Caymans or Bahamas?

I have a confirmed place on board the Cayman Aggressor in January 2014 and have paid for the flights as well but after reading about the dodgy winter weather conditions in the islands, I am having serious second thoughts. I had even arranged a side trip to Little Cayman after the cruise to be certain (or so I had thought) of diving the Bloody Bay Wall, but when I spoke to the Fanta Seas Dive Center, they honestly told me that it was only 50:50 in January if they could make it to the north shore where the BBW is located. The possibility of missing BBW is a very major disappointment for me and now I am thinking of changing my plans even if it means losing some money. My choices are limited because I have to be in Miami in the week after and so I am looking for a liveaboard on the same dates.

There is one - Bahamas' Exhuma Cays cruise on board the Aqua Cat. I have not checked their availability yet and I need to speak to American Airlines about changing part of my flight tickets (London to Miami will remain the same but I need to fly to Nassau instead of the present booking to Grand Cayman). I'll lose half of my Aggressor deposit and smaller amounts of my Cayman Airways (refundable) ticket and Little Cayman Resort deposit. In all, I expect to lose around US $500 if I make the change to Bahamas but will consider it if the diving conditions there are significantly better than the Cayman Islands in January.

Please advice me on what to do (In doing so, please bear in mind that I am asking not about a straightforward comparison but comparative diving conditions in January between the Caymans and the Bahamas

To further complicate your decision, I'd seriously consider the Turks/Caicos Explorer instead if you're planning to change. Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Liveaboard Diving

Thanks Steve. I have already been on the T&C Aggressor recently (May 2011) and had a great trip. As I have said elsewhere, the best crew I have been with. I did 24 fantastic dives on that trip but for Jan 2014 I want to go someplace that I have not been before.

Carib Dancer is the most obvious option but they only have a trip listed the previous week (which I cannot make) My booking with Cayman Aggressor is the 11th to 18th January week and it fits in with my unchangeable Miami programme to follow. On their website, there is nothing for over a month after Carib Dancer returns to port after 11th January 2014. If there is a trip on 11th Jan, it will be fine for me although I'll miss out on the Dive the World Club discount that I got with the Caymans trip. I'll ring them on Monday and check.

But your link was useful. I noted that between 11th & 18th January, the Caribbean Explorer goes to Saba, St Maartens & St Kitts. I don't know if those places have flight connections with Miami but assuming that they do, what is the diving like in those reefs in January and how does it compare with the Bahamas?

PS: I made enquiries. AA were very good and since it only meant a change of second flight (MIA-NAS instead of MIA-GCM) with themselves, it will cost me only $20 to make the change as long as I do it within the next few days. Likewise, total cancellation & refund of the Cayman Airlines internal flights will cost me only $25 processing fee and cancelling my booking with Little Cayman Beach Resort this far ahead also has the same penalty. It is cancelling the Cayman Aggressor booking that is going to set me back $440 but Aqua Cat is considerably cheaper than the Aggressor boat even with the latter's Dive The World Club discount. Therefore, if I manage to pull off this complicated exchange, I'll come out more or less even financially.

I don't know but I think it's more small stuff. Saba is supposed to be excellent diving though.

The other thing to be aware of is that you fly into St. Maarten and out of St. Kitts. Or vice-versa depending on which turn you're on. They either pick you up on St. Maarten or shuttle you over to Saba - I don't recall which. The Saba airport is tiny and it's STOL only - google it, there's videos.

Carib Dancer appears to have some problems recently also - there's been a couple of threads about it lately. So probably better that you can't do it.

They're not as nice but there's a couple of Florida boats that could work also if you're transiting thru MIA both ways. The leave out of West Palm? and do the Tiger Beach or Dolphin dives. Check out JASA Bahamas & Palm Beach, Florida Scuba Diving :: Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures or Dolphin Dream. Dolphin Swim and Swim With Dolphin in the Wild. I'd suggest Sail Juliet also, but I think he's retired by then.

Another option you might be able to put together is Cuan Law in the BVI's. Scuba Diving Live-aboard in the British Virgin Islands

If you can get to St. Thomas - 3hrs direct from MIA - you can fast ferry over to Roadtown. Tortola in about an hour. There's also local commuter flights from San Juan if you can get there easier. I think the 2nd flight to Tortola is pricier though - also it's a small plane. The ferry port on St. Thomas is 5mins. from the airport. The Cuan Law leaves from Roadtown.

