What am I missing?

[CaymanTourist]

We are a family of four divers going to Grand Cayman in late December. This will be our third trip there and our accommodations are on the north side of the island about 5 minutes east of Rum Point and we rent a vehicle to get around. In the past trips we have done the majority of our dives with Ocean Frontiers (day dives and their glow dive) due to it's proximity to us. We have also done the Kittywake and Stringray City on previous trips.

For our trip this year we plan to mainly stick with OF again for convenience but are looking for another west end dive to change things up. Based on what I've seen and read so far I've picked Turtle Reef over Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto for Dec since the silversides won't be at the grotto this time of year. Does that sound like a good call?

My primary question is, what am I missing? Is there a signature dive not listed here that we haven't done yet that I ​must consider? I'm open to any side of the island, but know the North side can be too choppy to dive this time of year. If you do suggest a new site I would also appreciate suggesting which dive operator to contact if you have a preference.

We've loved all the diving we have been part of in Grand Cayman and can't wait to be part of more. Thanks in advance!

 

[BUDMANOK]

just recently got back (last week) from GC and I always prefer North wall if possible. This last trip it wasn't so we dove the West wall best dive in my opinion was La Mesa shallow second dive with loads of life. Trinity caves or it's twin (can't remember the name) are good.

 

[diversteve]

My buddy did Babylon with OF last year the last week of Dec. It's one of the best although it is the north side and they were blown off it once.

I think you're right to do Turtle Reef instead of Eden/Devils. To me that was a meh dive since we did it b4 the silversides arrived. While over at Turtle Reef there's also the two Divetech shore dives - Cobalt Coast or Lighthouse Point. Divetech - shore diving Someone once told me that one of the three are almost always diveable even if the other two aren't due to weather - something about the way the entries face.

Depending on weather - some of the NW Point dives are excellent. Big Tunnel, Trinity Caves, Orange Canyon, one of the Hepps sites all make my 10 best list. Ghost Mountain also if you can get out there - it's probably the farthest site NE on that side - Divetech goes there.

Don't know if you've seen this also: iDive Global Locations

 

[Insta-Gator]

Shore dives from Cobalt Coast, Turtle Reef, and Light House are fabulous. You can easily do the short walls and with just a little longer swim can do the deep walls at Cobalt and Light House. The operators are first rate and treat shore divers as nicely as they would their boat divers. We were there last week and the winds had the seas stirred up pretty well at Cobalt except for a couple of days. The reef and fish life have returned to Turtle. It was beautiful, but the clarity wasn't what I'd wished, at any location. The storms the prior week had everything churned up and viz was not the 100' we are used to. I doubt we'll return in December. We usually visit in the summer when the water is more clear.

If the cruise ships are not in, you may want to try Smith's Cove, just south of town. Years ago it was a pretty nice dive, but I'm not sure about it now.

 

[Alex777]

Shore dives from Cobalt Coast, Turtle Reef, and Light House are fabulous. You can easily do the short walls and with just a little longer swim can do the deep walls at Cobalt and Light House.

True, but perhaps not a good idea if, like the OP, you have only 0-24 dives in your logbook.

 

[Doctorfish]

Just got back from GC yesterday. December weather usually precludes North Wall diving so shore diving from Cobalt would be iffy as well. We managed to get out to North Wall one day out of seven. The boat diving on the West does not compare to East End but the shore dives at Turtle Reef and Lighthouse are excellent and are worth a go. Navigation is easy at these sites and they are ideal for a newbie diver. I would avoid swimming out to the main wall and stick with the miniwalls. Lots of healthy coral, sponges and fish. There is a great bar at Turtle Reef, Macabuca, to get a snack and a drink after diving. I only shore dive at Eden Rock, Sunset House, Smith's Cove etc. if the shore diving at Turtle Reef is blown out, thankfully not often.

 

[CaymanTourist]

This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for on the subject. Thank you all for your suggestions. I think when we land we may try for Turtle Reef later than day and then head out to our accommodations and review this post to decide on what other west side dives we'll pick to go for. We have a GoPro2 which will let me post pics later. Never used it before but it'll be worth a shot. I have a red lens to help improve pic quality.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

I highly recommend a shore dive in front of the Turtle Farm. It was spectacular and nice diversion from the wall dives with Ocean Frontiers. BTW, I found the U/V night dive with Ocean Frontiers a real snooze after about 10 minutes and switched back to my regular light to look for critters.....

 

[tkaelin]

On our last trip to GC in April we stayed and dove with OF. On day of arrival around noon we could not make the pm boat at OF so we drove from the airport to the Cracked Conch and Turtle reef. We parked by the dive shop, changed in the restrooms and were in the water within an hour or so of our landing. Makes a great first dive of the trip to warm up and get familiar with equipment etc. Also a great place to have a meal outside after the dive. The dive is easy entry on a ladder into an iron shore cut out/cove. Head straight out and in a few minutes you are at a mini wall, head left (south and follow the wall) Big coral head island to your right and then a large tarpon cave on the left. Head back and hit the wall for a ways north. Head out into the sand to spot rays and sand eels. A great dive, especially for the first of your trip. Have fun.