I am a Dad who will be taking 3 teenagers diving in Grand Cayman in March. We will be staying at the Villas of Galleon on 7MB. Two of these are 17 and been on multiple diving trips, while my 13 year old is on his first trip since being certified. I will buddy up with my youngest and will keep him no deeper than 60 feet. Any advice on dive operators or dive sites? Thanks for any help.
cayman assistance
- Thread starter wglisson
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
I would say Devils Groto, Eden Rock, and Sunset Reef in Georgetown. I would strongly advice against Dive Tech, that is a more advanced site. If you are going to do a dive charter then I would recommend Don Fosters.
- Messages
- 26,281
- Reaction score
- 5,875
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
I'm going to recommend not diving with Fosters. First of all they're in Georgetown. If the cruise ships are in port (almost daily), that's a zoo - the streets are crowded when they all get dumped off their ships simultaneously and most are oblivious to the fact that cars are coming from the opposite direction. Second Foster's takes 18-24 divers max per boat - check their website.
Eden Rock was pretty tired looking several years ago. Being a short walk from the cruise port doesn't help. We thought that was the worst dive we did in a week of diving. But it is shallow.
Sunset House was good, there's a lot of good diving in less than 60'. Their signature dive, the Amphitrite Mermaid is 55' at the base. They're in South Georgetown.
Another option north of 7MB would be Turtle Reef. It's a good vertical wall that was about 45-55' to the sand IIRC. Lots of interesting stuff going down the wall starting at about 25'. The older kids can cross the Sand and get out to the wall if you let them. During the day Tarpon schooled in one area in the shade. It's a shortcut to the North Wall so watch for larger pelagics overhead out in the channel. I saw some Eagle Rays go streaking overhead. Easy entry via a ladder also. Sun Divers is on-site there for tank/gear rental as needed.
Aquarium is a shallow boat dive. Some areas were 48-50' to the sand. Lots of sand channels and coral heads - look for the tiny fluorescent blue/orange cleaner shrimp, they'll trim your cuticles. Governor's Reef was another dive that could be done shallow - I don't remember more about it. Most 1st dives on a two tank trip the operators typically go deep unless you ask otherwise.
A better option would be one of the smaller diveops along 7MB. Neptunes, Off the Wall, Wall to Wall, Ambassador Divers, Sea Sports or Indigo Divers - among others. Most go out with 6-8 divers max. guaranteed so your group of 4 would have a lot of say in dive destination/depth. I think Ambassador is 6 max. Links to all of them are here: Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Travel and Tourism Site Caymancase here is Neptune's GM. C'J's also works for one of the ones I listed.
Check with them about pickup also, most run free shuttles along 7MB. If you're going to shoredive, you'll need a car as all the diving is either north of 7MB or around Georgetown - very little is shore accessible in front of 7MB - the reef is too far out. If your condo is the one I'm thinking of (near the Westin), there's no shorediving in that area. Andy's at the airport is good for cars. A couple of blocks from the airport on the left is one of the bigger markets if you're planning to cook.
btw, Stingray City is the most fun you'll have in 15' of water.
Eden Rock was pretty tired looking several years ago. Being a short walk from the cruise port doesn't help. We thought that was the worst dive we did in a week of diving. But it is shallow.
Sunset House was good, there's a lot of good diving in less than 60'. Their signature dive, the Amphitrite Mermaid is 55' at the base. They're in South Georgetown.
Another option north of 7MB would be Turtle Reef. It's a good vertical wall that was about 45-55' to the sand IIRC. Lots of interesting stuff going down the wall starting at about 25'. The older kids can cross the Sand and get out to the wall if you let them. During the day Tarpon schooled in one area in the shade. It's a shortcut to the North Wall so watch for larger pelagics overhead out in the channel. I saw some Eagle Rays go streaking overhead. Easy entry via a ladder also. Sun Divers is on-site there for tank/gear rental as needed.
Aquarium is a shallow boat dive. Some areas were 48-50' to the sand. Lots of sand channels and coral heads - look for the tiny fluorescent blue/orange cleaner shrimp, they'll trim your cuticles. Governor's Reef was another dive that could be done shallow - I don't remember more about it. Most 1st dives on a two tank trip the operators typically go deep unless you ask otherwise.
