West Side dive op recommendations

[dberry]

First, thanks to everyone who posts in this forum - your generous advice made researching our upcoming trip pretty straightforward. I'm spending 4 nights in a AirBnB condo near 7mi beach with my non-diving daughter and her friends - I'll dive in the AM. Then I'm moving over to Compass Point on the East end for 7 nights with an old (diving) friend. This will be in mid-June.

The package at Compass Point includes diving, but I'll be on my own for the first 4 days on the west side and will need a dive op. Can anyone make a few recommendations? I'll be a lone diver on the west side, so I'll need a insta-buddy or guide in the water. No cattle boats, if at all possible.

I'll have a car, but pick-up would be nice. The condo is on Earth Close, roughly midway along 7mb.
Thanks!
Don

 

[diversteve]

Basically all the west side operators offer free pickup along SMB. Most keep their boats in the marinas on the Sound behind SMB.

They're all good so my recommendations are often:

WalltoWall Diving (know the owner slightly)
Neptune's Divers - good people...
Divetech since they're located at Lighthouse Point which is also one of the top shore dives. Also Ghost Mountain is a few minutes off their dock and some of the other known NW dive sites just 10-15 minutes or less.

The cruise traffic is mostly handled by Fosters in town and Red Sail so may not be the boats you're looking for...

www.cita.ky has a list of most of the dive operations - pick one you like. All charge about the same, all put a DM in the water on every dive and the bad ones don't last. What you'll be diving - Scuba Diving Videos, Guide to Best Grand Cayman Dive Sites

You might also want to dive the Kittiwake while there. If there's snorkelers with you, they can snorkel above it off the same boat - the top is just below the surface.

Your friend will know this but one dive not to miss on the NE end is Babylon. Ocean Frontiers is based at Compass Point and goes there regularly.

 

[mi000ke]

I've gone with all of the ops recommended by @diversteve and they are all great. Also would recommend Indigo Divers, Living the Dream, and Red Sail (big outfit, but I dive with them a lot and the boats are large enough that they are not crowded. And they usually have a DM for every 6 people or so and break up groups by skill level.)

 

[Alucard]

When it comes to the West side of the island, you are going to find ops that go out of the North Sound, as diversteve described. You will find others that go out of George Town (not all of these cater to the cruise ship visitors) and quite a few that go out of West Bay Dock, which is at the northern end of SMB.

I have been out with, and had good experiences with Divetech, InDepth Watersports (they have a converted Navy Seals RIB which is a lot of fun to dive from) and Cayman University Divers (who have an ex-Navy underwater communication device so the dive master can describe what you are seeing while still under water - small boats too).

There are many other excellent operators on the island.

 

[scubadada]

Hi Don,

Wall to Wall is excellent. Two very nice boats, max 8 divers. They have a fantastic 3 tanker that I highly recommend. In June, pretty likely you will get out on the north wall. +1 for Ghost Mountain, one of my favorite dives. On the 3 tanker they often go around to the NE and do the Old Man Bay sites, Julie's Wall, Babylon, McCurley's Wall, and Northern Lights, all great. Of course, you may get to these with OF also. OF has a very nice 3 tanker too

Have a great trip, good diving, Craig

 

[Doctorfish]

If the OP is going to be at Compass point for a week, 3 tankers from the west and recommendations re Babylon etc., are not relevant. My personal favorite for West? North is DNS but would dive with any of the ops listed above in a pinch.

 

[diversteve]

If the OP is going to be at Compass point for a week, 3 tankers from the west and recommendations re Babylon etc., are not relevant. My personal favorite for West? North is DNS but would dive with any of the ops listed above in a pinch.

Read it again...

The OP has 4 dive days in a SMB condo B4 moving east.

Ocean Frontiers dives Babylon - my buddy has with them. So does Wall to Wall from the West and IIRC Ambassador might also,

 

[Doctorfish]

I read it fine the first time. IMO, if the OP is going to be spending 4 days on the west side and then 7 at East End, it does not make sense for them to plan East Side dives while they are staying on the west. Why spend all day on the boat as well as adding the expense of 3 tankers if they are going to be over that way a few days later anyway. There is plenty of good diving for them to enjoy west +/-north while they are at 7MB.

 

[Saboteur]

I'm looking for an OP for the first two weeks in May. Most places have spots open and I notice that Living the Dream prices are $95 for a 1 day 2 tanker compared to $110 to $120 for other shops. They all look quite good (and I'm sure they all are) from their websites. LTD says they limit their divers, they have big modern boats, fresh towels, free wetsuits and computers and they have a shop dog so I'm leaning towards them. Anyone have first hand experience with them?

 

[Trailboss123]

I am a big fan of Cayman U Divers and Brad Nelson. Cayman University Divers