Cayman Brac Beach Resort - Shore Diving?

[KathyV]

We now think that Cayman Brac is way better than Bonaire for shore diving. It may completely replace Bonaire for our group shore diving trips. In particular, there are a number of docks / basins with ladders, the entries are far easier than Bonaire. There are a couple of sources for shore diving including the dive shops. There is a also book that has the words adventure and cayman brac in the title that we found at the complex...

I think that is very surprising and interesting. How easy is it to park near most of the shore dive sites?

I know that no place is crime-free and you always need to be alert and use common sense, but did you have any concerns about theft while shore diving CB? Did you leave the car open with the windows rolled down and with nothing of value inside as is necessary on Bonaire?

I am not trying to reopen the age-old debate about thievery on Bonaire, but it's real and I don't see it changing any time soon. I am just wondering if CB could be a viable shore-diving alternative, but without the theft problem.

 

[KathyV]

I found a post about this book online with a 2015 date. I sent a note to SITA asking where you can buy the book but didn't get an answer.

 

[redacted]

Scuba Shack had a newer book that was better.

 

[KathyV]

Scuba Shack had a newer book that was better.

good to know, thanks!

 

[divezonescuba]

You don't need to lock the door to your house on Brac. We did lock the car a few times,but it was probably unnecessary. There are so few people on Brac that everybody seems to know everyone else. Except for the guy who thought we had ordered some fish, we didn't even see anyone else around.

While we personally have not been victims of crime on Bonaire, we have seen incidents of broken glass from car break ins on the remote Bonaire sites. Last time we were there,the criminal element began stealing car radios. So the roll the windows down approach no longer made any difference. The crime problem is one of the reasons why we began looking for alternatives.

There's plenty of parking at most of the north shore dive sites. Most of them have small ramps for boats as well. We only saw one small boat being launched the whole week. The only other boat we saw near the sites was the police boat that busted us for not having a dive flag.

There was only one other diver at one of the sites during a night dive. We did have a couple of people stop and ask us how the diving was.

We also like the fact that somebody perhaps the government has installed stairwells and heavy duty ladders in many of the dive site locations. This is exactly the opposite of the Bonaire approach where anything will damage the environment. I recall a post where one person went so far as to say "it's not Disney world" when someone asked why Bonaire did not do more to make the sites user friendly.

I have passed on many dives in Bonaire because the iron shore entry would be too difficult or dangerous. We did not have that issue in Brac. We did pass on the south side dives, but that was because the entries were fundamentally difficult due to the surge and debris on the shore. On a calm day you could probably do a few south shore dives, but the timing was not right for us.

 

[redacted]

My main complaint was the lack of dive site markers on the main road. I saw one rock and it was painted a brown-red and barely noticeable.

 

[divezonescuba]

Some of the dive sites are now marked with brown road signs on the side of the road. The signs look new.

 

[vincent54]

I never lock up anything. Brac is pretty much crime free. However, my wallet is usually empty from buying food and non caymanian beer. I think I bought a case of Corona for about 50 dollars. They got me, my mouth was open.

Dive anywhere you want and find an area where no else is in the water. Cheers

 

[KathyV]

I never lock up anything. Brac is pretty much crime free. However, my wallet is usually empty from buying food and non caymanian beer. I think I bought a case of Corona for about 50 dollars. They got me, my mouth was open. Dive anywhere you want and find an area where no else is in the water. Cheers

Liquor prices are insanely high in the Caymans, we always pick up some alcohol in the duty-free shop in the airport, after we get through security, before we leave the US.

Below is the amount of liquor you are allowed to bring in duty-free. Of course, hauling a case of of beer would be much more difficult than a bottle of spirits. You'd have to give that some thought. Maybe bring a nearly empty carry-on wheled bag that you could use for the beer?

We have never traveled directly to the sister islands, we always spend some time on GC. When we are ready to head over to Brac or Little we pack a well-wrapped bottle in our checked luggage so it is not a problem.

They must have options for bringing duty free items all the way to the sister islands when you are doing interisland transit. Does anyone know how that works?

Duty Free Allowances
All passengers over the age of 18 years may also bring with them the following items

1. • Up to 1 liter of Potable Spirits
   • Or 4 liters of wine (five 750 ml bottles)
     
   • Or 1 case of Beer (not exceeding 8 liters)
2. • Up to 200 Cigarettes
   • Or 250 grammes of Tobacco

 

[divezonescuba]

Don't make a mistake like we did with the duty free alcohol.

Once you pick up your duty free liquor in Grand Cayman, if you are continuing on to Brac or Little, put your liquor in your checked luggage before checking in for the commuter flight. This is because currently you leave the secure area, get your checked luggage, and then have to check in again for your commuter flight. After that you have to go back through security again to get on the commuter flight. This is the only airport that I have ever been that requires you to leave the secure area and then go back through security to return to the secure area.

The sign says you can have liquor with you through security as long as it is under 100 proof. What they don't tell you is that you still can't have more than 3 ounces of liquid even if it is sealed duty free liquor. So if you try to take your duty free liquor with you, you will be forced to turn it over to the security people.

I don't drink alcohol myself, so doesn't really matter to me, but it might to you.