Question First time to Caymans?

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neuro

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Hi there. I am planning my first trip to Caymans end of August, for 2 weeks. I've done a lot of diving in Western Pacific, Atlantic and Asia/Europe in general, but Carribean is terra incognita to me.
I initially planned to stay one week in Grand Cayman, then move to Brac - does that make sense? Diving-wise where should I put my focus? I am tec diver (full tmx), but since I am travelling with my spouse (rec) I don't aim for anything ambitious. Still I love wrecks and that's what I'd love to see most. Any recommendations?
Also, are there any specific requirements for Caymans, travel-wise? Or is flight ticket + accomodation enough as for the planning?
Thank you a lot for all your suggestions!
 
Be sure to check out the Travel Cayman website for any changing requirements. You do need to apply for a travel certificate. Apply to Travel Cayman for info and a link in their leads you to the website where you create and account and apply. After you have your travel certificates, find a flight, accomodations and a dive shop.
The water that time of year will be mid-80sº F with excellent viz. We have only been to Grand Cayman (we will be their the last 10 days of August) so cannot provide info on Brac or Little Cayman.
 
The best diving in the Caymans is on Little Cayman, with Brac a close second. The best wreck diving is probably the Tibbetts (Russian Frigate) on Brac or the Kittiwake on Grand. The Clearly Cayman resorts used to have a two week package that would let you spend one week each on the Brac and Little Cayman, and would transfer you between the two in a boat so you didn't lose a day of diving to no-fly restrictions. Unless you or your wife really need more topside entertainment/shopping, I would spend a week on Brac and a week on Little. They try to run all of their packages saturday to saturday, but will adjust if there are not flights available to get to Brac or Little from Grand Cayman, which is pretty common when you are only a month or so out. Keep in mind when picking flight times to Brac or Little from Grand, that you will have to deplane, clear immigration, collect your bags, clear customs, then re-check your bags with Cayman Air, then go back through security to board the flight. On Saturdays it can take a while, but most other days shouldn't take too long.
 
The best diving in the Caymans is on Little Cayman, with Brac a close second. The best wreck diving is probably the Tibbetts (Russian Frigate) on Brac or the Kittiwake on Grand. The Clearly Cayman resorts used to have a two week package that would let you spend one week each on the Brac and Little Cayman, and would transfer you between the two in a boat so you didn't lose a day of diving to no-fly restrictions. Unless you or your wife really need more topside entertainment/shopping, I would spend a week on Brac and a week on Little. They try to run all of their packages saturday to saturday, but will adjust if there are not flights available to get to Brac or Little from Grand Cayman, which is pretty common when you are only a month or so out. Keep in mind when picking flight times to Brac or Little from Grand, that you will have to deplane, clear immigration, collect your bags, clear customs, then re-check your bags with Cayman Air, then go back through security to board the flight. On Saturdays it can take a while, but most other days shouldn't take too long.
 
So Cayman is our go to deem under well over 160 dives. Grand go with Livinh the dream dive shop. Brac go with Reef divers. Little cayman is the best diving in the Caribbean in my opinion.
We go the LC ever year.
If you change your plans on little C stay at Southern Cross Beach club. Better food at the resort.
 
Grand Cayman has some decent shore diving as well as boat dives. Kittiwake is worth doing, once, but nothing special as wrecks go. My favorite shore dives are Sunset House house reef, Eden Rock/Devils Grotto and Maccabucca. Note that you need to rent tanks on site for any of the shore dives. These are all on the West Coast. Little and Brac feature boat dives. They are similar and have excellent all inclusives run by the Clearly Cayman group. Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman is a featured dive (usually also included one day from Cayman Brac). Both the Wall itself and the reef on top are good dives. Grand Cayman is a modern, well developed island with good restaurant choices, dive ops and surface interval diversions. Little and Brac are a step back in time, in a good way if you are looking for that kind of vacation. If you are really set on wreck dives you might be disappointed.
 
If you want a beach holiday with some diving , then Grand Cayman. If your intent is a dive trip, then Brac and Little Cayman have Grand beat by a mile.
I don't know if Reef divers on Brac and Little Cayman still offer boat transfers from one resort to the other. Ask them. If not you will lose a dive day with air transfer.

Dive Tech on Grand Cayman supports tech diving if that is your interest. Reef Divers at Cayman Brac supports rebreather diving as well.

If you are planning August 2022, you better get moving as all the resorts on Brac and Little get booked up quickly. In fact they may already be full.
 
I think the boat transfer between Brac and Little was only offered a few times in the past between specific weeks they had on offer. Perhaps an attempt at filling some less popular weeks? I wish it was a regular offering.
 
Thank you a lot friends for all your responses - truly appreciated! It seems we have a package with Brac Reef for a week, rest of the time to be decided.
Tec diving wise: are there any deeper wrecks or interesting spots worth seeing, preferably on GC? Someone told me about recently sunk B747 - is that a thing?
 
Thank you a lot friends for all your responses - truly appreciated! It seems we have a package with Brac Reef for a week, rest of the time to be decided.
Tec diving wise: are there any deeper wrecks or interesting spots worth seeing, preferably on GC? Someone told me about recently sunk B747 - is that a thing?
So how was it? Or are you still there?
 
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