Little Cayman Trip Report, January, 2004

Little Cayman diving trip report January 20-26 2004

This was my first trip to the Cayman islands, renowned for its
diving and often sited as the "Best diving in the Caribbean" Having
an unused ticket which was about to expire I decided to see what all
this Caymans diving hubbub was all about. There really isn't a
‘backpacker' budget option in the Caymans that I could find. Price
fixing seems securely in place here, and the banking and cruse ship
crowds don't help with prices. Diving US $80 for two tank boat dives,
lodgings under $120 a night does not exist and food and drinks are
exorbitant. Grand Cayman is the most expensive of the three islands.
Six night, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank boat dive packages on Grand
Cayman without meals were priced from $1600 (Ocean Frontiers) to $1300
(Sunset House). Food in the Caymans is very expensive so a meal plan
is an important consideration. I was not able to contact the
Magnificent Dive Dump which is supposed to be a "budget" option on
Grand Cayman.
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are less expensive. I chose Little
Cayman for quality of diving, which many on this group consider the
best of the Caymans. Also Little Cayman Beach Resort offered me the
best deal. I ended up finding an Internet special January package, 6
nights, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank morning dives, with breakfast
and dinner for $1060. Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac offered me the same
package for $1150.
From Grand Cayman, Island Air put me on a 14 seat twin prop to
little Cayman, 1/2 hour flight $110 US roundtrip. Upon arrival at
little Cayman's grass airstrip, one of the engines was smoking
providing much excitement for the Little Cayman fire department.
Little Cayman is truly an out of the way, tranquil tropical island.
The airport consists of a wooden building which houses the post
office, airline office and fire station. The island is low laying
with freshwater mangrove swamps and scrub forest. A great place to
relax and be with nature. The National Trust has done much to create
a wildlife sanctuary with many observation platforms. Booby Pond,
locally referred to as Stinky Lake is a major Red-footed Booby and
Magnificent Frigate bird colony. Also in evidence was an attempt to
restore coastal mangroves .
I was concerned that I might get board on such a tiny island but
diving every morning keeps me plenty occupied. In the afternoons
there was bike riding, snorkeling, and birding to keep me busy.
Others were busy Bone fishing but no one I talked to was catching. If
I were to return to LC I would probably bring a fishing rod. Others
would feed the iguanas for a diversion For a taste of local Caribbean
culture there is Kingston Bight. An open air bar which had a DJ Sat
night playing reggae. they were serving Jerk Chicken and rice and
peas. The Hungry Iguana is the only non-resort restaurant on the
island. They are pricey but the food is good, C$7 for 3 conch
fritters. There used to be a little locals restaurant, Vandalias? but
it has closed. The local grocery is near the airport and was well
stocked and seemed reasonably priced. It was good for lunch as this
was not included in my meal plan. Peanut butter and jelly and
pineapple juice is good.
Upon arrival the Little Cayman Beach Resort van was there to greet
me. They gave me a beach front room, which was an upgrade from the
pool side room I had expected, very nice.. They have nice grounds,
with lots of hammocks under the palms on the beach. The hotels on the
south side are all located within a protected lagoon which is great
for sailing, what a blast, but not great for snorkeling. There is
good snorkeling elsewhere though. Meals were ample and the food was
good. The deserts were abundant. Some of the staff seemed somewhat
jaded, but would warm up to you with a little effort. LCBR has new
bicycles for $5 a day but I heard you can use the ‘old' bikes for
free. They also have kayaks and sailboats available for rent. The
bar is the central gathering place and open till 11:00 Sue is a great
bartender. LCBR has a homey rustic feel, nice place.
January can be poor for diving due to strong northeasterlies which
reduce visibility and can impede access to the north side sites. The
water temp. was 79 degrees, 3 mil full suit was ok for me but others
were layering, and some dove in shorts and T-shirt. I found the
diving to range from good to excellent. LCBR runs a great program for
divers. Breakfast from 700 to 830 AM Board seaworthy dive boat by 815
departing 830. These are large boats and we had between 8 to 12
divers per boat. Equipment was on tanks ready to go for you every
day. Tank fills ranged from 2900 to 3200 psi they even made sure to
put your tank banger on the correct side. The 45 min. boat ride to
north shore sites was good but not fun for the seasick folks. 4-6
foot swells along north shore. Dive briefing for each site and
recommended bottom times but no fascist time limits like the Florida
Keys. 500PSI end of dive only strict limit . Most dives end above 33
feet so it is nice to hang out over the reef at the end of a dive. 45
min. intervals then second dive. Reef divers puts two DMs in the
water each dive but they don't really lead the dives. There were
usually only 2-3 dive boats on the north shore each morning and well
spread out. All north side dive sites that we did had a wall and
shallow reef combo. The Jackson's bight section has a mini wall from
15-30 feet then sand flat then the main wall down to 5000 ft. The
Bloody Bay wall starts at 15-25 ft and plunges vertically to 5000 ft.
The first dive was usually Jackson's Bight then the second Bloody Bay
Wall. It might make sense to reverse this order for diving purposes
but the boat trip back would be longer this way. People on the 3 tank
a day packages had the boat to themselves some afternoons. Night
dives were offered Tues. and Thurs. but 8 people must sign up. Shore
diving is a major undertaking, as the only accessible sites required a
vehicle.
Diving highlights included, amazing topography on some of the walls
with canyons and lots of swim throughs. Jigsaw like bommies at top of
Jackson's bight wall. Amazing variety of sponges on Bloody bay wall.
7' reef shark along the top of wall at beginning of dive then smaller
reef shark cruising shallow reef at end of dive, quite curious. Lots
of small hawksbill turtles slowly swimming along with divers. Some
days over 100 ft vis while others down to 60. South side was nice for
the one dive I did there, spur and groove with interesting patch reef.
Saw the largest hog fish ever there. Lots of large grouper. Free
falling down steep canyon along Jackson's bight to 100 ft was a blast.
Overall the diving was quite spectacular at times and the top of the
wall would be covered in 100s of reef fish. On the other hand
schooling pelagics were absent along the walls and the hard corals
seem to be in bad shape to me. Some favorite dive sites were Bus
Stop, Jackson's Reef and Wall, Dagna's Delight and Sarah's Set.
If you are diving on a budget and like to travel to exotic locations
there are many better options. If you have the money to burn and like
everything catered for you Caymans is a great choice. Too bad Caymans
are so expensive though because the diving is truly spectacular. Hope
this provides some useful info. Peace T.

