Diving freedom in Cayman Brac?
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If you dive on a boat with reef divers yes. You are always limited to 110 feet. You also have to have a computer. If you lock yourself out, you can't dive until your computer is cleared. There is a sheet with these items that is issued during the initial briefing.
They also establish profiles for each dive. This is not like Cozumel or Bonaire where the dive guides will allow you to dive your computer.
I believe that these also reflect the "marine park" rules. So, I presume that the brac scuba shack would say the same.
I am not sure how they enforce those rules when someone shore dives.
They also establish profiles for each dive. This is not like Cozumel or Bonaire where the dive guides will allow you to dive your computer.
I believe that these also reflect the "marine park" rules. So, I presume that the brac scuba shack would say the same.
I am not sure how they enforce those rules when someone shore dives.
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I've done several trips with Reef Divers on Brac and Little Cayman and I think that the 100 ft limit is for Nitrox and you can go deeper on air, but I'm not sure about that. They usually say 100 ft during the briefing and that is fine. I have never dived with Brac Scuba Shack so I don't know anything about their operation. They have a good reputation though.
If you decide to follow the RD dive guide in the water then he/she will expect you to comply with the profile, but you are not required to follow the dive master. They do require buddy pairs but you and your buddy are free to go off on your own, and nobody is checking computers and gauges when you get back on board. The dive staff recommend what they feel is the safest and that is usually fine with us, whether or not we decide to follow the dive master on the dive.
They also set time limits, usually 60 minutes per dive, but again no one is checking a stop watch. Many times I have seen divers exceed the time limits (and I have done it a few times myself!) Folks planning for a long dive should try and get off the boat early and quickly so that the others aren't waiting on them for a long time. The staff do have a schedule to keep but the trips to the reef are usually pretty short and the dive staff are generally flexible.
They do require a computer and they will loan you one at no charge if you need one (or if you want a back up) and they will insist that you wait to dive until your computer clears if you exceed the limits. That happened to someone on our last trip and that individual choose to sign a release indicating awareness that the computer limits had been exceeded and absolving the dive op of all liability. He was able to go out diving the next day and didn't have any problems. His own computer said he was fine but he had taken one of the shop's computer as a backup and he had misunderstood the displays on that computer.
I once heard a customer on Brac complaining bitterly that she "wouldn't be allowed to dive for the rest of the week just because she had gone to 150 ft on Nitrox!" She "couldn't figure out what that terrible noise was" but it was her computer screaming at her. We were glad that they had thrown her off the boat, she was a menace.
Last year on Little Cayman with Reef Divers I got the feeling that the dive staff were a little more controlling and pedantic than in the past. And they were a bit more insistent about staying compliant with the profile; but I think that was mostly due to the personalities of the dive masters on our boat, because we went out with another boat one day and that staff seemed a bit more easy-going, but still safety-minded.
I remember there was a diver on our boat last year that complained because he had gone quite a bit deeper than the profile on his last dive. His computer said he was fine but the dive master signaled to him to come up shallower and he was annoyed about that.
So it is not the "true diving freedom of Bonaire" but I think that Reef Divers has a great dive op on CB and LC (and probably on GC too - but I haven't been to Cobalt Coast yet). We have always been pleased with their services and competence.
If you decide to follow the RD dive guide in the water then he/she will expect you to comply with the profile, but you are not required to follow the dive master. They do require buddy pairs but you and your buddy are free to go off on your own, and nobody is checking computers and gauges when you get back on board. The dive staff recommend what they feel is the safest and that is usually fine with us, whether or not we decide to follow the dive master on the dive.
They also set time limits, usually 60 minutes per dive, but again no one is checking a stop watch. Many times I have seen divers exceed the time limits (and I have done it a few times myself!) Folks planning for a long dive should try and get off the boat early and quickly so that the others aren't waiting on them for a long time. The staff do have a schedule to keep but the trips to the reef are usually pretty short and the dive staff are generally flexible.
