More About Shore Dive Options on Grand Cayman

[EastEndDiver]

Lets add Split fins and BC vs. Wing to the discussion.

 

[Joneill]

Are you really trying to understand the situation? If so, I'll try to explain it as I see it.

Someone with their own tanks (or tanks rented elsewhere) should have no need to go into your shop. They should be able to walk around the building, get in the water, and dive. If they want to go into your shop and buy something or rent something - then great! But they shouldn't have to. AFAIK your shop does not own the reef. Do the Caymans deed out portions of the ocean? Does your shop own the reef? I ask that in earnest. You're in a different country than I'm used to, so I guess it's possible. If the answer is yes, then that changes things. If it's no, then...

Trying to force someone to buy something from you merely because your business is nearest to that person's destination is shady. At a minimum, such a practice will harm your reputation if word of it gets out.

If I were the diver in question, I'd rent from you because that would be the most convenient thing to do. I don't live there, and I don't want to try and travel with scuba tanks. It seems unlikely that local divers would be renting tanks anywhere... unless they're worried about all their money weighting them down once they got in the water - sometimes you have so much you just have to get rid of it! It only takes 6-8 dives for it to be a better financial decision to own tanks instead of renting. Of course there's a lot of assumptions in that 6-8 like the type of tank, price of tanks in that area, price of rentals in that area.

I have seen plenty of shops that will refuse to fill tanks they don't own. While I don't like that, I would still say that's totally legitimate. I probably wouldn't like it if a boat op refused to let someone bring tanks that person owned on a boat dive. However, I think an argument could be made for that being legitimate.

As mi000ke stated already, if you can bypass the onsite dive shop's property (or other private property) to get to a "public" exit/entry, then you are free to dive with your own tanks.

However, if you have to cross a Dive Ops's private property and use their ladder for exit/entry, then I see absolutely nothing wrong with them restricting use of outside tanks!

The tanks at most sites are quite cheap ($10 for Nitrox at Cobalt Coast this summer, for example) - if you have a problem with that cost, then maybe you should not have spent the really significant amounts of money to fly and stay someplace in Grand Cayman?

 

[Joneill]

Lets add Split fins and BC vs. Wing to the discussion.

Lol... I tried Atomic Smoke on the Water split fins on my last GC trip in July and really liked them - debunked the myths about splits for me (still like my paddles too!)

 

[Damselfish]

Here’s another vent for Reef Divers....they want to sell us afternoon dives ahead of time...5 for $200.00. Good deal as at pos, it would be $65/Dive.

I have no problem paying this, but they won’t allow these 5 afternoon dives shared with a spouse? That is an extremely poor biz decision imho....so they lose $200.00. We have 20 friends booked and four couples passed on the 5 dives due to this alone...that’s $1000.00 they tossed away?

It's pretty common for special deal packages (in every business) to not be shareable between people. Also pretty clear it's intended as an package that adds on afternoon dives every day (except the last when most people aren't diving in the afternoon) to a typical 7 night package. Would you expect them to allow the morning dives on the package to be sharable?

 

[Alucard]

So that's 7 CI for a fill vs 10 CI to rent a full tank. I would also have the cost of taking my tank somewhere to get it filled, plus maintenance and inspections

Now I see why the locals do the tank rentals.

Thanks!

 

[Joneill]

So that's 7 CI for a fill vs 10 CI to rent a full tank. I would also have the cost of taking my tank somewhere to get it filled, plus maintenance and inspections

Now I see why the locals do the tank rentals.

Thanks!

I went back and checked my credit card statement and it was actually $10 US for Nitrox tanks at Cobalt Coast- so only 8.33 CI...

 

[caydiver]

I don’t know the cost of Nitrox off the top off my head but it is definitely more. This was an interesting discussion but what it achieved I don’t know. Still cannot figure out where anyone is “forced” to do anything. Just seems like stirring the pot but really is throwing good ops that do a service under the bus. Sad really.

 

[drrich2]

This thread is actually contributing to a better understanding of what would seem to be a common Grand Cayman practice, so as to avoid a bad reputation befalling anyone. Here's what I see impacting this topic:

1.) Every dive destination has a unique blend of influences on the dive experience; environmental, cultural, etc...

