Caymans: Resort (LCBR) vs. Liveaboard

[tcdamsel]

Have booked trip at LCBR second week of October, never having dived in the Caymans. I'm becoming very enamored with liveaboards to the point that I'm thinking about cancelling my trip there and using the week on the Cayman Aggressor instead. It's a 3 tank dive/day trip, but I get tired of lugging my gear all over the place, and it's so wonderful just to eat, sleep and dive. Having said that, does anyone know if I'll see better dive sites at LCBR than if I go with the liveaboard?? Thanks!

[-hh]

Have booked trip at LCBR second week of October, never having dived in the Caymans. I'm becoming very enamored with liveaboards to the point that I'm thinking about cancelling my trip there and using the week on the Cayman Aggressor instead. It's a 3 tank dive/day trip, but I get tired of lugging my gear all over the place, and it's so wonderful just to eat, sleep and dive. Having said that, does anyone know if I'll see better dive sites at LCBR than if I go with the liveaboard?? Thanks!

Reef Divers at LCBR is pretty much "White Glove" service, so there's not much gear-hauling: pretty much your drybag, camera & wetsuit.

For dive site specifics, I'm of the understanding that the Cayman Agressor has a "core" list of moorings that they're limited to, partly due to their larger boat. As such, you'll hit the main dive sites in Bloody Bay Marine Park (BBMP) with either option. The short list here typically includes:

Magic Roundabout (aka Nancy's Cup of Tea)
The Meadows
Eagle Ray Roundup
Jackson's Reef and Wall
Buss Stop (aka Bus Top; Bus Stop)
Marilyn's Cut (aka Hole In The Wall)
Randy's Gazebo (aka The Chimneys)
Great Wall West
Lea Lea's Lookout

On a smaller boat, you're more likely to get to more sites, although this may very well take more than just a one week trip. Within Bloody Bay Marine Park, there's also:

Cascades (aka Deep Cascade)
Mike's Mountain
Paul's Anchor
Donna's Delight
Camber's Cove (aka Cumber's Cave)
Blacktip Boulevard
Mixing Bowl (aka Three Fathom Wall)
Great Wall East
Barracuda Bite
Joy's Joy

You can do a simple comparison yourself, by looking at the Aggressor's website's dive site list versus other sources: the Aggressor's map has 12 listed sites on Little Cayman, of which 2 are on the Southside and 10 are on the Northside (Marine Park), whereas the LCBR lists 20 Northside (all Marine Park), although I know that they also dive on the southside (I've dived with them there). There's 20-22 moorings within the BBMP proper, and by some counts, a total of 56 on the island...it always varies, since not all moorings are always in place.

For a quite comprehensive list with descriptions, check out this page on Paradise Divers website. Be sure to read the description to site #37

-hh

[BDSC]

Have booked trip at LCBR second week of October, never having dived in the Caymans. I'm becoming very enamored with liveaboards to the point that I'm thinking about cancelling my trip there and using the week on the Cayman Aggressor instead. It's a 3 tank dive/day trip, but I get tired of lugging my gear all over the place, and it's so wonderful just to eat, sleep and dive. Having said that, does anyone know if I'll see better dive sites at LCBR than if I go with the liveaboard?? Thanks!

I'd keep my reservations at the LCBR. I was there this past May and it was the best dive trip I have ever taken! The food, rooms, resort, and diving was all top notch.

You hardly lug anything around. You put your equipment out the first morning in a mesh bag and they take it to the boat. Set it up the first time and that's it. All we did was take our wetsuits, masks, and fins back to the locker room at the end of the dive day. Nothing to it.

I do believe, like has already been mentioned, the Aggressor is limited to the number of sites it can moor up to at Little Cayman. And it was told to me that they have to move every few hours from one site to the next but that's probably not a big deal. But by staying at the resort, you will have access to more sites than by staying on the boat unless they run a smaller craft to the various sites.

