Turks Vs Cayman for first Live aboard Trip

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lehrens

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Looking to do our first live aboard this summer with my boys, interested in comments on Cayman Vs Turks? Thinking Agressor or Explorer
Thanks in advance
 
That's a tough call. In summer the CA will most likely make it over to the Sisters so you've got the Tibbetts and Bloody Bay Wall. I've dove Grand Cayman from shore and many of the GC sites they do are also short boat dives. Every trip report ends with their dive at Devils Grotto. I swam 100' to it from Eden Rock's steps. I have a hard time paying for dives I can do from shore so I've personally never been that big a fan of CA, I'd prefer to spend a week at LCBR instead. Obviously you get all three islands for the price with CA. Given how expensive everything is on Grand Cayman, a week on Aggressor is probably a lot better deal.

We did the T/C Explorer a few years ago. The best diving was at West Caicos and French Cay. In fact I could've skipped NW Point entirely - except the boat boards there since the airport is on Provo.
Plan to see sharks on every dive at French Cay. Every single dive we saw a couple. Turtles, barracuda, lots of macro life. I spent probably most of 2-3 dives filming the macro life around individual coral heads 100' from the mooring. Fascinating when everyone else leaves and the small fish come out. One night we watched the sharks feed 120' away in the bow lights. Probably saw 100+ Stingrays over several days. Only local boats from Provo go out there besides the two LOB's so nothing is bothered by divers. Some of the walls are pretty spectacular, over one a DM told me the next big plateau was at 1000' on it's way to 6000'.

Mike Southard wrote a good trip report - probably a couple years before us. Saudio's Trip Reports

We looked at both boats, I chose Explorer:

They offered $400 off a week we could go.
All the cabins except the lowest priced three are main deck or above. And all have beds and big windows except the three below deck. Our room had a large nightstand between the beds and a corner desk. So plenty of places for cameras etc. Even a decent sized bathroom shower - I'm 6'4" so the door was a little low but otherwise it was fine. Stan the cook is legendary.
Explorer also has a flybridge one deck up from their main sun-deck. Tables, benches, covered, they stock drinks. Nice area, I even slept up there a couple mornings.
They vent the compressor heat thru the center of the dive deck and the suit hanging rack is above it. So t-shirts/shorties dry between dive sets. I dove all week in dry clothes, t-shirt and microfiber board shorts. Stan the cook is legendary.

Explorer swings on it's mooring - a lot. So if it goes by, you just wait 5mins. for it to come around again. Once I tried to catch it from about 15' away but literally couldn't. Rougher seas and some current that day, we'd been drifting nearby earlier.

The Aggressor is all bunks, all below-deck, all portholes. I think slightly more expensive also. At least 3x they were at the next mooring over. Once I swam up to and under it not realizing it wasn't ours. So I popped up and took a close-up look at it from the waterline. Nice looking boat. They bundle Nitrox, Explorer charges extra. Since I don't, I saved $200.
 
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Thanks so much for the info, they seem to be pretty equal so I think it will be about the best deal at the time. I do like the things you point out regarding Explorer though...
 
Are your boys newer divers or experienced? I did the T&C trip with Explorer Ventures a couple years ago. French Cay and West Caicos are wall dives, with the top of the wall at about 50 or 60 feet. So generally deeper profiles. I haven't done the Caymans via liveaboard, but I stayed at Cayman Brac Beach Resort for a week. Much of the diving we did there was shallower - 30 to 60 feet - so that might be a consideration if your boys are younger/newly-certified. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either location - both offer terrific diving. T&C wins if you're looking for larger animal encounters - reef sharks, eagle rays, stingrays.

James
 
I'd go with the Turks & Caicos Explorer. One of the best liveaboard experiences I have had. Loved the diving in that area. Not sure I would ever do the Cayman Aggressor. There is a chance you won't make the crossing and quite frankly, the best diving in my opinion in all of the Caribbean is to be found at Little Cayman. I have heard good things about the CA but I'd save the extra money and just fly right to Little Cayman and stay at the Little Cayman Beach Resort if my destination were to be the Cayman Islands.
 
How old are your boys?
 
Both boys are 14, ones my son and ones his friend. Both have been diving since 10
 
The reason that I asked is due to the suggested depth limit for kids. Little Cayman offers walls that begin at 18' ( Bloody Bay ). At T & C, the walls begin at around 40'.

I would recommend Explorer Ventures. You might want to give them a call. They are offering Summer Specials!
 
Thanks "Beaver Divers" for the guidance. I'm speaking with them about making reservations, shooting for August!
Colorado huh?? If I wasn't in Miami id be in Colorado
Thanks again!

---------- Post added May 9th, 2014 at 02:31 PM ----------

Hey Casey, thanks again so much for the recos. Snow in May Crazy!! Its hot as hell down here
It is crazy that Miami has the largest snow ski club
Thanks again
Lee
 

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