If you could spend a month on Grand Cayman ..

[howswedeofme]

If you dive with Ambassador, ask for Siggy. I dove with her two years ago as a novice diver and out of the dive instructors I've had before/since, she's my favorite. We are going back to GC in January and I plan to dive with her again.

Also check out the shore diving options as there are quite a few good ones (Eden Garden/Devil's Grotto isn't one I'd waste time on from what I've heard outside of Kharon's post). I used this site as a starter for our Bonaire trip and it has Cayman sites, as well: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Cayman Islands, Caribbean. The only shore dive we did last time was a night dive at Macabuca and it was beautiful! At $12-15 a dive for tanks/weights depending on where you get them from, it's a much more wallet-friendly option.

I bought my own BCD and regulator when I first got into diving because I knew from the start I'd be hooked. I bought used and got lucky that it was basically new and the inspection checked out (still trucking along 7 years later with the BCD but just traded up the reg last year because almost no one will service my old Dacor anymore). I like being able to reflexively know where everything is hooked in and how to easily adjust it/get it off and on quickly. I think it'd be worth the cost with how long you plan to be in GC and especially if you plan to keep diving in the future. I also like knowing that my gear is in good condition and within the service interval, but I'm a bit of a control freak.

As for can't-miss eats (even though you didn't ask), Ortanique has an excellent happy hour on weekdays with some fantastic ceviche. We also really love the blueberry pancakes at Sunshine Grill (enough for two - do not get two orders!!)

 

[mi000ke]

Well we did make it to GCI but because of scheduling conflicts were able to spend only a week there. We took Diversteve's recommendation and rented a condo at the north end of SMB. It was the perfect location for easy access to just about everything - mostly diving and snorkeling for me, and restaurants, night life and shopping for my non-diving wife.

I bought equipment last summer and brought it with me which worked out great.

I was able to get in three days of boat dives with Neptune Divers. I can't say enough good things about their operation. They are very friendly and easy going yet highly professional and service oriented. On two of the days it was just me and one other diver. They put a DM in the water as a guide on all dives, but let us dive our computers. We determined the sites each day based on weather and what was available. Most of the sites are so close to each other you can often do a two-for-one. We did west bay two days and south sound one day due to wind and chop on the west side. Northern wall not an option due to weather. They run to smaller (but not crowded) boats and a max of 8 divers. We had seven on one day and there was plenty of room and the whole experience well managed. I recommend them highly.

We were only a 10 minute drive from Macabucca so did some snorkeling there plus had a great lunch. We also snorkeled from where we were staying (Harbour Heights) down to Governor's reef. Drove past cemetery beach several times but didn't have a chance to stop in.

We got to Rum Point for a Caybrew on the beach at Kaibo Bar, walked through the botanical garden, smoked a hand-rolled (on the premises) Cuban cigar at Havana Club (me, not my wife), had one of the finest (and most expensive) meals at Blue, and watched the sun set from our beach each evening with drink in hand. Oh, and got great jerk chicken at Chicken Chicken, and a good sunset beer hang with the locals at Calico Jacks which was just up the beach from us
,
All in all a great trip, and if all goes well we'll have that month of Feb in the Caymans next year, with a chance to check out LC and Brac.

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

 

[divesergeant]

Glad you had a good time, and that you tried Neptune's. Diving with Casey is like diving with family for us.

 

[Alex777]

Spend some time on Little Cayman. And Eden Rock / Devil's Grotto is still worth a dive.

 

[diversteve]

And Eden Rock / Devil's Grotto is still worth a dive.

Especially in Summer....

 

[mi000ke]

OP here. Heading back to GCI next week for a week, and if all goes well we will be buying a place. All of your great advice made for such a fun trip last February that my non-diving wife agreed she would be happy spending winters there (a big win for me!).

The dream is becoming reality, and the plan is to spend mid Dec to mid March there each year. I see lots of diving in my future.

Again, thanks to all for such great advice.

 

[howswedeofme]

We stayed at Coconut Bay just up the road from Macabuca when we were there in January. If you haven't already, try to do the shore dive off the Coconut Bay complex (Hepp's Pipeline). The mini wall is fantastic. If you swim out and head to the right you'll turn around at Macabuca and it's a nice dive, but I prefer heading to the left. We saw many turtles, a few rays, a sea cucumber, flamingo tongue snails, flounder, queen angelfish, and loads of other marine life. It is our favorite dive on that end of the island. If you head out to the East End, Ironshore Gardens is a breathtaking dive site and my new favorite overall of all the places I've been.

 

[sea_otter]

I'll add one addition to diversteve's post. If you choose to stay in Bodden Town or farther east, be aware that Grand Cayman DOES have rush hour traffic during the week. I was staying on the East End and almost missed a dive boat departing from West Bay because I did not plan ahead. I personally love the East End, but I prefer a quiet remote location even if it means driving a half an hour for groceries and cooking at home. There are a couple nice restaurants, but if you're looking for more nightlife, stay on the west side.

I've done dives with Ocean Frontiers (East End), Living the Dream Divers (West Bay/Yacht club), and shore dives from Macabuca / Turtle Reef (West Bay). All were exceptional.

 

[mi000ke]

If you choose to stay in Bodden Town or farther east, ...

Thanks for the advice. We're looking to buy at the north end of SMB. We've stayed there (thanks to DiverSteve's recommendation) and really enjoyed it. I've been diving with Casey at Neptune's, but with a couple of months on the island, I'm sure to dive the other parts of the island (plus LC and CB) at some point.

 

[mi000ke]

Well we pulled the trigger and had an offer accepted on a place on SMB. Looking forward to spending winters diving in the Caymans instead of shoveling New England snow. Now I can start working on the Dive 365 list...