Shore diving in Grand Cayman??

[CJ's]

:06:

Never saw a scuba police the whole dive?

Did you see a cop car the last time you were speeding?
Just because you didn't get arrested doesn't mean that it isn't wrong!
CJ

 

[JustAddWater]

Are there any shore dives on the east end, close to The Reef resort?

 

[Curt Bowen]

:06:

Did you see a cop car the last time you were speeding?
Just because you didn't get arrested doesn't mean that it isn't wrong!
CJ

I wonder if blasting thousands of cubic feet of reef so that 5 more cruise ships can park per day was against the law. Or did they make an exception because of the all mighty dollar?

Let see, 8 cruise ships = 3000+ people per day, per ship = 24,000 visitors.

Each visitor takes one crap and two pissis per visit. Each piss is 30 ounces and each crap 1 pound. This equals 5,625 gallons or 112.5 55 gallon drums of piss and 24,000 pounds or 12 tons of human crap per day.

And where do you think all this crap and piss goes?

 

[CJ's]

I wonder if blasting thousands of cubic feet of reef so that 5 more cruise ships can park per day was against the law. Or did they make an exception because of the all mighty dollar?

Let see, 8 cruise ships = 3000+ people per day, per ship = 24,000 visitors.

Each visitor takes one crap and two pissis per visit. Each piss is 30 ounces and each crap 1 pound. This equals 5,625 gallons or 112.5 55 gallon drums of piss and 24,000 pounds or 12 tons of human crap per day.

And where do you think all this crap and piss goes?

Hi Curt,
You seem to be getting slightly off tangent here. The intention behind my original post was simply to prevent divers from being encouraged to disturb the marine habitats that they have presumably come to enjoy. Being such an advanced diver I'm sure that you appreciate that one person's actions can make a difference to the environment which most people here in Grand Cayman (and around the world) are doing their best to protect.

I have no intention of getting into an argument with you about your misconceived ideas of blasting reefs in Grand Cayman or about our sewage treatment plant (Yes, there is one).

CJ

 

[mardigrastexan]

I've been off of the board for about 4 months or so because of the arrogance of folks like Curt. I make this visit back for some info on Grand Cayman, and I see the arrogance is still very much alive. How can someone that is the editor/publisher of "advanced diver magazine" think the way you do? You care nothing for the things that bring you joy????
I guess since someone isn't watching it makes it all OK....hmmmm.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Are there any shore dives on the east end, close to The Reef resort?

Most of East End has access problems for shore diving. Too rocky, private property, or where the shoreline is decent the reef comes all the way up almost to the surface. Not many options left.

Directly in front of the Royal Reef is a boat channel. There is always a current running there which is flowing out the channel. If you try to shore dive straight out from there, you will probably not be able to get back in. Don't even think about it.

There were a few popular sites including Babylon. News flash... new construction has closed off the public shore access points for this dive site!

There is one marked public access point not far from where Frank Sound Rd intersects Old Robin Rd. It has a sign with the nice little swimmer icon. The shore is easy and sandy with beautiful coral heading out for a bit of a long swim out to the main wall. And it is all within the "No Diving Zone" in Old Man Bay. No scuba permitted inside the edge of the wall drop off.


So what is still available? 200 yards east of the gates at Barefoot Beach Gardens (on Queen's Highway) is the public access down to the beach. Once down to the beach, you will need to walk about 2-300 yards back west until you pass where the inner fringing reef comes into shore.

Only if the current is not running, you can get a shore dive in about 400 yards west of The Royal Reef. Public access is by walking along the beach from the resort. Current is commonly strong in this area, and if it is running west-to-east it will sweep you out to sea.

Call ahead to check if dive shops are renting gear or tanks. As of right now, I'm not aware of any East End dive shops renting equipment for shore diving and only one which might be renting tanks.

 

[Curt Bowen]

I've been off of the board for about 4 months or so because of the arrogance of folks like Curt. I make this visit back for some info on Grand Cayman, and I see the arrogance is still very much alive. How can someone that is the editor/publisher of "advanced diver magazine" think the way you do? You care nothing for the things that bring you joy????
I guess since someone isn't watching it makes it all OK....hmmmm.

Yes dragging my finger through the sand is bad? But having thousands of poorly trained divers every month pound the reef with their fins is OK? Maybe they should make the whole island a preserve and stop all diving if your worried about a finger touching it.

I have done more to promote safe and enviromently sound diving then either one of you will in a life time.

 

[mardigrastexan]

I have done more to promote safe and enviromently sound diving then either one of you will in a life time.

Granted that may be true, but you've also destroyed more than I will in my lifetime. But, hey, you're the champ :06: .

 

[Curt Bowen]

Granted that may be true, but you've also destroyed more than I will in my lifetime. But, hey, you're the champ :06: .

Probably not true, the only part of me that ever touches a reef might be my index finger.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Curt,

We really don't care how many dives you have. It does not matter what you think you have been doing for the dive safety and environmental practices. Your posts in this thread reflect a grossly misinformed view of life and dive practices in the Cayman Islands.

The Cayman Islands have first rate water handling and treatment facilities and a commitment to maintaining the same. Raw effluent discharge is not acceptable, and human waste is treated properly in accordance with what one might expect of the island with the highest standard of living in the Caribbean.

The Cayman dive community is very much active in promoting sound environmental practices in general. Through the efforts of the watersports sector and all concerned Caymanians the proposal for an East End cargo ship terminus was abandoned. Current efforts include opposition to a West Bay cruise ship terminal and a captive dolphin entertainment facility. Environmental arguments, including protection of our reefs, are foremost in these efforts.

You were called to task for encouraging a specific diving practice which is a violation of marine conservation practices in the specific locale you referenced. Kindly refrain from doing so in the future.

If you are uncertain about dive practices in a specific locale, perhaps deferring to local knowledge would be advised. Certainly one mark of an advanced diver is in knowing when local knowledge is advised.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Drew