Grand Cayman for divers and nondivers

[heypeter]

I'm looking for advice on where to stay in Grand Cayman. We are a mixed group of divers and non-divers. I'm most interested in diving the east end, so that makes staying on 7 mile beach a bit difficult. However, the non-divers want something to do other than sit on the beach, which makes the east end difficult. Any suggestions? Also, is there such a thing as an all-inclusive on GC?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Yes, there is all-inclusive available in Cayman. Not sure it would be best for your needs. Cayman Dive Lodge does all inclusive, but if you aren't a diver, it might not make sense. Spanish Bay Reef Resort also offers all inclusive. Don't know too much about their operation. All inclusive just isn't offerred at most of the large resorts.

East End for non-divers would probably mean either renting a condo, or staying at one of the two big resorts - Morritt's or The Royal Reef. It would be a drive into town for some things, but not everything. There are snorkeling sites accessible from shore in East End, and trips to Stingray City departing from the Rum Point area. Hiking the Mastic Trail, and visiting the Olbrich Botanical Gardens are nearby. The best windsurfing on the island is at Morritt's too.

Diving East End means diving with Tortuga Divers, Cayman Dive Lodge, or Ocean Frontiers. TD is on-site at Morritt's. OF has a retail shop at The Royal Reef, but their boats depart from their stand alone shop in Sand Bluff. CDL departs from their lodge in East End village near the Lil' Hurley's grocery store. Fourth wild card is North Wall diving with Red Sail from Rum Point - which might be closer to a lot of condos in Northside and Cayman Kai.

There is a passenger ferry which connects Rum Point to The Hyatt on Seven Mile Beach. You could take the ferry to save the drive, though it would be cheaper to drive for a group.

 

[padiscubapro]

check www.sunsethouse.com

They now have all inclusive packages for both divers and non divers.. They don't dive the east end per se, but dive the southside when weather dictates, and have the option of 3 tank dives on the manta (an extra charge) that does the north wall and eastward.. if you have a large group the staff will generally work with you on special requests..

The plus is that sunset house is within walking distance of georgetown. there is no "beacH" but nice pool, a sea pool, waterside bar and good shore diveing.

 

[Damselfish]

Cobalt Coast/Divetech is about as far as you can get from the East end, but depending on the time of year dives the North. Shore diving at the hotel if the weather is good (bit of a swim to the reef) or at the other DiveTech shop by Turtle Farm (short drive, but quite a nice place to shore dive.) It's not mainly an all inclusive but you can get packages that include all meals and diving, sometimes they have a deal with a car. (This is sometimes true of other places that aren't formally all-inclusives.)

CC is a bit out of the way, but not a far drive to 7 mile beach area. It's a little less convienient than someplace like Sunset House for shore diving and general getting around, and you're unlikely to walk to anything. But in my opinion it's a much nicer place to stay than Sunset House - depends on how fussy you are about hotels.

Sunset House Manta is a nice trip though. I think there are a couple boats now (like Soto?) that do similar all day trips to the east, maybe you could mix in a day or 2 like that to get an East end fix without staying out there, and make everybody happy.

 

[o2scuba]

heypeter,

Sunset house has some package deals. However I would caution anyone from staying there.

With over 30 trips to the caribbean (a few to GC) I have stayed at a lot of resorts. I rate Sunset House (and especially Sunset Divers)as the absolute worst I have ever experienced.

I was really shocked since there is so much hype about SH in the Dive Mags.

The manager and a couple of the dive pros were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately some bad apples on the staff outweighed the benefits.

There were cockroaches in the room. Room has a nasty moldy, musty smell. Dive boats are crowded and outdated.
Although we made reservations well in advance, upon our arrival (group of 8), they seemed disorganized. They could not find our info and were not expecting us. We had to wait around for quite a while while they straitened it out. No appologies, and a general bad attitude.

The ONLY good thing about Sunset House (IMO) is Cathy Curch's Photo Center. Cathy is a brilliant photographer, and teacher.

 

[Damselfish]

just saying that Cobalt Coast was a nicer place to stay. I agree with o2scuba on Sunset House. I think the rooms are pretty ratty, including the so called "deluxe" room we stayed in last time. And other than the Manta, their boats are lousy and usually crowded. It's a little better when they dive the south, but they mostly dive west wall and it takes far too long to get there to boot - it's not that far but the boats are sslloowwww.

They have shore diving right there, but I would just call it ok. And their arrangement isn't what it could be. (It's not nearly as nice or convieniently set up like almost anyplace on Bonaire, for example.) Tanks are all the way back at the shop, which is back from the water a good ways. Lockers are against the side of a building halfway to the water. If you want to dive at night you have to grab tanks during the day and stick them in your locker. Rinse tanks are down closer to the water. All this is spread along a lovely blacktop driveway area. There's nothing down by the water except for the ladder.

For all that, I'm not sure it's even such a good deal. Just out of curiosity I looked up rates now. I was surprised, but for your basic 2 tank boat/unlimited shore/breakfast package the prices are pretty comparable.

 

[heypeter]

Thanks for the replies. I've got a lot of research to do now!

 

[padiscubapro]

o2scuba once bubbled...
heypeter,

Sunset house has some package deals. However I would caution anyone from staying there.

With over 30 trips to the caribbean (a few to GC) I have stayed at a lot of resorts. I rate Sunset House (and especially Sunset Divers)as the absolute worst I have ever experienced.

I was really shocked since there is so much hype about SH in the Dive Mags.

The manager and a couple of the dive pros were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately some bad apples on the staff outweighed the benefits.

There were cockroaches in the room. Room has a nasty moldy, musty smell. Dive boats are crowded and outdated.
Although we made reservations well in advance, upon our arrival (group of 8), they seemed disorganized. They could not find our info and were not expecting us. We had to wait around for quite a while while they straitened it out. No appologies, and a general bad attitude.

The ONLY good thing about Sunset House (IMO) is Cathy Curch's Photo Center. Cathy is a brilliant photographer, and teacher.

When was the last time you were at sunset house?? if it was immediately after early nov 2001, I wouldn't disagree, most of the island was recovering..Sunset was hit very hard.. they lost mybar, and had a bunch of rooms destroyed.. It took over a year to get things back to normal.. My bar took even longer

The rooms arent the nicest on island but they are clean.. Many of the rooms have been redone over the last year or so..

Everyone on the divestaff is top notch.. You cant work at sunsethouse unless you have considerable experience on the island.. The minimum requirement for an instructor used to be a Padi MSDT.. the requirement is now being the minimum of a trimix diver and technical instructor..

Most of the current staff has been around for a while with the main people having a deade or more experience on island.

The shalowst part of the reef takes some abuse (the whole island is still recovering from the last hurricane, the south was hit especially hard)... The shallow wall ~100 is in good shape, the deep wall is in great shape.

Over the past year I have taken several students to GC for technical training, a few of them haven't been to GC in w while since they really weren't happy with the accomodations.. Several of these students have been back to sunsethouse on their own since they were so impressed with the dive staff..

I have used CC also.. The rooms there are great, Divetek is one of the better operations on the island although I would rate them below Sunset Divers. If you are in for relaxing CC is out of the way and quite.. If the weather patterns are correct the diving offshore is good..