Background Info:
I'm thinking of reservations for 3 (wife, son, and I) to Cayman Brac in early April. Wife is very experienced diver, son and I are reasonably new (50 dives) - but are both very good in our skills. We've been to the Bahamas, Belize, and Keys (FL) on several occassions. We all have similar preferances in diving: warmer waters (little to no exposure suit required), depths to 130' max (preferance is 40 - 80'), walls - reefs of all kinds - sea life, videography (me), high value non-diving ammenities (great local food at a terrific value for example), clean rooms but luxury is not required (save the money for the diving).
Questions:
Would you recomend other destinations over Cayman Brac (BRBR) for the money (~$1300/person inclues transportation, all taxes and port charges and all meals for 8 days - 6 days of diving with daily 2-tank trip and unlimited shore diving)?
If you've done this (got the t-shirt) - what advice do you have to make the trip the best?
If you recommend against - what locations do you think are better (and why)?
Diver Lori
October 23rd, 2003, 02:38 PM
Stick with BRBR. I was on the Brac in July with Divi Tiara. WILL NOT do that again. My next trip back will be with BRBR. If you like overcrowding, seedy rooms and grounds and a GM who couldn't care less....Divi Tiara is the place for you!
This month's Undercurrent has an article about resort overcrowding and Divi Tiara was one of the resorts written up for overcrowding and telling you "tuff luck".
On a much lighter note.....the diving is great. Bloody Bay Wall and the Keith Tibbetts are NOT to be missed. I also thought the diving was much better on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman than it is on Grand Cayman. There's not much night life on the Brac unless it's at your resort. There are a few restaurants nearby, but most of your dining will be at your resort. Think of the Brac as a little sleepy town with not much to do other than diving. By the same token....if diving is your only focus and seclusion and relaxation to top it off....the Brac will fit the bill.
Have a wonderful time!
caymaniac
October 23rd, 2003, 02:41 PM
BRBR is nice, their little beach area is nicer than the Divi's. On the other hand, I would say the food at the Divi is a little better. The chance to go to Little Cayman would be a bit better at the Divi. The Dms at the Brac Reef are great, maybe a touch better than the Divi's. Both are organized well, and the diving is easy. The all inclusive works well at both. I've stayed at both. I'll be on the Brac the first ten days in April. You are lucky to live in Florida where you can get Cayman Air direct, it helps to keep the cost down.
If you haven' read "Diver Lori's" report of her problems at the Divi, maybe you should, try a search. Since I've been to both numerous times, I'll be at the Divi :out: (to Diver Lori).
Your experience level is plenty good enough since there is rarely any current. I took my son a couple of years ago and the three of us had a great time. Maybe my wife and I'll see you there.
Dive Safe,
Caymanaic :)
JRRKAR
October 23rd, 2003, 02:49 PM
My wife and I went to Divi Tiarra on Brac this year in May. The diving was good, the accomodations were adequate and the food was good. I would recommend Divi. IF you do a search here, you will find pros and cons for all places. If you hit Divi at the wrong time, you can expect 12-14 divers on the boats plus the crew. Other times you can have 3-4 divers plus crew. The problem is you can never tell what you are going to hit till you get there.
Cayman Brac is well within the experience you describe. It is a nice place for a vacation. I liked diving at Little Cayman better than Brac. But I also think staying at Little Cayman is more expensive than Brac. I think wherever you go on Brac or LC you will have a good time. IF you want less crowded, try to hit the off season.
Here is a link to a report I gave from our recent trip to Brac.
This will be a group trip (we're a part of the LDS dive trip group), so the BRBR is booked as are the airline (Cayman air), etc. So - no choices there. So far all have been in the afirmative for this trip (and keep em comming if you'd recomend it). But I wouldn't mind hearing from others. As an alternative, we've considered going to San Salvador Bahamas, and Blackbeards (I've done it - but they have not). My wife was there (San Salvador) 25+ years ago and she thought it was the best then (and always compares her memories of it to the diving trips we've made - always favourable for the past!).
Diver Lori
October 23rd, 2003, 09:42 PM
caymaniac once bubbled...
If you haven' read "Diver Lori's" report of her problems at the Divi, maybe you should, try a search. Since I've been to both numerous times, I'll be at the Divi :out: (to Diver Lori).
To each his own! You've obviously been lucky in the weeks you've picked. We were not and got a sour attitude from the GM to go with it.
Hopefully your luck doesn't run out in April!
Safe diving,
Lori
Here's the link he mentioned....
http://www.scubaboard.com/t32824/s.html
caymaniac
October 26th, 2003, 07:37 PM
[QUOTE]Diver Lori once bubbled...
