lodging on Cayman's East End?

[andrewk]

I'm planning a trip to Cayman's East End the 3rd week of August (2 divers)...I'm wondering if Cayman Diving Lodge is going to be the least expensive option or if it's possible to save money by finding less expensive lodging.

We're just two diverats...we don't need anything fancy.

Any feedback on Cayman Diving Lodge or other dive groups on the East End would also be welcome.

TIA

 

[Drew Sailbum]

There are three operators diving Grand Cayman's East End: Cayman Dive Lodge, Ocean Frontiers, and Tortuga Divers. A few sites are accessible from shore, but most of the East End diving is boat diving. Tortuga Divers is owned by Red Sail Sports which has another location at Rum Point.

Lodging outside of Georgetown and Seven mile Beach is somewhat limited. For comparatively affordable housing there is the Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town, Driftwood in Northside, or Cayman Dive Lodge. More expensive options include Morritt's Tortuga Club or The Royal Reef resorts. Northside Surf Inn ( moderately affordable) in Northside is closed for the summer season, but I am unsure of when it will reopen.

There are always condos for rent, and you may be able to arrange short term housing by checking out the ads in the Friday issue of the Cayman Compass or Cayman Net News newspapers.

 

[pinstripe1]

I stayed at the CDL last December. Absolutely loved it. Nice place, excellent food, responsive staff, laid-back divers, and outstanding diving.

Trip report at http://www.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=1129

I highly recommend the place.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi andrewk,

You may be able to find a relatively inexpensive room or condo in the east end area, but then you'll need to make arrangements to eat & get to the dive op everyday.

Of the places you mentioned, Cayman Dive Lodge definitely will get you the best package & probably the best diving. It's also very relaxed & convenient, with good diver comraderie.

Here's a trip report I did for my "Dive Workshop" column in the Jun '01 issue of "Rodale's Scuba Diving" magazine:

"Cayman Diving Lodge, located on the water in the remote east end, tends to be frequented by serious divers. There is little to do here but dive and enjoy the 17 mile stretch of thin & sometimes rocky beach, although the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is well worth a visit. They are especially proud of the blue iguanas they are reintroducing. One of the grounds keepers will probably be more than happy to stop raking organic detritus for a bit & show you around (a small tip is appropriate). The "Blow Holes" are also out that way & worth a glance. The resort will do the airport honors, but rent a vehicle if you want to tour the island or regularly head into Seven Mile Beach or George Town for some action.

CDL's accommodations are motelish, but the 12 recently refurbished rooms are fully serviceable & have all amenities needed to be comfortable, but no TV or phone. The best rooms are beach front, although the areas in front are communal, so if you're on honeymoon or like privacy get one of the two on the upper level. Economy rooms are farther from the water & can be a bit snug.

All meals are included and are essentially all you can eat. Hot breakfasts are made to order, as well as cereal, pastries, toast & fruit. Lunch is buffet style, and dinner is family style, usually a single entree like a tasty meat, fish or pasta, accompanied by a green salad, fruit salad & homemade baked dessert. There is a small honor bar; don't expect a full range of Jimmy Buffett "boat drinks." It has been my experience that divers here are not big into alcohol. If you want to eat out in the area, the Lighthouse has super desserts. On the very eastern tip is Portofino, a pricey place with some good dishes, especially pasta. Their Sunday brunch is not to be missed.

The young staff is laid back, accommodating & skilled. [UPDATE: There has been extensive recent staff turn over & I believe that Mickey is the only one left of the old crew. He is a gem of a DM & a GC Adonis. I hear the new staff are somewhat more mature & very competent.] Dive briefings are quite thorough, and DM's extend substantial diver freedom once you have demonstrated your competence. There are two boats. A 48' Pro which usually takes the AM divers (no more than 16) -- twin ladder entry, while a 45' Garcia is typically taken for the PM dives when the group is smaller--swim up entry & and center tank rack. On my dives, they never had more than 6 people in the PM, including the DM & Captain, both of whom usually dove (that should tell you something). [UPDATE: The Garcia has recently been extensively refitted & is now used for daily two tanks trips for non-resident guests.] These craft are built for diving & and are diver friendly. Large O2 canister, large first aid kit, radio, all desired safety features on both.

