Cayman questions--SMB and Tipping Practice

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JohnnyRock

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Location
Minnesota
# of dives
25 - 49
Little help please. Making our first visit to Grand Cayman tomorrow for 7 days. Based on my research here, plan is to dive a couple times at such places as Sunset House, Eden Rock, or Turtle Reef and then do 3-4 days of boat dives with Ocean Frontiers.

Two questions (forgive me if answers appear elsewhere; I didn't see them):

1./ Will we need to use a surface marker at these shore dive sites?

2./ What is the common tipping practice/arrangement on the boat dives?

Thanks.
 
Why not carry one---my philosophy for about 8 years or so has been 'I never leave the land---or a boat--without one'.........Here's a random pic of me diving in Cayman Brac(about 3 years ago I think) on the Tibbets, I ALWAYS have a SMB & reel strapped to my right hip....---so easy & so inexpensive lil insurance--ESP for the diving you're asking about......IMO, I'd bring one---& a reel......

13519380574_df718d540a_z.jpg
[/URL]Me on the Tibbets--pic by Dick Howe by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

2nd question--I leave 5 bucks a tank(total) & let 'the crew' split it up the way they want to........

EDIT:......now saying all this, we(myself, wife & kids @ the time) have dived Eden's Rock/Devils Grotto about 10(or more now that I think of it) times as a shore dive---back in the latter 80's/early 90's--& NEVER used a SMB/reel,---but that was before SMBs/reels were 'cool' & basically out........(Still, I'd carry one).......
 
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I never use a surface marker at those shore sites. They are well established shore diving locations, marked off by buoys and the only boats in the vicinity are dive boats which know there are always divers down. I do carry one just incase but do not routinely deploy.

I tip 5$ per tank as well.

Forget about Eden Rock and Sunset.
Dive Cobalt Coast and Lighthouse instead. Less beaten up. Turtle Reef ++
 
Thanks for the advice so far; also appreciate any more specific details about the shore diving sites....
 
I agree with the Doctor - Eden Rock suffers from decades of cruise divers since it's the closest dive to the port. The Grotto is an excellent dive in the summer when the Silversides are in - now it's mostly some plain swim-thru's with a few hopeful Tarpon hovering nearby...it also suffers from proximity to the cruise ops since it's between Eden Rock and Fosters - the cruise operator.

IMO the best easily accessible shore dive is Turtle Reef. Go to the south and look for the Tarpon in the cave - they're always there. You're always going to see Turtles there since the Farm is across the street. We saw a whole bunch of Eagle Rays go flying over once also. Sundivers is on-site for tanks and Macabuca is fun for lunch.

Lighthouse or Cobalt Coast are the next best easily accessible dives. Both have Divetech on site. At one time they would tow you out to the wall at CC and let you dive back in - IDK if they still do. They also do a scooter dive between the locations.

I like Sunset House also but more for the experience than the great diving. Although it's not bad, it's more about the fun things to do there. Swim out to the small wreck then back in to the Mermaid. If you ask someone when you can be in the vicinity when the tourist sub goes by. Lunch at MyBar is good and there'll be a lot of divers there. You can also tour the Cathy Church Photo Gallery/Store there and if she's around she'll sign a print that you buy.

I'm curious about your choices though as far as logistics. Turtle Reef is about as far northwest as you can get. Ocean Frontiers is on the East End. Unless you're staying out there at Compass Point or nearby you're looking at the better part of an hour drive from Seven Mile Beach daily.

If you haven't already you should think about making boat reservations with someone for boat dives. Here's most of them: Cayman Islands Tourism Association - Things To Do In Cayman, Cayman Culture,Cayman Islands Watersports

I never use an SMB on Cayman. In the afternoon at Sunset House their boats are moored. I've never seen a boat anywhere near enough to Turtle Reef that worried me either. ymmv
 
I think that Turtle Reef is the premier shore dive on the west side of GC.
There is enough there to keep you amused for multiple dives.
Miniwall with lush sponges and soft corals because of being at the NW end of the island.
Head south and there is a large cave with maybe 30-40 tarpon in it.
Head north and there is lush miniwall with lots of fish, eels, stingrays out on the sand flats and often a turtle or two.
Cobalt has an outstanding miniwall as well if diveable.
Lighthouse Point very similar topography to Turtle Reef. Also good.
These dives all have dive shops on site. No outside tanks.

These are all great sites for night diving as well.

Olin Miller who runs Turtle Reef is quite an old time Cayman dive scene character and worth spending time with.

Sunset and Eden rock have been beaten up by generations of divers and not as verdant as the sites above. I give them a pass unless the silversides are in in which case Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto are worth diving.
 
Was just there September. I would skip Eaden Reef/Devils Grotto/Sunset House. Essentially the same dead reef with a dearth of fish life. When I was there Turtle Reef was closed - being re-built. We were able to rent tanks there though.

I feel the term "shore dive" is a bit misleading - well, more than a bit. At least on the west side you walk across a sidewalk to a ladder. That ladder is the only way in or out - single point. Everywhere else the dead coral forms a verticle wall and even if you could climb onto it, it's almost impossible to walk across the dead coral (devil teeth) to get to a flat surface. To me a shore dive is what you find on Bonaire, for example. There there may be one best point of entry/exit but if you get into trouble (cramp) or get a bit off course you can exit almost anywhere.
 
Hard to get off course with these shore dives on GC. Entry sites are obvious and the diving is miniwall. Swim one direction into the current ( if any ) and come back the other way. Very difficult to get lost.

If you do run into trouble, you are actually safer on GC than Bonaire because you are out in front of a dive shop where there are dive masters with rescue training near by rather than out in the middle of nowhere.

Not sure why you have an issue with calling this "shore diving", Kharon. Certainly meets my definition. You enter from shore on your own schedule, swim around on your own profile and then exit to shore. Total dive freedom. The ladder is a bonus, not something to be sneered at. There is plenty of ironshore on Bonaire making it difficult to exit there at times as well.

GC may not be the shore dive capital of the world, but the shore diving at Turtle Reef and Cobalt is as good or better, imo, than most of the west side sites on Bonaire. I've been to both a number of times so I think I can compare.

I agree it's a different experience but both are good.
 
I work for Divetech so while I appreciate people passing on the recommendation to use our shore dive sites I would like to ask the OP to check with us first on the weather. We are currently experiencing strong northerly winds which have forced us to close both sites, for shore dives for today at least you are going to be staying down south.
 
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