Little Cayman night shore diving??

[donnad]

has anyone done any night shore diving on little cayman??

 

[deco_martini]

Typically, there is no shore diving.

 

[nipi]

Typically, there is no shore diving.

I am afraid this is rubbish. There is piles of shore diving on Little Cayman. The night dive we usually do is Cumber's Caves/Bus Stop which is on the north coast right opposite the end of the cross island road. Be aware that there are no street lights or other nearby lights to assist you with navigation so if you get a moonless night, it will be very dark (incredible stars though) so you should consider tying a strobe on the buoy and an extra torch to a tree on the beach so you can locate the track to get back to your car. Also be aware that ,at dusk, there will be piles of mossies on that beach so you should get fully kitted up at your condo & drive there in wetsuits, weightbelts etc. Similarly on the return - Perry is used to a bit of sand in his vehicles.

We have also night shore dived off Preston Bay.

 

[donnad]

thanks nipi. are there sharp rocks/sea urchins at cumber's caves/bus stop? and how about preston bay? just trying to find out the best places for night shore dives, so we can figure out if it's worth it to rent the ford explorer(about $100/day i think) .....cause there's 6 of us, and go do some night dives, or if we should just stick with the night boat dive(s) that are offered on tues/thurs, weather permitting for $60each i believe. thanks for your help

 

[nipi]

It is beach & then hard pan - a few but not many urchins. Boots recommended though at a pinch you might just about get away with bare feet. Preston Bay is ironshore - not too jagged but boots definitely needed. If you are day shore diving Cumber's Caves/Bus Stop is a good start as it is easy to navigate - the buoy is on the miniwall (not a long swim) - head across the sandflat to the wall, down one of the chutes, tunnels out onto the wall, turn R or L along the wall for a wall then return via the sand flat to the miniwall - even if you dont find the buoy again if you then turn shorewards you will reach the beach over the hard pan doing your safety stop as you swim in - also somtimes nurse sharks in the shallows.

The thing I don't like about the boat night dives was that they were after dinner so that after dinner & the boat ride there & back it made it very late (& I never eat before a dive much). What we do is get of the plane, walk to Perry's, get the car, go to the condo, put the beers in the fridge, get the tanks, straight to the dive, back to the condo, 5 mins in the jacuzzi & then down the Iguana in time for last orders (for food) at 9. Then on into the Little Cayman nightlife ...

 

[donnad]

thanks nipi.........little cayman nightlife........i didn't know there was any! just the bar at our resort i thought.

 

[fisheyeview]

thanks nipi.........little cayman nightlife........i didn't know there was any! just the bar at our resort i thought.

Friday night is Karaoke night at Beach Nuts.

 

[donnad]

where is Beach Nuts? is that the bar at LCBR?

 

[fisheyeview]

where is Beach Nuts? is that the bar at LCBR?

Yes mamm.

 

[deco_martini]

Notice I said "typically". Most diving is done from boats and asking for tanks gets you funny looks. Little Cayman isn't exactly bonaire and shore diving isn't accessible to you unless you have rental car to lug your stuff in.