Grand Cayman recommendations

[KathyV]

Some of the places that I mentioned like Sunset House and the Clearly Cayman Resorts will be larger dive groups, but they do have bigger boats so it wouldn't be a cattle boat. But the suggestion of looking at the ops online and seeing pictures of their dive boats is a good one. I only mentioned these places because they have offered specials for single divers recently.

Cayman is a very competitive environment for dive ops and a bad one wouldn't last very long.

 

[caydiver]

Solo diving in Cayman is a no no. The government does not allow any solo diving and does not recognize licenses that permit solo diving. I am not sure if CITA (of which I a member) made the regulation or another agency but was confirmed about two minutes ago by the CITA Waterports Representative. (To be honest I didn’t even know there was a license for solo diving). This absolutely includes shore diving. I too would recommed a six pack. They do offer a more personalized experience. Unless you are on a strict budget you do miss out by limiting yourself to shore dives.

 

[EastEndDiver]

You should go this sub forum on Scuba Board

Cayman Islands

This subject has been beaten to death .....you will find posts from people who have been there once and swear they know the best dive Op and also posts from people who spend lots of time on island and have given their accurate detailed opinion on most things to do with the Cayman Islands.......you will find a wealth of knowledge in this sub forum.

 

[KathyV]

I am not affiliated with a Cayman dive op, and I always dive with my buddy, so it may be out of line for me to speak up; but the issue of solo diving on Cayman has been discussed at length on SB in the past.

If I have understood correctly, the conclusion was that the CITA publishes guidelines - not regulations - and buddy diving is NOT required by law in Cayman. However, most of the dive ops have chosen to follow the CITA guidelines, primarily because of insurance issues, or at the insistence of their insurance company; and perhaps also because they feel it is safer.

Occasionally individuals have posted here on SB that they did find a dive op or supplier on Cayman that allowed solo diving, with solo certification and a pony bottle (usually provided by the solo diver) and with the use of a dive flag float when shore diving. Or that a dive supplier was willing to rent tanks, weights, air fills, and/or loan dive flags to solo divers.

So solo diving is uncommon on Cayman, but it is not illegal; did I get that right?

 

[caydiver]

I am not affiliated with a Cayman dive op, and I always dive with my buddy, so it may be out of line for me to speak up; but the issue of solo diving on Cayman has been discussed at length on SB in the past.

If I have understood correctly, the conclusion was that the CITA publishes guidelines - not regulations - and buddy diving is NOT required by law in Cayman. However, most of the dive ops have chosen to follow the CITA guidelines, primarily because of insurance issues or at the insistence of the insurance company; and perhaps also because they feel it is safer.

Occasionally individuals have posted here on SB that they did find a dive op or supplier on Cayman that allowed solo diving, with solo certification and a pony bottle (usually provided by the solo diver) and with the use of a dive flag float when shore diving. Or that a dive supplier was willing to rent tanks, weights, air fills, and/or loan dive flags to solo divers.

So solo diving is uncommon on Cayman, but it is not illegal; did I get that right?

file:///C:/Users/kvermoch/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/59AV6R0J/CITA%20Watersports%20Operations%20Guidelines%20updated%20October%202016.pdf

I am not affiliated with a Cayman dive op, and I always dive with my buddy, so it may be out of line for me to speak up; but the issue of solo diving on Cayman has been discussed at length on SB in the past.

If I have understood correctly, the conclusion was that the CITA publishes guidelines - not regulations - and buddy diving is NOT required by law in Cayman. However, most of the dive ops have chosen to follow the CITA guidelines, primarily because of insurance issues or at the insistence of the insurance company; and perhaps also because they feel it is safer.

Occasionally individuals have posted here on SB that they did find a dive op or supplier on Cayman that allowed solo diving, with solo certification and a pony bottle (usually provided by the solo diver) and with the use of a dive flag float when shore diving. Or that a dive supplier was willing to rent tanks, weights, air fills, and/or loan dive flags to solo divers.

So solo diving is uncommon on Cayman, but it is not illegal; did I get that right?

file:///C:/Users/kvermoch/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/IE/59AV6R0J/CITA%20Watersports%20Operations%20Guidelines%20updated%20October%202016.pdf

 

[caydiver]

Sorry Kathy but I do run a dive op and I wasn’t sure if it was a law/regulation/whatever. My partner in crime is and has been the Watersports Rep for CITA, is a PADI Platinum Instructor, been nominated for the Hall of Fame and on and on. I called him to verify the info and he said the Gov’t does not allow solo diving for anyone and does not recognize licenses. He has been doing this for many years and I personally have more faith in his statement than I do in random people who while they might advocate solo diving, are not involved with local regulations. The “guidelines” as you call them are the rules that everyone here in every aspect of the business are required to follow if we want to remain in Good Standing and keep our Trade & Business License. I am sure others will debate it but I doubt anyone in the biz here will.

 

[Damselfish]

Shore dive. I don’t think you get much advantage diving off a boat there.

My feelings are quite the opposite - while there are some nice shore dives on Grand Cayman, you miss most of what the place is known for by sticking to the limited shore diving available.

 

[Crazybaldarcher]

Just got back from Cayman in April and used the outfit Ocean Frontiers: Scuba Diving Trips on the East End of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.

They run a very nice setup, there were a lot of solo divers that just kind of buddied up with whom ever was around.

I even buddied up with one on a night dive because my group was going one way and the dive guide was going another (I saw more stuff with guide then they did on their own).

The boats were way nice and truly take care of you.

 

[diversteve]

The two "Suites" - may not be especially reasonable in Sept.

Ambassador Divers is on-site at Comfort Suites although their boats obviously aren't. They're responsible for idivecayman.com so obviously an option.

Divetech has a shuttle from the Holiday Inn to their Lighthouse Point location. Lighthouse Point is the shore dive there so it's possible to find a buddy there but it's a little remote.

Slightly cheaper accommodations might be the Shangri-La B&B in West Bay or there's an older small apt. complex on SMB just north of Georgetown I sometimes see mentioned - don't know the name but it's been posted in the Cayman forum here.

With a car any operator is reasonably accessible - many keep boats in nearby marinas. Most offer free shuttles.

If you knew you were mostly going to boat dive for a couple of days - it would be possible to do it w/o a car assuming you had food options at your resort or nearby. I believe the Holiday Inn has shuttles to local spots like downtown or possible Caymana Bay.

We only got a car for the end of the week to shore dive and return for our early flight. Andy's Car Rental will pick you up and has an office on south Seven Mile Beach as well as the airport. Driving is on the opposite side but they had both right/left hand drive rentals available IIRC - either one is a little confusing thru the rotaries.

My reocmmendations would be Indigo Divers, Neptune's Divers or Wall to Wall Diving. Have heard good things about Off the Wall also except sometimes in context with cruise dives.

I think it would be no problem at all to find a dive buddy at Sunset House most afternoons since they only do earlier dives and there's 2-3 decent dives off the property. Most people there are divers and will walk by My Bar (good food) on their way to the one entrance. If you see divers walking north past the pool in gear - they're likely going to dive from the Saltwater Pool - the easier entrance. (steps) - it's not obvious from the main area.

Happy Fish Divers guides at Turtle Reef also - arguably the best shore dive w/o a long swim out. Ollin at Sundivers on-site there can set that up afaik or contact them directly. Macabuca there is a good place for lunch. It's a little remote also so maybe harder to find a buddy.

Another option could be Eden Rock when the cruise ships are in - it's the closest shore dive. Lots of congestion in that area though - by 4-5pm they've sailed. We liked to go there after they left - there's a good hour to dive before the shop closes.

Eden Rock is one of few places that will rent tanks for off-site use.

 

[drrich2]

Check out the ongoing thread Shore diving on Cayman Brac. An excerpt from Post #41:

Hi Craig,

I have checked with the owners of Brac Scuba Shack as you did not mention on your first email that you hold a solo diving certification.

They have said that provided you have a pony bottle with you as well as a regular scuba cylinder then you can solo shore dive (as long as you bring that certification card with you).

We do not have pony bottles here so this is something you would need to bring with you, we can fill it for you provided it has an in date hydro and visual.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Sunny regards
Caz

Also, back around early 2016, I e-mailed Ocean Frontiers, a well-regarded op. on the island, about the solo diving issue. At least at that time, O.F. taught PADI's Self-reliant Diver course, and I was told via e-mail "Divers with this particular certification and with the required additional equipment are permitted to dive from any of our dive boats without a buddy." I was also told "In regards to shore diving, as stated on our website - solo shore
diving is not permitted as a company policy. As far as we will not
rent a single tank to a single diver without a buddy- regardless of
certification level.

Also, to be clear, there is no law that prevents an individual from
solo diving. You will find that the restrictions are based on policies
from individual businesses that are based on what we believe to be
safe diving practices."

It's my understanding that the east end, where O.F. operates out of, doesn't have the 'benign' shore diving options of the west coast, which was a factor in their position on solo shore diving.

Unless things have changed since then, it sounds like overall the Caymans have a pervasive anti-solo sentiment...but there are thankfully some holes in that armor.

Richard.