Little Cayman as a new diver - what to expect?

[wildbill9]

Well I hate to be the negative Nellie but you really want to think this through. Once you do LC you will probably say (at all other carribean destinations) "this was great but LC was better . Seriously, I took my soon to be wife to Cayman Brac before we got married (had to make sure she loved diving before I would commit....my mamma didn't raise no fool). This was back in the late 70s and LC did not have places to stay. That was 30+ years ago and I heard that comment every trip till we went to LC. GO!!!! We went to LC 3 years ago and it is now our standard, our friends call us dive snobs. Now where as most here go to LCBR, we go to southern cross, costs a few more bucks but we prefer the smaller boutique hotels. LC is the best diving we have found in the carribean...hands down the best.

 

[Marie13]

This is such an expensive trip for me that I can almost guarantee it won't be repeated very soon!

 

[Frontpointer1000]

I keep hearing that LC "is the best diving in the Caribbean"...
So, how different really is the diving on LC vs. GC vs. CB?

 

[wildbill9]

Don't know about GC but between LC and Brac we much prefer LC. Vis was better, fish life better, coral much healthier, almost not diver foot print, close dive sites, small groups on boat (at least at Southern Cross) much better food (SC), when we went to Brac we took a ride to LC to dive the wall. It was incredible, best diving we ever dreamed of. LC is as close as an undiscovered dive location as we have found.

 

[wildbill9]

Ahhhh....young grasshopper once you go I will bet you find a way to go back. Dive gear may seem to be expensive but the true expense comes from the dive

This is such an expensive trip for me that I can almost guarantee it won't be repeated very soon!

ahhhh.....young grasshopper things may not work out the way you plan. We thought LC would be a one and done, now we go every year. I am saying the same thing about Raja Ampat, one and done. Somehow I have a strange feeling we will be going back

 

[Marie13]

I'm this close to just saying the heck with this trip. I'm dealing with enough anxiety issues when diving. I don't want to drop several thousand dollars on a trip and end up sitting out dives on the boat because I'm scared. Sharks and stingrays simply scare the crap out of me. It's to the point I will not go near their exhibits when I've visited aquariums.

It also doesn't help that I keep having gear issues, primarily constantly leaking masks, bad leaking. I'm on mask number 5 now. Clearing my mask takes precedence over everything and adds to my anxiety levels. And yes, I've tried everything. Masks fit in the shop (and yes, I even shake my head from side to side) but leak badly when I get in the water. I have deep, prominent smile lines on both sides of my face. That's where the water comes in, at the bottom. Nowhere else.

People keep telling me diving in the ocean will be so easy and simple after the low viz quarries I've been diving in. A Great Lakes maritime museum has a sticker that sums it up pretty well for me: "Great Lakes: unsalted, no sharks."

Deposit is due December 1st, so I've still got some time before I have to make my final decision. But I suspect it will probably be no.

 

[diver0008]

I'm dealing with enough anxiety issues when diving.

This is bad. You will panic in a loaded situation. This can have fatal consequences. You may have taken up something that you are unsuited for.

 

[Marie13]

This is bad. You will panic in a loaded situation. This can have fatal consequences. You may have taken up something that you are unsuited for.

Getting this far already has been a major personal accomplishment for me. I actually love diving. I'm not about to give up. What I don't like is the pressure, real or not, of having a non-refundable trip (if I can't find anyone to take my place) if I back out after I've shelled out the cash.

I was considering doing AOW next summer, but at this point, I just want to spend time in the water with no pressure on me. I'll probably do private sessions with my OW instructor. Today I had fun just playing around in the shallows (7-16') with my dive buddy today on our second dive). That's what I need, but I can't predict how I'm going to be 10 months in the future.

 

[DiverAmy]

It also doesn't help that I keep having gear issues, primarily constantly leaking masks, bad leaking. I'm on mask number 5 now. Clearing my mask takes precedence over everything and adds to my anxiety levels. And yes, I've tried everything. Masks fit in the shop (and yes, I even shake my head from side to side) but leak badly when I get in the water. I have deep, prominent smile lines on both sides of my face. That's where the water comes in, at the bottom. Nowhere else.

I literally have about 20 masks that I tried that flooded (despite rigorous fittings in the shop) before I hit one that worked . I bought three of them right off the bat . I always travel with 2. I found a second brand that only leaks very slightly (which I don't mind) . Some shops might let you try the mask and return/exchange. My face is quite narrow. Good luck .

 

[BDSC]

Sharks and stingrays simply scare the crap out of me. It's to the point I will not go near their exhibits when I've visited aquariums.

If this is the case, then I would not go on the LC trip. You are going to see some sharks and probably lots of rays while diving LC. If you are to the point where you won't go near an exhibit at an aquarium where you can be certain there is a wall of glass between you and them, then diving in the ocean is not for you until you find a way to deal with your fear. Wait and go on a trip like this when you are more comfortable with your diving and you have a much lower anxiety level.