Where to stay on Little Cayman?

[DivePartner1]

It's hard to improve on Docs thorough review, but for this anecdote.

Last time I was at LCBR (10/02) they imposed forced sales events over the dinner hour, followed by more forced 'events' with blasting music till 11.

Given the small size, there is no where to hide from the cacaphony--even in the thin walled rooms, ESPECIALLY during the tortuous Kareoke night.

Sorry, I go to dive, not drink and be 'entertained' by a wanna-be cruise director. With great alternatives, why settle for this nonsense?

 

[DocVikingo]

Right you are, and I know that.

I had an acquaintance many years ago named Peter Hildebrand & I've made this error, and been corrected, at least once before.

Getting old.

Thanks.

DocVikingo

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

DivePartner1 once bubbled...
It's hard to improve on Docs thorough review, but for this anecdote.

Last time I was at LCBR (10/02) they imposed forced sales events over the dinner hour, followed by more forced 'events' with blasting music till 11.

Given the small size, there is no where to hide from the cacaphony--even in the thin walled rooms, ESPECIALLY during the tortuous Kareoke night.

Sorry, I go to dive, not drink and be 'entertained' by a wanna-be cruise director. With great alternatives, why settle for this nonsense?

IMHO the food and dive op at LCBR is the attraction. If you stay at the Conch Club Condos down the road and dive with LCBR you have the best of both worlds. You can visit the "party" atomosphere when the mood strikes and return to the quiet of your own deserted beach for the remainder of the time. It was an unbeatable combo.

Doc, once again a superlative review. The description of the chimney at Randy's Gazebo brought back some great memories of one of the best dives of my life. If there were only some big pelagics I would put LC at the very top of the list. As it is it shares that spot with TCI with Cozumel just behind.

 

[zippy]

DocVikingo once bubbled...
As a LCBR regular, how do you find LCBR/Reef Divers compared to the other resorts/ops on LC?

Best regards.

DocVikingo

Doc,
Sorry, I can't personally comment on the other ops on LC. I have a friend that stayed at Southern Cross and really had a great time, so I am sure that they are good.
Pirate's Point is also supposed to be good, but I have not stayed there either. I believe that they do only two dives per day, but I am not sure.

I like the staff at Reef Divers. They have been very cordial and helpful, and they all know all of the sites very well.

As far as "Forced" sales. The only thing that I have seen, was at the managers free punch party. If you want to drink for free that want to show you what is in their shop. I find nothing wrong with that.
As far as loud partying, the only time that I saw that was on one trip they had thier Friday night karoke party, which did run until ~10:30. The reason the run it on Friday is that Sat. is usually turnover day, so that people are partying a little on their last night.

Perhaps things have chaged there, my last trip was 6/02.

 

[Saturation]

sapphire once bubbled...
I met Ben 6 years ago when diving on Little Cayman. He was so fun, following us around like a little puppy dog, waiting for us to chase a squirrelfish into a crevice for him! I have many fond memories & photos of him!

When researching diving on Little Cayman, I ran across this article, excerpted from the following website:

Farewell to Ben

Those who knew him will agree that he was the most extraordinary grouper that ever lived in the Cayman Islands.

He was everybody's friend, loved interacting with divers, sometimes escorting them for entire dives. He enjoyed being stroked gently on his forehead and jaw, but more than anything else, he adored being led into a squirrel fish pursuit, just for the fun of it.
He had appeared on the Travel Channel and was even featured in a Cayman-o-War exclusive interview.

But Ben is gone.

He never came back from the last grouper spawning aggregation that took place last February.

Why would he not come back? Most likely because he was finally caught by fishermen.

The fishermen were allowed this year an unlimited number of catches per boat, no restrictions, while diving was prohibited!!!

Thousands of groupers were slaughtered in just a few weeks, and while most resorts refused to buy grouper for their restaurant, there were a few who did, justifying the shameful massacre.

Finally, when the season was over, it was decided that next year there would be a total ban on fishing grouper, and every other year thereafter a limited number of catches would be allowed per boat, per day.

Let's hope this law will be enforced since groupers are thought to travel hundred of miles to spawn, and the over-fishing in Little Cayman might affect much more than our own reefs.

We'll miss you, Ben.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The staff at Paradise Divers
http://www.paradise-divers.com/english_fra.htm

sapphire

Hi S:

I'm not sure who the staff are at Paradise Divers are who wrote that piece but its Jerry who is gone, not Ben. Ben is a Nassau Grouper, and Jerry was a tiger grouper, I believe. I dove with Ben mid-April 2003 and he is as Ben as Ben gets.

I got the surprise of my life while filming sharks at Little Cayman. I was suddenly nudged hard by something. I thought I was hit by one of 3 sharks circling that day. It was Ben, over 1 mi away from his haunt at Donna's Delight. He wouldn't leave me be, so I had to play with him while filming sharks for over 30 minutes. This behavior is most unusual in fishes!

 

[Saturation]

Saturation once bubbled...


Hi S:

I'm not sure who the staff are at Paradise Divers are who wrote that piece but its Jerry who is gone, not Ben. Ben is a Nassau Grouper, and Jerry was a tiger grouper, I believe. I dove with Ben mid-April 2003 and he is as Ben as Ben gets.

I got the surprise of my life while filming sharks at Little Cayman. I was suddenly nudged hard by something. I thought I was hit by one of 3 sharks circling that day. It was Ben, over 1 mi away from his haunt at Donna's Delight. He wouldn't leave me be, so I had to play with him while filming sharks for over 30 minutes. This behavior is most unusual in fishes!

Yes, at the right time, the sharks come in for treats at Little Cayman. Here taken at Mike's meadows. These are stills from videos I took.