Question from new divers about diving in Cozumel and Grand Cayman
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fire_diver
Contributor
As other's said, if you aren't familiar with the location, it would probably be best to book the dive through the cruise ship. If something goes wrong (boat problems, transfer problems, etc) the cruise ship will either wait for you, or provide transportation to the next port to meet back up. When you book on your own, you are ON YOUR OWN. I actually watched a family running/screaming/waving on the pier as the ship was pulling out. If you aren't back in time, it's all on you. No, the boat didn't go back for them.
Oh, and bring your passport and credit cards with you every time you step off the ship. If things get FUBARed, you will have an easier time than being stranded with no ID and no access to $$$.
Doctorfish
Contributor
I feel that hard core dive ops like Off the Wall and Wall to Wall are not going to be suitable for you on GCM.
They tend to take out relatively experienced divers, do wall dives to 80-90 feet and leave shore at 7.30 AM.
I would stick with a shore dive outfit on GCM given experience level. The ones mentioned above are good, so is Sunset House, and Turtle Reef. They all offer good shallow reefs, minimal current, easy water access and egress.
Happy Fish Dive School at Turtle Reef will also do guided dives and or refresher courses if you arrange in advance.
They tend to take out relatively experienced divers, do wall dives to 80-90 feet and leave shore at 7.30 AM.
I would stick with a shore dive outfit on GCM given experience level. The ones mentioned above are good, so is Sunset House, and Turtle Reef. They all offer good shallow reefs, minimal current, easy water access and egress.
Happy Fish Dive School at Turtle Reef will also do guided dives and or refresher courses if you arrange in advance.
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A little help with the logistics on Grand Cayman.
Eden Rock is about 100 yds. from the cruise tender dock. Fosters is slightly farther. Eden Rock is one dive, Devils Grotto is also there to the south. DG is slightly overhead obstructed so stay in the passages where you can see clear "outs" at either end and possibly in the middle. Neither site is going to be much over 40'. Scuba Dive Cayman with Eden Rock Diving Center
Fosters or Red Sail are the Cruise operators depending on your cruise line. Both have a lot of big boats but as newer divers that's not always a bad thing. They'll still provide a DM for every 8 divers per law and may go to some mid-range sites more suited to your experience level. As someone else mentioned, Wall to Wall tends to do more experienced deep wall dives if possible.
Another option the other way is Wall to Wall Diving or Deep Blue Divers. They work out of the Lobster Pot Dive Center - a short walk north of the port. Scuba Diving in Grand Cayman with Lobster Pot Dive Center | There's also a shore dive there and Wall to Wall will provide a free tank for it after you boat dive with them. They also have a cruise dive program so their 7:30AM departure isn't an issue. http://www.lobsterpotdivecenter.com/cruise-ship-visitors/
Sunset House as mentioned would be another easy option. A few minute cab ride south from the port. They have both a dock entry and the Salt Water Pool for a shore entry. Decent diving - better than Eden Rock but not the best on GC. The famous Mermaid is there at 55' in clear water and there's a small landing craft wreck slightly deeper - maybe 70' Both are marked with balls so ask someone on shore to point them out. We found it easiest to surface swim out to the wreck, drop on it then swim back to the Mermaid.
Sunset House is also good for lunch - My Bar there is a divers bar with good sandwiches. And the Cathy Church Photo Gallery is there also - if she's in and you buy a print ask her to sign it. I should point out that the entire time you're at Sunset House you'll still be able to see your cruise ship so getting back isn't really an issue. Sunset House Home - Sunset House
Otherwise there's Turtle Reef. IMO it's the best of the Cayman Shore Dives. It's also on the north end past all of Seven Mile Beach so would require a 20-30 min. cab ride. SunDivers is on-site there and as mentioned arrangements can be made with Happy Fish for a guide. But it's really a pretty easy dive - there's broad steps into a protected cove. A short swim out is the ball that marks the mini-reef - you'll easily spot it from shore. Drop there and proceed along the reef in either direction - it bottoms out around 45-50' one way and closer to 70' the other - farther out there's a big sand flat that you'd have to then cross and a longish swim out to the wall from there. If you head to the south along the mini-reef and you'll encounter a large group of Tarpon in a shallow cave - they've been there forever - or at least since I saw them in 2003.
For post-dive there's the Macabuca Tiki Bar on site - also you'll be diving off Cracked Conch's deck - a much nicer restaurant. Cracked Conch Grand Cayman Ocean Front Seafood Restaurant and Tiki Bar - Turtle Reef Snorkeling and Diving Getting a cab back won't be difficult - just ask someone to call a few mins. b4 you're ready as they probably drive up from Seven Mile Beach.
Eden Rock is about 100 yds. from the cruise tender dock. Fosters is slightly farther. Eden Rock is one dive, Devils Grotto is also there to the south. DG is slightly overhead obstructed so stay in the passages where you can see clear "outs" at either end and possibly in the middle. Neither site is going to be much over 40'. Scuba Dive Cayman with Eden Rock Diving Center
Fosters or Red Sail are the Cruise operators depending on your cruise line. Both have a lot of big boats but as newer divers that's not always a bad thing. They'll still provide a DM for every 8 divers per law and may go to some mid-range sites more suited to your experience level. As someone else mentioned, Wall to Wall tends to do more experienced deep wall dives if possible.