Look for air temps in the mid-80's in summer, mid-70's in winter. Viz is best in the summer months, where is can be 150'+, and rarely is less than 80'. Marine life is quite prolific, and you can see much of Paul Humann's "Reef Fish" guide here in a week--I saw my first chain moray at Chub Hole. Several 5' foot Caribbean reef sharks allowed a close approach at Jack McKennedy's Canyon. At Grouper Grotto, the canyons held trains of large tarpon, who let you swim right up if done very slowly. Decent stands of staghorn & elkhorn coral. Babylon Wall off the NE was better than much of what I've seen at Bloody Bay & Jackson Walls on Little Cayman--fabulous groves of black coral & deep water gorgonians.

For a big splurge dinner in town, Lantana's is exceptional. Very good food in an atmospheric setting can be had at Casa Havana or Ferdinand's, both in the Westin. The Wharf has good food & a tarpon feed around 9PM. The barish Lone Star has an all-you-can-eat Caribbean lobster night on Tuesday, and a happy hour special on "shooters" which is a real bargain by Cayman standards. Good food, big quantities & decent prices at "Eats Crocodile Rock Cafe" & "Big Daddy's Restaurant & Sports Bar." Also, there is the full range of fast food franchises.

For the dedicated diver who wants little else than solitude during dives, CDL is highly recommended."

Hope this gets you started.

DocVikingo

 

[andrewk]

Thanks everyone for the frank and illuminating information. I dove GC with Treasure Island Divers several years ago, and while I really enjoyed the diving I hated the 7-mile beach atmosphere (and attitude) and cattle boats.

I've since been intrigued with going back and diving the East End exclusively, which is what started this post. My buddy and I are both focused on getting our Rescue Diver cert and then onto DM, and it sounds like CDL is the way to go.

I was in Bonaire 2 years ago and was in awe of the sheer quantity of shore dive points and the ability to hole up in a shack, eat cold canned corn, and dive all day. I was hoping for a similar experience in GC, but it seems like CDL will give me more bang for the buck.

So thanks again, everyone...let's get wet!

Andrew

 

[andrewk]

Hi All: I did end up diving with CDL from Aug. 22-26, and they were everything promised and more! I don't know if my experience was unusual for late August, but the diving and weather were both fantastic. Unfortunately for CDL there were never more than 6 guests diving while I was there

Luckily Continental flies direct from Newark, and leaving on a Thursday my flight was on $360 r/t...that and a summer discount from CDL made it a very economical trip...a lot of diving for the dollar.

The lodge provided excellent food and the DMs were superb, giving detailed profiles and showing excellent familiarity with the sites. The rooms are nothing to write home about, but you don't spend much time in them...I would have liked a phone in my room, but perhaps I was better off isolated from New York

It rained a little each morning, usually clearing up by the time we were in gear, and it was cloudy a few afternoons, but the water was a jacuzzi-like 87 degrees.

We were never more than 20 minutes from a dive site, and rarely saw any other boats except for Ocean Frontiers once or twice. Most of the time you're within eyesight of the lodge, although you have to take a 10-minute detour each time up the lagoon to the channel through the barrier reef...small price to pay.

Tremendously varied macro stuff on all the walls...Three Sisters and Pat's Wall were standout morning dives, and int he afternoon Ironshore Gardens was a packed aquarium...I never saw schools of hundreds of Black Durgon before, and the Rainbow and Stoplight Parrotfish were larger and less-intimidated than anywhere else I've been. The Barracuda and Tarpon in Grouper Grotto were startling. Not as many sharks as I would have liked but you can't have everything...at least we saw a few turtles.

[a few pics are posted on http://www.enigmedia.com/scuba.htm]

There are a lot of swim-throughs and labyrinths to entertain the adventurous, but you generally want to get to the outside of the walls as quickly as possible, or stay on top where the action is.

Night-diving the CDL dock was terrific...lots of squid, lobsters, yellow rays, puffers and scorpionfish.

You ARE isolated on the East End...there's literally nothing within walking distance worth exploring. Having been to GC before and toured the island I didn't mind the isolation, but you literally sleep, eat and dive on this trip.

GSM and TDMA phones work there, so some US-only phones will work fine there (my Nextel service didn't). You can't use an MCI calling card there, and Cable&Wireless's rates are excessive.

After 14 dives I started to get a sense of deja vu, although I'm sure if I stayed longer the staff would've found some unique sights for me. If I HAD to go back to the same location twice it would either be CDL or Saba. Highly recommended!