Just back - not the best impression - this one is a definite skip it

[Kharon]

... it is my feeling that all Scuba divers should be decent at snorkeling..... In other words--before the trip, learn to snorkel/freedive

Guess what - I've been snorkeling/freediving for just over 60 years so I don't need your patronizing crap. And guess what. I did snorkel some of the west side (Cemetery Beach, for example, which is supposed to be a great snorkeling site). The visibility sucked big time - and the reef? - you call that a reef? . There was a lot of wind and surge and everything was stirred up every day. The vis, snorkeling was about as good as at Lake George (which is about a 45 minute drive for me).

Also, to all of those who have a direct flight to GC (or anywhere else) - good for you. There is no airport within a 4 hour drive (for me) that has a direct flight to anywhere - other than Boston (from NYC area), NYC (from Boston), DC or Atlanta. I can't even get a direct flight to Miami. Just because you can get a flight that is cheap and painless doesn't mean I can. Moreover, I have the 3½ - 4 hour drive, hefty parking fees, and cost of a possible overnight stay just to be able to travel. Not the destination's problem, certainly. But a huge factor in deciding where it is worth going.

 

[EastEndDiver]

JFK has direct flights to Cayman on Caymanair.Not sure how long a drive JFK is for you.

 

[Mike]

Guess what - I've been snorkeling/freediving for just over 60 years so I don't need your patronizing crap. And guess what. I did snorkel some of the west side (Cemetery Beach, for example, which is supposed to be a great snorkeling site). The visibility sucked big time - and the reef? - you call that a reef? . There was a lot of wind and surge and everything was stirred up every day. The vis, snorkeling was about as good as at Lake George (which is about a 45 minute drive for me).

Also, to all of those who have a direct flight to GC (or anywhere else) - good for you. There is no airport within a 4 hour drive (for me) that has a direct flight to anywhere - other than Boston (from NYC area), NYC (from Boston), DC or Atlanta. I can't even get a direct flight to Miami. Just because you can get a flight that is cheap and painless doesn't mean I can. Moreover, I have the 3½ - 4 hour drive, hefty parking fees, and cost of a possible overnight stay just to be able to travel. Not the destination's problem, certainly. But a huge factor in deciding where it is worth going.

You seem to have gone from at the beginning of all this your experiencing a bad trip to Grand Cayman because of the trip leaders you went with to... you've been screwed by the entire Caymans because they don't fit a very finite set of criteria that basically eliminates you from diving anywhere.

Must be super easy to travel to.
Must be able to shore dive solo.
Must be an inexpensive local economy.
Has great diving.

For example, no Bonaire. Great diving, can shore dive solo, but not easy to get to, not an inexpensive local economy...

 

[fire_diver]

Guess what - I've been snorkeling/freediving for just over 60 years so I don't need your patronizing crap. And guess what. I did snorkel some of the west side (Cemetery Beach, for example, which is supposed to be a great snorkeling site). The visibility sucked big time - and the reef? - you call that a reef? . There was a lot of wind and surge and everything was stirred up every day. The vis, snorkeling was about as good as at Lake George (which is about a 45 minute drive for me).

Also, to all of those who have a direct flight to GC (or anywhere else) - good for you. There is no airport within a 4 hour drive (for me) that has a direct flight to anywhere - other than Boston (from NYC area), NYC (from Boston), DC or Atlanta. I can't even get a direct flight to Miami. Just because you can get a flight that is cheap and painless doesn't mean I can. Moreover, I have the 3½ - 4 hour drive, hefty parking fees, and cost of a possible overnight stay just to be able to travel. Not the destination's problem, certainly. But a huge factor in deciding where it is worth going.

It sounds as if there is no place in the world you can be happy diving except for MAYBE a swimming pool in your own back yard. That way it's cheap, travel time is short, vis would be great and you don't have to follow a group leader (which I still don't understand how this group leader you apparently don't know, or even like, forced you to dive any certain way you weren't comfortable with). I've been diving with different group charters and it was always a "same ocean" dive. We all dive the same place but certainly there was no such forced "follow the leader" game with anyone else. And you still seem to want to be a part of that dive group. Very interesting.

 

[AggieDiver]

You just made my point for me Kharon. Ok, so you either have a feeder flight or a 4+hr drive to the airport to get to the Caribbean. Well guess what, you have the exact same issue flying to the south pacific too. So consider that a wash between the two locations and you still have flights that are much shorter to get to the Caribbean.

 

[dmoore19]

I don't know what to say. I can't get to the Caymans on a direct flight either. I have to go through someplace else to get there, no direct flights. Denver is the 5th busiest airport in the US. It isn't cheap either. Same thing with most destinations. Even Cozumel has a stop either in DFW or Houston.. Apple vacations has a charter flight but it doesn't run all the time. I guess I could go through Cancun but for me it ain't worth the time.

 

[vincent54]

Guess what - I've been snorkeling/freediving for just over 60 years so I don't need your patronizing crap. And guess what. I did snorkel some of the west side (Cemetery Beach, for example, which is supposed to be a great snorkeling site). The visibility sucked big time - and the reef? - you call that a reef? . There was a lot of wind and surge and everything was stirred up every day. The vis, snorkeling was about as good as at Lake George (which is about a 45 minute drive for me).

Also, to all of those who have a direct flight to GC (or anywhere else) - good for you. There is no airport within a 4 hour drive (for me) that has a direct flight to anywhere - other than Boston (from NYC area), NYC (from Boston), DC or Atlanta. I can't even get a direct flight to Miami. Just because you can get a flight that is cheap and painless doesn't mean I can. Moreover, I have the 3½ - 4 hour drive, hefty parking fees, and cost of a possible overnight stay just to be able to travel. Not the destination's problem, certainly. But a huge factor in deciding where it is worth going.

It is hurricane season, and the weather is unpredictable. I feel the trip to any of the Cayman Islands is worth the trouble. If its windy and surgy go explore , there will always be a calm side. On a plus side, windy and stormy weather bring in the bigger fish. Testudo, one of the Scubaboard members, has a fantastic website that shows some spectacular Grand Cayman snorkel sites. I am sure you can scuba some of these sites. Awesome pictures as well. If a site sucks, ask around.

You burn a day traveling. Have a drink and enjoy the flight. Vacations should be fun. Give Cayman a second chance and you'll be rewarded with beautiful diving, nice weather and some of the friendliest people in the world. GC, LC and Brac all offer exceptional diving. Brac probably the most inexpensive.

Sounds like the dive plan you had would be terrible in any location.

Cheers

 

[Kharon]

... don't fit a very finite set of criteria that basically eliminates you from diving anywhere.

Must be super easy to travel to.
Must be able to shore dive solo.
Must be an inexpensive local economy.
Has great diving.

Actually, none of those. What I said was these were factors I consider relavent to picking a destination. The only absolute criteria (learned from this trip) is that I will never again let anyone (group or individual) dictate how, when, and where I dive. Nor will I ever again be dependant on anyone else for transportation. Sorry for whizzing on Cayman when it was the group dynamics that screwed me. I guess what really pissed me off is that I didn't have the opportunity to see the best. Given time I might visit Brac. First there are other places on my bucket list.

And, by the way, Bonaire can be done extremely inexpensively. I rent an apartment for $64/day, cook for myself, rent a cheap truck and get an unlimited air package. I can stay for 2 weeks for the same $$$$ that I spent on one week on GC. Done it a number of times.