which of the cayman islands?

[donnad]

hi, hubby and i have been divers for a little over two years now and are thinking that next year we'll go to the cayman islands. which of the islands is your favorite and why...........what's your recommendation? we're planning a week stay. our diving so far has been at cozumel for several days, riviera maya, and a 2tank dive at st. lucia when we went on a cruise, and a 2tank at puerto rico. going to flower gardens next month. (just to give you an idea of our experience so far) we have our AOW and have been told we have excellent control for our level of experience. oh, also dove a cenote in mexico. anyway, would love to hear your opinions of the caymans so we can decide which we might like the best. thanks!

 

[Scared Silly]

Personally, I found Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach to be Seven Mile Stripmall. That said there are places away from the zoo on Grand Cayman. We personally prefer the tranquility of Canyan Brac which you can get direct flights to. Little Cayman is even more tranquil.

If you are interested in the Brac a friend has a house on the island that he rents out (send me PM if interested)

 

[Tovster]

LIttle Cayman is best because it has the best dive spot in the Caribbean, Bloody Bay Wall. LIttle Cayman Beach Resort is a great place and the food is awesome.

Tom

 

[AggieDiver]

You can't go wrong with the Brac or LC. The only problem is that you will spoil yourselves. The rest of your life, every vacation you take in the Caribbean will be compared to your trip to Brac or LC. Which isn't a problem if you just keep going back...

 

[divingjd]

We have been to Little Cayman Beach Resort and the Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac. Our experience with Grand Cayman has been limited to some long layovers on the way to or from the Sister Islands. However, I would have to say that is probably enough for us, although we have friends who say the East End is very quiet and great diving. Little Cayman and the Brac are both very quiet, laid-back places. No nightlife, no shopping, and really very little to do except dive, lounge in a hammock, and trade dive stories over beers. If that sounds like heaven to you (it does to us), then book a trip there right away. If you will be dismayed because there is no shopping, no Hard Rock Cafe, no choice of restaurants, and no place to wear fancy "resort wear" then book Grand Cayman right away. The diving at Little Cayman is better than the diving at Cayman Brac, but Cayman Brac is better than most other places you will go. The diving at both places is pretty easy. You can go deep on the walls if you want (the Cayman Islands Watersports Association imposes a 100' limit), but you don't have to. There is fantastic diving at 30' or less at Little Cayman. The shallow dives are a little deeper at Cayman Brac. We enjoyed both Little Cayman Beach Resort and the Divi (although Max, the manager at the Divi, will give me a hard time for saying that). Both are well-run resorts with good food, good service, and outstanding dive operations. Max, the manager at the Divi, is always around and making sure the guests are well-taken-care-of. By the way, a week's dive package at the Divi includes one trip over to Little Cayman, weather permitting. If you just want to dive and relax and forget about everything else, go to one of the Sister Islands.

 

[caymaniac]

We have been to Little Cayman Beach Resort and the Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac. Our experience with Grand Cayman has been limited to some long layovers on the way to or from the Sister Islands. However, I would have to say that is probably enough for us, although we have friends who say the East End is very quiet and great diving. Little Cayman and the Brac are both very quiet, laid-back places. No nightlife, no shopping, and really very little to do except dive, lounge in a hammock, and trade dive stories over beers. If that sounds like heaven to you (it does to us), then book a trip there right away. If you will be dismayed because there is no shopping, no Hard Rock Cafe, no choice of restaurants, and no place to wear fancy "resort wear" then book Grand Cayman right away. The diving at Little Cayman is better than the diving at Cayman Brac, but Cayman Brac is better than most other places you will go. The diving at both places is pretty easy. You can go deep on the walls if you want (the Cayman Islands Watersports Association imposes a 100' limit), but you don't have to. There is fantastic diving at 30' or less at Little Cayman. The shallow dives are a little deeper at Cayman Brac. We enjoyed both Little Cayman Beach Resort and the Divi (although Max, the manager at the Divi, will give me a hard time for saying that). Both are well-run resorts with good food, good service, and outstanding dive operations. Max, the manager at the Divi, is always around and making sure the guests are well-taken-care-of. By the way, a week's dive package at the Divi includes one trip over to Little Cayman, weather permitting. If you just want to dive and relax and forget about everything else, go to one of the Sister Islands.

I totally agree, my exact sentiments. On Grand Cayman there still are some good dives like the North Wall and the famous StingRay City, but you can actually get in a traffic jam! It reminds me at times of Cozumel, St. Thomas or other spots that used to be alot quieter and now seem to be over run with POD people and shoppers. Give me the Brac or Little Cayman anytime over most of the rest of the Caribbean. But then you gotta love quiet, you gotta move a little slower, and you'll have to relax a little more if you go to the Brac & LC......and the diving is superb.....maybe the best in the Caribbean.
I remember a Sunday at the Brac a few years ago, we rented a scooter for the day and counted two cars on the island that were driving on the road that day. :sappy:

 

[lowwall]

If your idea of a diving vacation is to dive, eat and relax, my wife and I can heartily recommend Pirate's Point in Little Cayman. It's expensive, but the food is actually good, the staff is great and the diving is spectacular. Just two dives a day, but they let you take as long as you want U/W, so you don't lose that much to the 3x45 minute max operators.

I've also dived Cayman Brach, it's good, but not as good as LC. I didn't dive GC, but spent a couple of days there and topside it's like every other mid to upper end resort area. Whether that is good or bad is obviously personal preference.

 

[Damselfish]

If you want big hotels, activity, strip malls and all that, there are lots of places to stay along SMB on Grand Cayman. If you stay there you can still go with an op that dives the North Wall, with a few exceptions you will be getting driven to the boat anyway. If you want to be somewhat close to all that stuff but in a quieter area at something that resembles a real dive resort, stay at Cobalt Coast in the northwest corner and dive with Divetech.

The East End of Grand Cayman is nothing like SMB and Georgetown, it's pretty secluded and laid back with great diving and you don't need to take an extra flight to get there.

If your idea of paradise is looking for iguanas or napping in a hammock between great dives, Little Cayman rocks. Cayman Brac is a bit of a compromise, there's a little more civilization than on Little Cayman and the diving isn't quite as good, or at least doesn't start as shallow. It's possible to get to the Brac on a Cayman Airways jet (LC is small planes only and what passed for a runway wasn't even paved until recently. Some people will like that part, some maybe not.)

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

If its all about the diving then has to be LC. Been to all three. Would only go back to LC.

 

[donnad]

thanks everyone. little cayman sounds like the place for us! ok, next question. what time of the year is best? (want to avoid the jellyfish parade, want good chance of nice weather, etc.) please advise.