Grand Cayman afternoon dive, from a cruise ship?

[Aigtbootbp]

I am hoping someone here can hook me up with dive operator. There will be a few of us coming into Grand Cayman early November, of that group I am the only diver. The group has decided to do the stingray city thing in the morning and I am hoping to find a dive in the afternoon. I figure I will have from about noon until 2:30 or so to try to squeeze one in.
So, anyone have any suggestions? I would love to dive the Kittiwake but if needed I will settle for somewhere else.
Thanks...
Gary

 

[redacted]

I would imagine that dive would cost you quite a bit as it would probably be just you and a DM. But I would think your Stingray City op could help you get set up with a shore dive in that window if that will do. It's got to be better than shopping in Gtown.

 

[diversteve]

You won't have time for a boat dive in that window - it's 15mins or so each direction to the reef/wall and the dive takes 45mins+. The better dives which most of your fellow divers are paying for are even farther to the north. Add in gear-up/diver recovery time and it's so tight that I wouldn't chance it. Plus you won't be diving with a cruise excursion in that short window so your ship will leave without you if something goes wrong. Most of the afternoon dives also leave around 1PM.

A private charter where you specify the time is going to be about $6-800?. Deep Blue or Wall to Wall could possibly do that with advance notice - they're just north of the cruise port at Lobster Pot. Maybe Off the Wall also - same place. Don Fosters to the south is the cruise operator for many cruise lines. All are listed here: Cayman Islands Tourism Association - Things To Do In Cayman, Cayman Culture,Cayman Islands Watersports Kittiwake is also by appt. so you'd have to find out which shop is going there on your day.

Two options you could do - Eden Rock is 500' from the cruise port. It's fairly popular, not the best on Cayman since a lot of cruise divers have dove it over the decade or so that cruise ships have been calling. No guarantees but you might be able to find a buddy there - or maybe on your ship. Cayman Diving Guide The silversides shown on the website - that's summer only. The Grotto is still a decent group of swim-thru's but it will be mostly you and some optimistic tarpon hovering in the shadows.

You could likely dive at Sunset House - it's a few mins. by cab in south Georgetown. Almost walkable but not on a tight timeframe like yours. There should reliably be groups shore diving there in the afternoon you could ask to join. My Bar there overlooks one entry and most people sitting in it are divers. At noon though eating lunch - their afternoon boat dives to Stingray City or the Kittiwake leave at 1PM. They're too far south to get you there and back in time.

There's another entry a little north at the Salt Water Pool so if you see dry geared up divers walking that way - they're probably headed there. From Sunset House you will be able to see your ship. Sunset House - George Town - Cayman Islands

You probably won't have time for the Kittiwake even if you find someone within your window. It's off the far north end of Seven Mile Beach so probably a 1/2 hr. each way. It's a shallow dive for OW divers on the boat so they all probably manage longer dives.

 

[Altamira]

Does the fact that the group wants to go to Stingray city mean that you have to go too? I would tell my group to have fun at Stingray City, and then I would sign on with the ship's dive op (Don Fosters) since you will be tendering, and dive twice, one of which may be the Kittiwake (was on my last trip there). If you don't want to do that, your timing might allow you to join up with another op and get two dives, but I have found using the ship's op at GC to be very good and efficient use of your time.

 

[ncitro]

I'm just back from Grand Cayman on a cruise and did a two tank dive with Off the Wall. They were outstanding and worked terrifically with my schedule. They picked me up right at the tender port, and drove me up to the north side where they had the ship docked for the season. Given your complicated schedule I'd recommend contacting the ops (Wall to Wall or otherwise) and see what they say. Personally I'd take diving Cayman over Stingray City any day. The reef was outstanding.

 

[diver 85]

"Grand Cayman afternoon dive, from a cruise ship? ".....That ought to make for one hell of a giant stride???.....Be sure & video that '1st step' for us..........

 

[YYJValerie]

We've done Eden Rock several times… with your time constraints, its probably the best way to go. Walk there from the cruise ship. Get off the tender, hang a right and walk until you see the blue building with the apple on the side of it (at least that's what color it was 2 years ago… haven't been there since then). They'll send a dive buddy out with you for not a lot of money. The diving is pretty good -- Devil's Grotto is pretty cool. Upside is if any non-divers in your crew want to tag along they can… they can snorkel right from the pier at Eden Rock. There's no boat traffic there so it's a good place to snorkel -- pretty excellent as far as snorkeling goes. And free if they have their own equipment.