BurtonJackson22
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Ahh, I see. 5 posts to make the link work. I think/hope this is five!
Grand, Little, or Brac?
- Thread starter Diver Rick
- Start date
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OP
Diver Rick
Contributor
Thanks to all for some great information. We're sold on Little Cayman, and will be able to go in mid-November. (hopefully long after and hurricanes).
Now to pick a resort!! I think I have it narrowed down to LCBR or Paradise Villas, but have more reading to do.
Thanks to everyone again.
Now to pick a resort!! I think I have it narrowed down to LCBR or Paradise Villas, but have more reading to do.
Thanks to everyone again.
carriemak
Contributor
Will be at LCBR tomorrow and will post pics
AggieDiver
Contributor
Rick,
My suggestion would be go the all inclusive route first (LCBR). While you are there, you can check out the condos and see what is available for restaurants (very limited) and the price of groceries (high) and then you will be making an informed decision next time whether it makes sense to go to non all inclusive. Each time I have considered the non-inclusive condo option, I have ended up deciding that I just didn't want to spend my vacation cooking and cleaning dishes.
My suggestion would be go the all inclusive route first (LCBR). While you are there, you can check out the condos and see what is available for restaurants (very limited) and the price of groceries (high) and then you will be making an informed decision next time whether it makes sense to go to non all inclusive. Each time I have considered the non-inclusive condo option, I have ended up deciding that I just didn't want to spend my vacation cooking and cleaning dishes.
ronski101
Contributor
Little Cayman is a bit over rated as far as the diving goes. There is so much diving pressure throughout the year on the limited number of sites on the north side that the soft stuff is really getting beat down. Having said that, it is still one of the best places to dive in the Caribbean besides Bonaire, Roatan, and a couple of others. We do LCBR every August and have noticed a deterioration every year. To be honest, we go there for the great food. From as value standpoint not the best but certainly in the top 5. Brac is a notch down in dive quality but is now getting much less dive pressure.
AggieDiver
Contributor
Were you diving north or south side in Roatan? I haven't seen anything in Roatan that came close to LC, but most of my diving on Roatan has been north side. Then again, for all that folks gush about Mary's Place, I found it structurally interesting as a geologist, but pretty boring as a dive site.
Damselfish
Contributor
I agree it's best to stick with one of the all inclusive resorts the first time on LC. Then you can get the feel of the place and decide if Paradise or any other condos make sense for you on a future trip. One other drawback to Paradise vs LCBR, as far as I'm concerned, is that diving is not on site at Paradise. They drive you someplace else to get the boat.
Velour
Registered
I just returned last Sunday from LC after a 2 week stay at Paradise Villas. I am glad I decided against the all-inclusive, but that is just me. We did check out the different places and if I had to go all-inclusive-- I would have gone with Southern Cross (nicest resort in my opinion) .
Paradise Villas is made up of 12 rooms, 6 duplex style beach bungalows. Clean, comfortable. There is a pool and the Hungry Iguana for dining. The groceries are crazy expensive-- $12 for a box of cheerios, $5 for Peanut Butter, etc., but we would eat a simple breakfast/lunch and then go to the Iguana for dinner. I can't eat a big meal and then hop in the water, so this worked great for us. You can still go to LCBR or Southern Cross if you make reservations, but I thought the food at the Iguana was good and like having choices.
As for the diving-- yes it is off-site, but Conch club divers picks you up in their mini-van right from your door step for the long 1/4 mile drive to the LCBR.
They share the pier with Reef Divers and you can also use the rinse tanks, and drying shed. After the dive they drive you back.
Reef divers is a big operation, Conch Club has only one boat so if they don't have enough divers (min 6) for an afternoon dive, you can go out with reef divers. I originally selected Conch Club Divers because from my reading it seemed they took less divers on the boat. In my two weeks there I didn't see the two operations were much different in that respect, but did like that Conch club went out earlier-- we got to the dive sites before even seeing another op and got back in at the end of the day earlier too. Conch Club ran a good, safe operation.
Paradise Villas is made up of 12 rooms, 6 duplex style beach bungalows. Clean, comfortable. There is a pool and the Hungry Iguana for dining. The groceries are crazy expensive-- $12 for a box of cheerios, $5 for Peanut Butter, etc., but we would eat a simple breakfast/lunch and then go to the Iguana for dinner. I can't eat a big meal and then hop in the water, so this worked great for us. You can still go to LCBR or Southern Cross if you make reservations, but I thought the food at the Iguana was good and like having choices.
As for the diving-- yes it is off-site, but Conch club divers picks you up in their mini-van right from your door step for the long 1/4 mile drive to the LCBR.
They share the pier with Reef Divers and you can also use the rinse tanks, and drying shed. After the dive they drive you back. Reef divers is a big operation, Conch Club has only one boat so if they don't have enough divers (min 6) for an afternoon dive, you can go out with reef divers. I originally selected Conch Club Divers because from my reading it seemed they took less divers on the boat. In my two weeks there I didn't see the two operations were much different in that respect, but did like that Conch club went out earlier-- we got to the dive sites before even seeing another op and got back in at the end of the day earlier too. Conch Club ran a good, safe operation.
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OP
Diver Rick
Contributor
Velour,
Thanks very much for your timely report. We're still trying to decide, it looks like we can save almost $1000 at LCBR by going the last week of October. I gues because its still technically during hurricane season. I'm not sure if its worth taking that chance, especially with the recent warnings about what to expect this winter.
Paradise Villas seem nice too....
To everyone in the know about LC, if I were to say that doing a shore dive or two each day is always a desire for my wife and I, does that make LCBR an obvious choice over Paradise Villas?
We pretty well only go to each dive destination once, so yes, I am trying to make the "perfect" choice. (We're deterimed to go everywhere once!)
Thanks very much for your timely report. We're still trying to decide, it looks like we can save almost $1000 at LCBR by going the last week of October. I gues because its still technically during hurricane season. I'm not sure if its worth taking that chance, especially with the recent warnings about what to expect this winter.
Paradise Villas seem nice too....
To everyone in the know about LC, if I were to say that doing a shore dive or two each day is always a desire for my wife and I, does that make LCBR an obvious choice over Paradise Villas?
We pretty well only go to each dive destination once, so yes, I am trying to make the "perfect" choice. (We're deterimed to go everywhere once!)
Damselfish
Contributor
No, as there's no shore diving at either location, or at Southern Cross or Pirates Point. And while people that live on LC may shore dive, it's not a place the typical visitor dives, it may be done but I've never actually seen anyone do it in many visits. For starters you would need a way to get to the dive sites, and rental vehicles are expensive (with not much other use for them.) The other thing is, the routine with a place like LCBR is to leave your main gear on the boat (they rinse it) and just take off your wetsuit and small stuff to hang in the drying shed. So to shore dive every day, you'd have to take all your gear off the boat every day which is not typical and wrecks one of the nice things about diving there - it's a little like a land based liveaboard convienience-wise and you'd lose that. It seems not much more expensive and much easier to just do the afternoon boat dive so that's what people do.
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