divematt:
I've got a good deal on a dive trip at Divi Tiara Beach Resort, Cayman Brac. How's their dive op? What sites are the ones to ask for if given a chance, or is all of the diving there great? I guess they take a one day trip to Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman each week which I hear is nice. Any other opinions?
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Here is a review that I did from my initial trip to Divi back in August 2001. BUT, don't let the date fool you. I will be returning to Divi August 12-19, 2006 for my 6th time in as many years. So, I guess you can figure out already as to how much I like it. The names of the divemasters may have changed some but, overall, if the weather is nice, you will have a great and relaxing time. If you are going the same time I am, let me know. I would love to have an extra dive buddy as I going by myself this time. not too many of my friends and/or girlfriend dives and I usually go with a group but do to work restrictions I couldn't go with them this time.
If you have any questions, just Private Message me and I will be more than happy to answer any questions. Dive Safe!
I stayed with Divi Tiara Resort and Dive in August 2001. I had a wonderful and relaxing time there. The diving on the Brac is amazing, especially with Divi Tiara. The divemasters that I had were Mark and Heidi and if they are still there when you go, ask for them. They were fun, knowledgeable and very professional.
The Divi Resort has all the amenities that one could want in a dive resort. Now, I am not talking the Waldorf Astoria or The Plaza here. The rooms are clean and comfortable and will do the job fine after a great day of sun and fun out on the water. The staff at Divi Tiara is very friendly and helpful and will try to make your stay as comfortable as possible. The food is very good, plentiful and varied for all tastes. They probably will make something for you if you ask a couple days in advance. The menus ranged from barbeque one night to lobster tails and steak another night. Sometimes I didnt want to leave the table because the food was really good but I had to because the boat was going to leave. Make sure you try to get the all-inclusive package when you are there. Now, I dont know if I saved all that much money by doing the all-inclusive thing, but it sure did make life VERY easy.
Cayman Brac as an island is VERY quiet. If you are looking for relaxation and solitude, the Brac is much more suited for your tastes than Grand Cayman. If you are looking for nightlife, fancier restaurants, and shopping are your thing, than you might be suited on Grand Cayman than Cayman Brac. BUT, I can tell you that the diving is great on Cayman Brac and isnt crowded as far as worrying about a lot of boat traffic. From what I understand, the Brac is what Grand Cayman was like before it became all built up.
The dive operation at Divi Tiara is excellent. The divemasters are VERY knowledgeable and professional. They dont baby experienced divers but are very aware of the new divers. The great thing about Divi Dive is that when you arrive and get settled in your room there is a dive bag on your bed. All you have to do is put all the gear that you want on the boat and set up in the bag. The divemasters setup all of your gear and it is waiting for on the boat when you are ready to dive. After each dive they change your gear onto a filled tank and all you have to do is relax and get ready for your next dive. Thats worth it alone to stay there. Not too many other places do that. I mentioned to another diver is that all we have to worry about here is getting wet and sunscreen. When you are ready to leave, the divemasters rinse your gear and put it back in front of your door.
Some of the good dive sites on the Brac are East Chute/Cayman Mariner, The Fishery (great for the fish lovers, go figure); End of Island, Tarpon Reef, Greenhouse Wall/Reef, Mixing Bowl, Cumbers Cave and, OF COURSE, if you go to Cayman Brac you have to dive THE WRECK Russian Destroyer #356 M.V. Capt. Keith Tibbets. THE WRECK is an awesome dive for wreck lovers and non wreck lovers alike because it has a nice reef area on one side where you can find plenty of fish and critters. The other side is a sand flat where you will find stingrays and similar animals. In recent years the ship has broken in half. The ship is accessible at certain points and is easy to navigate in most areas. The front of the bow is in about 100 feet of water. The bow has broken off and is lying on her port side. The stern is upright and is easily accessible by beginner divers. The radar tower on the stern is about 40 feet deep. The rear gun turrets are in good shape and are a great background for photos and video. There are some large groupers that like to hang out there and are rather friendly. I happened to see two trunk fish mating out in the open while I was there. It was pretty cool to see even though they were right out in the open and a larger fish could have come along and had lunch.
If you are into wall dives, Little Cayman has some of the best around. They start at around 25 feet or so and go off into 6000 feet of total blue abyss. The good dives on Little Cayman are Hole in the Wall, Bus Stop Reef, Anchor Wall and of course, Bloody Bay Wall.
The diving conditions most days were great. There was very little current to speak of. Most days visibility was 100 feet or more. Only one day there was a bit of surge and the visibility wasnt as good as the other days. On the East Chute/Cayman Mariner dive there was a little bit of current which is actually great for that particular dive. We did a drop and drift on that dive site and it was terrific because on that dive it is like you are going up and over underwater mountains. The drift made it simple to navigate these underwater mountains. The Cayman Mariner is a small wreck, about 65ft, that has some great coral and marine life on it. It is located on sand flat and on one side you will probably see southern stingrays in the sand. The other sides are the underwater mountains.
When I was there in late August, the weather was sunny and HOT. There was very little rain and the nights were warm. At night the pool at the hotel made a great place to hang out in and sip some cold drinks. PS, If you get a chance, and want to indulge in some adult beverages, ask the bartenders to make you a Brac Sunset. After a couple of these, they will definitely have you on an island of your own.
