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So next year I was planning on going on the aquacat for a week; but now I was offered a spot on a trip to little cayman for a dive trip.
The guy who is running the little cayman trip says the diving is much better in little cayman and I would not be disappointed by switching to go with him. He was saying the area where the aquacat goes is not the best and the boat is showing its age. Which trip would you go on if you had the choice?
Both trips are next summer if that makes a difference.
I was on the Aquacat last month, during Hurricane Irene but I thought it was great. The crew was awesome and the diving was pretty good for the 2 days we got to dive. I've heard the diving in the Exumas isn't the best but we saw some pretty cool stuff and it was great visibility for the most part. I'm planning on going back in April.
I think the service is what makes a live aboard worth the money and the Cat crew certainly go out of their way to make things fun.
Sound's like the guy running the LCBR trip is feeding you a line of BS.
That being said - both would be excellent trips and regardless of your choice you will enjoy your trip. This isn't a choice about good/bad or better/best
it's about personal preference.
The diving at Little Cayman is superb. You have a mix of great wall diving, and shallow reef diving. The reef is in good shape. Unlike most places, the area is pretty effectively protected so you actually see decent numbers of large fish like grouper. You should also see nurse sharks, reef sharks, turtles, sting rays and eagle rays. The visibility is usually very good. It is hard to beat. I am not familiar with Aquacat, so I can not address that on a comparative basis.
I have been to Little Cayman several times and to me, the diving is the best I have done in the Caribbean. If you are going in the summer the vis and seas should be quite good. So I know you won't be disappointed in that decision if you end up there. It will also be cheaper overall.
Having said that, I booked the entire Aqua Cat for next year during the 4th of July week. Without exception, every review I have seen on the Aqua Cat has been outstanding. One couple going with us has been on the AC three other times and were the first to sign up when I sent them an e-mail about booking the boat. They love it and the diving there. I'm really looking forward to going and seeing it for myself.
Like others have said, you really can't make a bad decision but don't be influenced by what the guy running the Little Cayman trip is telling you. He's probably getting free spots and maybe some type of commission on his trip so it's in his best interest for you to go with him.
And there lies the problem. Yes I know that the guy pitching LC has an agenda of his own; but being that I have not been to either Im a bit up in the air over which to choose.
The aquacat is a trip through the LDS that I might or might not know anyone on that trip, vs the LC trip will be with this one guys I know and the others Im not sure of. I dont mind traveling on a trip where I dont know anywhere, just want to go on the trip with the better diving.
Another thing to consider is how many dives do you want to get in. You'll for sure get in more dives if you do the AC. Maybe 8 to 10 more dives. You'll get 17 dives in at LC if you stay at the Little Cayman Beach Resort. Possibly less at some of the other locations on the island.
As far as quality of the dives, I do know LC is great and I've never done the AC but I wouldn't have booked the boat if I didn't think the diving was going to be right up there.
If the AC trip is through the LDS that you do your business, I'd give that trip the nod. It would be a great way to meet some new folks and make new dive friends who are likely to be local folks.
Is either trip opportunity more or less likely to be readily available in the future? For example, if your LDS does an AquaCat trip every summer, and the Little Cayman trip is pretty much a one time deal, and you plan to go on more dive trips, that might help you decide.
It may not be a factor in your case, but thought I'd mention it.
After all, over the fullness of time, grace of God providing, hopefully you'll get to do both, in which case it becomes a question of 'in which order' rather than 'which one.' Which is a much better question in my opinion.
Good point on which will be available in the future. I will talk to the LDS and see if this is a trip that happens often or not, and see about the LC trip as well.
So after thinking about it, I am going to do the aquacat next summer. Im sure either trip will be available to me again in the future, so I just decided that I will stick with the trip I wanted to do first.
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