Dive ops near Rum Point?

[KathyV]

Red Sail is a big op, but the Tortuga branch on the East End is a 2 boat shop that seems pretty removed from the larger parts of the Red Sail operation. It appears they now offer a dive trip departing directly from Rum Point, which may be a recent or seasonal addition - at least it wasn't on their web site last I looked a couple months ago. It doesn't say if that is once a week, daily or what but might obviously be of interest if they're staying at Rum Point.

I'm sure either OF or Tortuga would be fine, both have good reps. White Sands may be too, but no one seems to know much about them. Tortuga has long had a rep as being less suited to experienced divers than OF, but I have no personal experience with Tortuga. Tortuga does mention all their morning wall dives being instructor led, with an option to be guided or do your own thing for the other dives. That's something many divers would be unhappy with, but new divers would probably be happy with. (OF states unguided diving is allowed.)

I also saw that about a Tortuga dive trip directly from Rum Point, but I don't know anything about it. My first thought was that maybe it is for cruise ship divers - because sometimes the Rum Point Club gets packed with cruisers looking for a beach day, but if it leaves early in the morning then it probably isn't for cruisers.

Maybe there are enough divers staying on the north side to make it worthwhile, especially during the busier season, but who knows?

 

[mbs]

Great info folks, thanks!!!! I'm going to suggest he contact Red Sail/Tortuga divers. If they actually depart from Rum Point that would be ideal!

 

[Damselfish]

yeah, 8:30am doesn't sound like a cruise ship excursion. Maybe they have gotten enough inquiries from divers staying around there, or divers wanting to, to do this. Digging further looks like it's only Wednesdays from Rum Point, but that's something. And a 1 tank stingray city Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Dish]

KathyV, I think those Rum Point dives are intended for Sting Ray City, but certainly something that I would check on. Otherwise, Ocean Frontiers is a 20 minute drive to the East End and one of my favorite dive ops

 

[Damselfish]

it says 2 tank wall in the morning, and 1 tank stingray city in the afternoon.

 

[caydiver]

"Tortuga has long had a rep as being less suited to experienced divers than OF, but I have no personal experience with Tortuga. Tortuga does mention all their morning wall dives being instructor led, with an option to be guided or do your own thing for the other dives. That's something many divers would be unhappy with, but new divers would probably be happy with. (OF states unguided diving is allowed.)"

None of us in the business understand how these type of reputation clarifications come into existence except that when they are repeated over and over people start to believe they are true. I don't know of one single op on this island that turns down business because there is a new or junior dive in a group. That includes OF who I know many folks who have happily had their kids certify with them and dive even as junior divers. It is unfair to both Tortuga to say they are not suited to experienced divers and to OF to imply they want experienced not inexperienced divers. We don't pick and choose our guests and if we have room on the boat and they are certified they are paying guests just like anyone else, and I don't know of any other op that has different requirements. While many divers may be unhappy to be lead PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc has suggested limitations for Open Water Divers who can go deeper with an Instructor/DM. For me personally I would not want to spend the money and go to awesome dive sites and be stuck at 60 feet when the rest of the group is 40, 50 or even 60 feet below me. Why do we follow those guidelines -- read any one of the dive accident stories and see where the blame falls and who gets sued when something happens. These rules do not apply to those with additional qualifications but for most recreational divers they will get the same opportunities no matter which op they go with. Considering that the ops all go to the same dive sites and tell each other when there is something noteworthy to share with guests, makes the generalizations even more mind boggling. If there is actual factual evidence I will be happy to eat my words, but I just think it is terribly unfair to label any op with sweeping statements that in actual practice realistically can have no basis. They are both ops with great reputations, excellent staff and are more than capable of offering the highest level of service to divers at all different levels of experience.

 

[Damselfish]

"Tortuga has long had a rep as being less suited to experienced divers than OF, but I have no personal experience with Tortuga. Tortuga does mention all their morning wall dives being instructor led, with an option to be guided or do your own thing for the other dives. That's something many divers would be unhappy with, but new divers would probably be happy with. (OF states unguided diving is allowed.)"

