GC East End Diving Question

[SAPIUS]

Ellen and I have place at Compass Point (East End) and are there about every month and we only dive with the great crews of Ocean Frontiers. In the late spring into October is your 'smoothest' diving due to lower winds (<10 mph)...on some days the water is like glass. Starting late October into November the winter winds pick up so expect 15 mph winds pretty much every day...thus swells and chop are more evident. In the winter months dive sites on the North side become difficult even for the most experience divers and generally are not used. Water temps in the summer to early fall months are 84-86 deg and in the winter months start to drop (we were there over Thanksgiving and temps leveled to 83-84 deg but also ran into thermoclines) and can get to around 78 deg.

We love diving the East End/North Side sites and are in the Green Shorts Challenge... so best info on the 55 dive sites is here>>> greenshortchallenge.com

Going back for Christmas and staying thru Jan 7 so will let you all know of conditions... and hopefully will knock off our last 9 Green Shorts Challenge dive sites and get our shorts

Michael

 

[War Eagle Diver]

Good luck with the Green shorts challenge Michael! We've only been down once so far but I'm 12 dive sites into it I believe. I will be finishing it!!

John

 

[scubadada]

We love diving the East End/North Side sites and are in the Green Shorts Challenge... so best info on the 55 dive sites is here>>> greenshortchallenge.com

Going back for Christmas and staying thru Jan 7 so will let you all know of conditions... and hopefully will knock off our last 9 Green Shorts Challenge dive sites and get our shorts

Michael

Hi Michael and Ellen,

My family has periodically dived off Grand Cayman since 1997. Until this year, all our diving was West side and North wall with 8 visits and nearly 150 dives. I've always wanted to stay and dive the East end and this year was my chance. I spent a week at Compass Point/Ocean Frontiers with my son in late September and another week with my wife the last week of November.

The resort and operator were great, the diving was excellent and quite varied. I got in 40 dives between the two visits, 31 counting toward my own pair of Green Shorts. I can easily see returning to try to knock off the 24 remaining dives.

Good diving, Craig

 

[JS Esq.]

Just as an update, we're here now, and boy is it windy. We went to rum point yesterday and even there it was gusty and choppy. Not even worth snorkeling as the water was so murky.

Dove with DNS, which was really good. Conditions out by 7 mile beach are much more favorable. You can actually sit on the beach and not feel sandblasted. Hoping for another two tanks tomorrow morning, if everything works out.

 

[SAPIUS]

Yep.. the North Side including Rum Point is not the side you want to be one most of the time in the winter months...they get pretty intense winds thus sea conditions.

 

[caymaniac]

But when the north side is diveable it is one of my favorites.

From the East End:

 

[chordrider]

We are at the Reef this week, and heard from other divers that boats are cancelling trips due to adverse conditions. Winds are 15-20, and seas are generally 5-7, w/the occasional big blue water curls. Some pretty good beach erosion last night, too. They've even closed Stingray City, because it's so churned up. The foo-foo ship passengers that booked that excursion will just have to spend their time and money in the shops and bars in George Town!

 

[Ravzie]

South side is your best bet this time of year! We stayed at cobalt coast last December, didn't get much shore diving because of the conditions.

 

[SAPIUS]

Well, off to Dulles Airport for a 3 hour flight to George Town... going down to our place at the East End for two weeks. Look forward to lots of diving and celebrating the holidays with friends.