nice report, thanks......although, I've dove all three Cayman Islands
multiple times, and have stayed at LCBR. I've found the Caymans were the
most restrictive place I've ever dove. I currently live in the keys and have
not experienced: "fascist time limits"



"T" <tjackm7@aol.com> wrote in message
news:7723b34e.0402291712.354f1649@posting.google.c om...
> Little Cayman diving trip report January 20-26 2004
>
> This was my first trip to the Cayman islands, renowned for its
> diving and often sited as the "Best diving in the Caribbean" Having
> an unused ticket which was about to expire I decided to see what all
> this Caymans diving hubbub was all about. There really isn't a
> 'backpacker' budget option in the Caymans that I could find. Price
> fixing seems securely in place here, and the banking and cruse ship
> crowds don't help with prices. Diving US $80 for two tank boat dives,
> lodgings under $120 a night does not exist and food and drinks are
> exorbitant. Grand Cayman is the most expensive of the three islands.
> Six night, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank boat dive packages on Grand
> Cayman without meals were priced from $1600 (Ocean Frontiers) to $1300
> (Sunset House). Food in the Caymans is very expensive so a meal plan
> is an important consideration. I was not able to contact the
> Magnificent Dive Dump which is supposed to be a "budget" option on
> Grand Cayman.
> Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are less expensive. I chose Little
> Cayman for quality of diving, which many on this group consider the
> best of the Caymans. Also Little Cayman Beach Resort offered me the
> best deal. I ended up finding an Internet special January package, 6
> nights, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank morning dives, with breakfast
> and dinner for $1060. Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac offered me the same
> package for $1150.
> From Grand Cayman, Island Air put me on a 14 seat twin prop to
> little Cayman, 1/2 hour flight $110 US roundtrip. Upon arrival at
> little Cayman's grass airstrip, one of the engines was smoking
> providing much excitement for the Little Cayman fire department.
> Little Cayman is truly an out of the way, tranquil tropical island.
> The airport consists of a wooden building which houses the post
> office, airline office and fire station. The island is low laying
> with freshwater mangrove swamps and scrub forest. A great place to
> relax and be with nature. The National Trust has done much to create
> a wildlife sanctuary with many observation platforms. Booby Pond,
> locally referred to as Stinky Lake is a major Red-footed Booby and
> Magnificent Frigate bird colony. Also in evidence was an attempt to
> restore coastal mangroves .
> I was concerned that I might get board on such a tiny island but
> diving every morning keeps me plenty occupied. In the afternoons
> there was bike riding, snorkeling, and birding to keep me busy.
> Others were busy Bone fishing but no one I talked to was catching. If
> I were to return to LC I would probably bring a fishing rod. Others
> would feed the iguanas for a diversion For a taste of local Caribbean
> culture there is Kingston Bight. An open air bar which had a DJ Sat
> night playing reggae. they were serving Jerk Chicken and rice and
> peas. The Hungry Iguana is the only non-resort restaurant on the
> island. They are pricey but the food is good, C$7 for 3 conch
> fritters. There used to be a little locals restaurant, Vandalias? but
> it has closed. The local grocery is near the airport and was well
> stocked and seemed reasonably priced. It was good for lunch as this
> was not included in my meal plan. Peanut butter and jelly and
> pineapple juice is good.
> Upon arrival the Little Cayman Beach Resort van was there to greet
> me. They gave me a beach front room, which was an upgrade from the
> pool side room I had expected, very nice.. They have nice grounds,
