GC Shore dives & shallow boat dives

[bradsab]

I'm more concerned about my daughter equalizing than the 60'. Since she is the main reason for this trip, I want it to be enjoyable for her; I'll have a great time at 30' if she's with me. Someone suggested she take Sudafed to help. Does that work? If she does well, we'd do some deeper dives. Misty is correct about the over 60'/DM.

It's too bad she has the equalization problems, she's a natural otherwise. Last year we did the Keys. Her very first ocean dive, I came up with 400lb, she with 2.100! I think she has gills or something.

 

[Damselfish]

I often have problems after the first few days of diving, and Sudafed helps me. Search on this board for "Sudafed" and you will find lots of discussions about it. For that matter, you can spend the next week here reading equalizing tips.

I also found that Doc's Proplugs work well for me, better than Sudafed. Have no idea why they work, may or may not work for someone else. Another thing you can find some discussions on.

 

[diversteve]

We were just on a liveaboard and a doctor(diver) suggested that instead of Sudafed, my buddy should try Afrin(nasal spray) instead. His opinion was that Sudafed causes a slight swelling in the ear canals which can lead to ear problems.

Note that Turtle "Farm" and Turtle "Reef" are two different locations. Turtle Farm is a working turtle farm(shorebased) while Turtle Reef is the other Divetech location. It's a good shallow dive with a 35' mini-wall 50 yds. offshore. Kneeling on the sand just past it, I managed to hit 59'.

As mentioned, it's a healthy drive from where you're staying, especially through Georgetown, try to do it on a day there's no cruiseships in town. Or go really early as they tender everyone in after anchoring around 8AM in so at 7-7:30 GT is a ghost town.

Eden Rock would be another shallow option, we couldn't get below 40' there, but the reef has been pretty beat up by years of cruise ship divers. Good facilities and easy entry.

Sunset House would be a good dive also, your wife could have lunch at My Bar and also view the Cathy Church photo gallery onsite. No beach though just ironshore. You and the kids can get pictures with the mermaid (Amphitrite) at 53'. It's well marked and just offshore.

The only shoredive/beach combo I know of on GC is Cemetary Beach. It's on the north end of 7MB. Never dove there though.

Understand that what makes 7MB such a good beach makes it lousy for diving and most of the rest of the westside is ironshore down to the water.

I also liked Aquarium as a shallow boat dive. It's only about 45' to the bottom of the sand channels between the reef. It's also possible in a lot of locations to stay on top of the wall so your max depth is between 60-90' even if others go deeper. Peter's Reef is another shallow site with some decent diving between the coral fingers.

 

[nipi]

It is simply not true to ay that Cayman is not a shore diving destination. Of the 2,000 + dives I have done here, 90% have been shore dives. The only places I have not shore dived are from the east coast and the north wall (not coast) for obvious reasons. I agree that most of the suggested spots would be fine for the poster & his daughter but for others happy with some more adventuous entries & with a vehicle, there are hundreds of possible sites.

 

[Damselfish]

I said "not ideal", and I would still say that. Compared to someplace like Bonaire, for instance. I'm sure it's a little easier when you have the familiarity of living there.

(I assume you have your own tanks - I'm under the impression not all ops will let you rent tanks and take them off site?)

 

[Misty89]

My first dive is always a little painful on the ears. I like to loosen things up with a shore dive if possible. I've used both Sudafed and Afrin - about equal results with each. I find that if I can start trying to equalize on land up to a week before the trip - and especially on the boat before I get in the water - that I have a much easier time. But if my ears are being tricky, the first 40' can take 10 minutes and then everything is fine. Usually by the second dive of the trip I sink like a rock and am at the bottom level of the dive in a minute or two.

 

[nipi]

Damsel - agreed not as easy as e.g. Bonaire but still plenty of diveable spots. Also agreed - local knowledge helps although some sites are buoyed, as you know.

No - we rent tanks. Now from Don Fosters - previously from Sea View - I still have their tank I rented the day before Ivan - used it afterwards to add air to the jeep's tyres.

 

[Damselfish]

Damsel - agreed not as easy as e.g. Bonaire but still plenty of diveable spots. Also agreed - local knowledge helps although some sites are buoyed, as you know.

No - we rent tanks. Now from Don Fosters - previously from Sea View - I still have their tank I rented the day before Ivan - used it afterwards to add air to the jeep's tyres.

Maybe you should write a shore diving guide to Grand Cayman. It's hard to know what shore entries are like from any random place, whose property you might be tresspassing on, etc.

 

[scubadobadoo]

My friend wrote a rather detailed shore diving guide to GC and sells it in CD format but I can't find the web page. I'll keep looking. I dove with him there for a few days and he took me to some areas that were safe but that I NEVER would have known about unless he was with me. He was a DM there for several years. We even dove Hepp's Pipeline from shore. I'll keep looking...be back when I find it!

 

[nipi]

Hepp's is an easy one - try Ghost Mountain or Trinity Caves for a challenging swim out.

Yes - one day I might turn my logs into a book.