Trip Report Trip Report: Cayman Aggressor IV, April 28-May 5, 2018

[KathyV]

Another thing...with Cayman’s prices for accommodations, food and diving, a liveaboard’s prices aren’t that much more.

True, especially if they offer a "special" and you get a good deal - if you are able to do a lot of dives and figure out the cost per dive - the LOB may be the most economical option.

I've enjoyed a number of LOB trips, including the Cayman Aggressor, but to me the disadvantages are that I get seasick during deep water crossings, but I am usually fine if we fly to the island and cruise around it like Kona, HI - so if you fly to Brac and stay in the sister islands - it would be good for me.

Also, if the weather is bad I don't care to be stuck on a boat not diving, when I would rather be at the hotel lobby bar! Also, I won't have much chance to enjoy the culture of the country we are visiting - unless they have some shore excursions or we schedule some extra vacation time topside before or after the LOB trip.

We love LC and CB, but there are not a lot of topside attractions, especially during bad weather, we usually spend a day exploring when we are on either island, and that's plenty of time; but a GC-based liveaboard with shore excursions might be an interesting option. And I think that one of the reasons some LOB divers hesitate to book on the Cayman Aggressor is because they want to dive the sister islands, and that usually happens around 75% of the time, but it would be more likely if a LOB was based out there.

 

[FindingMenno]

If not already shared: Cayman Aggressor christens its next-generation dive yacht

 

[Dogbowl]

Under charter in 2 weeks? Private charter? Why doesn’t anyone know? Maybe I’m not rich enough to be informed LOL!

 

[Alucard]

Just a comment about the underwater life on Grand Cayman. I do spend a lot of time shore diving, but I occasionally go out on boats. North West Point most definitely has that "fish-tank" effect, especially on top of the mini wall. There are other West Side locations that do as well.

But one thing I have noticed is that each time I go there I tend to see one type of creature on every dive, no matter which site you were at... and it changes each trip. So one trip it was turtles everywhere, another spotted eagle rays, yet another groupers. On my most recent trip I was only able to get in 4 dives, but each dive I saw loads of file fish (both the regular and the beautiful scrawled). Also saw a nurse shark out in the open (rather than hiding under a rock), spotted moray, lobsters, crabs, flamingo tongues, queen triggerfish, adult spotted drum, hogfish, tarpon, barracuda, large trumpetfish, flamingo tongue, gurnard, angels everywhere it seemed, peacock flounder, squid (14 in a row), 3 turtles and stingrays. Most of the shallower areas were teeming with juveniles, too. Coral condition looked pretty decent, too. I was quite pleased to see that on only 4 shore dives.

 

[KathyV]

Under charter in 2 weeks? Private charter? Why doesn’t anyone know? Maybe I’m not rich enough to be informed LOL!

Maybe it will take over the cruise already reserved for the CAIV and the older boat will go in to drydock for maintenance.

 

[Dogbowl]

Maybe it will take over the cruise already reserved for the CAIV and the older boat will go in to drydock for maintenance.

I think you are right. Maiden voyage was this week.

Aggressor Liveaboards

 

[caydiver]

I am sure they have looked into the feasibility before they sent the new boat here. Who knows maybe there is a longer term plan that includes one of the boats and Cuba. Airlines like Southwest are already positioning themselves to get into that market asap.

 

[Ironborn]

The word is that the new boat (bigger) will stay around Grand Cayman and the older boat will stay around the sister islands. Not sure if the new boat will also go to the sister islands but at least for now it seems like there will be two boats spread between the three islands. I honestly cannot say how definite this is as I don't know that all the kinks (ie moorings for bigger boat, overnight moorings, etc) have been sorted yet but when the new boat is ready there may be some special pricing. The pricing part is a supposition on my part, I did not hear any word on that, but it seems the norm when something like this occurs

That is not what the captain of the CAIV told us during our trip. He said that they would be sending the CAIV to the Bahamas, where it will become the Bahamas Aggressor. The new Cayman Aggressor V, which will be much larger and more comfortable, will be a replacement and not an addition.

 

[Ironborn]

But one thing I have noticed is that each time I go there I tend to see one type of creature on every dive, no matter which site you were at... and it changes each trip. So one trip it was turtles everywhere, another spotted eagle rays, yet another groupers.

Yes, I observed a similar phenomenon on both Grand Cayman and Little Cayman. In my case, it was turtles and groupers during the day and sea basket stars at night, but throughout the week and on both islands. Hence it seemed to me that the biodiversity was a bit low, even by Caribbean standards.

 

[caydiver]

Well we shall all know soon enough. I heard nothing about the company's plans for the vessels immediately or going forward. Merely suitable moorings for the smaller boat in the sister islands and the larger boat in Grand Cayman. Doesn't seem however to make sense that this topic would have be on the table if there were not at least some plans for both the vessels to be around and need moorings. In any event it is not my forte and thought the possibility of watching out for marketing pricing or even if someone was planning a trip they may want to hurry for IV for nostalgic reasons or wait for V for all the other reasons was why I posted.
On another note I love NW Pointe. Probably my favorite drift dive in GC. Especially love it when the Oceanic Triggerfish are in season!