Queen Triggerfish
Contributor
This is my first Scubaboard trip report. I always mean to do it, but then time gets away from me once I get home and it seems like too much time has passed.
I went to Little Cayman Beach Resort for a week in February with five other women. I have been to Grand Cayman about 15 times (but more recently have been doing Cozumel, Belize and Curacao), but this was my first trip to Little Cayman. Obviously it is a very, very different island than the others. The closest comparison I can make in size is Utila, but even Utila (almost 10 years ago) had more restaurants, resorts, etc.
Little Cayman has an airport, a little store, a few dive resorts, some condos, maybe a stand-alone restaurant or two, and that's it. That said, it is WONDERFUL if you want to get away and just relax and dive. I felt more relaxed than on any other trip because I wasn't constantly thinking, "what should I do this afternoon? Where should we go to dinner?" etc. I left the property for a couple of walks, but otherwise never left (and that's rare for me). All I did was sleep, eat, dive, and read by the pool.
I was very impressed with LCBR. We were picked up at the little airport (as were the people who were staying at the other couple dive resorts), drove about 5 minutes down the road, and then arrived in the lobby. The check-in process was very easy, and they brought out bags to our room. We stayed in rooms 103-105, or something like that. I know some people have commented about not wanting to face the pool and bar area because of noise, but for us it was absolutely perfect. It was so easy to run back to the room to grab a dive log, drop something off, get sunscreen, etc. And we were close enough to the meal bell, that my alarm in the morning was the breakfast bell. There was a little lounge area across the little sidewalk from our rooms that was a great gathering place for our group. The room was plenty well sized for two of us, plenty of room to spread out and not get in each others space.
The set up in the horse-shoe all around the restaurant/pool/bar/dive shop was SO perfect for a dive resort. It was always very clean, and was a great gathering spot for all the divers. The pool had a wooden container with fresh towels, a rinse-off shower, a couple rafts, pool toys and "noodles." There were always enough lounge chairs for people, and there were many more along the beach (and some hammocks in the shade). Speaking of lawn chairs (although I'm jumping ahead a bit), one of my favorite daily activities was sitting on a lounge chair after lunch and before the afternoon dive. I'd sit on one right on the beach and by the dive shop, so if I happened to fall asleep, anyone in my group (or our dive masters) could wake me up before the afternoon dive.
I used the spa on my last afternoon for a pedicure. The large picture window overlooking the booby pond was wonderful. It was nice to still feel like I was in the Caribbean, instead of it looking like a spa at home. The pedicure was great (I even brought my cake from lunch to enjoy). Another woman in our group had a massage, and said it was wonderful. At least the week I was there, a lot of people were leaving on Saturday, so the Friday afternoon appointments filled up fast (there is just one person who works in the spa).
The fitness center was closed the whole time we were there. I know most people don't go on a dive vacation to work out anyhow. They did have a tennis court with a basketball hoop and you could rent bikes (nice bikes with nice cushy seats). I went out to the end of the dock a few times and helped myself to a few 5-lb. dive weights to do a little arm workout, since that is part of my routine.
All the meals were wonderful. As mentioned earlier, they would ring a bell when it was time for meals, typically 7:00, 12:30 and 6:30. You can wait awhile, or go right away. There are tables set up inside, in a screened-in-porch (my favorite), and outside, and you select your own table. All the meals are served buffet style, with a variety of choices. Dinner always consisted of a soup and rolls, a few different salads, about three main courses (chicken, seafood, duck, beef, etc. with a variety of creative sauces and sides - the type you would associate with a gourmet restaurant rather than a traditional American sports bar-like restaurant). There were a couple soups that were amazing, even though I wouldn't usually opt for soup while in a tropical climate. There were always 3-5 dessert choices, and a couple were repeated through the week. The main hostess of the restaurant (gosh, I wish I could remember her name right now!) was amazing - she ALWAYS greeted us with a warm smile, and looked like she truly enjoyed her job. The other servers were great too - bringing some of my friends milk (and by the end of the week they wouldn't even have to ask), pouring water, and the male server even cleaned up some iguana poo near the table outside so we could better enjoy our lunch. We always ate at the restaurant, as opposed to the bar. We used the bar at night to get our two free drinks (included in our package). If I didn't want two drinks, I would get a can of Diet Coke to take back to my room for the next day (people did this with beer too - the bartenders were fine not opening it if you asked), because otherwise that would be an extra cost. The rooms have refrigerators, so I had a nice stash of Diet Coke going (I sometimes brought a banana back from breakfast or an extra cookie back from lunch, because I'm a snacker). We hung out at the bar one evening for their weekly bar trivia game, otherwise didn't sit in there too much.
