Just returned from another great family dive trip to GCM.
TRAVEL: Flights on JB from JFK. Under $400 with a checked bag. Flight down arrived 20 mins early and got through immigration, baggage and customs in about 20 mins. On the return flight we arrived 50 mins a head of schedule (on a flight that is scheduled to be 3:58 mins). Also sailed through immigration, baggage and customs. Rented a car from Jetfly as their rates were low. Discovered that Jetfly is owned by Hertz and set up to rent cars that are more than 2 years old and at a reduced rate. Worked out fine and would use them again.
ACCOMODATIONS: Stayed at Coconut Bay Condos up in West Bay. 2nd time staying here. 3 bdrm condo fully equipped. The reason to stay here is their house reef is Hepps Pipeline and Wall. Tanks, rinse, drying area all on site. Porches of condos set up with drying bars and hangers. Two pools. Nice quiet location, next to the Cracked Conch and Turtle Reef. Quite a few divers staying at CBC this trip and enjoying having Hepps right out front. I think the word is getting out. Met some nice folks who are on SB.
DIVING: 22 dives this trip, all shore except one 2 tank am boat dive. All shore diving at Hepps except 1 at Turtle Reef. We love Sundivers and Macabuca. Hepps is by far the best shore diving site I have dove on GC and for all the shore dive sites I have been to on BON and CUR it has to be in the top 10. Flats out to a mini wall is full of stuff. Mini wall starts at about 30' and goes to about 65'. The mini wall runs north south as far as you can go on a tank. We dove over from Hepps to Turtle Reef following the mini wall. Just past the mini wall is a reef system that ends at about 75' and then flats out to the deep wall. Half way out is a hugh solitary coral mound (the "island") at about 85' rising to about 45'. The deep wall beyond that. There is so much varied terrain you just can't get bored. Turtles, barracudas, southern stingrays, grouper, large jacks, ceros, queen, French and gray angels, yellowface jawfish on just about every dive. Spotted squid and an octopus in the shallows. Saw a couple spotted eagle rays sailing along the deep flats and a nurse shark in the island . The barracudas were particularly numerous, large and curious. They ran up to 3' plus in size. Have not seen that size in a while. Have never seen so many yellowface jawfish. They were everywhere in the flats beyond the mini wall and reef in the 75-80' range.
Did one boat dive to the north wall. The plan was ghost mtn but upon getting there the dms said the current was running and the water "green" so we went to another site, 7 Fathoms which was very nice. The shallow site was at Flamingo Flamenco which was noteworthy for having southern stingrays sleeping buried in the sand. Spotted a nurse shark as well. Was a little put off by the sheer number of dive boats on the north wall and seeing the circus that is stingray city on the other side of the fringing reef. All my trips to the to north wall were previously with OF and if we saw one other boat on a trip that was lot.
FOOD: Did our shopping at Fosters in West Bay. Ate in every breakfast and ate one meal out a day, some dinners and some lunches out. Best find this trip was the Catch restaurant at Morgan's Harbor. Best meal I think we have ever had on GCW with a price to match but the quality, setting and service made it worthwhile. Three times over at Macabuca which we love. An afternoon over at Governors Beach and a meal at Calicos was fun.
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS TRIP. We love GC. It is so easy and relatively inexpensive to get there. With air under $400 (I have found it under $300) and a 3 hr plus flying time in can't be beat. We arrive on the JB flight late morning and with picking up the car, getting groceries, checking in I was in the water diving by 1 PM. It is really nice to have that arrival afternoon to start your shore diving. The only negatives for me is the island continues to grow and become more congested. Traffic jams are a frequent occurrence in and around GT from rush hour and construction. The size of some the new hotels are just too big IMHO. Staying out in West Bay though is still quiet and peaceful and you could spend the week in West Bay and never have to leave. Having an affordable condo with access to the best house reef on the island is priceless. We could do all our grocery shopping in West Bay and Macabuca is literally next door. We could walk or dive from CBC to Macabuca/Turtle reef (and did). We will definitely return.
