Pirates Point - Little Cayman

[jbjclj]

We just returned from a fabulous week at Pirates Point. We had been looking at Little Cayman for years, but the logistics of getting there from LAX deterred us. Pirates Point offered a special from Dec 14-22 (1 diver at summer rate, second diver 1/2 off) so we said "Let's go!!!"

The diving at Bloody Bay Wall was spectacular. Lots of turtles, big barracuda, spotted eagle rays, healthy coral. Wonderful opportunities to search for little stuff at the Mixing Bowl. At Gay's reef we saw the biggest barracuda I have ever seen, but also yellow seahorse and a gigantic nursery school of juveniles of all kinds. The diving is more relaxed than some resorts, leave at 9:00, do 2 dives, back at 1:30. If you are into 3 or 4 dives a day, this is not for you. But if you want a relaxed dive vacation, this is it.

Pirates Point is very laid back, 10 rooms (5 or 6 oceanfront) very rustic. It is an all inclusive resort with INCREDIBLE FOOD. Every meal was an adventure, with wine flowing at dinner, and owner Gladys Howards and Chef Cam's creations drawing raves. Everyone meets at the bar around 6:30 to tell tales and have cocktails (open honor bar), then to dinner and if you choose dominos with Gladys. The Staff is first rate.

I asked why they don't do major advertising and they said they don't need to as most of their customers are repeat and they tell others, so there is rarely a vacancy.

We will definitely be back.

 

[bracdiver]

I have Pirate's Point on my calendar. Gladys is a world famous chef. She trained with James Beard, and worked in some of the best restaurants in Paris before buying the resort.

 

[zonicles]

Shhhhhhhhhhh. This is a secret we don't need to let out.

(I'll be there next month for my 5th or 6th time).

 

[merxlin]

Do they have afternoon dives available if you want to do them?

 

[zonicles]

Here's how it works at PPR:

We leave after a leisurely breakfast and do two long dives (usually over an hour apiece - up to 90 minutes)....returning around 2 -2:30 for a leisurely exquisite lunch. After that, everyone is sleepy and happy and pretty much in the mood for a serious hammock dive. While the other dive ops are rushing back for a noon lunch, we have the pick of all the dive locations. Overall underwater time for 2 ppr dives equals or exceeds the 3 dives offered by Little Cayman Dive Resort. Ymmv.

Night dives are offered if enough people are interested.

The dive staff at Pirate's Point is world class.

 

[merxlin]

Thanks. I wanrt to go back to LC, and would like to try someone new to dive with.

 

[alashas]

That's misleading to claim that "overall underwater time for 2 ppr dives equals or exceeds the 3 dives offered by Little Cayman Dive Resort." Reef Divers at LCBR allows all divers to dive their own profiles and there is absolutely no rushing at all. I dove with them last Jan., and sucked all of my tanks nearly dry before getting back on the boat. The major difference between the 2 resorts is that Reef Divers at LCBR leaves the dock at 8:15 a.m. and gets back around 12:45 p.m. That is the same 4 1/2 hour time frame of PPR's 2 tank dives. You have plenty of time to eat a leisurely lunch and be back at the dive boat by 2:15 for a one tank dive afternoon dive at LCBR.

The other difference is that the PPR dive boat is not as large as LCBR's boats and is not always able to get out to the BBW sites on the north shore, and those closer sites that it dives are shallower, which is the only reason some of their dives appear to be longer.

We enjoyed becoming acquainted with Gladys and had a fantastic meal at PPR, to be sure, but if you want to get in as much diving as possible on Little Cayman, you want to look at the resorts that offer 3 dives a day. On the other hand if you want an AI resort with excellent meals and less diving, then PPR is the best on LC. And remember, you can eat dinner at PPR while staying at a different resort and not doing their meal plan.

Sincerely, alashas

 

[Alex777]

<< but if you want to get in as much diving as possible on Little Cayman, you want to look at the resorts that offer 3 dives a day. >>

Does any dive op on LC do 4 dives per day?

 

[alashas]

Alex, I'm not aware of any that offer 4 dives a day. Most will offer an occasional 4th dive as a night dive "if they have enough divers."

 

[kimdave0]

Pirates Point has the best food of all of them on Little Cayman but they are REALLY EXPENSIVE compared to the others. We've stayed at Little Cayman Beach Resort and Southern Cross and have also stopped by Mc Coy's and Pirates Point while we were there, thinking about our next trip. Mc Coy's is really run down and not that much cheaper. Little Cayman Beach Resort was good but the food was terrible and they are more expensive than Southern Cross.

I also read that LCBR had TWO diving deaths, just in the last few weeks!