[B] We were not and got a sour attitude from the GM to go with it.
Safe diving,
Lori
Lori, I've been going to the Brac since 1988, at that time no jets had yet landed at the Brac. Also, at this time Little Cayman had no electricity. The Brac is not neccessarily better for it's progression, there used to be a local party every weekend at the Divi property which really gave a great local flavor.
Since from what I understand you've made one trip to the Brac. I guess that gives me quite a few more times on the island than you. I do not consider what happened to you to be the norm. So, quit crying in your beer, get a life, see if you can actually get past your
"problem vacation". I've had one like it in Coz. Chalk it up to experience, know what to look for. Are you one of those people that just can't ever forget, you hold a grudge for life? :boom:
I read Max's apology, it's at least something, and you're making yourself look like a jerk when you said you haven't gotten any response from Divi.
I've had times when I thought there were quite a few on the boat and others when it was only me and one other person diving. I've been to the Brac in Mar., April, Oct., Sep. almost every trip I've chosen to stay at the Divi. I like the way they handle the diving guests.
Your little crusade is disgusting, it comes from a "small point of view".
If you think the Divi is that bad, please don't go back, and leave it at that.
Safe diving,
Caymaniac :)
Diver Lori
October 26th, 2003, 09:47 PM
Whatever. :rolleyes:
I was nice to you, wished you well and stated to each his own(druthers) you shot back with some distasteful comments.
And you can count on it.....I won't be going back to Divi. ( Do I hear you clapping?)
The only reason I responded to this thread is someone asked for a link to the thread, I provided it and you commented on it. I responded to you in a pleasant manner and you came back with a rude attitude.
Back off, you're out of line on this one.
Tim Ingersoll
October 27th, 2003, 09:10 AM
caymaniac once bubbled...
[QUOTE]. . . see if you can actually get past your "problem vacation".
Amen.
-hh
October 28th, 2003, 10:42 AM
jhelmuth once bubbled...
Background Info:
I'm thinking of reservations for 3 (wife, son, and I) to Cayman Brac in early April.
The Brac is a location enjoyed by many. If you liked the Bahamas, Belize, and Keys, you'll probably also like the Brac. The biggest single difference will be the deepwater drop-offs (walls), and vs the Keys, nicer people, because the Brac meets the "One More Flight" rule of thumb for tourism clientele demographics.
Questions:
Would you recomend other destinations over Cayman Brac (BRBR) for the money (~$1300/person inclues transportation, all taxes and port charges and all meals for 8 days - 6 days of diving with daily 2-tank trip and unlimited shore diving)?
Its hard to gage transporation costs without knowing where you're flying in from, but this price looks pretty good IMO.
Generally speaking, the top 3 Caribbean dive destinations in terms of their popularity are the Caymans, Bonaire and Cozumel. The latter two are generally less expensive, although where you live will factor into airfare costs. Cozumel generally is favored by those who enjoy the town's nightlife/drinking. Bonaire's generally favored by those who are driven by cost per dive and are willing (or prefer) to slug around tanks for DIY shore diving.
If you've done this (got the t-shirt) - what advice do you have to make the trip the best?
First off, be aware that there's only two hotels: Brac Reef Beach Resort ("BRBR") and the Divi Tiara Beach Resort ("Divi"). There are some not-so-obvious differences between the two, but...
(BTW, don't let "Diver Lori" read this =-) )
...for the most part, first-timers and novice/intermediates shouldn't worry about these differences: either flip a coin to decide, or pick one based on whoever's running the better package at present.
FWIW, I say this despite being a Timeshare Owner at the Divi.
Things to keep in mind:
First, you're going to an Island with limited resources, and to small hotels. No matter how hard they try, there will be places where their best does not match up to "New York City" standards. As such, it will be closer to your Belize visit than your FL Keys visit.
Second, you're going to a place that doesn't have a lot of development or tourist attractions. For example, there's no Jet Ski's for rent anywhere on this island, so if that's what you're looking for, this is not the island for you. Plan on keeping yourself entertained.
For food, the best restaurant on the Island is generally considered to be the "Captain's Table"; expect Dinner for 2 to run you US$80. Aunt Sha's is good (and inexpensive) for local food, and La Esperanza's has good Jerk Chicken 2x/week.
However, a basic problem is that going off-site for meals eats up time, so it generally isn't all that compatible with the diveboat schedules. As such, I generally recommend first-time visitors to pick up one of the available meal plans from the hotel they're staying at. This also obviates the immediate need for a rental car (neither hotel is in close proximity to any of the restaurants).