> with lots of hammocks under the palms on the beach. The hotels on the
> south side are all located within a protected lagoon which is great
> for sailing, what a blast, but not great for snorkeling. There is
> good snorkeling elsewhere though. Meals were ample and the food was
> good. The deserts were abundant. Some of the staff seemed somewhat
> jaded, but would warm up to you with a little effort. LCBR has new
> bicycles for $5 a day but I heard you can use the 'old' bikes for
> free. They also have kayaks and sailboats available for rent. The
> bar is the central gathering place and open till 11:00 Sue is a great
> bartender. LCBR has a homey rustic feel, nice place.
> January can be poor for diving due to strong northeasterlies which
> reduce visibility and can impede access to the north side sites. The
> water temp. was 79 degrees, 3 mil full suit was ok for me but others
> were layering, and some dove in shorts and T-shirt. I found the
> diving to range from good to excellent. LCBR runs a great program for
> divers. Breakfast from 700 to 830 AM Board seaworthy dive boat by 815
> departing 830. These are large boats and we had between 8 to 12
> divers per boat. Equipment was on tanks ready to go for you every
> day. Tank fills ranged from 2900 to 3200 psi they even made sure to
> put your tank banger on the correct side. The 45 min. boat ride to
> north shore sites was good but not fun for the seasick folks. 4-6
> foot swells along north shore. Dive briefing for each site and
> recommended bottom times but no fascist time limits like the Florida
> Keys. 500PSI end of dive only strict limit . Most dives end above 33
> feet so it is nice to hang out over the reef at the end of a dive. 45
> min. intervals then second dive. Reef divers puts two DMs in the
> water each dive but they don't really lead the dives. There were
> usually only 2-3 dive boats on the north shore each morning and well
> spread out. All north side dive sites that we did had a wall and
> shallow reef combo. The Jackson's bight section has a mini wall from
> 15-30 feet then sand flat then the main wall down to 5000 ft. The
> Bloody Bay wall starts at 15-25 ft and plunges vertically to 5000 ft.
> The first dive was usually Jackson's Bight then the second Bloody Bay
> Wall. It might make sense to reverse this order for diving purposes
> but the boat trip back would be longer this way. People on the 3 tank
> a day packages had the boat to themselves some afternoons. Night
> dives were offered Tues. and Thurs. but 8 people must sign up. Shore
> diving is a major undertaking, as the only accessible sites required a
> vehicle.
> Diving highlights included, amazing topography on some of the walls
> with canyons and lots of swim throughs. Jigsaw like bommies at top of
> Jackson's bight wall. Amazing variety of sponges on Bloody bay wall.
> 7' reef shark along the top of wall at beginning of dive then smaller
> reef shark cruising shallow reef at end of dive, quite curious. Lots
> of small hawksbill turtles slowly swimming along with divers. Some
> days over 100 ft vis while others down to 60. South side was nice for
> the one dive I did there, spur and groove with interesting patch reef.
> Saw the largest hog fish ever there. Lots of large grouper. Free
> falling down steep canyon along Jackson's bight to 100 ft was a blast.
> Overall the diving was quite spectacular at times and the top of the
> wall would be covered in 100s of reef fish. On the other hand
> schooling pelagics were absent along the walls and the hard corals
> seem to be in bad shape to me. Some favorite dive sites were Bus
> Stop, Jackson's Reef and Wall, Dagna's Delight and Sarah's Set.
> If you are diving on a budget and like to travel to exotic locations
> there are many better options. If you have the money to burn and like
> everything catered for you Caymans is a great choice. Too bad Caymans
> are so expensive though because the diving is truly spectacular. Hope
> this provides some useful info. Peace T.

