Which island for first time?

[AggieDiver]

I would agree with you that if forced to choose between the south side of LC and the south side of CB, I would choose CB. We went to LC last year at the end of October and ended up diving almost exclusively on the south side due to wind and waves from the Northeast. I won't make the mistake of going to LC again during that time of year, because the dives (while good) simply are not diverse enough to keep me interested for a week worth of diving. If I were planning a trip during the Oct-Dec timeframe, I would pick CB, just because the south side has more variety and options and you are likely to spend a significant portion of your trip diving the south side during that time of year. That is why we are going back at the end of August this year instead. I hope the summer doldrums continue for a few more weeks so we have nice flat conditions while we are there.

 

[Insta-Gator]

I love Cobalt Coast. Great shore diving and the boat dives go to some of the best spots.

When it comes to diving in the Cayman Islands, you can't make a bad island choice.

 

[diversteve]

Someone recently posted in another thread here that Brac Reef Beach Resort is closed for remodeling till November?

 

[vincent54]

Can't beat Brac. Just got back from a week of sunny, flat water diving. The reefs on the Northeast are rebounding nicely with new Staghorn and Elkhorn patches. Still have areas of the algae that was encrusting the western end, but not as much. Saturday morning's dive at Burt's ended with a Bull Shark fly by, he was hanging out with the fisherman at the shore. That was after seeing a 2 pipefish, 1 big Octopus and an immature French Angel at the entry point.

All the diving was from shore and we went to every end of the island, we did 14 dives. Beautiful diving everywhere. Start with Brac, you won't be disappointed. The reef resort was closing for a couple months the day we flew out, Sunday. Also Brac Scuba Shack is taking an August break. Plan accordingly.

We had a chance to dive over in Little Cayman, but the Brac diving was way more fun. Check out Murty's Reef, my new favorite. Have fun wherever you choose.

 

[dutchgirl]

Thank you all so much for your replies, seems like no matter where we end up it will be nice!

 

[KathyV]

Here is the link to an article I posted comparing the 3 Cayman Islands:

The differences (for a diver) between the 3 Cayman islands - Cayman Islands Forum - TripAdvisor

 

[hilljo88]

Some random thoughts: KathyV's summary on TripAdvisor is great. I have dived a number of times on GC and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a nice mixture of shore dives and wall dives. The Kittewake wreck is okay, but nothing special as wrecks go. It's small and needs some time to grow in. Most divers prefer LC and CB for diving per se, but GC has some really good restaurants. The Cracked Conch is a really good one near Cobalt Coast. If you are not familiar with the Caribbean, the east side of the islands is more exposed and gets the heavier weather. Although there is good diving to be had on the east coast, the west side is typically calmer and a surer bet. The Caymans are on the expensive side, the local workforce seems reasonably well paid and sociable. Lastly, its pretty common to have your luggage not arrive with you, although its equally common for it to show up the next day.