Grand Cayman suggestions

[MAGELLAN]

Good news everybody!

Well, we've finally set our sights on a Grand Cayman trip. Just for background, we've been to most of the standard Caribbean dive destinations, including Cayman Brac a few years back, but we've never done any dives in Grand Cayman. On our layover from Cayman Brac, we rented a car and checked out Cobalt coast/Divetech, and Sunset house, but that's the extent of our time in Grand Cayman.

So, my wife and I have over 200 dives each, and have been diving since '03, AOW, Nitrox certified, etc. What we’re looking for is some suggestions on where to stay on a budget (I'll be checking out VRBO later), shore diving, dive operators, and restaurant suggestions. We really prefer shore diving (can't wait to get back to Bonaire), for the freedom and adventure/challenge of navigation, and you tend to find more critters this way. We are also very good on our air, and nothing irritates me more than having a dive master pull us out of the water after only 30-45 minutes. I would say my average dive is 60 minutes, we dive slowly, take pictures and generally lollygag throughout the dive - doing the laziest dive possible (insert sarcasm). I can't count the number of times the group has left us, and I honestly prefer it that way. Most trips the dive masters are flexible enough with us to let us do our own thing, but I have had a few that have made our dives unpleasant. I guess this is why shore diving is appealing to us more and more. I'd like to find a good resource on locating shore dives and suggestions on a reasonably priced dive operator who will allow us to dive our profile. Also, we're traveling to dive, accommodations need to be comfortable and clean but were not traveling to visit a hotel/resort, were travelling to see the ocean.

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[Alex777]

There are lots of dive ops here that let you do your own dive away from the group, and for 60 minutes or more. Try Dive 'n' Stuff, Ocean Frontiers or the Lobster Pot folks.

"Reasonably priced" is highly subjective. Most (all?) dive ops here charge about $85 to $120 for a 2-tank dive (nitrox is extra).

The best shore diving resource is right here. Check the many threads on the subject.

 

[diversteve]

I did some of this planning earlier this year as my group had planned a trip to Grand Cayman this spring. Also I've been there before.

First of all most dive operators on Cayman won't let you remove tanks from their property. So that makes shore dive logistics slightly difficult. Two that do rent tanks are Eden Rock downtown and Divers Supply in West Bay. At most sites I've listed below the property leading to the site is privately owned so you rent from the on-site operator. They own to the waterline in many cases.

Where to stay on a budget is another island...

Might look at Sunshine Suites - not on the beach but they have full kitchens - or there's the Shangri-La Bed/Breakfast in West Bay that was around $100-150 nt. depending on room amenities. We rent condos and quad up so I can't help much with that. One that seemed more reasonable was Plantation Village Beach Resort - IDK anything about it - never stayed there although I've driven by it several times.

Here's a restaurant list website: Cayman Islands Restaurant Guide

Here's some (most of?) of the more known shore dives. Others are on private property or have difficult access over the ironshore etc. If there's a shore dive website - besides this one which is slightly out of date - I've never found it. Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Cayman Islands

(roughly south to north)
Smith's Cove - don't know much about it but we had planned to dive it this year.
Sunset House
Eden Rock/Devils Grotto - downtown - do it when there's no cruise ships in port.
Fosters/Lobster Pot/Cheeseburger Reef - the reef by Foster's downtown. If you do a 2tank boat dive with Lobster Pot, they include a PM tank there.
Cemetery Beach - shallow dive north side of Seven Mile Beach - no facilities nearby.
Lighthouse Point - the other Divetech location - In the NW Point/West Bay area.
Turtle Reef - Sundivers is on-site - it's at the Macabuca/Cracked Conch restaurants. Check their webpage header for entry pictures. Good shallow dive. There's usually a school of Tarpon to the south of the entry hanging in the shadow of the mini-wall.
If you stay at Bonnie's Arch Condos (on vrbo.com) they have access out to Bonnie's Arch. IDK if they let non-guests use it.
Cobalt Coast/Divetech - you've been there so know more about it than I do.
Babylon - this has interested me for years. It's on the north side of the island so a long drive all the way around. I've read that the entry can be very tricky over barely submerged coral heads. Long swim out to the North Wall from there also.

fwiw, the reason Seven Mile Beach is such a nice beach is that the reef is too far out to swim to. Explains why many diveops pick up along there.

hth,

 

[MAGELLAN]

Thanks Alex,

I think Cozumel has spoiled me at $30/dive. DNS is on my shor list for now. I've been looking through all the threads, many are several years old, I'd like to get a sense of what is currently available in shore diving. It seems that I could reach quite of few of the dive sites from shore, but I'm not sure about access.

 

[MAGELLAN]

Diversteve,

Thanks for the long reply, finding a room under $100/night is looking near impossible. I'm planning our longest trip yet, 14-18 days so it really adds up, especially if I decide to have a car the whole time.

The list of shore dives looks similar to what I've seen so far, I wonder if we would be missing too much if we only did a handful of boat dives, and spent most of the trip scouting out new shore dives? Also, which end of the island do you think lends itself better to shore diving? The Northwest or the Southwest? What's funny, is I alway see Cayman listed as a good shore diving destination, but it's been pretty difficult to get reliable, current info on what's out there, and the list of sites seems a little short for a top shore diving destination (SCUBADIVING January/Feburary 2012 edition)?

Our last trip was to Rincon, Puerto Rico, and we did a few shore dives just using google earth to spot promising sites, and get oriented - I think it was mildly successful (crashboat pier was the best).