Even getting back for your return flight is easy the same day - my friends left Virgin Gorda - another hour farther away - and were back on St. Thomas with enough time to do a little shopping downtown. The ferries run all day and are fast and reliable. Maybe less frequently on Sat. But there's several different options - two ports on St. Thomas and two on Tortola - just a cab ride between them if necessary. Virgin Islands Ferry Schedule

We did the BVI's about 6 years ago locally. It's on the scale of the Bahamas, maybe a few less sharks but it's very interesting - you sail between a lot of georgeous mostly uninhabited islands with nice beaches. IDK if it's as hardcore of a dive trip as some - one thing that's kind of fun is there's several floating - drive up bars among the BVI's. We saw the Cuan Law near one once - it's a huge boat.

There is some good diving there also, The Rhone, the Chikuizen, many other sites. At some there's the confluence of the Caribbean and the Atlantic so that's interesting. We dove a pinnacle out in the middle of the channel (Seal Dog Rock) - one side the Carib, the other Atlantic. I was engulfed in baitfish and filmed while cuda and smook(sp) hit them repeatedly. Scales everywhere. Lots of live coral, fans, and the stuff that lives on/around it. Mostly shallower also.

---------- Post added May 4th, 2013 at 01:04 PM ----------

Personally I would just chance the Cayman Aggressor. Cayman is good deep wall diving like T/C no matter where they go. Even just diving off Grand Cayman is in my top 5 - probably T/C is a little better. But certainly it's way better than the Bahamas - between myself and my buddy we've seen a lot of that. We did Cay Sal when the Nekton was still running so have dove Bimini and points south. Not as good, certainly not anywhere near the water clarity you get on Cayman.

And you're all set up.

Thanks again Steve. I have considered Cuan Law / BVI in the past and will do so again.

The thing with Cayman Islands is that diving BBW while there is on top of my agenda and the prospect of going all the way there and missing out would be very disappointing. Even if I make the change now, I hope to go back to the Caymans - BBW and all - when the weather is more favourable. But if you feel that the marine life in Caymans is that much better than the Bahamas, I will have another think in the next 24 hours - I cannot do anything till Monday. One point to consider is that as the programme stands, I will have 2 chances of making it to BBW - first on the liveaboard cruise itself and second from the Little Cayman Beach Resort.

There's good diving to be had in both locations. As you are relatively experienced, I'd opt for the BBW; even if it's 50/50 (especially considering a $500 loss if you cancel). If BBW isn't attainable, there still are a number of great dive sites that will be worth your while (that I'm sure you'll enjoy).

I hear you about the disappointment of missing BBW. When we took our trip Hurricane Ike decided to visit, so we had a week of moving around Grand Cayman to avoid winds, real bumpy nights, getting thrown out of bed bumpy and real crappy viz, zero in some cases.
A review of trip reports indicates that the CAIV made it to LC twice in December, was in the yards for five weeks and then made once out of the two dive charters in February. So 50/50 sounds right. I'd still chance it because it will be better than the Bahamas. Trip reports from both the Carib Dancer and Aqua Cat (divers not company) indicate a lot of algae, lion fish and lack of life. We plan on a trip in May during the Church School of Photography which almost guarantees a trip to LC.

Hintermann:

I am having serious second thoughts. I had even arranged a side trip to Little Cayman after the cruise to be certain (or so I had thought) of diving the Bloody Bay Wall, but when I spoke to the Fanta Seas Dive Center, they honestly told me that it was only 50:50 in January if they could make it to the north shore where the BBW is located.

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We're planning a trip to Little Cayman in early October. Does the weather risk include October?

Thx.

Ron

Thanks people. OK, I'll stick with CaIV and hope it makes it to LC & BBW. There are 5 full diving days in the liveaboard week and I could hope that at least one night and the day to follow will be good enough for the crossing. From Diversteve's posts it seems like the CaIV crew are flexible and will tae the opportunity to go to LC if possible.

Of course, I also have 2 full dive days on LC itself after the cruise. That is another chance if the big boat does not make it across.

Ron,

The primary weather risk that would keep the boats from diving the BBW is north/northeast/northwest winds. The normal winds are from the east for most of the year, but during the fall and winter, when cold fronts come down, they can turn the winds northerly for many days at a time. During the spring and summer, you can get northerly winds for a day or two around lows when they move through, but it would rarely be long enough to keep you from diving BBW all week. October is kind of on the edge of when you can start getting north winds, but I would be surprised if you were unable to dive BBW all week in October. I would honestly be more worried about tropical storms during October than north winds washing our north side diving.