Back From Sunset House!

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Randallr

Contributor
Messages
163
Reaction score
111
Location
New York, NY
# of dives
200 - 499
I just returned from a happiness-inducing week of diving with Sunset House in Grand Cayman. Thanks to all who advised me, and special props to Diversteve for the specific guidance he offered, which was spot on. This isn't a full trip report (although I'm happy to answer questions), but the bottom line is, the wisdom in Scubaboard on Grand Cayman is very accurate.

I did 13 dives, all on the West Side of the island, and the general consensus of the divers on my boat was that the reefs were "myehh." Coral was pretty bleached, marine life was neither diverse nor abundant. There was a dearth of small stuff, and we saw no pelagics. Topographically, the sites were nice, with interesting swim-throughs and grottos and the like. But other than that, there wasn't much to see. I enjoyed shore diving at the Sunset House Reef more than any of the boat sites. Retrospectively, I should have stuck to my original plan, which was to dive with Sunset for three days, and reserve two days for diving the East Side and North Wall with other outfits. But I got lazy, and didn't rent a car. Also, the weather was iffy; it was miserable one day, pelting rain with high wind, and most divers opted not to go (although those who did said they got some decent diving in). That seemed to obviate the East and North sides.

The mediocrity of the diving was more than compensated for by the ambiance of Sunset House and people it attracted. The other divers were great. Our boat (mostly Americans and Canadians) bonded early, dined together most afternoons and evenings, and generally had a good time talking life, love, and lionfish. My Bar, Sunset House's outdoor bistro, had a perfect atmosphere for wiling away an evening. The food, as others have noted, is good, and the menu is diverse. Although it was nice to dine in town twice (a 10-15 minute walk), My Bar can easily hold you for a week. Rooms also are as noted in other posts - fairly basic, but more than adequate. Mine had a great view of the sea; a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee machine, and was a great place to fall asleep at the end of a three-dive day. (As an FYI, the supermarket in Georgetown, Kirk's, is enormous, and is a short half-hour walk from Sunset House. I wished I'd gone there earlier for staples.)

The dive operation was good - with one qualification that I'll get to. The divemasters were pretty good; they instilled confidence, and to a man and woman had great personalities. One of the divemasters, a lovely young woman named Jacks, defused a tense situation one day; she'd discovered that an older diver who'd said he was diving with a computer had neither a computer nor tables with him. She calmly suggested that she needed to call the shop to get a profile for him, at which point he started attacking her for "riding" him and "giving me a hard time." She apologized, but stood her ground, saying that safety required the divemasters to get a read on his profile, and she made sure someone kept an eye on him for the next dive. Harmony restored.

The qualification, though, is this: These boats were crowded - the most crowded I've experienced outside of Maui cattle boats. We had 15-20 people each time we went out, and you felt the crowds on board, especially on the days when the sea was churning. During the last two days of diving, Sunset House was sending out three boats with nearly 20 people each. This made for long backups getting off and on the boat. It also meant the two divemasters weren't always able to keep an eye on everyone all the time. One young diver got tripled up with my buddy and I for a dive that was to be guided by one of the divemasters. The kid sucked his tank down to 700 PSI barely halfway through the dive - and the divemaster was nowhere to be found. My buddy surfaced with the fellow and they swam back to the boat as I went looking for the divemaster who had strayed. It all worked out, but served as a reminder why I like "concierge diving," with smaller boats and a more propitious ratio of divemasters to divers.

All that said, I would definitely go back. I loved the people I met, I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. The house reef is excellent, and the ease of diving it is significant. And - best for last - Cathy Church's photo operation and school is world class. I bought a camera down there and took lessons with a fantastic teacher named "Tee," and I can't say enough great things about it and him. Very competitive prices, real expertise - and Tee is like the best high school teacher you ever had, a bundle of knowledge and enthusiasm that made him a treasure and a pleasure to dive with. I'd go back in a heartbeat to take more lessons with this Church of Underwater Photography.

Well, I guess I did post a Trip Report, after all!

I'm no photographer, having just acquired the camera and some basic knowledge on this trip. (This was only my second time shooting underwater.) But for those who are interested, here are some of the better shots I got. I was using an Olympus XZ-1, the Olympus PT-050 housing, and the Olympus UFL-1 strobe. (As an FYI, the prices at Cathy Church were competitive with B&H and Adorama in New York. But buying in Grand Cayman, they were tax free and duty free, and the shop threw in a free setup lesson, so this was a great deal and opportunity.)

All photo critiques are welcome I'm a newbie who wants to learn!