They do require a computer and they will loan you one at no charge if you need one (or if you want a back up) and they will insist that you wait to dive until your computer clears if you exceed the limits. That happened to someone on our last trip and that individual choose to sign a release indicating awareness that the computer limits had been exceeded and absolving the dive op of all liability. He was able to go out diving the next day and didn't have any problems. His own computer said he was fine but he had taken one of the shop's computer as a backup and he had misunderstood the displays on that computer.
I once heard a customer on Brac complaining bitterly that she "wouldn't be allowed to dive for the rest of the week just because she had gone to 150 ft on Nitrox!" She "couldn't figure out what that terrible noise was" but it was her computer screaming at her. We were glad that they had thrown her off the boat, she was a menace.
Last year on Little Cayman with Reef Divers I got the feeling that the dive staff were a little more controlling and pedantic than in the past. And they were a bit more insistent about staying compliant with the profile; but I think that was mostly due to the personalities of the dive masters on our boat, because we went out with another boat one day and that staff seemed a bit more easy-going, but still safety-minded.
I remember there was a diver on our boat last year that complained because he had gone quite a bit deeper than the profile on his last dive. His computer said he was fine but the dive master signaled to him to come up shallower and he was annoyed about that.
So it is not the "true diving freedom of Bonaire" but I think that Reef Divers has a great dive op on CB and LC (and probably on GC too - but I haven't been to Cobalt Coast yet). We have always been pleased with their services and competence.
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Doctorfish
Contributor
I just got back from a trip where I dived with Reef Divers. Virtually all operators who dive in Cayman Islands follow Cayman Watersport Association guidelines. I.E. 100 feet regardless of mix, no decompression diving. With Reef, if you drop a little deeper on air, seemed to be no big deal. They are also very good about not having to stay with the DM. Just dive into the current on the way out, be back on the boat in 60 minutes and do not suck your tank dry.
The reef boats are not rushed. 2 tank AM dives, both 60 minutes. 1 Tank PM, also 60 minutes.
If you go into deco on your computer, you are out of water for 48 hrs, which IMO is reasonable.
If you shore dive on your own, obviously you can do whatever you feel is safe.
The reef boats are not rushed. 2 tank AM dives, both 60 minutes. 1 Tank PM, also 60 minutes.
If you go into deco on your computer, you are out of water for 48 hrs, which IMO is reasonable.
If you shore dive on your own, obviously you can do whatever you feel is safe.
This comes from the Safe Diving Standards for Cayman Watersports Operators that Doctorfish mentioned and you will find that most Cayman dive op follow these standards on all 3 of the islands.
http://www.caymanislands.ky/divecayman/diving-information/safedivingstandards.aspx
The recommended maximum depth limit with recreational scuba customers is 100feet/30meters, if within certification (See Appendix ‘B’). The required maximum depth with recreational scuba customers is 130feet/39meters and 100feet/39 meters for repetitive dives the same day.
http://www.caymanislands.ky/divecayman/diving-information/safedivingstandards.aspx
The recommended maximum depth limit with recreational scuba customers is 100feet/30meters, if within certification (See Appendix ‘B’). The required maximum depth with recreational scuba customers is 130feet/39meters and 100feet/39 meters for repetitive dives the same day.
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PatW
Contributor
I have dived with reef divers at Cayman Brac and Little Cayman many times.
There are three dives per day. The first dive is up to 110' for 50 minutes. The second dive done after a 40 minutes surface interval is 60' for 60 minutes. There really is not much point to going deeper than 110'. Last trip, I maxed out at 105. I went down to get a photo of a green moray. I doubt that anyone would fuss, it you did 115'. If you routinely violated the limits, something might get said. But I have not seen a case of it. On the 60' dives, violating the 60' is not a big deal. But again, going to 65' or 70' is not a problem but going to 80' routinely probably would be. I have not seen it be an issue. Generally, people who dive deep do so on the first dive. Their nitrogen loads will limit them on subsequent dives. Also, the second and third sites tend to be shallower so it would take some doing to find a depth violation.
