OW Cert Dives in GC January

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Redfoot

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Detroit, Michigan
# of dives
100 - 199
Just finished our class, online and pool sessions from SSI Dive Shop last Thursday.

Looking to go to Grand Cayman with our referral letters to do the Open Water dives

Asking for advice on a good spot for below:

-5 Days x 2 pp
-Preferably shore access for snorkeling and (hopefully) dives after we get certified
-Onsite dive operation for doing the OW dives w/ SSI Referral letter acceptance
-All inclusive (food, not booze necessarily)
-Budget about $2,500-3,000 PP w/airfare ( From Detroit, MI)
-Would like to at least see Seven Mile Beach while we are there, but don't need to be right on it or too close

Let me know if I am being unrealistic? Or if anyone thinks another destination is better suited?

Any suggestions appreciated, I read through some of the other threads and got good ideas, but thought I would put out specifics and see if it mirrored someone else's trip?

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
 
Just finished our class, online and pool sessions from SSI Dive Shop last Thursday.

Looking to go to Grand Cayman with our referral letters to do the Open Water dives

Asking for advice on a good spot for below:

-5 Days x 2 pp
-Preferably shore access for snorkeling and (hopefully) dives after we get certified
-Onsite dive operation for doing the OW dives w/ SSI Referral letter acceptance
-All inclusive (food, not booze necessarily)
-Budget about $2,500-3,000 PP w/airfare ( From Detroit, MI)
-Would like to at least see Seven Mile Beach while we are there, but don't need to be right on it or too close

Let me know if I am being unrealistic? Or if anyone thinks another destination is better suited?

Any suggestions appreciated, I read through some of the other threads and got good ideas, but thought I would put out specifics and see if it mirrored someone else's trip?

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

We just got back from a week at Cobalt Coast. It checks all your boxes. Safe, professional, valet operation -- same folks who operate Cayman Brac Beach Resort and Little Cayman Beach Resort dive ops. We had some new divers on our boat last week and they were well attended to. Paid roughly $1,700/pp for myself and snorkeling spouse -- who was permitted to join the divers on the boat. That was for 6 days of morning 2-tank diving, unlimited shore diving -- (quality site when conditions are calm) and 3 meals a day.

It's a great location on the water located on NW part of the Island in a quiet area roughly 2 miles above 7 Mile Beach. Public buses run every 10-15 minutes all day long to anywhere on the island for $3-$5 per trip. This time of year the winds can blow you out on the north and east sides of the island. Cobalt will bus you over to the 7 Mile side where it is typically calm to catch the boats and to dive there when the conditions are "snotty" elsewhere.

Cobalt Coast
 
Cobalt Coast is a good option because Reef Divers is anSSI/PADI shop
About 10?mins. north of Seven Mile Beach and there's a good shore dive there. You can also get out to the main wall there - when it was run by the previous operator, they would tow you out - just swim south back to the resort. As mentioned, in the winter it can get blown out, but the next two sites are often still diveable since they're around the point to the west so protected.

Also Turtle Reef is an easy shore dive about 10mins. away - Macabuca on-site for lunch. IMO the best shore dive on Cayman for someone at your level.

Lighthouse Point/Divetch another 10mins. or so farther west is the other good shore dive in the area. All 3 are also good snorkels - Turtle Reef is a listed snorkeling spot as well as a mini-wall dive.
Sundivers is on-site there for tanks.

Stingray City is the best 15' dive you'll ever do, it's a lot of fun. Boat only - most operators do it in the afternoons. Many boat operators also do shallower profile dives in the afternoons - often with Discover of certifying divers so the sites are shallow. One we liked was the Aquarium. Most 2-tank boat dives on Cayman follow a morning profile of a deep wall dive followed by a shallow 2nd dive. At some locations you can stay shallow on the first dive, at others you'll be floating in blue water the whole time at less than 60-80' or so. So ask for multi-level dives.

Want to dive a wreck? The Kittiwake is a dive cleaned wreck you'll be able to dive once certified. It's also a snrokel since the top nearly breaks the surface.