"Finn" <wji@mindspring.com> wrote in message news:<qqy0c.12301$PR3.331691@attbi_s03>...
> nice report, thanks......although, I've dove all three Cayman Islands
> multiple times, and have stayed at LCBR. I've found the Caymans were the
> most restrictive place I've ever dove. I currently live in the keys and have
> not experienced: "fascist time limits"
>
>
>
Caymans do have you sighn a "diving contract" restricting you to
100ft, no gloves etc. but the 100 ft. limit was not strictly enforced
in my experiance. To clarify my statement about the keys it depends
on the outfit. Many ops in Key West who combine snorkelers with
divers do have a strict 60 min time limit. One used an underwater
loudspeaker to call you back to the boat. The middle keys and Largo
dont do this in my experiance. Peace T.

The 'contract' may vary from operator to operator but most ops on LC base
theirs on the CIWOA code. (see link)

http://www.cayman.org/ciwoa/code.htm

This code and op 'contracts' are based on serveral facts, one being that the
Caymans attracts many older, well heeled, once-per-year divers (safety
provisions) and second that after the trashing of GC reefs and coral health
issues, most Cayman operators woke up to the fact that if they didn't
encourage conservation and a no-touch policy they'd have nothing left to
"sell" to dive tourists. ( no gloves, no touch suggestions, limited
dives/day in marine preserves, no take policies, buoyancy management, etc)

There ARE more advanced operators on GC these days, that dive multiples,
advanced mixed gas, and go deep.

LCBR on LC does have another issue that can come up on the second dive of
the morning. That is the dive operator and LCBR are separate operations and
the diver operator is 'encouraged' to get divers back in time for lunch.
They also have, from time to time, had Divemaster Nazis on staff. I think
they have rotated out now. --- Smaller operators on LC (that I stay with)
simply call the resort as the last diver surfaces and the resort knows
exactly how much time they have to lay out lunch.

Glad you enjoyed LC.
Tim


"T" <tjackm7@aol.com> wrote in message
news:7723b34e.0403010918.7db33cc1@posting.google.c om...
> "Finn" <wji@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:<qqy0c.12301$PR3.331691@attbi_s03>...
> > nice report, thanks......although, I've dove all three Cayman Islands
> > multiple times, and have stayed at LCBR. I've found the Caymans were
the
> > most restrictive place I've ever dove. I currently live in the keys and
have
> > not experienced: "fascist time limits"
> >
> >
> >
> Caymans do have you sighn a "diving contract" restricting you to
> 100ft, no gloves etc. but the 100 ft. limit was not strictly enforced
> in my experiance. To clarify my statement about the keys it depends
> on the outfit. Many ops in Key West who combine snorkelers with
> divers do have a strict 60 min time limit. One used an underwater
> loudspeaker to call you back to the boat. The middle keys and Largo
> dont do this in my experiance. Peace T.