If you get locked out by your computer, you can not dive until it in locks. There was a nice lady from Japan who got locked out. She had not used a dive computer before. Fortunately, the computer cleared again and she only missed one dive. They require that people dive with computers and provide Suuntu Zoops if you don't have a computer.
The afternoon dive is 60' for minutes.
The dive length is so they can get back for lunch in a timely fashion. I understand that the restaurant staff will take the dive masters to task for not abiding by the schedule. I suppose that being a dive master is like herding cats.
We were on an afternoon dive. My wife and I were first in and up and out at 60 minutes. Another pair who had gone in about 15 minutes after us really stretched their dive to about 75 minutes. So the dive master pounded on the ladder with a lead weight which is the recall code. They came up and claimed to not know the 60 minute rule. That was really not credible because it is clearly stated at every dive briefing. Plus, the couple ran a dive shop so it was not like they were neophytes.
I think the limit in the afternoon is for the newer divers. Many of them come back in at about 40 minutes. New divers often get queasy on even a gently rocking boat. Sometimes I get almost 70 minutes. If I am coming up to 60 minutes and a group goes to the ladder, I poke around the bottom until they get on.
Now if my wife were to drain her tank dry, she would almost always be running 120 minute dives are longer. She is really, really good on air.
There are three dives per day. The first dive is up to 110' for 50 minutes. The second dive done after a 40 minutes surface interval is 60' for 60 minutes. There really is not much point to going deeper than 110'. Last trip, I maxed out at 105. I went down to get a photo of a green moray. I doubt that anyone would fuss, it you did 115'. If you routinely violated the limits, something might get said. But I have not seen a case of it. On the 60' dives, violating the 60' is not a big deal. But again, going to 65' or 70' is not a problem but going to 80' routinely probably would be. I have not seen it be an issue. Generally, people who dive deep do so on the first dive. Their nitrogen loads will limit them on subsequent dives. Also, the second and third sites tend to be shallower so it would take some doing to find a depth violation.
If you get locked out by your computer, you can not dive until it in locks. There was a nice lady from Japan who got locked out. She had not used a dive computer before. Fortunately, the computer cleared again and she only missed one dive. They require that people dive with computers and provide Suuntu Zoops if you don't have a computer.
The afternoon dive is 60' for minutes.
The dive length is so they can get back for lunch in a timely fashion. I understand that the restaurant staff will take the dive masters to task for not abiding by the schedule. I suppose that being a dive master is like herding cats.
We were on an afternoon dive. My wife and I were first in and up and out at 60 minutes. Another pair who had gone in about 15 minutes after us really stretched their dive to about 75 minutes. So the dive master pounded on the ladder with a lead weight which is the recall code. They came up and claimed to not know the 60 minute rule. That was really not credible because it is clearly stated at every dive briefing. Plus, the couple ran a dive shop so it was not like they were neophytes.
I think the limit in the afternoon is for the newer divers. Many of them come back in at about 40 minutes. New divers often get queasy on even a gently rocking boat. Sometimes I get almost 70 minutes. If I am coming up to 60 minutes and a group goes to the ladder, I poke around the bottom until they get on.
Now if my wife were to drain her tank dry, she would almost always be running 120 minute dives are longer. She is really, really good on air.
AggieDiver
Contributor
As others have said, the profile guidelines come from the Cayman Watersports association. So any operation you ask openly will repeat those numbers back to you. However, shore diving, you are under no restrictions other than dive your computer and take a dive flag buoy with you. With all that said, I have dove many times with Reef Divers, with many dives quite a bit longer than 60 minutes and have never once been reprimanded or asked to shorten my dives. The way to make sure you can maximize your times is to:
1) Convince everybody on the boat to be either on-time or preferably early to leave the dock. If they ask you to be on the boat at 8:15, make sure everybody is on the boat and ready to go then, not on their way down to the drying room to get their gear together "around 8:15ish". Being on-time leaving the dock allows them more freedom to allow extended dive profiles without getting back to the dock late for lunch. If you leave 15 mins late in the morning, they have to make that up somewhere or get yelled at for being late for lunch. They will either do it by going to sites closer to the resort that require a shorter boat ride (but may not be the best sites) or by being stricter on getting people out of the water.
