Diving West Wall from Cruise ship

[lardo5150]

I will be visitin Grand Cayman one day during our cruise in early December.

I believe from the description from Carnival that we will be diving the West Wall.

What is the diving like there? Marine life?

On a side note, would you recommend I go with an operator on the island ( I am there all day) instead of the cruise ship. I have read that diving on the east side is better. Are there any operators over there that will pick you up and take you diving over there?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

No East End operators offer pick up service to coordinate with cruise ship schedules.

Some operators on the west side of the island (where the ships arrive) do offer trips that accomodate cruise ship passengers. You will need to submit inquiries directly to those operators and include your ships' name and scheduled port times. Smaller operators tend to be more flexible with their schedules.

You could option to do your diving from shore. Several of the popular shore diving sites have on-site dive companies to provide rental gear and tanks. The wall is within swimming distance from shore at most of those locations.

Grand Cayman is primarily known for the spectacular underwater terrain and not as much for the variety of fish life. The "wall" surrounds the island and sheer drop offs start well within recreational diving limits. You can be cruising along a coral finger at 60ft and come to the edge of the wall where it suddenly drops to 6000ft.

 

[diversteve]

If you book the cruise ship excursion it will be with Don Foster's.
Welcome to Don Foster's Dive Cayman Come Dive with Us

Personally I'd look at one of the 6-8pax diveops instead. Even if you have to take a cab to their location. A fairly complete list can be found here: Cayman Islands - Travel and Tourism Site - Diving

 

[Alex777]

If you book the cruise ship excursion it will be with Don Foster's.
Welcome to Don Foster's Dive Cayman Come Dive with Us

Personally I'd look at one of the 6-8pax diveops instead. Even if you have to take a cab to their location. A fairly complete list can be found here: Cayman Islands - Travel and Tourism Site - Diving

But the 6 & 8 pak boats leave at 7:30 or 8 AM usually. So, you may need to make some special arrangement, if they are willing.

 

[diversteve]

But the 6 & 8 pak boats leave at 7:30 or 8 AM usually. So, you may need to make some special arrangement, if they are willing.

Good point..I took all day to mean he might be overnighting there. Or at least waking up there. Or interested in something in the afternoon. I keep forgetting it's different for the cruisers.

 

[lardo5150]

Ya sorry guys, I am there from 7am till 5pm.

 

[heydn62]

There is good shore diving from Eden Rock, about 5 minute walk south of the Cruise tender drop offs. Also saw on their web site that they have boat trips leaving at 9:30 - with trips to the wall. Not done the boat trips with them, so can't recommend directly, but looks like a decent option. You could always do the boat trip, come back, eat lunch, and do a shore dive or two if you don't have to be back on board the ship until 5.

I've done one dive trip to Grand Cayman, and had shore dives there on 2 cruise stops. If you're hoping to see something big, you may be disappointed (or maybe not), but the coral and the sheer number and variety of fish you'll see is impressive to me. Hope to get back there soon.