Another option the other way is Wall to Wall Diving or Deep Blue Divers. They work out of the Lobster Pot Dive Center - a short walk north of the port. Scuba Diving in Grand Cayman with Lobster Pot Dive Center | There's also a shore dive there and Wall to Wall will provide a free tank for it after you boat dive with them. They also have a cruise dive program so their 7:30AM departure isn't an issue. http://www.lobsterpotdivecenter.com/cruise-ship-visitors/
Sunset House as mentioned would be another easy option. A few minute cab ride south from the port. They have both a dock entry and the Salt Water Pool for a shore entry. Decent diving - better than Eden Rock but not the best on GC. The famous Mermaid is there at 55' in clear water and there's a small landing craft wreck slightly deeper - maybe 70' Both are marked with balls so ask someone on shore to point them out. We found it easiest to surface swim out to the wreck, drop on it then swim back to the Mermaid.
Sunset House is also good for lunch - My Bar there is a divers bar with good sandwiches. And the Cathy Church Photo Gallery is there also - if she's in and you buy a print ask her to sign it. I should point out that the entire time you're at Sunset House you'll still be able to see your cruise ship so getting back isn't really an issue. Sunset House Home - Sunset House
Otherwise there's Turtle Reef. IMO it's the best of the Cayman Shore Dives. It's also on the north end past all of Seven Mile Beach so would require a 20-30 min. cab ride. SunDivers is on-site there and as mentioned arrangements can be made with Happy Fish for a guide. But it's really a pretty easy dive - there's broad steps into a protected cove. A short swim out is the ball that marks the mini-reef - you'll easily spot it from shore. Drop there and proceed along the reef in either direction - it bottoms out around 45-50' one way and closer to 70' the other - farther out there's a big sand flat that you'd have to then cross and a longish swim out to the wall from there. If you head to the south along the mini-reef and you'll encounter a large group of Tarpon in a shallow cave - they've been there forever - or at least since I saw them in 2003.
For post-dive there's the Macabuca Tiki Bar on site - also you'll be diving off Cracked Conch's deck - a much nicer restaurant. Cracked Conch Grand Cayman Ocean Front Seafood Restaurant and Tiki Bar - Turtle Reef Snorkeling and Diving Getting a cab back won't be difficult - just ask someone to call a few mins. b4 you're ready as they probably drive up from Seven Mile Beach.
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They need to update their website then. Activities | Cayman Islands | Red Sail Sports Cayman
The problem with Red Sail is unless they pick you up, they're up on Seven Mile Beach at one of the resorts. Probably waste 15-20 mins. each way for a boat dive you can also do with an in-town shop. There's no shore diving along SMB - too far out to swim.
There's also Cruise Diver Grand Cayman which is part of Cayman Diver. They have a shop just north of the cruise pier also - closer in fact than Lobster Pot IIRC. Since you're on RCL you can actually also book privately with Fosters if desired - they don't have a contract that prohibits it. http://donfosters.com/pages/cruise_ships.php
One other option that just occurred to me - when you get in port call/walk over to Eden Rock and ask them if the Silversides are still in the Grotto. They were late in arriving this year so may still be there. And you'd get to experience this:
[vimeo]69518760[/vimeo]
And I would be envious since I haven't yet...
The problem with Red Sail is unless they pick you up, they're up on Seven Mile Beach at one of the resorts. Probably waste 15-20 mins. each way for a boat dive you can also do with an in-town shop. There's no shore diving along SMB - too far out to swim.
There's also Cruise Diver Grand Cayman which is part of Cayman Diver. They have a shop just north of the cruise pier also - closer in fact than Lobster Pot IIRC. Since you're on RCL you can actually also book privately with Fosters if desired - they don't have a contract that prohibits it. http://donfosters.com/pages/cruise_ships.php
One other option that just occurred to me - when you get in port call/walk over to Eden Rock and ask them if the Silversides are still in the Grotto. They were late in arriving this year so may still be there. And you'd get to experience this:
[vimeo]69518760[/vimeo]
And I would be envious since I haven't yet...
I will also agree that Turtle Reef is a great dive on GCM. Logistics of getting there may be tricky though, it's up in West Bay and a haul from the boat.
diver 85
Contributor
Dennis---agree 100% on diving Eden's Rock/Devil's Grotto...Back in the latter 80's thru early 90's, our family---wife, 2 sons,daughter & myself--used to visit GC 2 times a year for diving......Stayed @ (then)Seaview Hotel(now demolished from what I can see & dove with Parrots Landing, right down the road)..Used to do ER/DG as a shore afternoon dive 3 or 4 times each week--ie we LOVED it.....Have a great(home) UW video we finally did(rented an UW video camera from Parrot's Landing) & filmed the WHOLE thing---from the surface swim to all throughout the grottos---with the tarpon etc etc......That REALLY brings back some good memories.......Never forget the 1st time my 2 sons & myself found the "In Memory Sign" in one of the grottos........Again, a must dive IMO while visiting GC......
I decided that I didn't want our dives to be a cruise ship "cattle" dive so I booked individually with Aldora's in Cozumel. They will take us to a dock near the ship and let us off after diving to avoid a return taxi ride. Still haven't decided on Grand Cayman yet. Waiting for emails from shops. Thanks, Steven
fire_diver
Contributor
Neptunes Divers has picked me up at the cruise pier in GC in the past.
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