Banded-Butterflyfish-at-Oro-Verde-Wall-20120306.jpgButterflyfish-at-Sunset-House-20120302.jpgChristmas-Tree-Worm-at-Sunset-House-20120302.jpgCreole-Wrasse-at-Sunset-House-20120306.jpgFlamingo-Tongue-at-Sunset-House-20120302.jpgGray-Angelfish-at-Sunset-House-20120304.jpgHermit-Crab-at-Sunset-House-20120302.jpgSailfin Blenny at Sunset House 20120302_edited-1.jpgSchools-In-at-the-Oro-Verde-Wreck-20120303.jpgSquirrel-Fish-at-Sunset-House-20120302.jpgWhitespotted-Filefish-at-Neptune's-Lair-20120304.jpg
 
I've never stayed at Sunset House, but have dived there often. My Bar is my favorite on the island.

For a so-called newbie, your photos are excellent! They look way beyond "newbie" to me.
 
It also meant the two divemasters weren't always able to keep an eye on everyone all the time. One young diver got tripled up with my buddy and I for a dive that was to be guided by one of the divemasters. The kid sucked his tank down to 700 PSI barely halfway through the dive - and the divemaster was nowhere to be found. My buddy surfaced with the fellow and they swam back to the boat as I went looking for the divemaster who had strayed. It all worked out, but served as a reminder why I like "concierge diving," with smaller boats and a more propitious ratio of divemasters to divers.

Your photos are great!

It is not the responsibility of a DM to "keep an eye on everybody all the time". A DM is a guide - nothing more. If you choose to follow the guide, you will swim a safe profile and get back to the boat on time. All other aspects of your safety are up to you. The DM didn't "stray". It is not his/her mandate to know if a diver is low on air. None of this is different on the small boats with 6 - 8 divers.
 
I agree with Alex777 but then I would not have accepted an unknown diver to join my buddy team to make a threesome. My hubby & I dive together as a team and are almost matched in air consumption & style of diving. I wouldn't want to change that.
 
I hope others don't take to not taking in a single diver. When traveling with non diving family I often need to try to find an insta buddy. I know it's hard on all parties, please keep an open mind. I do encourage an "interview process" on route to see if the diver is a good match. If your not on the same page, pass em back to the operator. If they are less experienced maybe you can teach them something, If they are more experienced you can even ask them to teach you something. It is imparative to have an in depth conversation before the dive to make sure everyone is on the same page.
 
We've taken single divers along as part of our buddy but always plan ahead to ask; how they are on air, that we don't like to zoom around and go fast over the reef, that if they run out of air before we do they should be aware of where the boat is and if not please ask with hand signals, in some situations I will take them back close to or under the boat and watch them ascend then continue our dive. I enjoy showing newer divers around the reef but they must stick within sight to hand signal.
 
* jealous of your pics *

Was there the same time as you were, we must have crossed paths at some point! However I dove with Cayman Turtle Divers, to get away from the cattle-boat phenomenon. Sylvie & I are in our mid-forties, and like to take our time and relax. CTD offered us just that, great diving, away from the crowds.

My Oly SP-350 housing, wide angle with 2 strobes, my shots are not as nice. I had difficulty getting the camera to respond properly, the shutter button would stay depressed. Moving the P/S/A/M selector would have no effect.

Very windy conditions = swells = harder to stay still, get the fish used to your presence, so you can take a nice shot.
Using the zoom feature of the camera greatly diminished the light-to-sensor ration, even with the two strobes (UDS-1) at max. So I had to get in close, and of course the fish would change sides...

So, IOW, KUDOS to your pics. They are nice, and I can appreciate the hard work involved in those outstanding pics Cathy Church has produced.
 
You know, Mark, I'd seen on the boards that you were going to be there at the same time, and thought to say we should try to get together for a day. But I was too shy. You dove the East End, right? We're the reefs in better shape than what I described?

But yes, you're right - weather did act up that week. My legs are all cut up from banging into coral heads in the surge. But it was worth it!
 
I stayed East, but dove with CTD three boat dives along 7MB, and a night dive with CTD's DM at Cracked Conch on Thursday night.

So that the reefs are nicer, out East or North (Rum Point, North Sound), is from divers and locals that talked to me about it.
(makes sense, less people, less divers, less snorkelers, less resorts...)

I wish I could have worn my gloves. My hands are suffering from holding onto the buoy ropes. We both wore boots & 3mm full wetsuits.
 
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I took a class from TEE. He was great!! Cathy Church's gallery downstairs is wonderful. We bought a couple of prints and a book. She showed up and personalized the book. The prices for cameras seemed a little high but nothing like I would have expected.

Jacks was a great DM. She was on our boat. The first couple of dives we did the DM wasn't Jack, I think it was Roger. After the first dive with him, we told him to slow down. After that they asked us if we wanted a guide.

I think this is who you are talking about.

PICT0136.jpg
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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