OP
Grand Cayman - running trip report
- Thread starter txteachers
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OP
txteachers
Registered
Here's the link to a few of the pictures my hubby has taken so far:http://http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DUm5eOQX
We plan on adding pictures as time goes on...right now there are 21.
We plan on adding pictures as time goes on...right now there are 21.
ianr33
Contributor
Agreed,although I prefer to think of it as more of an adventure rather than less civilised
Thats the admission price for the best shore diving on Cayman.
IF you are confident of your abilities then Babylon in particular and that entire area in general are simply awesome dives. It is fairly remote though and would be a real bad place to get hurt.
jerrycsr
Contributor
that picture link is not working for me.
Tx, please continue to post your shore diving stories. I'll be on GC next week and your reports are helpful.
Tx, please continue to post your shore diving stories. I'll be on GC next week and your reports are helpful.
OP
txteachers
Registered
Rainy evenings...but beautiful sunny weather yesterday and today!! YEA!! It was a little overcast the first few days.
Today we dove at Sunset House...the conditions were great ... every place allows you to run a tab...you can come back and pay with cash at the end, or if you don't want to go back they just put in on your credit card.
We did 2 tanks...with lunch in between right there at Sunset House. We didn't go far because there was just too much up close to see...so we'll go back. We didn't dive out to the mermaid - but will probably do that another time.
This dive had several different types of Hamlets, Porcupinefish, 4 Rainbow Parrotfish (they're incredible!!), large Jacks and some really friendly French Angels, 2 turtles, husband saw a shark - I was looking another way!
Now about those pictures, let's try the link again. And we'll be adding to the album, so feel free to check back. Please let me know if the link doesn't work and I'll figure something else out!
If the link doesn't work, try typing this in:
http://
picasaweb.google.com/txteachers044/GrandCayman?feat=directlink
I had to put in a space after the http:// or it kept making a direct link.
Picasa Web Albums - kj_mlsmith - Grand Cayman
Today we dove at Sunset House...the conditions were great ... every place allows you to run a tab...you can come back and pay with cash at the end, or if you don't want to go back they just put in on your credit card.
We did 2 tanks...with lunch in between right there at Sunset House. We didn't go far because there was just too much up close to see...so we'll go back. We didn't dive out to the mermaid - but will probably do that another time.
This dive had several different types of Hamlets, Porcupinefish, 4 Rainbow Parrotfish (they're incredible!!), large Jacks and some really friendly French Angels, 2 turtles, husband saw a shark - I was looking another way!
Now about those pictures, let's try the link again. And we'll be adding to the album, so feel free to check back. Please let me know if the link doesn't work and I'll figure something else out!
If the link doesn't work, try typing this in:
http://
picasaweb.google.com/txteachers044/GrandCayman?feat=directlink
I had to put in a space after the http:// or it kept making a direct link.
Picasa Web Albums - kj_mlsmith - Grand Cayman
Last edited:
deeper thoughts
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Thnx for the reports
OP
txteachers
Registered
Here's the latest in my continuing report. After reading reviews, I decided I wanted to dive with Ambassador Divers, small operation, only take out 6-8 divers, really personable, allow you to dive to your heart's (okay - tank's and profile's) content.
They didn't tell us where to meet them, we assumed the shop and were there at 7:35. Shop not open. I went into the hotel - Comfort Suites to see if they could help me out, they assured me someone would be there to pick us up at 7:45. 7:45 no one there but another diver. I went back into the hotel to call the cell number given me but Comfort Suites front desk cannot make cell calls and weren't really concerned about helping me out. (Of course, I'm not one of their guests.)
A few minutes later the videographer that is going out shows up and asks where is everyone. She forgot her cell so heads back home to get it. She gets back a little after 8 and tells us that the dive boat was at the beach and headed out, with 5 divers - BUT they go back to the beach to wait for us and are sending the van to pick us up. The other diver needs gear. Wait - there are 5 divers, 2 of us, the videographer and the single...that makes 9 divers.