As for the diving, everything was perfect. We were assigned to the same boat all week, which meant we had the same dive masters all week (with the exception of their one day off, but our two dive masters didn't have the same day off, so we always had at least one of them). As long as you like your dive masters and other people assigned to your boat, this was awesome! We all developed familiarity with each other throughout the week, we knew who would entertain us with jokes during the surface interval, and our dive masters quickly learned who would enjoy seeing which fish, etc. Out DMs were Dottie and Ed. Dottie has been there for, like, 15 years and is amazing. She's a riot and really knows her stuff. Ed was absolutely terrific too and a great diver who gave great briefings, but Dottie kind of steals the spotlight between them (which is fine with Ed, he just isn't a "face" of LCBR quite so much, I don't think). One other woman we met during the week said she had Dottie three times in the past and requested her for this trip, but didn't get her. Speaking of that other woman, there were a LOT of returners; I think I was in the minority as a first-timer. This also seemed to mean that there were a lot of GOOD divers. I think it would be a great place for a beginner, but there were more experienced divers than anywhere else I've ever been. It seemed like most people were the types of divers who had hundreds under their belts.
The dive boats had O2, maybe an AED (I know there was one by the restaurant), a marine head, fresh towels for everyone, fresh water hoses, a big thing of water, and a cooler with chips and fruit for between dives. There was a sundeck and an area for lounging in the front. I actually got pretty chilly between dives (this was February, so the water was about 79-80), so was most comfortable getting out of my wetsuit right away and putting on a sweatshirt and black yoga pants, or something similar. I may have been the only one who did that, however. There were a couple of pretty rough boat rides due to big waves, etc. I didn't get sick but a couple people did, and I opted to take one dramamine in the mornings after that. I think it may have been a bit rare for it to be so choppy. There was always plenty of room on the boat - maybe about 12-14 people total, give or take.
We were usually asked to be on the boat around 8:00 or 8:10, and then after the morning dives they would give us our report time for afternoon (usually 1:30 or so). Some people didn't do the afternoon dive, but I always did. It usually didn't go out as far as the morning dives, so it didn't eat up the whole afternoon or anything. All the dives were awesome, and nearly all were done along Bloody Bay Wall or Jackson's Bight (right next to Bloody Bay Wall, I think). The reefs were among the healthiest I've ever seen, and there were hands-down more grouper than anywhere I've been (there is a Nassau Grouper spawning aggregation that is protected in Little Cayman, the last in the Cayman Islands). I could start naming everything I saw, but that seems time consuming and you can get that info elsewhere (but I'm happy to report if you want). I did do a few fish surveys for REEF, so paid pretty close attention. For the "big" stuff," we saw turtles on nearly every dive, a couple sharks (including a reef shark), an Eagle Ray, a few Southern Rays and some pregnant lobster. The highlight for me was a juvenile Queen Triggerfish. It was about an inch and a half and was the cutest thing ever. (Yes, I know "cute" isn't a word typically used in marine biology.) We could either follow Dottie or Ed, or go on our own. I liked going with them, because they knew where the swim-thrus were and they were great at pointing stuff out, but we often went by ourselves only because the group following Dottie or Ed would usually be a bit large for my liking. We were given a dive profile before the dive, but were never strictly held to the time like some people mentioned, although when they say 50 or 60 minutes, I think that is perfectly reasonable for dive that may be 80 feet or so. Oh, they were strict about people following computers though. One woman in our group had to sit out for 48 hours because her computer errored her out after not taking a long enough safety stop, and we heard about another woman who that happened to, as well. While it is a bit of a bummer (the woman in our group would have still been very conservative if she were to track her dive using tables, and the rest of our computers were perfectly happy with us), it's totally understandable since there's no chamber on the island. She could still come along to snorkel. I'd rather a dive shop err on the side of safety, than let people push it just because they are on vacation.
We left our BCs and regs on the boat all the time, and took our wetsuits, masks, fins, etc. off the boat after the afternoon dive. There were three big rinse tanks (that still could get crowded when everyone is using them at the same time), and a large shed to store stuff. I never worried about leaving my stuff out. I think some people got stuff mixed up though, so if you have a common wetsuit, etc., you might want to mark it, hang your dive bag on the same hanger, or something.
Wow, this seems long. I hope it was helpful. If I'm missing anything, just ask (but I don't have pictures - I opted to not bring my camera because it sometimes distracts me and I just wanted to DIVE, not think about getting the next good shot). I would definitely go back if I'm looking for an all-dive trip and/or a trip with dive junkies.
Oh, one more thing - I did leave the resort one other time, for a Friday afternoon group tour to the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). It was a nice tour. I'd definitely recommend it if you're into marine biology, research, etc. Plus it was free.
