Grand Cayman Advice

[Doctorfish]

The north end of SMB near West Bay is pretty quiet as well.
There are a number of condos in this area that are reasonable by cayman standards. There is a Foster's Food Fair nearby and some good restaurants. Alfresco, Cracked Conch. In addition, only a short drive to excellent shore diving at Lighthouse and Turtle Reef. West Bay dock and the yacht club are easily accessible for boat diving west and north. This area is a bit closer to civilization so might keep your non diving spouse happier.

 

[Sushi Boy]

Perry, what are your travel dates?

I'm taking a group to dive with Ocean Frontiers, traveling July 12-19th. We have a couple of spots open if that overlaps with when you'll be there.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Drew -

Thanks for the response - a question of clarification:

I thought I had the whole left driving thing down after driving on several islands don't drive rightly (pun intended), but I don't recall any two lane roundabouts, so I either didn't encounter that situation or probably messed it up badly completely unawares. You said if you wanted to turn right (i.e., exit the roundabout after 3/4 circle (270 degrees)) to be in the right lane, but you also said "don't change lanes in the roundabout." I looked at the brochure you posted and it looks like you're supposed to exit directly from the middle lane when you get 3/4 around. That looks very dangerous, as cars that entered the roundabout from your left or coming the other direction on your original road will be in the left lane - it seems almost like making a left turn from a right lane.

Several of the major roundabout are two lane roundabouts along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway going towards West Bay as well as Crewe Rd and Shamrock Rd heading towards Bodden Town.

Without your advice and the brochure, I would have tried to change lanes into the left lane sometime after I passed the road originally to my left but before I reached the road to my right, so I could exit there from the left lane. Am I overthinking this?

Definitely overthinking this.

Also, what happens if I do reach the road I want to exit on but there is someone to my left not exiting the roundabout? Do I slow/stop to let them pass and wait for a chance to exit, or do I pull a Chevy Chase ("Look kids... Big Ben, Parliament!!) and keep driving around until it is safe to exit?

If that happens then someone (probably the other driver) did something wrong. Way wrong. Do a Chevy Chase and go around again.

Suppose you are in the right lane entering a roundabout with another car in the left lane0 There are a few scenarios:

• You should not be exiting at the first exit (make a left turn at the roundabout), but the car to your left could. If so, then there is no car beside you when you want to exit at the second or later exit. Cool.
• If the car to your left wants to go straight through the intersection (exit at the second point) and you want to exit at the second or later point the no problem. You exit side-by-side onto the second exit or else the car to your left exits at the second point and you don't have a car to your left when you exit at the third or later point.
• If the car to your left wants to go around to the third or later exit then they are doing something wrong. Be careful, this does sometimes happen, particularly eastbound at the roundabout on Shamrock Rd at the East West Arterial.
• If the car to your left exits the roundabout then any car entering the roundabout should be yielding. Such entering car won't have time to get up to speed before you exit.

 

[mi000ke]

The north end of SMB near West Bay is pretty quiet as well.
There are a number of condos in this area that are reasonable by cayman standards. There is a Foster's Food Fair nearby and some good restaurants. Alfresco, Cracked Conch. In addition, only a short drive to excellent shore diving at Lighthouse and Turtle Reef. West Bay dock and the yacht club are easily accessible for boat diving west and north. This area is a bit closer to civilization so might keep your non diving spouse happier.

When I visit GCI with my non diving spouse we stay at a condo at the north end of SMB. It it is very quiet, yet she is near enough to things to keep her happy. And when she's happy she lets me dive, and then we're all happy. I dive with Neptune's Divers, a great outfit, and they pick me up at the condo. Also, if she snorkels (finally talked my wife into that on our last trip) then the reef at Cracked Conch/Macabuca Bar is great for snorkeling as well as shore diving.

 

[howswedeofme]

We recently stayed at Coconut Bay condos in West Bay as we did not like being right on SMB last trip. Very quiet area - it seemed mostly residential with a few vacation rentals - but right next to Cracked Conch/Macabuca and a few other restaurants, Foster's grocery, not far from great shore dives (one off the property, Turtle Reef, Lighthouse Reef), and near West Bay dock which is great if you want to head up to the north wall. I thought our north wall dives were better than our east end dives (but both areas were great). DNS leaves from West Bay at 7:30a so you're back around 11 and have the majority of the day to spend with the non diving spouse! There is also the sunset cruise over to Rum Point for dinner that we didn't do, but I would like to do next time instead of driving to Rum Point.

 

[perry64]

Perry, what are your travel dates?

I'm taking a group to dive with Ocean Frontiers, traveling July 12-19th. We have a couple of spots open if that overlaps with when you'll be there.

Thanks for the offer - I would love to take you up on it. Unfortunately, we're just missing you - we're taking a red eye to Miami on the 19th and getting to GC the morning of the 20th.

 

[perry64]

Several of the major roundabout are two lane roundabouts along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway going towards West Bay as well as Crewe Rd and Shamrock Rd heading towards Bodden Town.


Definitely overthinking this.


If that happens then someone (probably the other driver) did something wrong. Way wrong. Do a Chevy Chase and go around again.

Suppose you are in the right lane entering a roundabout with another car in the left lane0 There are a few scenarios:

• You should not be exiting at the first exit (make a left turn at the roundabout), but the car to your left could. If so, then there is no car beside you when you want to exit at the second or later exit. Cool.
• If the car to your left wants to go straight through the intersection (exit at the second point) and you want to exit at the second or later point the no problem. You exit side-by-side onto the second exit or else the car to your left exits at the second point and you don't have a car to your left when you exit at the third or later point.
• If the car to your left wants to go around to the third or later exit then they are doing something wrong. Be careful, this does sometimes happen, particularly eastbound at the roundabout on Shamrock Rd at the East West Arterial.
• If the car to your left exits the roundabout then any car entering the roundabout should be yielding. Such entering car won't have time to get up to speed before you exit.

Sounds good - I'll just be very defensive and stay out of everyone else's way!!

 

[mi000ke]

Another thing to keep my non-diving spouse (and me) happy was our nightly drink at sunset on the beach....