The food at the hotels generally operate off of fixed menu's (~2 main dishes at dinner, etc). For a representative look, here's a listing of the Divi's menu from three years ago: as of earlier this month, it is still around 80% the same:
http://tinyurl.com/sotv
Now you will hear some divers calling it wonderful food and giving it high marks but the reality is that this is not "Culinary Institute of America" fine dining: its an all-U-can eat buffet. Yes, its a good buffet, but its still food being maintained on steam tables. For the best meal, be at Dinner early...before it has sat for a few hours.
For lots of other information, I'm going to have to cut this off and give you a tailored Google Search that nevertheless still covers a lot of ground; start here:
http://tinyurl.com/sots
Hope this helps.
BTW, the "unlimited shore diving" stuff in both the Divi's and BRBR's packages is somewhat marketing hype: you can't really dive anywhere within walking distance of the hotels, so you'll need to rent a car to take advantage of this "free" feature. For car rental, I've been using DDDD's for the past ten years or so...their phone# is 1-345-948-1599. Figure $210/week for a car, plus gas at CI$2.50/gallon, plus $3/minute for making that phone call from the USA. If you do go that route, here's a basic map of some shore diving access points I put together awhile back:
http://tinyurl.com/soyw
Skip Harper's guidebook is also quite good: its $27 on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/soz6
Finally, if you want my personal take on the more subtle differences between the dive operations, you can PM me.
-hh
caymaniac
October 28th, 2003, 11:37 AM
-hh once bubbled...
Food, the best restaurant on the Island is generally considered to be the "Captain's Table"; expect Dinner for 2 to run you US$80. Aunt Sha's is good (and inexpensive) for local food, and La Esperanza's has good Jerk Chicken 2x/week.
-hh [/B]
:wacko: , What, haven't you been to ..... the " G&M diner", or "BlackiesCeeseburgers" ? :D
Nobody can tell a good joke or have as great of a come back as "Cliff":boom:
Cliff also has the dang dirtiest car interior in the world, he gave my wife and I a ride from the car rental place one day, it was the most unbelievable thing, and yet I think he'd give you the shirt off his back!
:D
Dive safe,
Caymaniac
Aeolus
October 28th, 2003, 12:10 PM
When I was at Divi Tiara early Sept., we saw several jet skis from BRBR. I have no idea about price, but I think that they were very much out of place there. They were running up and down the channel in front of the dive shop and the resort. Not very good for laying around the pool and watching the ocean.
jhelmuth
October 28th, 2003, 12:45 PM
hh,
Wow! That was really a great review. Thanks for the links :bang:
Just as a reminder to any future posts. We are committed to the BRBR as this is a package trip from our dive club at our LDS (air, transportation, etc are all included). So these jewels of wisdom will be welcome for anyone who might search for such info at a later date, but will not be of significant importance to us unless it would be a reason to reconsider this trip at all. That is why I am also soliciting ideas for other possible ways to spend our diving money. FWIW, we are considering a Blackbeards trip in lieu of this, or San Salvador Bahamas.
Anyway... thanks again to you all. Everyone has been very helpful (especially you hh!)
-hh
October 28th, 2003, 03:59 PM
caymaniac once bubbled...
:wacko: , What, haven't you been to ..... the " G&M diner", or "BlackiesCeeseburgers" ? :D
G&M doesn't even know how to make a grilled cheese...and Blackies looked close when we went by (BTW, there's a new liquor store across the street).
Nobody can tell a good joke or have as great of a come back as "Cliff":boom: ...I think he'd give you the shirt off his back!
:D
Agreed. I've been guilty of conspiracy, as I've taking him down bottles of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" for the past few years for him to have fun with his friends.
BTW, I don't know if you saw my note of a few weeks ago that reported that Cliff is having health problems...he had a heart attack last Winter. He's still insisting on working 6 days/week, but you can tell that its wearing him out. Anyone who loves Cliff and is going to be visiting soon needs to subtly help his wife Coleen "henpeck" him into keeping his next Doctor's appointment, which is in Miami this coming January. Cliff doesn't want to go, but he really needs to.
-hh
caymaniac
October 28th, 2003, 04:08 PM
-hh once bubbled...
I've been guilty of conspiracy, as I've taking him down bottles of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" for the past few years for him to have fun with his friends.
What the heck is "Dave's Insanity Sauce"?
BTW, I don't know if you saw my note of a few weeks ago that reported that Cliff is having health problems...he had a heart attack last Winter.
-hh
Hmmmm, this is not good. I hope this doesn't stem from him having a little too much ....sauce:eek:
If Cliff goes the old place wouldn't quite the same, I have already missed the old gardener who used to really keep the condo area swept free of leaves and pine needles.
Caymaniac
:)
-hh
October 28th, 2003, 04:38 PM
Aeolus once bubbled...
