Where to go in the Caymans

[Hesslerca]

Hi. We are looking for 20th anniversary trip. We are about 1,000+ divers and have been diving since the mid 1980s. Looking for SMALL resort, on the beach, no frills. 3 dives a day with experience divers. Nitrox. We do not want or need night life. Just want to be around a small group of experience divers.

Best

Carol

[releck97]

1,000 divers? Small resort? Really?

[AggieDiver]

I think she means they have 1000+ dives.

To me, you just described any of the several resorts on Little Cayman. It depends on what you mean by small.

Little Cayman Beach Resort is small when compared to most big hotels, but it is large compared to Pirates Point or Southern Cross Club on LC. I think LCBR has about 30 rooms or thereabouts. PP and SCC are closer to 10-15 if I recall correctly. I have only been to LCBR, so somebody else please correct me if I am wrong. The dive operation at LCBR is the best I have ever been with...period. I have heard some folks quibble about having limits put on dive times, but it has never been an issue to me when I was there. I have had plenty of 65-70 minute dives and never once had a DM say a word to me about it. The food at LCBR is always excellent, and I like how the dining room feels small yet large at the same time. You can sit at a table for 2 inside or outside and just enjoy being a couple. Or you can join a few friends from your boat, or even a whole dive group and have a party at a larger table. It has just always been the perfect form of relaxing vacation for us. Great food, terrific effortless valet diving, and nothing to do but lay in a hammock and read after the diving is done.

And the diving on LC is spectacular too. All dives are done as moored dives and there is rarely any current, so you can hit the water and go anywhere you want, at whatever speed you want, without having to worry about where the rest of the group or the DM are going.

[scubadada]

I love Little Cayman and LCBR. I would also consider Compass Point/Ocean Fontiers and Cobalt Coast/Divetech on Grand Cayman. Recent threads have discussed the 2 Grand Cayman locations. Unfortunately, I've not been to Cayman Brac yet.

Good diving, Craig

[diversteve]

on the beach

is kind of a stretch at Cobalt Coast...

[BDSC]

Another vote for the Little Cayman Beach Resort here. Been several times and are headed back this fall. In my opinion it offers some of the very best, if not the best, diving in the caribbean. GREAT food, resort, diving, and dive staff. You won't be disappointed.

[lulubelle]

I have stayed at LCBR twice and had a fine time, and would go back. But they are a bit militant about dive times, and for me, the food was just OK. Hospitality of the staff was generally terrific and the rooms were nice and fresh. But the main reason I am trying a different resort this time is because of a couple of issues with the professionalism of the dive, not resort, staff. One of which affected me, one of which put other dives who were diving with one of the DMs at some risk. Most of the dive staff were terrific and it is a safely run operation.

But I also found myself eating, diving, diving, eating, diving, eating, diving with little down time. Which was awesome, but I was looking for something different this time.

I am trying Pirates Point my next trip. They do longer dives, one fewer a day, and have a James Beard trained Chef running the place. I was looking for something smaller, cosier, and LAZIER. It's been a tough year!

Conde Nast Traveler - "The dinners served by Pirates Point Resort owner Gladys Howard are perhaps as rare a treat as the island's marine life. After studying with James Beard and Jacques Pepin at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, the Texas native has developed sophisticated menus of the sort you don't expect to find in these parts. The hotel, set along the white sand of Preston Bay, has eleven rooms in cottages built of cut stone and wood, with wicker furnishings inside."

[lulubelle]

I love Little Cayman and LCBR. I would also consider Compass Point/Ocean Fontiers and Cobalt Coast/Divetech on Grand Cayman. Recent threads have discussed the 2 Grand Cayman locations. Unfortunately, I've not been to Cayman Brac yet.

Good diving, Craig

Though I must say that the diving company on my boat at LCBR was most excellent. Hi Craig! May have to chat with you about GC as I will be going there too this spring. Hotel is already chosen, the RC, but everything else will be ala carte.

[Doctorfish]

I've been to GC at least 10 times and to LC probably as many trips. LCBR is outstanding in my opinion. 40 Rooms, good food ( excellent quality quantity and choice, but not gourmet status ). The bar is very pleasant as well. Great dive operation and in my experience, they have not been militant but do insist on a reasonable schedule as they need to be back at the dock at meal time. . I have never been told that I had to be guided or stay with the group and bottom times are generally 60 minutes, which is OK by me. I have never felt short changed or rushed. I have seen the DMs become militant with one or two divers only after they have done something stupid or dangerous.

Pirates Point has better food than LCBR but the dive op is unusual in that they only do 2 tanks in a day, one AM and one PM. They advertise that their dives are much longer than the competition, but you can only get so much bottom time from one tank.

I've stayed at Cobalt Coast on GC and dived with Dive Tech. Nice accomodation, good restaurant, but in my opinion, the diving on LC is better and LCBR has a glorious long quiet beach. Cobalt Coast is on ironshore. Same goes for Compass Point.


Brac Reef Resort is a mirror image of LCBR, the dive op is excellent but the diving does not compare to LC.



Of all these options, I really like LCBR the best and in fact have booked another trip there for this spring.

[lulubelle]

I've been to GC at least 10 times and to LC probably as many trips. LCBR is outstanding in my opinion. 40 Rooms, good food ( excellent quality quantity and choice, but not gourmet status ). The bar is very pleasant as well. Great dive operation and in my experience, they have not been militant but do insist on a reasonable schedule as they need to be back at the dock at meal time. . I have never been told that I had to be guided or stay with the group and bottom times are generally 60 minutes, which is OK by me. I have never felt short changed or rushed. I have seen the DMs become militant with one or two divers only after they have done something stupid or dangerous.

Pirates Point has better food than LCBR but the dive op is unusual in that they only do 2 tanks in a day, one AM and one PM. They advertise that their dives are much longer than the competition, but you can only get so much bottom time from one tank.

I've stayed at Cobalt Coast on GC and dived with Dive Tech. Nice accomodation, good restaurant, but in my opinion, the diving on LC is better and LCBR has a glorious long quiet beach. Cobalt Coast is on ironshore. Same goes for Compass Point.


Brac Reef Resort is a mirror image of LCBR, the dive op is excellent but the diving does not compare to LC.



Of all these options, I really like LCBR the best and in fact have booked another trip there for this spring.

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