used info I'd found about entry points for shore dives, found an off road area we could park along the north coast, and found a large beach area that we snorkeled in several places (saw some cuttlefish or squid amongst other things) - it wasn't great snorkeling but we didn't go very far out. Starfish Point beach (near Rum Point) is a unique place to snorkel if visibility is good. Haven't snorkeled at Rum Point, but have heard there were some decent places, such as Cayman Kai Beach, around there. Rum Point is also close to the bioluminescent bay - not sure if you can find an entry spot on your own and snorkel in or if it's regulated in some way for tours only, which is how we did it. Was in GC just a few winters ago (staying at Compass Point) and didn't attempt any snorkeling in the ocean (except for in bioluminescent bay and at the Turtle Farm lagoon the prior week) as the diving was rough enough! Enough about snorkeling on the East End.

If you were on the East End for the week, things to do include Crystal Caves, the botanical garden, Kaibo Beach Bar BBQ on Tuesday, Stingray City from Kaibo Beach or Rum Point, and sightseeing (blowholes, ten sails, Mastic Trail hiking.) A day to go into Georgetown or a ferry from Kaibo Beach to Camana Bay for shopping/dining is also an option. Plenty of restaurants on the East End, including 2 favorites - Big Tree BBQ and Kurt's Corner on Frank Sound Rd (between Crystal Caves and the botanical garden). We're going back to stay at Morritt's in April and I'm hoping the daily specials at Kurt's are as good as a few years ago!

Not trying to sell it (just sharing info), but just saying a person could stay busy for a week on the East End, especially if you add diving to the mix.

I am reconsidering my reservations at Compass for Lighthouse.

Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers (pretty much the same people) will be one of the best diving experiences you have as long as it's not winter - they will take care of your gear (if you have your own) from the moment you arrive from carrying it from your room when you arrive to having it dry and back at your room before you leave. They have a schedule for the week of dives that they do. Lot's of friendly, knowledgeable staff.They have an instructional pool, as well as a separate pool with a hot tub. The restaurant is pretty good also. It is iron shore, but they have a sandy area to sit, relax, and watch the dive boats leave and come back - if you're not on it.

We booked through, I think, hotel.com (it's in a trip report somewhere here on SB.) Compared to Compass Point's online deal, even with rental car and diving, we did better piecing it together ourselves.

Bottomline - you'll like wherever you wind up!

 

[scubadada]

Ocean Frontiers has the options of going to the north side, staying on the east end, or going to the south side. This gives them great flexibility, depending on conditions. I have been there twice, once in the fall and once in the winter. In the fall, we did most of the dives in the north. In the winter, most were in the south. Both were excellent dives. Generally, best chances to see Reef Sharks are at sites off the SW corner.

Ocean Frontiers is the best land based operator I have used. The full kitchen condos at Compass Point give you flexibility for meals. Breakfast is included. We generally made lunch, split dinners beween eating in and going out.

Enjoy your stay

 

[Catito]

Tha

Since you are planning to go soon keep in mind that places book up pretty fast in the winter/spring especially on the West side and your budget is also a big factor. Late March is peak season during Spring Break and you may not be able to find much availability at this late juncture. Will you lose your deposit at CP if you cancel?

Lighthouse Point sounds like a great choice but you could also look for another condo in that area and make arrangements with another dive op - many will pick you up or you could drive to meet the boat. I have visited the LP site and shore dived there in the past, but I have never stayed there or boat dived with DiveTech so I can't advise you.

If you want a dedicated dive resort you could also look at Cobalt Coast, north of LP, with lodgings, food, and diving included. They have unlimited shore diving on the house reef but it can get winded out in the Winter and Spring. If it is very windy their boats won't leave from the house dock, they will put you in vans and probably take you to West dock, so Lighthouse Point is a safer shore dive.

If you want to be closer to town with the safest bet for shore diving then Sunset House may be a good option. I haven't dived their house reef in a long time but others can advise you.

By late March the Winter winds may be calming down as we head into Spring. Try to get feedback from someone that has stayed at Compass Point at that time of year in the past. We have visited CP and dived with OF but not recently and not in the Spring, so I am not your best resource.

————
Thank you. We have solid reservations on the East. Lighthouse is holding for me until Thursday when I expect to have an answer from my dive buddy (dive buddy leaning towards keeping original plan on East—I am leaning West).

My concern is whether the winds will be too much for us on the East in late March. I will keep asking around.

I appreciate your help.

 

[Catito]

Lighthouse Point is a lovely spot and Dive Tech is a great op. I was there yesterday (not to dive just to pay for Nitrox). The facility is lovely. There are only 2 or 3 ops I would not recommend from a local reputational standpoint and even those on a bad day are better than ops we have been with in other countries. Very well regulated and run ops pretty much across the board here. So far this winter is very windy and consistently so. Conditions on the EE have been really off. Normally by March everything is calming down but sometimes normal isn’t relative.

Very helpful. Thank you