Returning to GC after 25 plus years - looking for dive op/dive site recommendations

[tkaelin]

We are returning to dive GC April 2012 for a week. Have not been diving GC since the '80s. In the '80s we dove west and south sites and have fond memories of diving Trinity Caves, Orange Canyon and the Chain dive sites. Would be interested to hear from others as to sites they would highly recommed to dive and any dive ops they would recommed to try or to avoid. We will be staying at the far end of seven mile beach, near cemetary beach. We are all experienced divers and we will have a car. We are interested in both shore and boat diving. Thanks in advance to all who take the time to reply.

 

[billinwilliamston]

Where your staying, it's a short drive to three good and easy shore dives. Lighthouse Point and Cobalt Coast (both run by DiveTech) and Turtle Reef (run by Sun Divers). All three have on-site ops with tanks, etc. and all have food available. Cobalt Coast and Turtle Reef also have the ability to provide you with an après-dive adult beverage if you are so inclined.

 

[Doctorfish]

If you are at the North End of the beach, there are a number of operators who are based at the yacht club who dive the North Wall. Wall to Wall, Dive n Stuff, and several others. You will find that Cayman is very different from what you experienced in the 80s. Much more developed. There is still some very good diving on the West but I would recommend that you go North if the weather permits. The shore dive sites that billinwilliamson suggested are indeed worth diving as well.

 

[sdwho]

I'll second the recommendation for diving with Divetech. We dove all three of the sites you mentioned (plus Cemetary Reef) during our last trip with them.

 

[dive ladder]

You might check out Jason with Ambassador Divers. They have boats on the north as well as the west.

Cayman Islands Scuba Diving | Grand Cayman Dive Packages | Ambassador Divers

 

[Wolfie]

Call Jim Soda at seasports, He will show you a great time, and pick you up at your condo....

Shore dive Turtle reef in the afternoon.....
Adam Rock is good for a snorkel and Sunset House is decent for a shore dive.

 

[tkaelin]

How is the diving at Cemetary Beach and where did you rent tank?

 

[caymaniac]

You are in for a big shock, Grand Cayman is alot different than it used to be. In order for you to get that feeling of how it used to be you would have to visit the Brac. When I visited Grand Cayman in 1981, there was no big airport but a little box in the middle of nowhere, there were about five places to stay on Grand Cayman, some of the most popular were the Palms, the Holiday Inn, Treasue Island was an abandoned project, Cayman Diving Lodge, the Cayman Islander (where I stayed several times). There were only a few places to eat like the Lobster Pot, the Crow's nest....most of all of these places no longer exist.
The dive sites on the west side are mostly trashed due to more sewage caused by so many tourists.
Trinity Caves and Orange Canyon are still good dives.

 

[dmoore19]

Dive the Kittiwake.

 

[tkaelin]

Thanks for the heads up and warning. I am expecting big changes. We did fly into GC Dec 2010 on our way to little cayman. Flying over GC gave us some idea of the development. If you were there in 81, did you ever eat at a place called Capt Morgans? I believe it was in or near hotel on 7 Mile Beach. You cooked your own steaks at the table. Fond memories. I dove with Capt Butch at Seasports back then and remember we used to drink a small Tuborg Beer between dives (not condoning it now) but it was memorable. I think we stayed at a place called the Beach Club and later at London House.