2) Be among the first into the water if you want a longer profile...that way you can come up around the same time as everybody else but have a longer dive. If you dilly dally on the deck and drop in 5 mins after everybody else is in the water, Doing a 70 min dive is going to get you scolded because you will likely be up 15 mins after everybody else is on the boat.
3) Regardless of #s 1 & 2, get close to the boat before your dive is finished so you can see when others are going up. If you are passing 60 mins and there are still lots of people milling about, you are fine. But if you hit 60 and you are the last ones down, it is probably not a good idea to stay a lot longer. However, the dive crew will be much more lenient if they can see you from the boat and know where you are. If you are down after everybody else and they can't see you, that is when they will get nervous. When they get nervous, they will be more likely to look hard at your computer when you do eventually surface.
Bottom line is that if you are respectful to the dive crew and the schedule the resort sets out for them to follow, they are very likely to be respectful of you and allow you limited freedom to dive longer profiles. If you flout their profiles openly and do so in a way that causes them problems, you are likely to get called on it. Most of all, don't surface with your computer in deco or with an empty tank. Both are things that will either get you taken out of the water or at least sternly warned about their rules.
1) Convince everybody on the boat to be either on-time or preferably early to leave the dock. If they ask you to be on the boat at 8:15, make sure everybody is on the boat and ready to go then, not on their way down to the drying room to get their gear together "around 8:15ish". Being on-time leaving the dock allows them more freedom to allow extended dive profiles without getting back to the dock late for lunch. If you leave 15 mins late in the morning, they have to make that up somewhere or get yelled at for being late for lunch. They will either do it by going to sites closer to the resort that require a shorter boat ride (but may not be the best sites) or by being stricter on getting people out of the water.
2) Be among the first into the water if you want a longer profile...that way you can come up around the same time as everybody else but have a longer dive. If you dilly dally on the deck and drop in 5 mins after everybody else is in the water, Doing a 70 min dive is going to get you scolded because you will likely be up 15 mins after everybody else is on the boat.
3) Regardless of #s 1 & 2, get close to the boat before your dive is finished so you can see when others are going up. If you are passing 60 mins and there are still lots of people milling about, you are fine. But if you hit 60 and you are the last ones down, it is probably not a good idea to stay a lot longer. However, the dive crew will be much more lenient if they can see you from the boat and know where you are. If you are down after everybody else and they can't see you, that is when they will get nervous. When they get nervous, they will be more likely to look hard at your computer when you do eventually surface.
Bottom line is that if you are respectful to the dive crew and the schedule the resort sets out for them to follow, they are very likely to be respectful of you and allow you limited freedom to dive longer profiles. If you flout their profiles openly and do so in a way that causes them problems, you are likely to get called on it. Most of all, don't surface with your computer in deco or with an empty tank. Both are things that will either get you taken out of the water or at least sternly warned about their rules.
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The operators in the Caymans are not as draconian as is described. Since 2010, I've been to the Caymans 4 times, twice to Little Cayman and Reef Divers and twice to Grand Cayman and Ocean Frontiers. Both my trips to Little Cayman had average dive times of 64 minutes (53-71 minutes) and 11 of 35 dives were below 100 feet. My two trips to Grand Cayman had average dive times of 63 and 67 minutes (51-86 minutes) and 14 of 39 dives were below 100 feet. With both operations you are free to dive with the DM or with your buddy. As said before, being among the 1st off the boat certainly gives you a little leeway in your total dive time. With rented Al 80s, my dives were essentially limited by air time, despite a RMV better than most. I have no significant complaints against either of these fine operators.
Doctorfish
Contributor
I'm not sure anyone is complaining here. All boat dive ops I have ever dived with have maintained some sort of schedule and guidelines. I do not find the dive operators on Cayman to be particularly fixated on times or depths, as long as you do not go into deco and you are reasonable about bottom times and safety. Diving is a very competitive business in the Cayman Islands and I find the operators to be quite customer friendly.
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