When I was at Divi Tiara early Sept., we saw several jet skis from BRBR. I have no idea about price, but I think that they were very much out of place there. They were running up and down the channel in front of the dive shop and the resort...
I'm going to take an educated guess and say that this was right around or just before the weekend of September 20th.
Reason being is that there were Jetski's briefly on the Brac this year. They had been temporarily imported from Grand Cayman for a special event, "Brac Bash".
Brac Bash is a weekend party to commemorate the anniversary sinking of the M/V Cpt Keith Tibbets (aka 356 Wreck), sunk on (IIRC, 21st of) September, 1996.
I flew in to the Brac this year on Sept 19th, and there were a dozen or so Jetski racers on the flight, as well as a bunch of Grand Caymaners. For the jetski's, the Brac Bash festivities included a Brac Circumnavigation Race and a "Poker Run".
And I happened to be underwater at "End of Island" Reef when the Jetski's came around the west tip of the island on the Circumnavigation Race. After we surfaced, we found out that some of the competitors cut inside of our moored boat (ignoring our 'diver down' flag), for which the race officials were reportedly quite upset (I hope a few of them were given DNF's).
After Sunday, all the Jetski's were gone. Vamose.
Since the Brac's supply barge usually arrives on Thursdays, the jetski's were probably moved over to the Dock on Monday and Tuesday, to be packed up and loaded back into containers and shipped back to Grand Cayman on that Thursday's barge.
In any event, the remaining two weeks of our visit were nice and quiet...
-hh
-hh
October 28th, 2003, 05:08 PM
caymaniac once bubbled...
What the heck is "Dave's Insanity Sauce"?
Its a very, very hot Jalapano/habaņeros sauce.
On the now-obsolete "Scoville Scale", the higher the rating, the hotter the pepper...although technically, you're really measuring the Oleoresin Capsicum content /purity.
Dave's gets a rating of ~80,000 units
Cayenne pepper rates ~40,000 units
Tabasco sauce? A mere ~4,000 units.
Most people don't know Oleoresin Capsicum by its scientific name, but they do know it as "OC Pepper Spray". Its a different (and IMO more effective) product than "Mace" (CN).
Hmmmm, this is not good. I hope this doesn't stem from him having a little too much ....sauce:eek:
If Cliff goes the old place wouldn't quite the same, I have already missed the old gardener who used to really keep the condo area swept free of leaves and pine needles.
Agreed on both counts. There's a lot of "Sauce Problems" within the community...BTW, I forget the name of the old gardener who you're referring to, but last I heard, he's enjoying his retirement...did you know that he was in his mid-20's when the Hurricane of '32 flattened the Brac? (If you're a Brac Fan, you do have a copy of the '32 Storm book, right?)
Also, Melita Hill retired out of the Kitchens this past summer; she was the "grumpy" morning grill person before Cliff and she also used to drive the one bus from the airport. I always used to laugh at how the Divi Dive Staff was absolutely terrified of her, and were amazed at how I could make her actually _smile_ (!). I also saw Starry (she retired in '01)...she and Tennison are both doing well, up at NIM things. Patsie and Uleea and Mr. O'Neal and Ron are still working the dining room in the evenings and are all doing well.
In bad news, the gal who usually works in the AM with Cliff (argh, forget her name)...her ~18yr old {nephew?} and a 17yr old passenger had a very bad solo car accident during Brac Bash. They flight evac'ed the passenger out to Miami on 9/20...I doubt that he'll fully recover (head damage). Cause was excessive and underage Sauce consumption, if you catch my drift...
And Reef Divers had a dive customer do a Polaris off of a deep dive, and evac'ed them from the dock by ambulence to Faith Hospital...IIRC, this was on the 21st. I didn't hear any follow-up bad news on that one, so it was probably just the usual.
-hh
caymaniac
October 28th, 2003, 06:05 PM
-hh once bubbled...
the old gardener , he's enjoying his retirement...did you know that he was in his mid-20's when the Hurricane of '32 flattened the Brac? (If you're a Brac Fan, you do have a copy of the '32 Storm book, right?)
Also, Melita Hill retired out of the Kitchens this past summer; she was the "grumpy" morning grill person before Cliff and she also used to drive the one bus from the airport. .
-hh
Wow, that guy is an "olden"! And that Melita sure could handle the baggage, she was wiry and in charge! I would always do my best to get her to smile, but it didn't always work :upset: :D
Thanks for the news, last year we didn't make it to the Brac, we did have an eventful dive year though. Bonaire, then T&C, then Australia then Hawaii........ahhhhh, can I do that again :confused: , most likely not afford that again;-0 , but it sure was great!