None of us in the business understand how these type of reputation clarifications come into existence except that when they are repeated over and over people start to believe they are true. I don't know of one single op on this island that turns down business because there is a new or junior dive in a group. That includes OF who I know many folks who have happily had their kids certify with them and dive even as junior divers. It is unfair to both Tortuga to say they are not suited to experienced divers and to OF to imply they want experienced not inexperienced divers. We don't pick and choose our guests and if we have room on the boat and they are certified they are paying guests just like anyone else, and I don't know of any other op that has different requirements. While many divers may be unhappy to be lead PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc has suggested limitations for Open Water Divers who can go deeper with an Instructor/DM. For me personally I would not want to spend the money and go to awesome dive sites and be stuck at 60 feet when the rest of the group is 40, 50 or even 60 feet below me. Why do we follow those guidelines -- read any one of the dive accident stories and see where the blame falls and who gets sued when something happens. These rules do not apply to those with additional qualifications but for most recreational divers they will get the same opportunities no matter which op they go with. Considering that the ops all go to the same dive sites and tell each other when there is something noteworthy to share with guests, makes the generalizations even more mind boggling. If there is actual factual evidence I will be happy to eat my words, but I just think it is terribly unfair to label any op with sweeping statements that in actual practice realistically can have no basis. They are both ops with great reputations, excellent staff and are more than capable of offering the highest level of service to divers at all different levels of experience.

You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say anyone turned down business or wanted one type of diver over the other. I agreed both had good reputations.

Cayman has a long history of being more nannyish in general than some other places. While things have eased up over the years, most Cayman ops used to be more restrictive on dive times, depths, and on not allowing buddy diving without a guide, especially on wall dives. (I have personally seen ops be very much a PITA about junior divers or time restrictions - not allowing a junior diver on a boat, or having major meltdowns when someone exceeded stated limits by a foot or a minute. Seriously. But that's the past.) When computers became popular, Cayman ops were on average less inclined to let people dive them than some other destinations, took them awhile.

In the past there have been more reports that added up to Tortuga being more restrictive than than other ops that were easing up. That is where the reputation comes from. It appears that is not much of an issue anymore. However, it's a fact that Tortuga still says right on their web site that the first am wall dive is guided. It's also a fact that OF says right on their web site you can do any dive without a guide. More experienced divers will often have a preference for the latter. (It's also a fact that Ocean Frontiers required the first wall dive to be guided, in their earlier days.)

 

[caydiver]

I didn't mean to put words in your mouth but just felt the words "Tortuga has long had a rep as being less suited to experienced divers than OF" are not fair to either. I have been diving here for almost 30 years and know both Steve Broadbelt at OF and James Dudley at Tortuga. I know many DM's that have worked at both ops. I cannot speak for the past, but do think it is a shame to have either be categorized by something that is just now true now. Most ops tell guests that the first dive (the deep one is guided) however it doesn't mean in every situation it is. That said having it in writing saves a lot of issues when a guest thinks they are Poseiden's gift to diving and quite frankly they are not. I actually didn't read those words in your post but rather where it was quoted by another person. The more often it gets repeated the more harm it can do to two really excellent ops when a family of six might turn away from OF or a group of tech divers might shy away from Tortuga. I do agree that Cayman is perhaps still more strict but will say it is nothing compared to what we experienced on Hayman and a few years later on Lizard Island. It is all relative and have to admit I loved the diving in OZ but found the procedures overwhelming. However, as the week wore on in both cases, were were not as hampered by the all the checks! I believe the oversight here also lessens when the staff see a diver's actual skill level in the water, not necessarily what card he/she has in their wallet.

 

[Dish]

Wait... so where do Poseiden’s gifts to diving go to dive now?

 

[Doctorfish]

I agree with Caydiver

Every op I have been out with on Grand Cayman ( including Turtuga and OF ) has used essentially the same routine.
50 Minutes 110 feet guided followed by 60/60 with or without a guide. If you have been out on the boat a few times and look to be competent, they stop shepherding you around. I've also seen plenty of newbies on Dive Tech and OF boats. I tend to dive with OF when East, but would have no problem with the other operators if they were booked up.

Some ops tend to try to develop a type of client over time but overall, they all cater to all levels of diver experience. Doing otherwise would just be bad business.