I don't know what the schedule is of the Aggressor, but one advantage to being on it may be that you get to dive all three Cayman Islands instead of just one. But most will agree that the very best diving in the Cayman's is Bloody Bay Wall.

Either way you go you'll have a great time I'm sure but after having stayed at the LCBR, I can give it my highest recommendation. (For what that's worth)

[carriemak]

I can only echo what everyone else has said, keep your reservations at LCBR. It is also my understanding the Aggressor can only reach certain sites due to its size.
Also, I am not sure the valet service of Reef Divers can be topped by anyone, including the Aggressor!

[Thalassamania]

I'd go with the Aggressor, you just flop off and dive. That is what you're there for ... isn't it?

[zf2nt]

hh is correct about the dive sites. The marine park regulations prohibit boats the size of the Cayman Aggressor from using any mooring ball with only one anchor in the ground; they are only allowed to tie where there are two anchors in the ground and a chain running between the two anchors and through the bottom of the mooring line. On Little Cayman, these are identified by having a very large ball on the mooring line at the surface. The little balls belong to the single anchor mooring lines (e.g. Barracuda Bight, Coconut Walk, Ringer's Wall, Blacktip Blvd., Sarah's Set). So there are a lot of very nice spots you won't be able to see off the Aggressor.

HOWEVER...if it were me, I'd follow Thalassamania's advice and go on the Aggressor rather than stay at LCBR. Liveaboard operators tend to be much more permissive than resort DM's, and they will give you far more freedom than you would ever have off a dive resort boat. In part, they can do this because the skill level of the typical liveaboard patron is way above that of the resort guest. Of course, this all depends on what you want out of the dive experience. Personally, I want a dive operator to take me to the site, give me a briefing, then get out of the way and stay out of the way. On the Aggressor, I'm sure I could come back after a 80 or 90 minute dive and everybody would be quite happy about it. Try that on Island Sister and Scottish Ron will hang you by the heels. But maybe you want somebody to lead you by the had and take you on 40 minute dives?

[tcdamsel]

Thanks for everyone's input. I just got back from a resort in Fiji that I had to lug ALL my gear on and off the boat and to and from my bure for many days and it got very old. I was not told about this from the person who led the tour. Even as a somewhat new diver I don't want to be lead around on 40 minute dives nor do I think that other experienced divers would put up with that. Having said that, however, I don't have the SAC rate to go 90 minutes if I've gone below 60 ft. for any period of time anyway! So I think I'll go ahead and see what LCBR has to offer and let you know what I think when I get back.

[Alex777]

I'll vote for the Aggressor too. LCBR is nice, but their approach to experienced divers is conservative. You'll have more freedom to do your own thing (as opposed to trailing around after a DM) on the liveaboard.

[Doubler]

Trailing around a DM on a Liveaboard? Have you been on an Aggressor Boat. With the exception of the checkout dive I never had to dive with a DM on any Aggressor Boat. Once your dive skills are assessed they leave you alone. I've had dives and only saw my buddy the whole time until we all congregated back at the ladder. That being said, The Cayman Aggressor is a great boat with a great crew but pick your time carefully. Personally I would go with the Aggressor because you get up to five dives a day and the service and food, (Chef Savio is outstanding) are superb. So I believe price per dive is better. Check their website and see how many times they have made it over to Little Cayman in October and make your decision based on that. You can't go wrong with either choice.

[Alex777]

Trailing around a DM on a Liveaboard? Have you been on an Aggressor Boat. With the exception of the checkout dive I never had to dive with a DM on any Aggressor Boat. Once your dive skills are assessed they leave you alone. I've had dives and only saw my buddy the whole time until we all congregated back at the ladder. That being said, The Cayman Aggressor is a great boat with a great crew but pick your time carefully. Personally I would go with the Aggressor because you get up to five dives a day and the service and food, (Chef Savio is outstanding) are superb. So I believe price per dive is better. Check their website and see how many times they have made it over to Little Cayman in October and make your decision based on that. You can't go wrong with either choice.

Reread the post & check the parentheses.