More Cayman questions

[Jean-o]

Hi, me again!
Still searching for my Cayman getaway! I found a couple of good prices (?) on Travelocity for two all-inclusive resorts.
Beach Club Colony (West) and Spanish Bay Reef Resort (North) both include air/4 nts/taxes/gratuities/all meals & beverages and unlimited shore diving when you buy a dive package (Of course, it didn't list the prices for the dive packages!) for about $1000.
How do these compare to The Reef Resort on the East End as far as the diving, crowd, dive ops etc? (I found a similar package on Expedia for $867 for Reef Resort, but without the food/beverages or shore diving included).
Decisions, decisions!!
Have fun!
Thanks for all comments!
Jean-o

 

[H2Andy]

well, i can tell you that the East End has less divers, less crowds, and will tend to be
more expensive. however, the diving there can be very good indeed (for the same reasons).

 

[ianr33]

The East End is THE place to go for the diving. The Royal Reef resort is very nice. If you are on a tight budget the shore diving off the North West tip of the island is good. Try the Turtle Farm area and also Cobalt Coast Resort for good shore dives.

And if you are boat diving on the East End go with Ocean Frontiers

 

[Drew Sailbum]

While there is great diving all around Grand Cayman, trying to compare packages that don't include the same things is a bit difficult.

FWIW, the area in front of The Royal Reef and Morrit's Tortuga Club in East End is quite shallow and prone to strong currents. There is good snorkeling, but no shore diving on site.

Few places on Grand Cayman offer all-inclusive. Lots of great restaurants to try anyway. For those that prefer all-inclusive, Spanish Bay and Beach Colony seem to be sister operations and are two of the places offering that option.

As far as crowds, East End has the least overall traffic. In fact both EE resorts can be packed and you would hardly notice on the beach. Spanish Bay is tucked away in a quiet corner of West Bay and would have many fewer guests than the EE resorts, though more general traffic in the area. Beach Colony is right on Seven Mile Beach in the middle of it all.

As far as diving crowds, it depends. East End dive operators run boats which are a bit larger than some of the west side boats. Most East End boats are in the 35-48ft range. With East End being the windward side of the island, the larger boats are much more comfortable when the wind kicks up like it did today. Capacities are thus higher than a six pack, but numbers are kept low enough to keep things comfortable. Typically divers are divided into a couple groups to spread out more underwater.

 

[Jean-o]

Thanks to all for the advice! I'm looking forward to it no matter where I end up!! (I actually had a dream last night that I was diving!) Time to contact my dive buddy and make a decision!
Have fun!
Jean-o

 

[H2Andy]

you will love the Cayman Islands. the visibility is amazing, because there is no
industrial pollution and nearly no run-off from shore.

been there twice, can't wait to get back. I found the Treasure Island Resort,
and the attached PADI dive shop to be quite a bargain (and my wife
enjoyed the stay, so it couldn't have been all that bad).

 

[CarwashGuy]

The shore dive at Spanish Bay is one of our favorites and there is a couple more just down the road (Cobalt Coast and the Turtle Farm). The resort itself is off the path far enough to be in a quiet area. I have never dived on the east end. I'm sure it's beautiful, but the seas always look to be a bit "rougher" at the time of year we are there. We enjoy the "set your own pace" that shore diving allows us. Given the right conditions, I look forward to diving the east end someday.

 

[Jean-o]

The shore dive at Spanish Bay is one of our favorites and there is a couple more just down the road (Cobalt Coast and the Turtle Farm). The resort itself is off the path far enough to be in a quiet area. I have never dived on the east end. I'm sure it's beautiful, but the seas always look to be a bit "rougher" at the time of year we are there. We enjoy the "set your own pace" that shore diving allows us. Given the right conditions, I look forward to diving the east end someday.

Hey Carwash Guy,
What time of year do you go that the seas look a bit 'rougher'? I am not interested in a workout while diving!
Thanks!
Have fun!
Jean-o

 

[worlddiver]

If you enjoy shore diving and no crowds go to the northwest end of Grand Cayman. We recommend Cobalt Coast Resort (been there 3 times) just down the coast line from Spanish Bay. We did enjoy the shore dive at SB but that is the only nice thing I can say. Cobalt will cost a bit more but the resort is new with great service and one of the best dive operators. Divetech has two custom dive boats and two shore diving shops. The shore diving was free with a boat package. Also, checkout their dive from shop to shop, it was blast.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

What time of year do you go that the seas look a bit 'rougher'?

Cobalt Coast and Spanish Bay Reef Resort are both along the north facing shore of West Bay. On average, winter months bring winds from the ENE, with occasional swings to the NW as fronts drop south out of the Gulf of Mexico. With any of those wind directions the north facing shore would be subject to increasing chop, surge and swell as wind speed increases.