Probably because dives in the keys are 28 ft tops.........

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 03:50:50 GMT, "Finn" <wji@mindspring.com> wrote:

>nice report, thanks......although, I've dove all three Cayman Islands
>multiple times, and have stayed at LCBR. I've found the Caymans were the
>most restrictive place I've ever dove. I currently live in the keys and have
>not experienced: "fascist time limits"
>
>
>
>"T" <tjackm7@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:7723b34e.0402291712.354f1649@posting.google. com...
>> Little Cayman diving trip report January 20-26 2004
>>
>> This was my first trip to the Cayman islands, renowned for its
>> diving and often sited as the "Best diving in the Caribbean" Having
>> an unused ticket which was about to expire I decided to see what all
>> this Caymans diving hubbub was all about. There really isn't a
>> 'backpacker' budget option in the Caymans that I could find. Price
>> fixing seems securely in place here, and the banking and cruse ship
>> crowds don't help with prices. Diving US $80 for two tank boat dives,
>> lodgings under $120 a night does not exist and food and drinks are
>> exorbitant. Grand Cayman is the most expensive of the three islands.
>> Six night, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank boat dive packages on Grand
>> Cayman without meals were priced from $1600 (Ocean Frontiers) to $1300
>> (Sunset House). Food in the Caymans is very expensive so a meal plan
>> is an important consideration. I was not able to contact the
>> Magnificent Dive Dump which is supposed to be a "budget" option on
>> Grand Cayman.
>> Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are less expensive. I chose Little
>> Cayman for quality of diving, which many on this group consider the
>> best of the Caymans. Also Little Cayman Beach Resort offered me the
>> best deal. I ended up finding an Internet special January package, 6
>> nights, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank morning dives, with breakfast
>> and dinner for $1060. Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac offered me the same
>> package for $1150.
>> From Grand Cayman, Island Air put me on a 14 seat twin prop to
>> little Cayman, 1/2 hour flight $110 US roundtrip. Upon arrival at
>> little Cayman's grass airstrip, one of the engines was smoking
>> providing much excitement for the Little Cayman fire department.
>> Little Cayman is truly an out of the way, tranquil tropical island.
>> The airport consists of a wooden building which houses the post
>> office, airline office and fire station. The island is low laying
>> with freshwater mangrove swamps and scrub forest. A great place to
>> relax and be with nature. The National Trust has done much to create
>> a wildlife sanctuary with many observation platforms. Booby Pond,
>> locally referred to as Stinky Lake is a major Red-footed Booby and
>> Magnificent Frigate bird colony. Also in evidence was an attempt to
>> restore coastal mangroves .
>> I was concerned that I might get board on such a tiny island but
>> diving every morning keeps me plenty occupied. In the afternoons
>> there was bike riding, snorkeling, and birding to keep me busy.
>> Others were busy Bone fishing but no one I talked to was catching. If
>> I were to return to LC I would probably bring a fishing rod. Others
>> would feed the iguanas for a diversion For a taste of local Caribbean
>> culture there is Kingston Bight. An open air bar which had a DJ Sat
>> night playing reggae. they were serving Jerk Chicken and rice and
>> peas. The Hungry Iguana is the only non-resort restaurant on the
>> island. They are pricey but the food is good, C$7 for 3 conch
>> fritters. There used to be a little locals restaurant, Vandalias? but
>> it has closed. The local grocery is near the airport and was well
>> stocked and seemed reasonably priced. It was good for lunch as this
>> was not included in my meal plan. Peanut butter and jelly and
>> pineapple juice is good.
>> Upon arrival the Little Cayman Beach Resort van was there to greet
>> me. They gave me a beach front room, which was an upgrade from the
