grand cayman help

[Byte Me]

Excellent info Jerry and Kevin! We're headed down April next year and this has come in VERY handy. Staying at a private condo and will book diving with DiveTech.

Can't wait!

 

[scubaskinlvr]

Thanks for your help.

I reserved Ritz Carleton for my parents and will take your advice and rent a car.

I will likely try different operators in different parts each day.

What is IMO? Should Bonnaire be my next destination?

 

[divesergeant]

I think Cayman was a nicer place before it was built

Amen!

 

[Damselfish]

I will likely try different operators in different parts each day.

I would stick with one op, or at least not a different op every day. If you're staying on the west end, find a good op that does the north wall and be done with it. Maybe do a day or 2 with Ocean Frontiers on the East End if you really want to check out the diving out there - or maybe save it for another trip. (Your parents might like the Reef Resort and there's a beach. Just alot furhter to most restaurants and shopping.)

It's better a dive op get to know your skills, and nice to get a little familiar with their routine. Any given op will try and go to different sites every day, so their customers don't repeat. Change to a different op, and you may find they're planning to go to sites that day you just did with another op the day before. A dive op may also have a place to store your gear if you're diving with them multiple days (some will even rinse and store it for you if you like) which you can't really take advantage of if you're changing ops every day. Staying at the Ritz, being able to leave your gear with the dive op will be much more convenient than hauling it through the hotel.

What is IMO? Should Bonnaire be my next destination?

IMO=In My Opinion

Bonaire is very different from Cayman. Whether Bonaire should be your next destination rather depends on what you like in diving/restaurants/accommodations. Bonaire is nice and lots of people love it but I prefer Cayman, myself.

 

[divesergeant]

I agree with Damselfish's argument for going with one op. And, if you dive several days with one operator, you might get a discount. Diving several days with an SMB area op and a few days with OF will get you around the island quite well. We'll be doing just that; diving a week with Neptune's Divers and part of the next week with Ocean Frontiers. That'll give us lots of variety.

DS

 

[scubaskinlvr]

I was thinking of going with Divers down due to their proximity to SMB.

Has anyone dove with them recently?

Would you recommend them?

If not, who would you think was a better choice near SMB?

Thanks for all input

 

[scubaskinlvr]

Great input.

Thanks alot.

If I start with an operation around SMB at first and then go with a second operation would you suggest OF or Divetech as my other choice?

I was thinking that trying the scooter sounded like a nice option as something similar yet different.

Do both have scooters.

My other thought was a night dive.

What do you think?

Thanks for all input in advance.

 

[scubaskinlvr]

Thanks for the texting lesson.

I should have known that IMO = In My Opinion but I am new to texting.

Thanks again

 

[Shark Bait!]

You are going to love the diving in Cayman. I believe all the West Bay dive shops will pick you up if your lodging on SMB, my personal favorite on that side s Dive Tech. I should be there again in Decembersince my girlfriend wil be graduating and going home to celebrate.. I will be checking out the shore diving there..


Bonaire is totally different from Grand Cayman. Basically put.. the top side sucks, and under the water is simply amazing! They are really no nice beaches, and if your looking for Ritz-Carlton type pampering.. LOL not going to happen. The diving is Bonaires gem and claim to fame. It is 98% shore diving as the walls are like a 10 yard swim out . Probably the best diving this side of the world IMO. Here is a good forumn is you plan on looking into Bonaire later.

Topics - Bonaire Talk

 

[Damselfish]

I was thinking of going with Divers down due to their proximity to SMB.

If I start with an operation around SMB at first and then go with a second operation would you suggest OF or Divetech as my other choice?

OF is on the far eastern end of the island and dives different areas from any of the western ops. Nice diving and great op, but a long commute from the west. If it matters to you, the east end can be windier and rougher especially as you get into winter, but they just go to different areas where it's calmest at the time.

I don't know if splitting your boat diving between Divetech and Divers Down gains you anything or will get you to different areas in any given week. For the purposes of boat diving Divetech is an operation "around SMB" - pretty much any op on the west end is going to pick you up at your hotel on SMB and take you to the boat. The location of any physical shop they may have is sort of irrelevant and often has nothing to do with the location of the boats. Your boat may even leave from different places on different days depending where they're diving. For example, boats going north will typically leave from various marinas on the north sound. I don't know where Divers Down leaves from, but for all I know they could be docked next to DiveTech.

Divetech concentrates on the north wall and around the northwest point of the island weather permitting. They do the more northerly sites on the west when the north side is too rough. Divers Down (who I haven't dove with) says they do North, West and South but I don't know where they concentrate and again it's going to be weather dependant, maybe someone else will chime in with that. I do like the diving on the south side and if the north is blown out, I'd generally prefer south side to West Bay sites. Divetech tends to have less of the "valet service" thing going on that some ops, which some people prefer. Divetech may carry a few more divers on their boats than Divers Down - or not, depending on business.

The Divetech "west bay express" scooter dive is a fun thing to do once. It's something different, you cover alot of territory and pass reef that isn't dove much. However, it's kind of like seeing scenery from your car on the highway - you don't get a close look at anything. If you haven't used a scooter before, they may require you to rent a scooter and get familiar with using it before going on the "express" trip.