A better option would be one of the smaller diveops along 7MB. Neptunes, Off the Wall, Wall to Wall, Ambassador Divers, Sea Sports or Indigo Divers - among others. Most go out with 6-8 divers max. guaranteed so your group of 4 would have a lot of say in dive destination/depth. I think Ambassador is 6 max. Links to all of them are here: Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Travel and Tourism Site Caymancase here is Neptune's GM. C'J's also works for one of the ones I listed.
Check with them about pickup also, most run free shuttles along 7MB. If you're going to shoredive, you'll need a car as all the diving is either north of 7MB or around Georgetown - very little is shore accessible in front of 7MB - the reef is too far out. If your condo is the one I'm thinking of (near the Westin), there's no shorediving in that area. Andy's at the airport is good for cars. A couple of blocks from the airport on the left is one of the bigger markets if you're planning to cook.
btw, Stingray City is the most fun you'll have in 15' of water.
Last edited:
brewontap
Registered
Edens Rock, Devils Grotto, Cheeseburger Reef, and the East Wall are all good sites close to George Town. Request a deep dive in the am on the east wall and you won't be sorry. Just watching the Turtles feed is amazing plus they don't care you are there (so great photo ops). Stingray City is a once in a lifetime experience. Enjoyed Stringray City as a 12ft dive more than shallow snorkeling.
Papa_Bear
Contributor
Try Seven Mile Beach Resorts House operation, they are small and very good! Custom diving and all the shore you can do at no extra charge..... Seven Mile Water sports is the name! Their boat is not so crowded! Or Fish eye is pretty good as well!
kelly7552
Contributor
Hi! I have two teenage divers and a I have a couple of suggestions, make sure that you track your own air carefully. My son and I got certified together and my daughter got certified later. She was cautious and I was nervous on her first few dives. We dove lighthouse reef in Belize and I was OK with a floor below us, but when we crested the wall, I was blowing air like a newbie. We only stayed their for a short time, but I was happy I had a steel 100 so I wasn't the cause of an abreviated dive.
Another thing unique to my situation is having three buddies. We actually had to have significant communication to figure out how to be comfortable with a three group (17 year old males like to wander off...unless on a leash)
Another thing unique to my situation is having three buddies. We actually had to have significant communication to figure out how to be comfortable with a three group (17 year old males like to wander off...unless on a leash)
Bonaire_or_Bust
Registered
Best shore dive was at the Cracked Conch restaurant site. There's a patio that overlooks the divers entering the water. Great for kids -- this site is a reverse wall. There's a vertical cylinder of tarpons that has the fish surrounding you. Best site that we dove in Grand Cayman; kids loved it as well.
edylchtims
Registered
Try Trident Watersports. Trident Watersports: Home Page. Call and speak to Ken Parent-He is a world class instructor and the Cayman Prince is one of the best dive boats on the island. This is a new company but he has a wealth of experience and gives his dives a personal touch. He certified my daughter.
- Messages
- 26,281
- Reaction score
- 5,875
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
That's Turtle Reef as mentioned above.
Jersey
Contributor
I will second Ambassador Divers, located at the Comfort Inn Suites. Small personal op. Small boats, one parked up on 7MB makes for a short ride to 7MB reef and one over in the harbor for trips out to the North Wall. I went down with a group of 5 - 2 divers/3 non. They took 2 non-diving friends out for intro dives on shallow 7MB sites and they loved it. DM/Instructors very patient and accomodating. Most we had on a boat was 7 - 4 divers w/ DM, 1 diver doing check out with instructor. Couple days it was my buddy and myself. How's that for personal! The sites off 7MB ranged from 35 - 105, I believe the deeper stuff is toward the north end of 7MB. Even at that site the tie in was 65' and no one was forced to go over the wall. They also took all 5 of us out to Stingray one afternoon - we had the whole boat to ourselves - talk about feeling pampered! We did Stingray Sandbar + 2 snorkel sites. No one wanted to leave the reef!
Similar threads
