Dive trip to grand cayman in August

[diverdaddy11]

My family is taking a trip to east end first two week in August. Diving with O.F. Wondering what weather is like wind, and hurricane. Doing a.o.w. Course should we get trip insurance or Dan.

 

[Damselfish]

Warmer and more humid in August than in winter, as you would expect for pretty much anyplace down there. But most likely way less windy than winter on the east end. Weather is generally very nice in hurricane season... as long as there's no tropical system affecting the area, which no one can predict that far in advance. (We got blown out of a few days of diving by a hurricane on an August trip there a couple years ago.)

It's always a good idea for divers to have DAN insurance (on top of DAN membership) or other dive insurance. Trip insurance, you really have to judge for yourself if it makes sense for you. Some people get it all the time, some occasionally, some never, depending on their situation and risk tolerance.

 

[AggieDiver]

If you are diving, you should have DAN. Regular medical insurance and trip insurance have huge holes around things like hyperbaric treatment and medical evacuation costs that are only covered by dive specific insurance like DAN. Now as for trip insurance, it really depends on the details of your trip, who you are using for airlines/operators, and what your personal situation is. One thing many people don't realize is that most trip insurance won't cover cancellation if you decide not to fly to a destination in the path of a hurricane, unless the airlines are not flying or the resort/hotel you are planning to stay at is closed. In those two instances, the airline will generally allow you to rebook another time with no transfer fee if they are not flying, and the hotels/resorts generally will give you a credit for a future stay if they are closed. So in the two instances where trip insurance would pay due to a hurricane disruption, it is very likely that the hotels and airlines will already have helped you out. Where trip insurance can be very helpful is if you have a situation such as having a sick relative or limited vacation time, such that you would not be able to travel again within the timeframe the airline or resort is willing to allow you to transfer. Or if you have unpredictable job issues that cause you to not be able to travel at the last minute. Things like that are usually covered by trip insurance. Just read the policy limitation and exceptions carefully before you buy, as many of them will not help you much if you are sitting at home the day before you leave for a trip, watching a hurricane head towards your intended destination.

 

[tkaelin]

I second the recommendation on Dan. I have a diving family and would not dive without it. Spend some time on their website and read the various coverage options You are buying peace of mind and great coverage for a relatively small amount of money. I dove OF with my daughter last year and we are heading back this year. You should enjoy it.

 

[AggieDiver]

Oh, and since I didn't say anything about the wind and weather in my previous post...I will add it here. The answer is "it depends". If there is not a tropical system nearby, generally the winds and seas in late summer are very calm and it is very warm. I would expect water temps around 85-86F and air temps in the mid to upper 80s during the day and upper 70s to low 80s at night. If there is a tropical system nearby, all bets are off, you could have rought seas, cloudy conditions, and rain. We have been very lucky to have dodged the tropical systems the last few years during our trips and the seas have been like glass.

 

[diverdaddy11]

Thank for all of your replays we will definetly get DAN.