Great Exuma Bahamas or Grand Cayman?

[Colorado Mermaid]

Woe is me! I have two great business trips planned this spring, one to the Four Seasons in Great Exuma toward the end of April, and one to Grand Cayman in the middle of May. I would love to extend after one of these trips and do some diving - unfortunately I am far too broke to extend after both (probably because I keep extending after business trips to dive!). I need to keep it as affordable as possible, and I am a single female most likely staying alone (with the hopes of talking a colleague into staying).

Any advice on which trip would offer the better diving? I am fairly new, with 40 dives in just under two years - my colleague, if she stays, is brand new with about 7 dives. I LOVE the big stuff, and hear Bahamas is it for sharks of all kinds - but from what I can tell from my research in this forum, Exuma is not the place for diving at all. Is there any diving within a boat ride or a super cheap domestic flight from Exuma?

Again, this is not my end-all dive trip of the year, just trying to tack on 5 days or so of diving onto an existing trip - so considering finances, ease of getting around, and diving, which would anyone recommend?

Thank you so much!

 

[robint]

If I were you, I would look into adding on a week on a liveaboard. The Explorer Ventures Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving boat leaves from Georgetown, Exuma every Saturday. Check and see if they have space for you, not very expensive and dive dive dive. Also, the Aggressor has a boat in Caymans, Aggressor Fleet | The ultimate in live-aboards since 1984 but don't know if that is our of your price range (a bit more $$$ than Explorer). Either way, as a single diver, you might get a great deal and also get to dive without worries of finding a buddy. And you don't have to do the 4-5 dives per day, you can just sit on the boat and de-stress from your work!

 

[OceanObsessed]

...Is there any diving within a boat ride or a super cheap domestic flight from Exuma?

From Great Exuma you will be very close to San Salvador, Rum Cay, Conception Island & Long Island. That is where the best diving is in the Bahamas.