Just back - not the best impression - this one is a definite skip it

[Kharon]

What it does have is $500-600 2-3 hr non-stop flights from the US to your destination …

Not in this case. The trip down took 6+ hours take off at Newark, NJ to landing on GC. Coming back it was 8+ hours.

You didn't even intend to go back to areas you know are apt to be much better, with the option to dive with a different group, and speak of restrictions in such a way that I don't get the idea what's bothering you is solely an issue with the group you were with.

Not solely, perhaps but that’s a great part of it. Also, the Cayman solo restriction is BS with no way around it. Also, the expense on Cayman isn’t something I see as worth it. $20-$25 for a shore dive isn’t something I see as good value. Paying for weights, paying a daily fee for a driving permit, and being forced to boat dive to get any dive freedom is seriously off-putting. I see nothing about Cayman that would draw me back. I’d far rather spend 2 weeks in Dominica or Bonaire for the same or a bit less money. There are I’m sure much better sites than the ones I saw. Enough better to get me back – not so much.

Maybe you should voice a strong complaint to the Dive shop where this trip originated

There is either more to the story or the OP doesn't realize you can go to the Caymans without doing it with a local dive shop.

Maybe you missed (didn’t read) the part of my second post where I said the trip was a local club trip, planned by the club president, led buy club members. It had no connection to any dive shop.

I am not sure what restrictions you are talking about every dive op I have dove with has always let me and my buddy …

Didn’t have a buddy and the absolute no-solo restriction pinned me to the group. Also, I was captive to group transportation. The expense of renting my own car and paying more than $20 a day additional for a “drivers permit” seems both onerous and expensive even if I could solo dive.

I could understand maybe writing off Grand Cayman, but to write off Brac and Little Cayman?

Can you shore dive solo at either place? Can you get an unlimited air package for shore diving? Do they stick you with daily driving permit fees? Are there any non-exhorbitant accomodations available? If not, there are a lot of places that I can find equal or better diving. Also, my understanding is that it's a lot more expensive, transportation wise, to get to either place and it takes quite a bit longer.

 

[Keith.M]

Interesting thread and I appreciate the report.

I do understand that it was affiliated with a local dive club of yours and not a LDS.

But the question or suggestion still remains.

Are you planning on airing your valid complaints to the club president and the club membership?

 

[AggieDiver]

Sounds like bad planning on the dive club for putting you on non-direct flights. I can fly from Houston to GC for about $550 non-stop and it costs about $150 RT to go to LC and back from GC. Usually is about about 4 hrs total to get to LC and about 5-6 hrs to get back depending on the flight from LC. I get that you had a bad trip. Sorry to hear it, because it is a real bummer to spend all that money and not enjoy it. But I keep going back to the homework aspect. Every review I have ever read about GC mentions that it is not cheap. If you are a solo diver, surely you would inquire ahead about being able to dive solo? It really seems that most of your problems came about because you went with a clueless trip leader and didn't do your homework, not because of some inherent flaw with the diving in GC. I totally understand wanting to lash out at something or somebody if you didn't enjoy the trip, but I think you are swinging at the wrong target in criticizing well published aspects of GC (no solo diving and expense).

 

[caymaniac]

For me it's a 2 and a half hour drive to Chicago, the round trip fare is $500. direct to Grand Cayman which is a lot cheaper than it is to Bonaire.
You may be able to go to Cozumel or Cancun cheaper but I would NOT go there as you are taking a chance with your life if your family is involved in Police or military. Certain groups will seek you out if they find out the right information about you. That is enough reason not to be spending my earned dollars anywhere in Mexico.

I too think the poster should take out their complaints on their dive group/club, not on the Cayman Islands. There is NOTHING that will beat Little Cayman/Brac/Grand Cayman northwall-some East wall in the Caribbean. I am not prejudice, I've been to the other places. I'm not saying other places are bad, just that over all the Caymans are hard to beat.

 

[dmoore19]

My biggest complaint about Grand Cayman is the cost of everything. I prefer boat diving to shore diving and don't like packing gear around. I really loved the diving there, from the Cayman Aggressor which included Little and Brac.

I haven't gone to LC or Brac for a land based trip but have to Grand Cayman. That said, I knew about the restrictions on solo diving and I am not a solo diver, I knew the price for everything there was high before I went. Funny thing is that when I was there we didn't get to dive on the west side. We did all but 4 dives on the south side due to weather. We did get to go to the Kittiwake the last diving day we were there.

Sounds like it was a poorly planned and executed trip all the way around. Sorry someone had to experience it. Too bad it has caused the OP to write off the Caymans. It is still a great place to go IMO.