Cobalt Coast is the only almost AI in the area. The other one is Sunset House south of Georgetown (both offer meal plans) but SH might be PADI only. The 3rd options is the Wyndham Reef on the East End but there's no shore diving on that side of the island and it's 45mins. plus drive to Georgetown/SMB

Do drive down to Sunset House one afternoon, you can bypass Georgetown (large cruise port) and do a couple of easy dives, eat at My Bar and see the Cathy Church Photo Gallery/shop. The Mermaid staute is the photo op in about 55' and the small wreck around 70' IIRC. Lots of shallow reef there as well.If there's such a thing as a diver's bar on GC - it's My Bar. Or Macabuca Tiki Bar at Turtle Reef since the dive stairs exit in front of the bar.

If you dive Turtle Reef - the mini-wall is not much deeper than 50' anywhere - to the west there's a Tarpon Cave (really more of a cavern) you can enter - move slowly and they'll move around you - it's pretty surreal. They appear to have big mouths/teeth but you're too big to be prey. Oddly I remember it being 42' deep but it's been awhile.

Georgetown has some decent food/shopping options once the cruisers leave around 4pm.Caymana on SMB also - not sure if the cruisers show up there.

While just about every condo/hotel property on SMB has an affiliated dive shop - plus 20 more operators that will pick you up by van - none are AI. Except one condo property that's also a cruise beach excursion - not recommended...

There's no shore diving along SMB anyway - the reef is too far out and it's a nice sandy beach. Often you'll see dive boats at sites farther out but too far to swim.
 
Awesome

Thanks to you both for the great information.

Will look at Cobalt Coast today!
 
Cobalt is nice but in the middle of nowhere.
I personally would not do AI on Grand Cayman, there are lots of reasonably priced restaurants. ( as well as lots of pricey ones )

If you are going off season, you can rent a condo north end of Seven Mile Beach at Christopher Columbus, Anchorage or Discovery and be well within your budget and right on the quiet part of the best beach on the island. You would not be far from Turtle Reef and Lighthouse Point for shore diving and if you end up going by boat, most ops are based at West Bay Dock or the Yacht Club which are both close as well. The west bay cemetery has parking and a beach behind with decent snorkeling.

Car rental on GC is not too expensive and allows you more mobility and convenience than the public bus.

Virtually any dive op on the island can and will do a certification or referral for OWD. Many of them do check out dives from Turtle Reef/Macabuca.
 
Honestly all the ops here are pretty much top notch. You really can’t go wrong. There are possibly only two companies that I would not recommend and that’s a pretty cool thing to be able to say about your competitors overall. Just check about weather conditions if you are coming during winter months. It won’t affect your cert — it’s rare that we cannot find good diving somewhere but shore dives from your location can certainly be affected. Winter winds make the biggest impact historically on the east and north sides of the island
 
Sorry, missed the January part. Condos on 7MB are going to be prohibitively expensive in high season. Diversteve's suggestion of Cobalt is not a bad option but I would rent a car as it is out of the way.

Reef Divers based at Cobalt Coast is an outstanding operation.
 
Hello Redfoot

We would love to have you stay and dive with us at Sunset House. We have our own dive shop on site, Sunset Divers and you can shore dive right in front of the resort. You can email me directly at emma@sunsethouse.com and I can then send you a package with details of accommodation and diving. We are also an SSI shop.

Did you have dates in January you were interested in visiting?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Emma
 
For diving and AI on Grand Cayman your two best options are going to be Cobalt Coast and Sunset House. I believe that both would fit your stated needs, but uncertain of budget.
 
So we pushed our trip back to late April and and I just locked in @ Sunset House for 4/25 to 5/1! Delta had smoking deal from DTW to GCM ($484)

Doing our referral dives on 4/26 and 4/27, then boat/shore diving the rest of the trip!

Very excited. We had reserved Little Cayman Beach Resort for the same dates, but they called back and could not get us on referral dives until 4/28, so we would have been beach bound for 2 days. Not the worst problem to have, but this is a dive trip! They were really nice and we were within the 10 day cancellation.

Thanks everyone here for the great suggestions and help.
 

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