Grand Cayman: Place for a "warm-up dive" upon arrival?

[ScubaTexas]

My dive buddy and I (both novices by our standards) would like to do a "warm-up dive" upon our arrival to Grand Cayman so we get ourselves comfortable and situated before doing our boat dives the next day. We are staying along 7 mile beach. Any good suggestions?

 

[Damselfish]

I'd suggest Divetech by the Turtle Farm - very nice shore dive. Eat at the Cracked Conch upstairs before or after.

The warm up dive idea is good, but I'll mention that some people will say it's better to rest when you get someplace instead of immediately jumping in the water, due to the possibility of being tired and dehydrated after your trip. It's worth keeping in mind how you're feeling when you get there.

 

[JohnF]

I'd suggest Divetech by the Turtle Farm - very nice shore dive. Eat at the Cracked Conch upstairs before or after.

The warm up dive idea is good, but I'll mention that some people will say it's better to rest when you get someplace instead of immediately jumping in the water, due to the possibility of being tired and dehydrated after your trip. It's worth keeping in mind how you're feeling when you get there.

Eden Rock is at the other end of SMB and is a pretty gentle dive too. Both will rent you tanks and weights.

JohnF

 

[H2Andy]

Eden Rock! excellent shore dive, with dramatic coral fingers running into the sea.

it's right by Georgetown, and you can't miss it. also, you can use the Eden Rock
shop to gear up and store stuff (they rent little lockers), and ask the guys there
what to look for. it's a 30-40 yard swim (?) to the reef, and it is TEEMING with life.

 

[TedJ]

I'll second the Turtle Farm location. Been doing it for the last ten years, before the Cracked Conch or Dive Techs operations were there. It's also a nice night dive. This past Feb we saw the grand-daddy of lobsters just past the sewer pipes on the bottom to the left.
TedJ

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Sunset House offers a great house reef plus a small wreck and the iconic underwater statute of the mermaid Amphertite. Coral is a bit healthier than sites closer to the harbour too.

 

[roo1788]

Eden Rock is an easy shore dive and a great way to get your trip started. Enjoy!!

My dive buddy and I (both novices by our standards) would like to do a "warm-up dive" upon our arrival to Grand Cayman so we get ourselves comfortable and situated before doing our boat dives the next day. We are staying along 7 mile beach. Any good suggestions?

 

[netmage]

Eden Rock is an easy shore dive and a great way to get your trip started. Enjoy!!

DiveTech by the Turtle Farm is a nice dive, we had a steady current going on, not too bad.

Eden Rock is da bomb. If you live Caverns and swimthroughs its killer.

We stayed at Spanish Bay and they have a very nice reef just off the resort with a bunny entrance protected by sandbags - I believe the dive shop will rent tanks to walk-ups - defiantely no outside tanks. You can follow the reef out to 120ft then off to the abyss. Kinda tough w/ an 80cuft tank - but it can be done.

-netmage

 

[Texas Diver]

My dive buddy and I (both novices by our standards) would like to do a "warm-up dive" upon our arrival to Grand Cayman so we get ourselves comfortable and situated before doing our boat dives the next day. We are staying along 7 mile beach. Any good suggestions?

Eden Rock is a great place to do a check-out dive. There are three bouys marking the reef system. The entry and swim out (about 150 yards offshore) are easy. There are usually just a few other divers in the water. The depth ranges from 20 feet to about 60 feet. There are a couple of nice swim throughs and lots of fish. It is probably the least expensive dive you will ever do on Cayman, that is for sure. A great bang for the buck.

The Home Page for Cayman's Eden Rock Diving Center

 

[padiscubapro]

Sunset House offers a great house reef plus a small wreck and the iconic underwater statute of the mermaid Amphertite. Coral is a bit healthier than sites closer to the harbour too.

I'll second sunset house.. They will rent you tanks and weights, and the reef is in better shape than eden rock..

All the divesites along this stretch are diveable virtually every day.. up by the turtle farm there are plenty of days shore diving is impossible..

I just spent a week at Sunsethouse and didn't do anything but shore dives.. The shallow reef is in good shape, lots of marinelife.. In the shallows We saw turtles on virtually every dive, a few spotted eagle rays, some very big groupers, the resident green moray swimming freely(about 6 feet long), several schools of squid and the normal assorted fare...

I was running a few trimix classes so we also got to explore the deeper wall which is magnificent.. and saw 2 hammerheads and a few real large baracuda..