Trip Report: Grand Cayman

[jhspb]

Robinhood, you might try Red Baron. Nick and Patrick operate 2, 8-diver max, boats typically west, south, or north, with the location depending on conditons.

You can reach them at:

1 345 947 0116

info@redbaron.com

 

[LibbyinDC]

I have to say that I have gone diving with Neptune's Divers and DiveTech. Both were phenomenal. I have nothing but raves for both dive ops.

Hopefully next time you get a chance to go down, you can dive with one of those two because they were the most incredible dives and the friendliest groups of people we have ever met while diving.

LB

 

[leadweight]

During the first part of the week the weather was windy, on 12/5 it was calm and beautiful which allowed a trip to the North wall. That night the weather turned bad and the wind came in from the West in the morning. Soto's had moved the two new Newton 46 boats up to behind Tibbits house near the Yacht Club. That area is sheltered.

The unusual weather left the South wall as the preferred location for diving. They sere supposed to take us out on one of the older Jet boats, but it would not start. After a delay they found some nasty looking old boat to go out on. It was a whole lot better than no boat. The two dives that morning were pretty decent. The deep site, Twisted Sister had nice soft coral, but it had a minimum depth of about 65' which led to a short dive. At the shallow site I finally got my 60+ minute dive, the last one for the week as well.

Thank's to those of you suggesting other dive operators. I don't doubt your recommendations, but I have had my fill of the West wall and will either go back to the sister islands or try the East end next time.

Meanwhile, I have a long list of places I want to dive again in in the Caribbean and some new ones in the Pacific (bye bye piggy bank). Next up is Ambergris Caye for the fourth time. It may not be the ultimate in Caribbean diving, but there are lots of nurse sharks and big grouper to keep me company and everyone uses small boats. I never fail to have a great time when I am there. $1 for a rum and Coke at happy hour and $1.50 beer around the clock does not hurt either.

 

[Robinhood]

Zippsy,
It looks like Casey is going to be able to help me out. I was mistaken I didn't send them an email through their website (was concerned with the time constraints with their am dive).

Another post mentioned Red Baron...I did send them an email and they were booked.

Based on all the great remarks regarding Neptune's, I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

leadweight once bubbled...
The deep site, Twisted Sister had nice soft coral, but it had a minimum depth of about 65' which led to a short dive.

... I have had my fill of the West wall and will either go back to the sister islands or try the East end next time.

While the East End is excellent diving, the top of the wall is generally around 60'. A very few sites see the wall top out shallower to about 50', and several sites deeper to 70'. As you surmised, this means shorter dive times on the wall dive unless you are keen to hang out 30ft above the coral. Either the NDL's or air will run out on most divers well short of one hour on those dives.

Depending upon the shallow sites, some moor up in as little as 15ft, but sometimes the best conditions for a shallow dive is still along the edge of the wall at about 50'-60' which makes your RMV a major controlling factor in determining your dive time.

Of course Murphy's Law demands that some of the absolute best shallow sites (away from the wall) are also some of the deepest ones. Snapper Hole and Dragon's Lair come to mind where you need to stick mostly between 55-60' to really see the best of these sites chock full of swim throughs and caverns. Go figure.

And unless you luck upon calm winds (more likely in summer), the weather conditions will largely determine site selection. It is the windward side of the island and making a schedule of a certain site on a certain day just doesn't work.

 

[leadweight]

Thanks for the advice, Drew. Looks like Nitrox for the East End. As far as RMV is concerned, I have that under control. I am so relaxed underwater that I have to be careful I don't go to sleep. I think the Mermaid has gills. She is very relaxed above and below the water line.