Short Grand Cayman trip... how much worse is the diving near 7mb?

[ls1dreams]

Looking to head to GC for around 5 days or so. Probably want to dive maybe 3 days of that and take it easy the other days.

I'm headed with a friend that's also a diver, but she wants some lazy beach time as well.

Safest to stay near 7 mile beach? Or should we look into the "better" diving spots like people say which seem to be more remote like Little Cayman / Cayman Brac? On a limited schedule seems that involves an extra flight though right?

 

[scubadada]

Hi @ls1dreams

There are plenty of great dives in the west and in the north For a short visit, I would take advantage of Grand Cayman. Get a good operator, from among the many, and enjoy your dives

 

[jonhall]

Safest to stay near 7 mile beach? Or should we look into the "better" diving spots like people say which seem to be more remote like Little Cayman / Cayman Brac? On a limited schedule seems that involves an extra flight though right?

Although someday I would like to dive Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman (based on what I've read), there is no problem with 7MB on GC. There are at least 3 days of "better" diving spots along the beach and the water is generally calm on this side of the island year round. It should be easy for you to find a good op. Other sides of GC also have great diving spots, but 7MB does give you a nice beach.

 

[KathyV]

I agree, there is very good diving around all 3 Cayman Islands. The 7MB area is great, lots of healthy fish life. The corals can be more dramatic on the North Wall and East End - but if you stay on the West Side (7MB) they may do some dives on the North Wall, weather permitting. And there are a lot of great topside activities too. For your first visit and a short trip, I think you should stay on GC and enjoy 7MB and the diving.

 

[diversteve]

With 5 days I don't think you want to spend parts of two of them transferring to LC or Brac? Resorts are limited, restaurants also. My sister owns on Brac at one of the better known condo resorts - their beach is marginal.

SMB is a very nice beach. It's a little nicer/wider on the north side plus along the south end there can be iron shore at the water's edge. here's an example of that, this area is south SMB fairly close to Georgetown. See the little circular breakwater off to the right in one shot - I've stayed there - the beach was as bad. From the Westin north it gets nicer. Grandview Condos in Grand Cayman

There can be 4-5 cruise shIps in port some days so it's best to visit Georgetown after they leave - typically around 4pm. Some good restaurants and they'll be less crowded. You will actually see the ships moored in the harbor from many locations on SMB but about the only noticeable impact (Besides downtown) is the tour buses going by occasionally or the 500 or so cruisers playing with the Stingrays at Sandbar which is near but not Stingray City which many dive boats dive in the afternoon.

None of the "dive" resorts have much/any beach so I'd find a SMB property you like and let the dive ops pick you up - most will anywhere along SMB. Also when you're not diving, there's other things to do just behind SMB (Caymana is one) as well as other watersports on the Sound. Many of the dive boats shuttle you to marinas nearby in that area also and dive either North or West.

If you don't have preference - or budget limitations - the Westin is pretty nice. Red Sail Watersports is onsite there but they cater to some cruise traffic (Disney) so might have larger boats/more divers.
Don Fosters downtown has most of the cruise contracts.

There's quite a few 6-8 divers max - many with boats big enough for twice that. Cayman dives all run around 2/$100 so often service is what drives repeat business. Here's most of them - www.cita.ky.

Turtle Reef is arguably the best shore dive. It's at the Cracked Conch restaurant property - Sun Divers — Cracked Conch Macabuca Sundivers is onsite for tanks etc. Easy entry, shallow mini-wall just offshore. If you follow it left you'll find the Tarpon Cave plus you should see Turtles - they get out/are released from the Turtle Farm across the steet.

Also have some dive sites in mind as you;re often asked. www.idivecayman.com lists most of them with videos. Orange Canyon, Big Tunnels, Ghost Mountain are good dives. If the operator you pick won't go to GM call DiveTech and see if they are - they're at Lighthouse Point north of SMB so you'd have to drive there but it's also one of the better shore dives

 

[mi000ke]

Some great diving on the west side (I actually prefer it to the north side) , and you will enjoy hanging out on SMB. Dive sites are only about 5 - 10 minutes from shore on the west side - 30 min or so on the north. Dive ops will pick you up, or as @diversteve mentioned, Red Sail is on site at the Westin and the Marriott - Ritz and Kimpton, too, if your budget is really big. (Btw, Red Sail runs a separate dedicated boat for the Disney cruisers.)

 

[Alucard]

I agree - for a short trip and the needs for a beach staying in a hotel or condo on SMB and getting a pick up from the dive op of your choice will be your best option. Going to the sister islands involves extra flights and reduces your available dive time due to no-fly restrictions.

You will also find far better selections of dining, but won't need to compromise on your diving either. There are wonderful boat dives off West Bay Dock, with mini walls and the big wall. You are also less likely to get blown out, too, because you are on the leeward side of the island. You also have several shore dives - Turtle Reef/Macabuca which is a short swim to the mini wall with quite a lot of critters there (2 dives there - one in each direction along the mini wall), Lighthouse Point, with its Guardian of the Reef underwater statue, then south near George Town you have Eden Rock - 2 dives there, and Sunset House with its underwater mermaid. Each of these locations have their own dive shop there where you can get tanks. You do not have as many shore dive opportunities on other parts of the island.

Your ScubaBoard profile says you have less than 25 dives, so you are probably looking to get some easy diving in, while seeing some amazing underwater life.

I don't think that you will be disappointed with the decision of staying on Seven Mile Beach.

 

[Damselfish]

Using the word "worse" tells me you've maybe gotten the wrong impression of West side Cayman diving. It's true many people prefer other areas of Grand Cayman or the sister islands for a variety of reasons. But it's not like the West side diving is bad, and for your situation SMB area sounds like a perfectly fine choice. (Plus, staying on SMB it doesn't mean you will necessarily dive right there. Some ops have boats that pull up to the beach for pickup, but many ops pick you up and leave from a nearby dock. They can dive different areas so you may get to check out other areas like the North wall depending on conditions.) Save the more "remote" stays for a longer trip.

 

[Saboteur]

I’m going back to Cayman for 2 weeks for the 5th time in 3 years and staying on 7MB with a non-diver..... nuff said.

 

[saxman242]

A couple months ago, I did some dives on the east/north end and a few dives on the west end. I preferred the diving off 7mb to the east end.