>> pool side room I had expected, very nice.. They have nice grounds,
>> with lots of hammocks under the palms on the beach. The hotels on the
>> south side are all located within a protected lagoon which is great
>> for sailing, what a blast, but not great for snorkeling. There is
>> good snorkeling elsewhere though. Meals were ample and the food was
>> good. The deserts were abundant. Some of the staff seemed somewhat
>> jaded, but would warm up to you with a little effort. LCBR has new
>> bicycles for $5 a day but I heard you can use the 'old' bikes for
>> free. They also have kayaks and sailboats available for rent. The
>> bar is the central gathering place and open till 11:00 Sue is a great
>> bartender. LCBR has a homey rustic feel, nice place.
>> January can be poor for diving due to strong northeasterlies which
>> reduce visibility and can impede access to the north side sites. The
>> water temp. was 79 degrees, 3 mil full suit was ok for me but others
>> were layering, and some dove in shorts and T-shirt. I found the
>> diving to range from good to excellent. LCBR runs a great program for
>> divers. Breakfast from 700 to 830 AM Board seaworthy dive boat by 815
>> departing 830. These are large boats and we had between 8 to 12
>> divers per boat. Equipment was on tanks ready to go for you every
>> day. Tank fills ranged from 2900 to 3200 psi they even made sure to
>> put your tank banger on the correct side. The 45 min. boat ride to
>> north shore sites was good but not fun for the seasick folks. 4-6
>> foot swells along north shore. Dive briefing for each site and
>> recommended bottom times but no fascist time limits like the Florida
>> Keys. 500PSI end of dive only strict limit . Most dives end above 33
>> feet so it is nice to hang out over the reef at the end of a dive. 45
>> min. intervals then second dive. Reef divers puts two DMs in the
>> water each dive but they don't really lead the dives. There were
>> usually only 2-3 dive boats on the north shore each morning and well
>> spread out. All north side dive sites that we did had a wall and
>> shallow reef combo. The Jackson's bight section has a mini wall from
>> 15-30 feet then sand flat then the main wall down to 5000 ft. The
>> Bloody Bay wall starts at 15-25 ft and plunges vertically to 5000 ft.
>> The first dive was usually Jackson's Bight then the second Bloody Bay
>> Wall. It might make sense to reverse this order for diving purposes
>> but the boat trip back would be longer this way. People on the 3 tank
>> a day packages had the boat to themselves some afternoons. Night
>> dives were offered Tues. and Thurs. but 8 people must sign up. Shore
>> diving is a major undertaking, as the only accessible sites required a
>> vehicle.
>> Diving highlights included, amazing topography on some of the walls
>> with canyons and lots of swim throughs. Jigsaw like bommies at top of
>> Jackson's bight wall. Amazing variety of sponges on Bloody bay wall.
>> 7' reef shark along the top of wall at beginning of dive then smaller
>> reef shark cruising shallow reef at end of dive, quite curious. Lots
>> of small hawksbill turtles slowly swimming along with divers. Some
>> days over 100 ft vis while others down to 60. South side was nice for
>> the one dive I did there, spur and groove with interesting patch reef.
>> Saw the largest hog fish ever there. Lots of large grouper. Free
>> falling down steep canyon along Jackson's bight to 100 ft was a blast.
>> Overall the diving was quite spectacular at times and the top of the
>> wall would be covered in 100s of reef fish. On the other hand
>> schooling pelagics were absent along the walls and the hard corals
>> seem to be in bad shape to me. Some favorite dive sites were Bus
>> Stop, Jackson's Reef and Wall, Dagna's Delight and Sarah's Set.
>> If you are diving on a budget and like to travel to exotic locations
>> there are many better options. If you have the money to burn and like
>> everything catered for you Caymans is a great choice. Too bad Caymans
>> are so expensive though because the diving is truly spectacular. Hope
>> this provides some useful info. Peace T.
>

hmmm...you must dive different Keys then I do......

"Robert" <Robert@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:4dj740dt0gnlkvd0nfallnk3kpgj2lr61u@4ax.com...
> Probably because dives in the keys are 28 ft tops.........
>
> On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 03:50:50 GMT, "Finn" <wji@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> >nice report, thanks......although, I've dove all three Cayman Islands
> >multiple times, and have stayed at LCBR. I've found the Caymans were the
> >most restrictive place I've ever dove. I currently live in the keys and
have
> >not experienced: "fascist time limits"
> >
> >
> >
> >"T" <tjackm7@aol.com> wrote in message
> >news:7723b34e.0402291712.354f1649@posting.google. com...
> >> Little Cayman diving trip report January 20-26 2004
> >>
> >> This was my first trip to the Cayman islands, renowned for its
> >> diving and often sited as the "Best diving in the Caribbean" Having
> >> an unused ticket which was about to expire I decided to see what all
> >> this Caymans diving hubbub was all about. There really isn't a
> >> 'backpacker' budget option in the Caymans that I could find. Price
> >> fixing seems securely in place here, and the banking and cruse ship
> >> crowds don't help with prices. Diving US $80 for two tank boat dives,
> >> lodgings under $120 a night does not exist and food and drinks are
> >> exorbitant. Grand Cayman is the most expensive of the three islands.
> >> Six night, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank boat dive packages on Grand
> >> Cayman without meals were priced from $1600 (Ocean Frontiers) to $1300
> >> (Sunset House). Food in the Caymans is very expensive so a meal plan
> >> is an important consideration. I was not able to contact the
> >> Magnificent Dive Dump which is supposed to be a "budget" option on
> >> Grand Cayman.
> >> Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are less expensive. I chose Little
> >> Cayman for quality of diving, which many on this group consider the
> >> best of the Caymans. Also Little Cayman Beach Resort offered me the
> >> best deal. I ended up finding an Internet special January package, 6
> >> nights, single occupancy, 5 days 2 tank morning dives, with breakfast
> >> and dinner for $1060. Divi Tiara on Cayman Brac offered me the same
> >> package for $1150.
> >> From Grand Cayman, Island Air put me on a 14 seat twin prop to
> >> little Cayman, 1/2 hour flight $110 US roundtrip. Upon arrival at
> >> little Cayman's grass airstrip, one of the engines was smoking
> >> providing much excitement for the Little Cayman fire department.
> >> Little Cayman is truly an out of the way, tranquil tropical island.
> >> The airport consists of a wooden building which houses the post
> >> office, airline office and fire station. The island is low laying
> >> with freshwater mangrove swamps and scrub forest. A great place to
> >> relax and be with nature. The National Trust has done much to create
> >> a wildlife sanctuary with many observation platforms. Booby Pond,
> >> locally referred to as Stinky Lake is a major Red-footed Booby and
> >> Magnificent Frigate bird colony. Also in evidence was an attempt to
> >> restore coastal mangroves .
> >> I was concerned that I might get board on such a tiny island but
> >> diving every morning keeps me plenty occupied. In the afternoons
> >> there was bike riding, snorkeling, and birding to keep me busy.
> >> Others were busy Bone fishing but no one I talked to was catching. If
> >> I were to return to LC I would probably bring a fishing rod. Others
> >> would feed the iguanas for a diversion For a taste of local Caribbean
> >> culture there is Kingston Bight. An open air bar which had a DJ Sat
> >> night playing reggae. they were serving Jerk Chicken and rice and
> >> peas. The Hungry Iguana is the only non-resort restaurant on the
> >> island. They are pricey but the food is good, C$7 for 3 conch
> >> fritters. There used to be a little locals restaurant, Vandalias? but
> >> it has closed. The local grocery is near the airport and was well
> >> stocked and seemed reasonably priced. It was good for lunch as this
> >> was not included in my meal plan. Peanut butter and jelly and
> >> pineapple juice is good.
> >> Upon arrival the Little Cayman Beach Resort van was there to greet