I went to Little Cayman Beach Resort for a week in February with five other women. I have been to Grand Cayman about 15 times (but more recently have been doing Cozumel, Belize and Curacao), but this was my first trip to Little Cayman. Obviously it is a very, very different island than the others. The closest comparison I can make in size is Utila, but even Utila (almost 10 years ago) had more restaurants, resorts, etc.
Little Cayman has an airport, a little store, a few dive resorts, some condos, maybe a stand-alone restaurant or two, and that's it. That said, it is WONDERFUL if you want to get away and just relax and dive. I felt more relaxed than on any other trip because I wasn't constantly thinking, "what should I do this afternoon? Where should we go to dinner?" etc. I left the property for a couple of walks, but otherwise never left (and that's rare for me). All I did was sleep, eat, dive, and read by the pool.
I was very impressed with LCBR. We were picked up at the little airport (as were the people who were staying at the other couple dive resorts), drove about 5 minutes down the road, and then arrived in the lobby. The check-in process was very easy, and they brought out bags to our room. We stayed in rooms 103-105, or something like that. I know some people have commented about not wanting to face the pool and bar area because of noise, but for us it was absolutely perfect. It was so easy to run back to the room to grab a dive log, drop something off, get sunscreen, etc. And we were close enough to the meal bell, that my alarm in the morning was the breakfast bell. There was a little lounge area across the little sidewalk from our rooms that was a great gathering place for our group. The room was plenty well sized for two of us, plenty of room to spread out and not get in each others space.
The set up in the horse-shoe all around the restaurant/pool/bar/dive shop was SO perfect for a dive resort. It was always very clean, and was a great gathering spot for all the divers. The pool had a wooden container with fresh towels, a rinse-off shower, a couple rafts, pool toys and "noodles." There were always enough lounge chairs for people, and there were many more along the beach (and some hammocks in the shade). Speaking of lawn chairs (although I'm jumping ahead a bit), one of my favorite daily activities was sitting on a lounge chair after lunch and before the afternoon dive. I'd sit on one right on the beach and by the dive shop, so if I happened to fall asleep, anyone in my group (or our dive masters) could wake me up before the afternoon dive.
I used the spa on my last afternoon for a pedicure. The large picture window overlooking the booby pond was wonderful. It was nice to still feel like I was in the Caribbean, instead of it looking like a spa at home. The pedicure was great (I even brought my cake from lunch to enjoy). Another woman in our group had a massage, and said it was wonderful. At least the week I was there, a lot of people were leaving on Saturday, so the Friday afternoon appointments filled up fast (there is just one person who works in the spa).
The fitness center was closed the whole time we were there. I know most people don't go on a dive vacation to work out anyhow. They did have a tennis court with a basketball hoop and you could rent bikes (nice bikes with nice cushy seats). I went out to the end of the dock a few times and helped myself to a few 5-lb. dive weights to do a little arm workout, since that is part of my routine.
All the meals were wonderful. As mentioned earlier, they would ring a bell when it was time for meals, typically 7:00, 12:30 and 6:30. You can wait awhile, or go right away. There are tables set up inside, in a screened-in-porch (my favorite), and outside, and you select your own table. All the meals are served buffet style, with a variety of choices. Dinner always consisted of a soup and rolls, a few different salads, about three main courses (chicken, seafood, duck, beef, etc. with a variety of creative sauces and sides - the type you would associate with a gourmet restaurant rather than a traditional American sports bar-like restaurant). There were a couple soups that were amazing, even though I wouldn't usually opt for soup while in a tropical climate. There were always 3-5 dessert choices, and a couple were repeated through the week. The main hostess of the restaurant (gosh, I wish I could remember her name right now!) was amazing - she ALWAYS greeted us with a warm smile, and looked like she truly enjoyed her job. The other servers were great too - bringing some of my friends milk (and by the end of the week they wouldn't even have to ask), pouring water, and the male server even cleaned up some iguana poo near the table outside so we could better enjoy our lunch. We always ate at the restaurant, as opposed to the bar. We used the bar at night to get our two free drinks (included in our package). If I didn't want two drinks, I would get a can of Diet Coke to take back to my room for the next day (people did this with beer too - the bartenders were fine not opening it if you asked), because otherwise that would be an extra cost. The rooms have refrigerators, so I had a nice stash of Diet Coke going (I sometimes brought a banana back from breakfast or an extra cookie back from lunch, because I'm a snacker). We hung out at the bar one evening for their weekly bar trivia game, otherwise didn't sit in there too much.