When the van gets back for us we throw our gear in, they apologize profusely for the miscommunication and assure me that they were supposed to pick us up and we were exactly where we were supposed to be - they just forgot. They get gear for the 3rd person waiting, put it on the van and as he was getting on the van they decide he will go tomorrow. ?? Another miscommunication - he had the date wrong or did he get bumped for the videographer?? We never did find out.
We got to the beach - throw our shoes in the van... jump on the boat and finally at about 9 head out. I felt badly for the 5 divers who had been waiting this whole time...but I would have been really upset had they gone on without us.
We get to the dive sites and none of the tanks are at 3000...most at 2800, my husband's - barely over 2500. The Captain was appreciative to know this and inbetween dives he did get on the phone and talk to someone about the obvious equipment malfunction they're having.
We had scheduled 4 days of diving with them...we have cancelled them for a few reasons. For me - everything I've read in dive magazines about safety is that you ALWAYS leave someone in the boat - they did not and that really bothered me. I do not know if that is normal procedure for them or not. You put up a dive flag - which they did - albeit VERY OLD, ragged and faded to a pink. For my husband - crazy to drive to other side of island for that type of dive.
Dive sites: Easy Street - was supposed to be Little Tunnels, but wrong mooring ball. Nice dive, nothing spectacular. 2nd site - Mitch Miller - really enjoyed this site. Very nice coral fingers, loads of fish, including the bad boy a very large lionfish.
Yesterday back to a shore dive - since there were no cruise ships in town we did Devil's Grotto. FYI they charge $12/tank and $0.30/pound for your weight - so this shore dive does cost a little more than the others. No place else has charged for the weights.
This was a really pretty dive - the vis was a little silty, but still very good. Lots of juvenile, really large Tarpon (bigger than at Turtle Reef), a school of about 50 Horse-eye Jacks swimming in a circle near the Tarpon - quite cool, a very friendly Mahogany Snapper and of course plenty of others!
FOOD...we stopped at Rankins Jerk Center on the road back to the East End for lunch (there's a good-sized sign on the right as you're headed to the East End). The smells were heavenly! They have a small menu - roast beef, curry goat, chicken and a few other items...we weren't really sure what we were getting. There were lots of local workers stopping for lunch - which is always a great sign. The price $8CI for a large and $6CI for a small. The large is a typical take out menu box and the the small a dessert-sized box packed full.
We found out that the meat is grilled. The roast beef is in slices - quite spicy, with sauce, potato salad, cole slaw and WONDERFUL rice and beans. One of the gentlemen waiting explained to us the rice and beans is cooked down with coconut milk.
They do have picnic tables with shade if you choose to eat there. I do count this as a great find!
AND on the same property there is little place where they sell fresh produce...mangos, peppers, potatoes, green beans.
They didn't tell us where to meet them, we assumed the shop and were there at 7:35. Shop not open. I went into the hotel - Comfort Suites to see if they could help me out, they assured me someone would be there to pick us up at 7:45. 7:45 no one there but another diver. I went back into the hotel to call the cell number given me but Comfort Suites front desk cannot make cell calls and weren't really concerned about helping me out. (Of course, I'm not one of their guests.)
A few minutes later the videographer that is going out shows up and asks where is everyone. She forgot her cell so heads back home to get it. She gets back a little after 8 and tells us that the dive boat was at the beach and headed out, with 5 divers - BUT they go back to the beach to wait for us and are sending the van to pick us up. The other diver needs gear. Wait - there are 5 divers, 2 of us, the videographer and the single...that makes 9 divers.
When the van gets back for us we throw our gear in, they apologize profusely for the miscommunication and assure me that they were supposed to pick us up and we were exactly where we were supposed to be - they just forgot. They get gear for the 3rd person waiting, put it on the van and as he was getting on the van they decide he will go tomorrow. ?? Another miscommunication - he had the date wrong or did he get bumped for the videographer?? We never did find out.
We got to the beach - throw our shoes in the van... jump on the boat and finally at about 9 head out. I felt badly for the 5 divers who had been waiting this whole time...but I would have been really upset had they gone on without us.
We get to the dive sites and none of the tanks are at 3000...most at 2800, my husband's - barely over 2500. The Captain was appreciative to know this and inbetween dives he did get on the phone and talk to someone about the obvious equipment malfunction they're having.