TRAVEL: Flights on JB from JFK. Under $400 with a checked bag. Flight down arrived 20 mins early and got through immigration, baggage and customs in about 20 mins. On the return flight we arrived 50 mins a head of schedule (on a flight that is scheduled to be 3:58 mins). Also sailed through immigration, baggage and customs. Rented a car from Jetfly as their rates were low. Discovered that Jetfly is owned by Hertz and set up to rent cars that are more than 2 years old and at a reduced rate. Worked out fine and would use them again.
ACCOMODATIONS: Stayed at Coconut Bay Condos up in West Bay. 2nd time staying here. 3 bdrm condo fully equipped. The reason to stay here is their house reef is Hepps Pipeline and Wall. Tanks, rinse, drying area all on site. Porches of condos set up with drying bars and hangers. Two pools. Nice quiet location, next to the Cracked Conch and Turtle Reef. Quite a few divers staying at CBC this trip and enjoying having Hepps right out front. I think the word is getting out. Met some nice folks who are on SB.
DIVING: 22 dives this trip, all shore except one 2 tank am boat dive. All shore diving at Hepps except 1 at Turtle Reef. We love Sundivers and Macabuca. Hepps is by far the best shore diving site I have dove on GC and for all the shore dive sites I have been to on BON and CUR it has to be in the top 10. Flats out to a mini wall is full of stuff. Mini wall starts at about 30' and goes to about 65'. The mini wall runs north south as far as you can go on a tank. We dove over from Hepps to Turtle Reef following the mini wall. Just past the mini wall is a reef system that ends at about 75' and then flats out to the deep wall. Half way out is a hugh solitary coral mound (the "island") at about 85' rising to about 45'. The deep wall beyond that. There is so much varied terrain you just can't get bored. Turtles, barracudas, southern stingrays, grouper, large jacks, ceros, queen, French and gray angels, yellowface jawfish on just about every dive. Spotted squid and an octopus in the shallows. Saw a couple spotted eagle rays sailing along the deep flats and a nurse shark in the island . The barracudas were particularly numerous, large and curious. They ran up to 3' plus in size. Have not seen that size in a while. Have never seen so many yellowface jawfish. They were everywhere in the flats beyond the mini wall and reef in the 75-80' range.
Did one boat dive to the north wall. The plan was ghost mtn but upon getting there the dms said the current was running and the water "green" so we went to another site, 7 Fathoms which was very nice. The shallow site was at Flamingo Flamenco which was noteworthy for having southern stingrays sleeping buried in the sand. Spotted a nurse shark as well. Was a little put off by the sheer number of dive boats on the north wall and seeing the circus that is stingray city on the other side of the fringing reef. All my trips to the to north wall were previously with OF and if we saw one other boat on a trip that was lot.
FOOD: Did our shopping at Fosters in West Bay. Ate in every breakfast and ate one meal out a day, some dinners and some lunches out. Best find this trip was the Catch restaurant at Morgan's Harbor. Best meal I think we have ever had on GCW with a price to match but the quality, setting and service made it worthwhile. Three times over at Macabuca which we love. An afternoon over at Governors Beach and a meal at Calicos was fun.
TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS TRIP. We love GC. It is so easy and relatively inexpensive to get there. With air under $400 (I have found it under $300) and a 3 hr plus flying time in can't be beat. We arrive on the JB flight late morning and with picking up the car, getting groceries, checking in I was in the water diving by 1 PM. It is really nice to have that arrival afternoon to start your shore diving. The only negatives for me is the island continues to grow and become more congested. Traffic jams are a frequent occurrence in and around GT from rush hour and construction. The size of some the new hotels are just too big IMHO. Staying out in West Bay though is still quiet and peaceful and you could spend the week in West Bay and never have to leave. Having an affordable condo with access to the best house reef on the island is priceless. We could do all our grocery shopping in West Bay and Macabuca is literally next door. We could walk or dive from CBC to Macabuca/Turtle reef (and did). We will definitely return.
Last edited:
