Grand Cayman/Resorts & Dive Ops close to their docks

[jlevine]

Hello,

I am trying to determine which dive ops and or resorts either have their own dock or are close to the docks they use. If possible, I would like to find a place on Grand Cayman where I can roll out of bed, eat breakfast, and get on the boat without having to either drive or get picked up.

Any ideas?

thanks!

 

[mbryant27]

Sunset house on the south west side

 

[newmexicodiver]

Ocean Frontiers on the East End

 

[Damselfish]

or Compass Point condos on the East End (Ocean Frontiers is there) - much nicer place and better diving than Sunset House. Morritts Tortuga Club (timeshare) on the East End also has a dive op on site but I would stick with Ocean Frontiers.

Cobalt Coast has DiveTech on site but their boats only occasionally leave from the dock there (more likely in summer) and you can't count on that. (It's still pretty convienient though, they pull up a truck right next to the dive lockers and rinse tanks and you toss your gear in, then hop on the van.) DiveTech also has new condos opening down the road this fall that you may be able to rent, but I don't know if they have any plans to have boats leave from there eventually, or even can.


and that's about it. There used to be a few other options that are long gone. I think Red Sail used to leave directly from a dock on property at the Hyatt or whatever it is now, but I don't know if that is still the case and I wouldn't dive with them anyway. I believe there is at least one op that will pick you up on the beach at some hotels on 7 Mile Beach, but I think they would be taking you to the busy and heavily dove sites right off there which is again not most desirable.

Travel to the boat is a fact of life on Grand Cayman. Most of the tourism on Grand Cayman is actually not divers and the locations of most of the resorts (along Seven Mile beach) aren't well suited to docks or shore diving. Aside from the East End, alot of the best diving is along the North wall, which simply isn't close to anything. Time and fuel-wise, it just makes more sense to take a short ride to a dock on the other side and have the boat leave from there, than to run the boats halfway around the island.

 

[PhilC]

We stayed at Cobalt Coast last year and DiveTech does have a dock right there but as already mentioned most of the boat trips went out of their other dock a short ride away. It's a very long swim but we quite enjoyed the shore dives at Cobalt as well.

 

[newmexicodiver]

or Compass Point condos on the East End (Ocean Frontiers is there) - much nicer place and better diving than Sunset House. Morritts Tortuga Club (timeshare) on the East End also has a dive op on site but I would stick with Ocean Frontiers.

I agree and I actually own a timeshare at Morritts. Just got back from 2 weeks diving with Ocean Frontiers........ Wish I was still there.

 

[Big John]

Former Hyatt is Grand Cayman Beach Suites and last time I was there Red Sail sports was still the house op. They leave from the beach at the corner of the hotel.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Red Sail does beach pick ups at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites and the Westin. They are the on-site op for both hotels. They provide land transfers for Stingray City or North Wall dives or if diving south.

The Ramada Grand Caymanian Resort (formerly just plain old Grand Caymanian) has their own dock and on on-site op. They are on the North Sound and would have reasonable travel times by boat to the North Wall or Stingray City assuming weather cooperates. You still could find yourself making a drive if weather does not cooperate.

Sunset House, as others have said, normally leaves from on-site. Stingray City trips would still require land transfer. Occasionally they will have to depart from South Sound if a Nor-wester is blowing out the west side. (Most often in winter months).

 

[Alucard]

Most dive ops that I have heard of will do pick-ups on SMB. But then you need to be up and out earlier than if you are close to the dive shop.

Add me as another Cobalt Coast fan - we are right now staying there and for the past week about half of the boats have left from the dock there. I don't find the shore dive to be a long swim at all, either - not compared to some on the West Side. I suppose it depends on what you are used to.

Either way, from Cobalt Coast either the boat leaves or you get on a truck to go to one of three other docks that they have (they try to keep the time bouncing around on the boat to a minimum and would rather truck people the short way across the island than have a long boat rise. I, for one, appreciate that.

This is the only dive shop I have been to that has people doing rebreathers and trimix - it's been a neat experience to talk to them about their experiences.

Cobalt Coast is also secluded - you don't get the tourist swarms that you can get down on SMB. Food is very adequate, with a full kitchen and daily specials. It's not gourmet, but definitely enjoyable for a week's stay. They also offer self-catering villas which we have found works very well, and give a discount to their dive packages for people staying with them.

 

[dwilli10]

Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point on the East End gets my vote. We have just booked a return trip for September. They are running some great specials for late Aug - Oct travel dates right now.

I can't stand the over-touristed, "cruise sheep" SMB area and much prefer the quieter east end. But thats me.