Grand Cayman - Ocean Frontiers vs Tortuga Divers

[rjdiver]

There have been quite a few posts on the various forums raving about Ocean Frontiers. I have been looking to dive with them for a few years to see if they are up to level that people say. While I was staying at Morritt's last week, my night dive with Tortuga Divers was cancelled due to the weather. I decided to try a two tank morning diver at OF the next morning.

OF does offer a shuttle that will pick up divers at the MTC front door. Not as convenient as walking to the dock, it is a nice feature.

The dive briefing by Captain Dan was GREAT, especially with the map of the dive site drawn from memory. The dive site maps would be a great addition to TD. Captain Dan seem very enthusiastic about his diving.

Trying to compare TD and OF, I would say that I enjoyed the dive staff at TD better. Drew (Sailbum) is a pleasure to deal with while checking in. Allistar, Santi, Matt and Gary were great on the boat trips. On my OF dive, there were two other OF staff members who were on the boat, but I don't think that I heard either of them speak more than a few words. I keep hearing about how you don't have to mess with your gear once you get to the boat. In between dives, I was talking with some of the other divers. I assumed that my gear would have been changed to a new tank when we got to our 2nd site, but it had not. I don't mind changing my own gear, but the expectation level had been raised from other posts. I was asked on each of my TD dives if I would like for my tank to be changed.

When the first group got into the water, one of the divers lost some gear during entry, so they came back on the boat. Of the 3 OF staff members, nobody attempted to get the gear in 55 feet of water to save some dive time for the first dive. I did retrieve the gear, hoping that maybe one of the OF staff would dive with the diver for at least some bottom time. Didn't happen.

I was assigned as a dive buddy with one of the OF staff, but I had a hard time keeping up at the start of the dive. I would assume that the staff would be down there checking out to make sure that everyone was doing OK after entry. I ended up having to help one of the other staff members whose tank had slipped out of the bcd strap.

I had never hear a TD staff member make any bad comments about OF. I did hear some comments against TD on my OF dive.

I have heard that OF will allow you to have extended bottom time with computers. TD also did this on my dives on this trip. I don't recall that happening in the past, but I just go my computer this past summer.

I like the dive boats at TD better than OF, but that is my preference. I could dive off of either set of boats.

The biggest drawback I see agains TD is that they have raised the price back to $100 (it was $100 at the start of the year, but was moved to $85, I believe, for a short period). I thought that I had seen that OF was $85, but it is now $89. There is a 20% discount for Morritt's owners at TD and a 20% discount for any timeshare owner at OF. I was told that there is talk about having TD charge $90, while the rest of Red Sail would stay at $100.

Other than the current cost, I prefer TD over OF, but I wouldn't have any problem with diving with either operation.

Just my opinion!!!

Rob

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Caymanian dive operators .. Try Ollen Millers' Sundivers. Born & raised on Grand Cayman. He has been diving and taking visitors to the island diving for over 20 years.

The other operators staff come & go...

Ollens' phone # is: 345-916-0862.

 

[rjdiver]

That is a good suggestion. I have a timeshare on the East side (Morritt's), so I would probably use TD and/or OF. I go with all non-divers, so I only get to do a few days of diving, without feeling guilty. I need to put in some time with my soon-to-be 4 year-old son.

I saw one of your posts recently. I hope to make it to Looe Key sometime soon.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Drew Sailbum]

rjdiver once bubbled...
I was told that there is talk about having TD charge $90, while the rest of Red Sail would stay at $100.

Other than the current cost, I prefer TD over OF, but I wouldn't have any problem with diving with either operation.

Just my opinion!!!

Rob

Indeed TD is currently charging $90 for a two tank dive. Owners of timeshare units at Morritt's may be eligible for a 20% discount off of that rate.

BTW, nice putting a nmae with the face while you were here, Rob.

 

[SeaCobra]

Just got back from a week of diving with Dive Tech and staying at Cobalt Coast. Just AWESOME! Albeit the weather was not the best, the staff was. They had a calm, confident manner that made you feel at ease and handled every "challenge" as run of the mill.

I cannot say enough good things about the staff at Dive Tech in Grand Cayman.

Cobalt Coast Resort is a different story. I can say enough good things, but it would take YEARS. Rooms were large, CLEAN and comfy. Staff was awesome.

I will go back.

Jeff

 

[dmentia]

The other east end dive operator is Cayman Dive Lodge. They allow walkons. My father-in-law is a Morrits owner, and so we have stayed there, but we still dive at the Lodge.

I have dove with OF, TD and CDL and CDL wins hands down. With OF, we did a night dive, and also experienced having to set up are own gear. And even though nobody needed a divemaster in the water, you could tell they were really pushing not to have to suit up.

With TD, we experienced the short bottom time problem, even though we were all on computers. They took us down as a group and back up as a group. The second dive, a reef dive, they also suggested people go on their own rather than with a DM.

At CDL, they don't even ask about changing your gear for you, they just do it. They have more reasonable bottom times, that are more in line with the computers. Also, on the reef dive, they ask if you would like to go off on your own, but they always put a DM in the water to lead too, if you want that.

All three operators were polite, and knowledgeable, but over all, CDL wins by a mile, IMO.

 

[rjdiver]

There was no questions that OF was going to put a DM in the water for the reef dive. It was just up to the divers whether they wanted to follow the DM, or go off on their own. This has also always been my experience with TD. They have always had a DM in the water for the dive, and it is up to the divers which way they want to go.

It is nice to know that the East End has three top notch dive operations.

 

[jeffcali]

good 'ol gc....i miss it so. i was there with the family in august i think and we stayed in a rental home on the east side just up from cdl.

as i looked on most of the dive ops to have a chartered trip for 6 people...only mark from absolute divers was willing to take us and work with our schedule. he was fantastic...

cdl didn't even entertain the thought, cuz they only have enough boats for the people that are staying there. so unless you're staying there, it's hard to get on their boats.

we met mark at rum point every morning and we hung out on the north wall most of the time and hit the east side on a couple dives.

this is if you want to have a more private experience. otherwise...deal with the bigger dive ops, and i wish you the best!

there was none of this low bottom time BS...we all had computers and after one dive, mark got an idea of what kind of dive family we were, and we were able to do what we liked...to an extent of course .

i hate the places that don't care on the abilities of a diver/s and just run the dive as a group function. all down and all up diving is not for me or the family.

i understand it's hard when it's just one or two people diving and you're trying to fit on a six pack with people you don't know.

it wouldn't hurt to ask if it would be extra to have your own dm with you. most of the time it is of course...but sometimes you can get lucky. that way you could have a slightly different dive profile. some dive, but mas bottom time.

my time is too precious to dive with ops like that...especially for a 100 bucks for 2 tanks...ouch

 

[MyNoles]

I really enjoyed OF, and did a week with them this past May. We also had quite a few of the Morritt's divers come dive on the OF boats. The gang was fabulous, some of the best I've dived with. They definitely let you dive according to your experience, give you the bottom time if on computer and let you go alone once they are confident in your abilities - or if you ask, the DM will go with you. Diver's choice. They also will set up your gear if you wish - I always prefer to do my own, and that was fine with them as well. What I liked best was the hand-drawn maps, all done right in front of you during the briefing. The guys definitely knew the spots they were diving and the maps were dead on correct.

Can't recommend them enough. Dan and Mo are great guys.

 

[rjdiver]

Yes, I did like the hand-drawn dive sites. I wish I would have drawn the site on my dive slate for reference. Probably too many sites to have pre-drawn slates for all the divers on the boat.