2.) Grand Cayman is on the regional short list of destinations with good shore diving, along with Bonaire, Curacao, and to a lesser extent St. Croix.

3.) Judging from the forum and other sources, Grand Cayman has something of a reputation for more 'Big Brother' rules than other options. Things like no solo diving, don't go over 110 feet (saw this on the Cayman Aggressor IV; I think it's more widespread?), dive op.s not renting tanks to use off-site. Which may not be laws, but are apparently common enough to create the appearance, from an outsider's perspective, of a Big Brother culture imposing on diver freedom. Of course people are going to ask 'Why?'

4.) Many divers know in the other 3 mentioned shore diving destinations one can rent tanks for off-site shore diving; no one seems to care their tank may be hauled over iron shore or sand. When they find out you can't do that in Grand Cayman, they want to know why. They can also shore dive at those sites often with no telling them they can't dive solo, or not to go over 110 feet deep...

Telling them 'This ain't Bonaire' (which I suspect some people would be tempted to do), is useless. Historically when some such 'norm's' of Grand Cayman have been questioned (e.g.: repeated inquiries as to whether solo diving is somehow prohibited, and if not why there seems widespread resistance to it), all too often there's no follow on explanation, other than perhaps referencing the Cayman Watersports Association (which leads to questions about whether they're government or private, what power they have, why anyone cares what they recommend, whether insurance providers demand compliance, etc...)...and the mystery remains.

Judging from this thread, at least this one mystery is finally coming to light. These factors appear causative:

1.) The good shore diving sites generally require crossing private property, typically owned (leased, whatever) by a dive op. that rents tanks. The entry/exit is arduous (or outright dangerous) due to iron shore, making a ladder needful, and that's private property.

2.) Op.s basically want divers renting from them as sort of a usage fee.

3.) An op. renting tanks for offsite (which I take it some have?) would be providing tanks for a purpose that realistically isn't worthwhile to many divers. I speculate it could create a bit of ill will with a competitor when divers with your tanks show up at their site expecting access. Politics are powerful.

Richard.

 

[-MJ-]

Interesting and useful summary by drrich2 - I would add to the list of causative factors that this suggests dive boat operators in Cayman support shore diving operations by referring business to them rather than making a quick buck renting tanks themselves. I like this. Also - putting myself in the position of a dive operator without a shore diving facility, if I was asked by a diver I either did not know well, or did know but was not satisfied with their skill level, would I willingly take money from them and send them off with a tank to shore dive somewhere without surface support and with entry/exit conditions that others describe as often challenging?

Also - given the prevalence in Cayman of 'valet diving' where their gear is set up by dive staff and their dives are planned and led by divemasters, I've often had the impression that many 'seasoned' Cayman divers seem to have little to no experience in diving independently. I imagine that the reference a couple of times in this thread to a 'secret handshake' is linked to this - if a dive shop gets to know a diver and is truly satisfied with their skill level, it seems they can be given more leeway. Seems like a common sense approach to me.

 

[caydiver]

So much of what MJ said is correct. When we were still visitors we were told for years quietly away from other guests that we were free to do our own thing. Our gear was never touched. Now we have guests some of whom are outstanding divers and they get to go their own way. I don’t know the history of the solo diving question. I do know that it is not a “law” but a guideline we are all supposed to adhere to. We do go below 110 feet depending on our guests and so do other ops. Sites like Ghost Mountain are deeper dives. That said most dives are not and many divers even some with hundreds of dives who think they are Architeuthis simply are not. There are many that are completely clueless and have terrible skill sets. Most guests have only done OW and dive maybe once a year. I believe the “guidelines” are there to protect people not restrict them. I know 2 people who left the industry after having a guest die. I know someone who was named in a lawsuit after he saved a guys life on the back of a boat. Filling out the police reports, dealing with the Inquest and having grieving family try to coax every memory out of the last one with their loved one is not easy. Personally we found the diving in OZ to be much more regulated both times we were there.