 

[diversteve]

I think Grand Cayman makes the list by default. Besides Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba and St. Croix? - I can't name another Caribbean locale with as many.

I don't have any experience with the SW side except on a boat. But I think most of the sites would be too far out to reach from shore. This seems to confirm that:

Shore diving in Grand Cayman can be broken down into four distinct and diverse areas of the island: Seven Mile Beach, West Bay, Northside and East End. Primarily owing to the distances involved in reaching the best parts of the reef along Grand Cayman's southern shore we have omitted this area.

Besides the sites named above, there's another condo complex in the NW Point area with access to the "Hepps" sites. So NW Point is probably the best area - if you can get over the ironshore to the water. Several of these shots illustrate the problem: Cracked Conch

Someone at Sunset House told me the wall is a healthy swim out from there. When Divetech ran Turtle Reef, we talked to them about swimming out to the main wall from there, they suggested renting scooters from them to make it easier. The mini-wall there is good also.

Last trip we did 4 mornings of 2-tank boat dives then shore dove every afternoon. Next trip I'd like to find someone - maybe from the marina in the Sound - that goes NE and dives sites like Ghost Mountain and Eagle Ray Pass.

 

[Alex777]

A few points:

Sunset House: the main wall is an easy swim out: maybe 250 yards.

Turtle Reef: is really 4 dive sites: Mini Wall North & South, Main Wall North & South. Main Wall is about 300 yards off shore.

Babylon: there is nothing tricky about the entry point. You need to wear booties as you will be crossing a small rocky area. Babylon is about 350 yards offshore and not difficult if the weather is reasonable.

Don Foster's is not downtown anymore but in South Sound. There is a decent shore dive in front of their shop.

In general, the dive industry here does not focus on shore diving as it does not generate the income that boat diving produces.

 

[Testudo]

Some inexpensive, really no frills lodging options:

ELDEMIRE'S Tropical Inn Guest House : Under $100 per night in off-season and according to their website has dive packages. Not sure with whom. Close to Sunset House and Don Foster's.

Harbourview Apartments : In George Town and close to Lobster Pot and Eden Rock

 

[splishysplashy]

Shore diving in Cayman really depends on the time of year you go and how lucky you are with the weather! Sites like Sunset House, Eden Rock and Devil's grotto are gonna be ok to dive *most* of the time (except during a nor'wester and when there is a bigger swell), and if you time it well and go when it is calm (and i mean calm!) there are plenty of shore diving options- Lighthouse Point, Turtle Reef and Cobalt Coast in the north west, Babylon and other sites in the same area on the north side, as well as some sites on the south side at Breakers and also near Pedro st james. In my experience (and i usually seem to choose the wrong weeks to visit!) May-June seems to be the best time of year for good shore diving conditions, and also if you luck out and have no hurricanes then August-September too. The west side is better set up for shore diving with ladders for entry/exit, rinse tanks for gear, tank rental on site etc. Not sure on tank rental as we were able to borrow from friends, but for off-site rentals from what i hear Divers Supply is the best option.

 

[scubadada]

Good news everybody!

Well, we've finally set our sights on a Grand Cayman trip. Just for background, we've been to most of the standard Caribbean dive destinations, including Cayman Brac a few years back, but we've never done any dives in Grand Cayman. On our layover from Cayman Brac, we rented a car and checked out Cobalt coast/Divetech, and Sunset house, but that's the extent of our time in Grand Cayman.

So, my wife and I have over 200 dives each, and have been diving since '03, AOW, Nitrox certified, etc. What we’re looking for is some suggestions on where to stay on a budget (I'll be checking out VRBO later), shore diving, dive operators, and restaurant suggestions. We really prefer shore diving (can't wait to get back to Bonaire), for the freedom and adventure/challenge of navigation, and you tend to find more critters this way. We are also very good on our air, and nothing irritates me more than having a dive master pull us out of the water after only 30-45 minutes. I would say my average dive is 60 minutes, we dive slowly, take pictures and generally lollygag throughout the dive - doing the laziest dive possible (insert sarcasm). I can't count the number of times the group has left us, and I honestly prefer it that way. Most trips the dive masters are flexible enough with us to let us do our own thing, but I have had a few that have made our dives unpleasant. I guess this is why shore diving is appealing to us more and more. I'd like to find a good resource on locating shore dives and suggestions on a reasonably priced dive operator who will allow us to dive our profile. Also, we're traveling to dive, accommodations need to be comfortable and clean but were not traveling to visit a hotel/resort, were travelling to see the ocean.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Hi Magellan,

Take my advice at face value. I have nearly 200 dives off Grand Cayman since 1997 and have stayed off SMB as well as at Cobalt Coast and Compass Point. Though not necessarily the most inexpensive, personally, I would limit my search to Cobalt Coast and Compass Point as a serious diver. If entertainment, etc, is a more important consideration, by all means, stay and dive off SMB. Cobalt Coast is your choice if you want to do shore diving. Their sites at the resort and at Lighthouse Point, included in their packages, are very good. You can always dive at Turtle Reef also which is very close to Lighthouse Point. If you just want to get in up to 24 dives in a week with the least possible effort, I would suggest Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers. I spent a week there in Sept and November of this year and am not sure I will return to another resort/operator.

Grand Cayman is a great dive destination, I'm not sure you can really go wrong.

Best,

Craig