As for the diving, everything was perfect. We were assigned to the same boat all week, which meant we had the same dive masters all week (with the exception of their one day off, but our two dive masters didn't have the same day off, so we always had at least one of them). As long as you like your dive masters and other people assigned to your boat, this was awesome! We all developed familiarity with each other throughout the week, we knew who would entertain us with jokes during the surface interval, and our dive masters quickly learned who would enjoy seeing which fish, etc. Out DMs were Dottie and Ed. Dottie has been there for, like, 15 years and is amazing. She's a riot and really knows her stuff. Ed was absolutely terrific too and a great diver who gave great briefings, but Dottie kind of steals the spotlight between them (which is fine with Ed, he just isn't a "face" of LCBR quite so much, I don't think). One other woman we met during the week said she had Dottie three times in the past and requested her for this trip, but didn't get her. Speaking of that other woman, there were a LOT of returners; I think I was in the minority as a first-timer. This also seemed to mean that there were a lot of GOOD divers. I think it would be a great place for a beginner, but there were more experienced divers than anywhere else I've ever been. It seemed like most people were the types of divers who had hundreds under their belts.
The dive boats had O2, maybe an AED (I know there was one by the restaurant), a marine head, fresh towels for everyone, fresh water hoses, a big thing of water, and a cooler with chips and fruit for between dives. There was a sundeck and an area for lounging in the front. I actually got pretty chilly between dives (this was February, so the water was about 79-80), so was most comfortable getting out of my wetsuit right away and putting on a sweatshirt and black yoga pants, or something similar. I may have been the only one who did that, however. There were a couple of pretty rough boat rides due to big waves, etc. I didn't get sick but a couple people did, and I opted to take one dramamine in the mornings after that. I think it may have been a bit rare for it to be so choppy. There was always plenty of room on the boat - maybe about 12-14 people total, give or take.
We were usually asked to be on the boat around 8:00 or 8:10, and then after the morning dives they would give us our report time for afternoon (usually 1:30 or so). Some people didn't do the afternoon dive, but I always did. It usually didn't go out as far as the morning dives, so it didn't eat up the whole afternoon or anything. All the dives were awesome, and nearly all were done along Bloody Bay Wall or Jackson's Bight (right next to Bloody Bay Wall, I think). The reefs were among the healthiest I've ever seen, and there were hands-down more grouper than anywhere I've been (there is a Nassau Grouper spawning aggregation that is protected in Little Cayman, the last in the Cayman Islands). I could start naming everything I saw, but that seems time consuming and you can get that info elsewhere (but I'm happy to report if you want). I did do a few fish surveys for REEF, so paid pretty close attention. For the "big" stuff," we saw turtles on nearly every dive, a couple sharks (including a reef shark), an Eagle Ray, a few Southern Rays and some pregnant lobster. The highlight for me was a juvenile Queen Triggerfish. It was about an inch and a half and was the cutest thing ever. (Yes, I know "cute" isn't a word typically used in marine biology.) We could either follow Dottie or Ed, or go on our own. I liked going with them, because they knew where the swim-thrus were and they were great at pointing stuff out, but we often went by ourselves only because the group following Dottie or Ed would usually be a bit large for my liking. We were given a dive profile before the dive, but were never strictly held to the time like some people mentioned, although when they say 50 or 60 minutes, I think that is perfectly reasonable for dive that may be 80 feet or so. Oh, they were strict about people following computers though. One woman in our group had to sit out for 48 hours because her computer errored her out after not taking a long enough safety stop, and we heard about another woman who that happened to, as well. While it is a bit of a bummer (the woman in our group would have still been very conservative if she were to track her dive using tables, and the rest of our computers were perfectly happy with us), it's totally understandable since there's no chamber on the island. She could still come along to snorkel. I'd rather a dive shop err on the side of safety, than let people push it just because they are on vacation.
We left our BCs and regs on the boat all the time, and took our wetsuits, masks, fins, etc. off the boat after the afternoon dive. There were three big rinse tanks (that still could get crowded when everyone is using them at the same time), and a large shed to store stuff. I never worried about leaving my stuff out. I think some people got stuff mixed up though, so if you have a common wetsuit, etc., you might want to mark it, hang your dive bag on the same hanger, or something.
Wow, this seems long. I hope it was helpful. If I'm missing anything, just ask (but I don't have pictures - I opted to not bring my camera because it sometimes distracts me and I just wanted to DIVE, not think about getting the next good shot). I would definitely go back if I'm looking for an all-dive trip and/or a trip with dive junkies.
Oh, one more thing - I did leave the resort one other time, for a Friday afternoon group tour to the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). It was a nice tour. I'd definitely recommend it if you're into marine biology, research, etc. Plus it was free.
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