First trip to Cayman Islands and need some input

[dyandiver]

I'm trying to plan a trip for my husband and I to the Caymans sometime next year. We've never been there and I don't know where to start. Which island is best for diving - or are they all good? I'd like to find comfortable, but reasonable hotel accommodations. Any suggestions? We're not night life people, so that's not a consideration. It would be great to also have a dive shop on site - or do all the operators just pick you up at your hotel? If that's the case - what's a good dive shop?

Thanks for any and all input.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

The Cayman Islands are where the recreational diving industry was born! You cannot go wrong there!

The big island, Grand Cayman, has the most infrastructure and works best for a total family experience. In addition to the fantastic diving, there are plenty of other attractions too, such as the Turtle Farm, the Botanical Gardens, and more. A couple of great operators are DiveTech at the Cobalt Coast Resort, and Ocean Frontiers on the East End.

Cayman Brac is a bit smaller and more laid back. One operator I would recommend there is Reef Divers, who are associated with the Brac Reef Resort. These guys are great, and they can take you to a variety of exciting dive sites around the island, including a ride across the channel to Cayman Brac's 'sister island', Little Cayman. They also support shore diving there too!

Finally, there is Little Cayman, which was originally developed as a fishing mecca, but has also added diving the the list of offerings too! A good operator there is Little Cayman Divers at the resort of the same name.

No matter which island you pick, you won't be disappointed!

 

[ben_wilson3301]

My wife and I went to grand cayman and loved it! I would definitely suggest Don Fosters. Great group of guys and girls. We stayed at the marriott beach resort. If you don't mind walking you can make it pretty much everywhere on the 7 mile beach side of the island. Pretty much all of the operators will pick you up at your hotel if you stay on 7 mile beach. The most amazing diving and food as well.

 

[Captain12Pk]

I just made my first trip to Grand Cayman in October. Stayed on the ast End of GC at the Moritt's Tortuga. Dove with Red Sail Sports (they are on site at the Moritt's) and loved every minute of it. Red Sail trated us very well. I can't say enough about them. The diving was very nice. 84-89 degree F. water. Visibility anywhere from probably 80 fsw to unlimited.
The east End of GC is more Laid back than the West End. The West End (Georgetown specifically) is where the cruise ships come in, and it can get quite crowded when thay are in. We wanted to avoid that as much as possible. Thus, the East End.

Have fun. I can't wait to go back myself...
K

 

[apertyx]

Wow - there are so many choices and plan designs you could choose from - depending on what time of year you come! I live and work on Grand Cayman (off island right now for medical treatment) and have lots of time to answer any questions you might have. I've worked for one company mentioned here, and currently work for the other. But I'll not say which is which right now - not here to plug them. Feel free to ask any questions you may have -- so many people on here to help you out, but a few more details might be good as well. Do you know when you might want to go? How many people, and for how long? Any other considerations in mind (kids, non-divers, etc)? The more you can provide (safely, of course) the more specific we can be to help you plan your stay and make it the BEST the island has to offer you! It's not the cheapest place out there for sure but I think you get your money's worth in terms of safety, security and more. And, I know a few places that won't try to slip your wallet with one hand while shaking the other, if you know what I mean!!! I hope you have the BEST time there!!! I know I can't wait to go home ... miss it so much!

 

[carriemak]

Little Cayman always gets my vote for the best diving in the Caribbean. Little Cayman Beach Resort offers true valet diving and an all inclusive (minus adult beverages) package.

 

[scubadada]

Hi dyandiver,

I have 9 dive trips to and 164 dives off Grand Cayman since 1997. Easily my favorite resort/operators are Cobalt Coast/Divetech in the NW with easy access to West and North and Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers on the East end. My first visit to Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers was in Sept with my son, 22 great dives in 5 1/2 days. I liked it so much I'm returning with my wife at the end of the month. There are many fine operators and accomodations in the SMB area. I could recommend Wall to Wall and Cayman Diving School from personal experience.

My son and I visited Little Cayman in 2010 and stayed at LCBR. This was one of the best dive trips I've had, I'd certainly return.

I've never been to Cayman Brac, I hope to remedy that someday soon.

You can't go too wrong, good diving,

Craig

 

[billinwilliamston]

First step might be to decide how you define "comfortable, but reasonable hotel accommodations" and what time of year you're thinking about going. Reasonable is definitely a relative term when it comes to Cayman.

 

[BuckBuck]

My wife and I went three summers ago, and now make it an annual trip.
We like the quiet of the East End. The diving there is also fantastic.
We've stayed each year at Compass Point, and dove with Ocean Frontiers, the on-site dive shop. They are awesome, and take care of your every need.
The condos at Compass Point are very comfortable, and allow us to do the majority of our own cooking, which we prefer.

Hard to go wrong in the Caymans.
Happy diving.

 

[dyandiver]

Hello again. Where do I start. We've just returned from 2 weeks in Bonaire, and it was outstanding. I want to return again and again, and ... there are so many other good places for diving, too.

When would we travel to the Caymans - probably summer of 2012. There will be 2 adults (a bit more than middle aged) and we'd want to visit for 10 days/2 weeks. Usually when booking a dive trip I look for hotel/dive packages. I don't see those in the Caymans, unless I'm looking in the wrong places. The hotels all seem to be resorts - and very expensive! Are there any simple hotel rooms/lower scale condos or studios (around $100 or less nightly) available on the islands? Also, I notice that shore diving is offered. Do you know if it's comparable to shore diving in Bonaire? Is shore access more or less difficult? Is there a lot of surf? Any pictures of the shore lines?

Thanks for any and all input.