 

[tkaelin]

Kharon, just sounds like a poorly planned trip all around and one not suited to your diving preferences. A big plus for heading to GC is the reasonably priced nonstop flights from NYC with nonstop flights on Jet Blue and Cayman Airways very reasonably priced, usually under $350 with free check in bags (1 JT, 2 CA). Again sounds like your group poorly planned the flights. From the travel time your report you must not have flown a nonstop. On the solo issue, if you read other threads on this issue carefully, you will learn that while solo is prohibited as a policy, you can essentially solo dive on boat trips as long as you are certified, properly equipped and the DM is comfortable with you and the conditions. When I am by myself and don't want to be buddied with someone on the boat, I talk to the DM, explain my experience and ask if I can be the DM's buddy which usually means that as long as I am within sight and not significantly deeper than the rest on the deep dive, I can dive on my own. At the end of the dive back under the boat once the DM sees that I see the boat I can dive the rest of the dive on my own under the boat killing off my air. On the shallower 2nd dive, more freedom is given. I have never felt restricted diving this way. If you do have a buddy on a boat trip, you are always free to dive on your own and opt not to follow the DM and group subject to the customary instructions re depth, time, psi etc. Again, never felt restricted. From your postings on other threads it sounds like you were aware of the solo policy before you arrived on the island. The restrictions you were subjected were definitely imposed by your group and not from any GC policy or practice. Having said all that has been said it is tough to finally get to your dive trip only to have it turn out so disappointing. Hope your next trips goes much better.

 

[BUDMANOK]

Sorry someone had to experience it

ditto. I love GC but I also love Curacao and want to try Dominica soon. I'm sure they all have their good and bad points but GC has been fun and I hope the Brac is also.

BTW the drivers license is a one time $20 fee not per day. I can rent a compact for the whole week with insurance for about $200. Renting the same compact in Reno will cost me almost $400.

We also stay in West Bay which is about a third of the price of SMB and we get breakfast included.

With flight it's usually 2400-2600 for two (one diver) total for the week.

I am a solo diver also at home but when in Rome do as the Romans do. I have had divers staying at the same B&B that have offered to let me shore dive with them if I wasn't boat diving so I'm sure it's there for others as well.

 

[drrich2]

I think I can see why this left such a bad taste in your mouth. I'd formulate it this way:

1.) The Caymans have a great reputation for diving, and even Grand Cayman is on the short list for good places to dive in the Caribbean.

2.) You were traveling with a club, with an allegedly locally seasoned leader, and had a realistic expectation of some really good diving.

3.) You paid in advance, so your budget for housing, all your diving, and maybe even food, were blown in advance by giving it to this club. And you had no independent transportation.You couldn't get that money back, and if you're like a lot of divers, your bank account had already taken the hit for this trip.

4.) The club's emphasis on socializing and choice of poor diving sites was a let down.

5.) You probably knew G.C. was expensive, but it turned out worse than you expected.

6.) You options were suck it up and tough it out (which you did), or blow the money for a rental vehicle, $20/day (at least you thought) driving permit, daily 2-tank boat dives, and chancing your luck on boats where you'd likely to stuck with an insta-buddy. All adding up to several hundred dollars, maybe over a grand, and that on top of all the non-recoverable money you'd already spent on this trip, paid to the club. Incidentally, leaving the group would probably also amount to flipping the group off, and presumably this is a group local to you that you might prefer to maintain a civil relationship with.

7.) You're a solo diver & an adult, and the solo prohibiting 'nanny state' position of Grand Cayman ticked you off.

8.) So a trip you'd invested hopes, dreams and money into became a large disappointment.

9.) You came to Scuba Board to vent and warn others.

10.) Of course, in doing so, you sort of whizzed on a destination many people like, triggering a predictable backlash.

Your trip report is useful. I knew some parts of Grand Cayman were better than others, but people laid it out in this thread! So maybe anybody planning a trip there who reads this knows to ask in advance what sites will be hit, and will have an idea what to do, and what it will cost, to abort the group and strike out on your own.

I'd like to know more about why the group was handled the way it was. I suspect convenience and cost containment might have been factors?

Richard.

 

[Mike]

I could understand maybe writing off Grand Cayman, but to write off Brac and Little Cayman?

Can you shore dive solo at either place? Can you get an unlimited air package for shore diving? Do they stick you with daily driving permit fees? Are there any non-exhorbitant accomodations available? If not, there are a lot of places that I can find equal or better diving. Also, my understanding is that it's a lot more expensive, transportation wise, to get to either place and it takes quite a bit longer.

Google.

 

[vincent54]

Brac is easy and not that expensive to get to. January round trip tickets,tax included is $647 from dtw. Leave 630am and arrive 320pm.

Shore dive from any place on island, some have longer swims or require some swim throughs around the west end. No one cares if you solo, although they want their tanks back if don't make it. Rental homes for 1000 a week and you will have to pay 25kyd for a driving permit. Tanks are 8 dollars per. . Cars are about 250 a week, beer 40 dollars a case. The dive boats stay between Scotts dock and Public beach, the rest of the island is shore diving without any other diver. Not too bad.