Snorkeling pics from Grand Cayman

[deeper thoughts]

nice.

 

[Dave C]

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments.

Testudo, I did not make it out to the coral gardens that you described on your website. There was a lot of current off Rum Point (going east to west), so I wasn't sure if it was safe to swim out to the NW to the coral gardens. Plus, I was a little concerned about being run over by a boat or jet ski, although I saw very little boat traffic on both of the days I snorkeled near Rum Point. On your website, you may want to add something about safety concerns for some of your sites. I did snorkel a little ways off the Rum Point Pier to the right (north) and came across one nice, isolated coral head. I think that is where I took the first photo that I posted.

My camera is a Canon PowerShot A630, 8 mgp, with a Canon housing. Almost all the pictures were taken with ambient light, although I occasionally use the camera's flash for photos in crevices or shadows. The camera is now about 3 and a half years old, so it is not state-of-the-art and was a middle-of-the-road point & shoot when I bought it. I am considering moving up to a Canon S or G camera, but both of those (especially the G) are bulkier than what I presently have. I think it's good to keep things simple when snorkeling (that's one of the advantages of snorkeling vs. scuba), and a big, bulky camera might be a hassle.

 

[jbilicska]

Wow that just goes to show you, you can still get awesome pictures with a plain old point and shot. It's the photographer not just the camera.

 

[Testudo]

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments.

Testudo, I did not make it out to the coral gardens that you described on your website. There was a lot of current off Rum Point (going east to west), so I wasn't sure if it was safe to swim out to the NW to the coral gardens. Plus, I was a little concerned about being run over by a boat or jet ski, although I saw very little boat traffic on both of the days I snorkeled near Rum Point. On your website, you may want to add something about safety concerns for some of your sites. I did snorkel a little ways off the Rum Point Pier to the right (north) and came across one nice, isolated coral head. I think that is where I took the first photo that I posted..

I guess you'll just have to make a return trip someday. Boat traffic is not usually an issue, jet skis are a big concern on Sundays when the locals are out cruising around Rum Point and when the tour flotillas stop by.

I will usually tow a visual aid at those times or in the evenings when the sun is low on the horizon.

Snorkeler Avoidance Gear

 

[trim2gofast]

Those pictures are amazing. I am determined to get over to Coral Gardens this year....in two weeks! Last year, the weather did not cooperate. I agree about concern about getting run over by boats and jet skis. Having a marker is a good idea.

 

[Testudo]

The current was too strong for my liking to head out to the Coral Gardens over NYE weekend. I did the shore route drift like Dave C and floated with the current. As it was a New Year's Day snorkel and I was still recovering from the night's festivities I didn't bring my camera. Of course, closest encounter with an Eagle Ray to date (usually they dart once sighting me) then another 50 yards away, then a nice sighting of a sleeping Nurse Shark in a coral cluster.

I did bring the camera the next day to the Wonderland site by the North Side Cemetery over to Chisholm's Grocery. Got bounced around a bit with the surge and visability was less than stellar, but oh my the coral...

Some more images on my Picasa album

 

[Testudo]

Dave C.,

What % of your body weight do you use for your weigh belt when snorkeling? I'm just under 200lbs and tried 8 lbs in shallow water with little success. Not sure if I need more weight or need to reach a little greater depth to achieve neutral buoyancy.

 

[Donald D]

Awesome photos - makes me even more excited to leave this Sunday for the Caymans and staying for a week.

 

[Dave C]

Dave C.,

What % of your body weight do you use for your weigh belt when snorkeling? I'm just under 200lbs and tried 8 lbs in shallow water with little success. Not sure if I need more weight or need to reach a little greater depth to achieve neutral buoyancy.

I don't think there is an exact formula. I weigh 180 lb, and with a shorty wetsuit I use 10-11 lb. With this, I am still fairly buoyant at depths less than 10 ft. For example, at a depth of 5 ft. I have to hold on to a rock (not coral!) to take a photo, although the weight belt definitely helps with this. I think you could use more than 8 lb, but I'm surprised you didn't see some effect from using 8 lb. Any extra weight should help. Otherwise, you are just a cork.

I liked your coral photos, although the visibility wasn't as good as when I was there.

 

[Dave C]

Here is another snorkeling photo from Grand Cayman that came out fairly well. This is the resident barracuda that lives under the pier at Rum Point: