Shore diving - solo

[Steve_C]

Only have dove there a couple times but there are some places where currents can be an issue. For example in a bay with an outer reef with breaks. There can be strong outflows. You might want to talk to locals about your chosen spot. There can be situations that lake diving may not prepare you for unless you are used to looking for them. Actually this holds also for snorkeling off by yourself.

 

[2airishuman]

On suggestions though, let me know your window of time. When you will on shore and when you have to be back. ... I'll see what I can suggest.

Thanks. We're in port from 8:00-4:00. With it being a tender port, I can't plan on getting on shore before, say, 9:30, though it may be a little earlier. I would want to be back at the tender docks comfortably by 3:00. Unfortunately, it makes for a tight window.

Who are the ops who are schedule compatible that are "cruise-centric"?

There's a scuba diving excursion that could be booked through the cruise line. I don't know what operator they use.

Only have dove there a couple times but there are some places where currents can be an issue. For example in a bay with an outer reef with breaks. There can be strong outflows. You might want to talk to locals about your chosen spot. There can be situations that lake diving may not prepare you for unless you are used to looking for them.

That's good advice, of course, and I'll follow it. I'm trying to find divers who are on the same itinerary who might want to buddy up so I can play by the local rules. The original plan was to rent cylinders from one or two of the several shops that are located on shore above a "house reef." I would hope that they would provide some local insight as well.

Actually this holds also for snorkeling off by yourself.

Or snorkeling off in pairs or SCUBA diving in a group of 2, 3, 4, or 7. Or going off in a kayak.

If I end up just snorkeling, I have a family member who will come along, and we would have an easier time hiring a boat if we want to go see the Kittiwake or something.

 

[tkaelin]

If you haven't already contact Tom Shropshire at Off the Wall Divers. Look at his website. It suggests they can try to cater to cruise ship divers/schedules and they may be willing to take snorkelers along with divers. A trip out to the KW would make for a nice dive and snorkel. I dove with Tom a couple years back and he was great to dive with and he was very accommodating scheduling wise. He did take just my daughter and my self on a 1 tank to the KW. He worked with our time issues and as I said he is great to dive with. We only had a limited window on a Sunday afternoon and he made it work. Highly recommend if you can make it work. If he can't he would know who could. TK


Cruise Ship Scuba Divers - Off The Wall Divers

 

[2airishuman]

If you haven't already contact Tom Shropshire at Off the Wall Divers. Look at his website.

I'll try them.

 

[cliffoco]

I am having a similar issue, going on a cruise November 5, and hitting Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize. I will have a snorkeling buddy but no matter how hard I try I just can't get her to put a tank on - I also cant do an organized dive because that would mean leaving her alone for a few hours while were on vacation. My plan is to rent tanks if there is a shop near a beach / coral and just find some other divers doing the same. If I can't get a shore dive in, oh well - at least I snorkeled.

 

[2airishuman]

I am having a similar issue, going on a cruise November 5, and hitting Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize. I will have a snorkeling buddy but no matter how hard I try I just can't get her to put a tank on - I also cant do an organized dive because that would mean leaving her alone for a few hours while were on vacation. My plan is to rent tanks if there is a shop near a beach / coral and just find some other divers doing the same. If I can't get a shore dive in, oh well - at least I snorkeled.

Aldora (in Cozumel) offered me a one-tank afternoon dive. They are highly regarded on SB, and run multiple small boats, and offer air and Nitrox in HP-100 and H-120 cylinders. I believe their afternoon trips might not always fill up, especially in November, so you may be able to bring a snorkeler.

The way things presently sit, I'll end up diving a double dip on the Vandenberg with Captain's Corner on the last day of our cruise, during the Key West stop, and then will have a full day of diving with Conch Republic (in Tavernier FL) the day after the cruise returns to port in Miami. They're both excellent ops who I've used before, and weather permitting, those should all be great dives. I'm trying to balance out the rest of the itinerary, and am leaning towards a 3-reef snorkel trip by boat in Cozumel with my stepdaughter, plus whatever SCUBA diving I can work out in George Town.

 

[diversteve]

There's a scuba diving excursion that could be booked through the cruise line. I don't know what operator they use.

Either Don Foster's Dive Grand Cayman or Activities | Cayman Islands | Red Sail Sports Cayman depending on the cruise line. Red Sail generally requires a cab ride up to their location on Seven Mile Beach - they sometimes pick divers up off the beach with a flatbottom boat once there and checked-in.

Another option is Cruise Diving - Divers Down. If you are already in port that morning I don't see why you couldn't be on their 9AM boat.

I think you're allowing too long on the time off the ship also - the ships mostly moor just out in the harbor so it's a pretty quick ride in once you're on the tender.

In this shot, the cruise tender dock is at the right middle, somewhere between it and the Carnival ship in the foreground along the shoreline is Eden Rock. Fosters would be off camera to the left. Although you could walk it, they have a shuttle.

 

[diversteve]

My plan is to rent tanks if there is a shop near a beach / coral and just find some other divers doing the same. If I can't get a shore dive in, oh well - at least I snorkeled.

I recommend Sunset House. No beach but since it's a dive resort the likelihood of finding a dive buddy is greater - the 4 hrs. we were there someone was always entering/leaving the water. Divers and snorkelers either go in in front of My Bar (good place for lunch) or at the Salt Water Pool at the north end of the property. It's a few minutes by cab south of the port but from there you'll still see your ship. www.sunsethouse.com

Better dive than Eden Rock IMO. Eden suffers from decades of cruise divers since it's 500' south of the port. On a busy day there's 5-6 ships in.

There really is no dive site with a beach on Grand Cayman. Sites in town are too cramped and usually on ironshore just off the street, the sites on the North Wall are all ironshore and the reef is too far out along Seven Mile Beach to dive from shore. A possible option up there is actually Turtle Reef but it would be really hit/miss on finding a dive buddy.

Sundivers up there can provide a paid guide thru Happy Fish Divers if desired. Turtle Reef is a listed shore dive and snorkel on IDiveCayman - there's even videos. Probably an expensive 1/2 hr. cab ride to check on conditions (can be blown out in winter) or a buddy. Macabuca Tiki Bar is there for an ocean view lunch - they share the same facility with Sundivers and the fancier Cracked Conch restaurant.

The two beaches that are dive sites are extremely shallow for a long way. No facilities at either and hit or miss on the chances of finding someone there to dive with. They're Smith's Cove to the south or Cemetery Beach north of Seven Mile Beach. Cemetery is a better snorkel than dive.

 

[Trailboss123]

Contact Brad at Cayman University Divers
You can arrange with him to take you out and get you back at the timeframe that works for you.
He's the best and will work around your schedule and get you out to the best dive sites that will blow your mind and dive with you.

 

[KathyV]

Contact Brad at Cayman University Divers
You can arrange with him to take you out and get you back at the timeframe that works for you.
He's the best and will work around your schedule and get you out to the best dive sites that will blow your mind and dive with you.

We dived with Cayman University Divers last year and they were great. It is a small op and they customized to our needs but the price was competitive and we would gladly dive with them again!