looking for a good dive op Grand Cayman

[Imabossbabe]

I will be in Grand Cayman next month. I am making my return to diving after a decade. I would like to find a good dive op with not too big of groups, that will take my group on some reef dives as well as stingray city. I dove years ago with James Ebanks. Loved those dives. Is he still around? Who is good?

 

[helgo]

Cayman Turtle Divers. they meet all of your requirements!

 

[Altamira]

There are a ton of SB posts on GC ops that you should check out. A lot of people have their favorites, so you will likely get a variety of recommendations. I like Lobster Pot.

 

[Jenny Hsieh]

Ocean Frontiers has a good operation and nice, comfortable suites with a full kitchen and living room plus car rental. Sunset house has a lot of reviews as well.

 

[tkaelin]

This question or request appears regularly on this forum and the answer seems to be that there are no bad dive ops on GC and everyone has a favorite. Who to dive with will depend in part on what part of the island you are staying on.

 

[KathyV]

Where are you staying; that may help in recommending an op.

 

[jonhall]

I am making my return to diving after a decade

If just getting back into it, a consideration may be the dive plan of the op. Found that some take you down and lead you for about 20-25 minutes and then circle back to under the boat where they leave you to dive your air. Reef Divers and Ocean Frontiers were both this way (in 2016.) If you are comfy with that great. Not mentioning this as a negative as many ops do this and it beats having to come up with everyone else when you still have a lot of air left. If you want to be led all the way, just getting back into it, you may check out some other ops.

Although I like RD and really like OF, I also really like DiveTech. As @KathyV indicated, your location might get you some other good recommendations.

 

[Trailboss123]

Concur with what has been said already about where you will be staying being a strong consideration. If you are getting back into it after a layoff, I'd really consider Cayman University Divers. In addition to ticking off all of your stated desires, Brad uses a really cool technology to be able to communicate with you underwater, audibly. It is one-way audible communication. Him talking to you, but it is pretty sweet as he points out all the critters and tells you what they are. Cayman University Divers

 

[caydiver]

Every op on the island meets your requirements so that is super easy. Are you planning to do a Refresher Course. It is not mandatory but some ops will ask for it and honestly if you have not been diving for a decade, it is a great way to get yourself back to a good comfort level. Here is a link to the course info PADI ReActivate Scuba Refresher Program. Once again almost anyone can do it. Where you are staying on the island does matter as there is no need to go racing from east to west or west to east to get in your dives (of course you might want to for a day or so but not every day). Unfortunately right now there is incoming Sargassum. Presently the beaches from Bodden Town to the East End have been inundated with it. Steve Broadbelt of Ocean Frontiers was quoted in the news making comments about the impact for his group so I would guess that Tortuga Divers is in the same boat They are the two foremost ops on the East End. That said one shift in the wind/current can change it all in a hurry, but you might use the info as a guideline. There are constant updates in The Cayman Compass and also a great website SEAS Forecasting. Other than that Welcome back!

 

[tkaelin]

Unfortunately right now there is incoming Sargassum.

We observed this while on island a couple weeks ago. On approach looking down it looked like oil patches from a spill on the surface. It did not interfere with our week of diving and changes in wind will dictate where it makes landfall. We did have one dive where we dove under a fairly large mat but we thought it was interesting.