> >> me. They gave me a beach front room, which was an upgrade from the
> >> pool side room I had expected, very nice.. They have nice grounds,
> >> with lots of hammocks under the palms on the beach. The hotels on the
> >> south side are all located within a protected lagoon which is great
> >> for sailing, what a blast, but not great for snorkeling. There is
> >> good snorkeling elsewhere though. Meals were ample and the food was
> >> good. The deserts were abundant. Some of the staff seemed somewhat
> >> jaded, but would warm up to you with a little effort. LCBR has new
> >> bicycles for $5 a day but I heard you can use the 'old' bikes for
> >> free. They also have kayaks and sailboats available for rent. The
> >> bar is the central gathering place and open till 11:00 Sue is a great
> >> bartender. LCBR has a homey rustic feel, nice place.
> >> January can be poor for diving due to strong northeasterlies which
> >> reduce visibility and can impede access to the north side sites. The
> >> water temp. was 79 degrees, 3 mil full suit was ok for me but others
> >> were layering, and some dove in shorts and T-shirt. I found the
> >> diving to range from good to excellent. LCBR runs a great program for
> >> divers. Breakfast from 700 to 830 AM Board seaworthy dive boat by 815
> >> departing 830. These are large boats and we had between 8 to 12
> >> divers per boat. Equipment was on tanks ready to go for you every
> >> day. Tank fills ranged from 2900 to 3200 psi they even made sure to
> >> put your tank banger on the correct side. The 45 min. boat ride to
> >> north shore sites was good but not fun for the seasick folks. 4-6
> >> foot swells along north shore. Dive briefing for each site and
> >> recommended bottom times but no fascist time limits like the Florida
> >> Keys. 500PSI end of dive only strict limit . Most dives end above 33
> >> feet so it is nice to hang out over the reef at the end of a dive. 45
> >> min. intervals then second dive. Reef divers puts two DMs in the
> >> water each dive but they don't really lead the dives. There were
> >> usually only 2-3 dive boats on the north shore each morning and well
> >> spread out. All north side dive sites that we did had a wall and
> >> shallow reef combo. The Jackson's bight section has a mini wall from
> >> 15-30 feet then sand flat then the main wall down to 5000 ft. The
> >> Bloody Bay wall starts at 15-25 ft and plunges vertically to 5000 ft.
> >> The first dive was usually Jackson's Bight then the second Bloody Bay
> >> Wall. It might make sense to reverse this order for diving purposes
> >> but the boat trip back would be longer this way. People on the 3 tank
> >> a day packages had the boat to themselves some afternoons. Night
> >> dives were offered Tues. and Thurs. but 8 people must sign up. Shore
> >> diving is a major undertaking, as the only accessible sites required a
> >> vehicle.
> >> Diving highlights included, amazing topography on some of the walls
> >> with canyons and lots of swim throughs. Jigsaw like bommies at top of
> >> Jackson's bight wall. Amazing variety of sponges on Bloody bay wall.
> >> 7' reef shark along the top of wall at beginning of dive then smaller
> >> reef shark cruising shallow reef at end of dive, quite curious. Lots
> >> of small hawksbill turtles slowly swimming along with divers. Some
> >> days over 100 ft vis while others down to 60. South side was nice for
> >> the one dive I did there, spur and groove with interesting patch reef.
> >> Saw the largest hog fish ever there. Lots of large grouper. Free
> >> falling down steep canyon along Jackson's bight to 100 ft was a blast.
> >> Overall the diving was quite spectacular at times and the top of the
> >> wall would be covered in 100s of reef fish. On the other hand
> >> schooling pelagics were absent along the walls and the hard corals
> >> seem to be in bad shape to me. Some favorite dive sites were Bus
> >> Stop, Jackson's Reef and Wall, Dagna's Delight and Sarah's Set.
> >> If you are diving on a budget and like to travel to exotic locations
> >> there are many better options. If you have the money to burn and like
> >> everything catered for you Caymans is a great choice. Too bad Caymans
> >> are so expensive though because the diving is truly spectacular. Hope
> >> this provides some useful info. Peace T.
> >
>