We had scheduled 4 days of diving with them...we have cancelled them for a few reasons. For me - everything I've read in dive magazines about safety is that you ALWAYS leave someone in the boat - they did not and that really bothered me. I do not know if that is normal procedure for them or not. You put up a dive flag - which they did - albeit VERY OLD, ragged and faded to a pink. For my husband - crazy to drive to other side of island for that type of dive.
Dive sites: Easy Street - was supposed to be Little Tunnels, but wrong mooring ball. Nice dive, nothing spectacular. 2nd site - Mitch Miller - really enjoyed this site. Very nice coral fingers, loads of fish, including the bad boy a very large lionfish.
Yesterday back to a shore dive - since there were no cruise ships in town we did Devil's Grotto. FYI they charge $12/tank and $0.30/pound for your weight - so this shore dive does cost a little more than the others. No place else has charged for the weights.
This was a really pretty dive - the vis was a little silty, but still very good. Lots of juvenile, really large Tarpon (bigger than at Turtle Reef), a school of about 50 Horse-eye Jacks swimming in a circle near the Tarpon - quite cool, a very friendly Mahogany Snapper and of course plenty of others!
FOOD...we stopped at Rankins Jerk Center on the road back to the East End for lunch (there's a good-sized sign on the right as you're headed to the East End). The smells were heavenly! They have a small menu - roast beef, curry goat, chicken and a few other items...we weren't really sure what we were getting. There were lots of local workers stopping for lunch - which is always a great sign. The price $8CI for a large and $6CI for a small. The large is a typical take out menu box and the the small a dessert-sized box packed full.
We found out that the meat is grilled. The roast beef is in slices - quite spicy, with sauce, potato salad, cole slaw and WONDERFUL rice and beans. One of the gentlemen waiting explained to us the rice and beans is cooked down with coconut milk.
They do have picnic tables with shade if you choose to eat there. I do count this as a great find!
AND on the same property there is little place where they sell fresh produce...mangos, peppers, potatoes, green beans.
Damselfish
Contributor
I've almost never been on a boat that didn't leave someone on board. Certainly including all liveaboards who have always had someone posted on the dive deck, or their chase boats if they're diving that way. All day boats of any decent size. But the occasional smaller boat like a 6 pack might not, depending on the situation. I think sometimes that's fine and sometimes not.
OP
txteachers
Registered
EQUIPMENT HELP: Above and beyond...My dive buddy (husband) has been having problems with his BCD - a tiny leak at the overpressure valve, well the Dive Tech crew at Cobalt Coast helped him out with problem. The next dive - the BCD kept self-inflating. So we thought he'd need to replace the hose...but once again Dive Tech looked at the equipment, took the hose apart, cleaned it, put it back together (about 20 minutes) - YEA it's fixed! AND they didn't charge us for it, just asked that we keep coming back to dive! That's easy because the diving is great! BOOKS: The Humane Society has a used bookstore...what a great idea!!! With carrying our own dive gear and the charges from the airlines, I don't carry books with me any more and I love to read. Above the Humane Society they have a bookstore and they are open on Saturdays 'til 3, Tues - Friday 11-2. This Saturday it was half-price day. ALL proceeds go to the Humane Society. They have a lot of books in a small space and a lot of variety. Their books are nicely arranged and it is easy to find the author of your choice! We purchased 8 books for $8.25! AND they'll gladly take them off your hands when you leave. What a super way to help out the Humane Society. Address - 153 N Sound RoadGROCERIES: Cost U Less Warehouse - like a Sam's or Costco but requires no membership. The other difference is that they carry small quantities of many things as well as large quantities. For example - individual yogurts, small portions of meats, some produce and the prices were a bit cheaper than the grocery store - especially the dairy products.
Hurley's - I like this better than the IGA-Foster Food Fair by the airport...if you're familiar with Tom Thumb stores, it has more of that type of feel and prices about the same as Foster's, a nice salad bar and large deli. Although bread and milk - at least this week were cheaper at Foster's.
If you're doing lots of cooking...the Foster's weekly ad is online. Just do a Grand Cayman grocery search...and don't forget the grocery stores are closed on Sundays.
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