Grand Cayman Trip Report - Feb, 2013

[releck97]

We're back from another wonderful trip to GCM. Our stay was from Feb. 16-23. As per our usual plan, we stayed at Morritt's Tortuga Club (Seaside) in Colliers and rented our car from Economy.

We did mostly shore dives, but did fit in a couple of great boat dives with Ocean Frontiers. Because of our early arrival, we were able to sneak in one tank at Turtle Reef before a Nor'wester closed things down on Saturday. When we woke up on Sunday, we were sure there was no way that we were going to dive with OF. Boy were we wrong! Morritt's is positioned on the NE side of the island and the winds and seas were ugly! OF dove the south side and the seas were very manageable. The wind was still up on Monday, but mainly NNE. Fortunately, the surf was gentle in Breakers, so we rented a tank at Diver's Supply and did a wonderful wall dive there. I LOVE diving in Breakers, but, the entry and exit are tricky. There is a very small cut in the reef to get out of the surf zone. Diving here should only be done when the wind is from the north and the waves are not breaking. We returned our tanks and headed up to Macabuca for their weekly BBQ. The best I have found on the island!
On Tuesday, the winds were still not favorable on the east side, so we traveled back over to the west side and did two wall dives at Sunset House. Flat seas over here on Tuesday. Finally, the winds subsided on Wednesday and we were able to get two dives in at Julie's Wall to Babylon and Babylon to McCurley's. My dive buddy refers to this area as "Dr. Seuss on Steroids". I think this is a pretty accurate description of the pinnacles in this area. We got a late start on Thursday and only got one wall dive in back in the Babylon area. This time we even went a little further east...starting at McCurley's. We got up early on Friday to get two wall dives in only to find out that OF's compressor was down and Mo said no to off-site rentals.
We high-tailed it back to Turtle Reef. Having never dived the main wall there, we got some advise from Ollen and set out on our surface swim. What an easy kick out! The main wall here is in great condition, it obviously is not dived much. It's kinda like a cross between the sloping West side walls and North side pinnacles...very interesting. We passed over the "ski slope" (from a Skin Diver shoot a long time ago). Our last dive was a Mini-wall dive heading north.
Without question, the east side of the island is the best place to dive. The life is amazing, the reefs are the healthiest and it sure is cheaper than heading over to LC or the Brac.
Which brings me to a question for those divers who have considerable experience diving the east side of GC and either/or both of the sister islands: I find the east side of GC to be as good as any diving I have experienced from Hawaii to Coz, to Roatan as well as the Lesser Antilles. I certainly understand that the topography, reef and critters will vary between all of these areas, but what (if anything) makes LC or the Brac worth the extra cost and time over the east side of GC? I have never dived the sister islands (yet). Thanks for your input!
There you have it! Feel free to ask questions!

 

[Qnape]

Nice detailed trip report. I spent the same week at LCBR, Little Cayman. The wind conditions you described also existed at LC, resulting in dives limited to the South side of the island as the North side (and especially the waters around the point) was too rough. As it was, even on the South side there were a lot of seasick divers on one boat and difficulty re-baording resulting on one serious injury on my boat. No complaints; it was nice to dive sites on the South side I had never seen before.

I can't directly compare diving on Little Cayman to Grand Cayman as my experience has all been on Little Cayman. Spending a week on Grand Cayman is on my horizon at some point, mainly so that my patient and non-diving wife can enjoy the more cosmopolitan pleasures available on Grand Cayman. Thank goodness she loves the spa services (and the food) at LCBR! She also appreciates the tranquility of an ocean-front room at LCBR, right on the sand of their beach. Please correct me if I am wrong, but most of the east side of Grand Cayman is ironshore, ruling out her nice long beach walks. It's not seven mile beach, but it's a beach! That said, I'd be surprized that similar quality accommodations, food, dive schedules and a beach at the resort would be significantly less money on Grand Cayman; I prefer boat diving to shore particularly if I am not with divers I know and of course a rental car is not needed on Little Cayman. Don't know what a car rental for a weeks runs there, but I can't imagine it is a bargain. The main additional cost is the twin otter flight. Timewise that flight is 1/2 hour, and I tend not to dive on the day of arrival wherever I go; Coz, LC, or elsewhere.

Thank for the report, and safe diving!

 

[releck97]

Our week at Morritt's with electricity and taxes was under $1,000. That was for a fully furnished 1 bedroom condo directly on the beach. Our rental car was $300.00 plus $65 for gas. All of this was split 3 ways. The entire cost for my trip including all food, beer, transportation, hotels on both ends, diving, tips, etc. was a little over $1,400. There is a nice connecting beach between Morritt's and the Reef...nowhere near as long as 7MB, but nonetheless, nice and well, pretty much "sandy". It is quite quiet on the east end of the island. We do like that.

 

[Lopez116]

Releck,

Nice report! Thanks.

What was the water temp when you were there? We're going to be there starting 3/30. I, too, prefer shore diving, but have only dove the west side and nw side.

What type of entry can I expect on the east end? Dock like Macabuca? Sea pool like Sunset House?

 

[Damselfish]

Spending a week on Grand Cayman is on my horizon at some point, mainly so that my patient and non-diving wife can enjoy the more cosmopolitan pleasures available on Grand Cayman. Thank goodness she loves the spa services (and the food) at LCBR! She also appreciates the tranquility of an ocean-front room at LCBR, right on the sand of their beach. Please correct me if I am wrong, but most of the east side of Grand Cayman is ironshore, ruling out her nice long beach walks. It's not seven mile beach, but it's a beach!

I think LC is an exceptionally good place for long and interesting beach walks and way better than walking 7 Mile Beach, but I suppose it depends what you're looking for along the way. There is a fair amount of beach on the East End, but not 5.5 miles of continuous groomed beach like the West End. As mentioned, along the Reef/Morritts stretch you can get in a pretty good beach walk. But if the cosmopolitan pleasures you have in mind are lots of shopping and restaurant choices, the East End will put you a long drive from all that. There are spas at Morritt's and the Reef though.

 

[Qnape]

I think LC is an exceptionally good place for long and interesting beach walks and way better than walking 7 Mile Beach, but I suppose it depends what you're looking for along the way. There is a fair amount of beach on the East End, but not 5.5 miles of continuous groomed beach like the West End. As mentioned, along the Reef/Morritts stretch you can get in a pretty good beach walk. But if the cosmopolitan pleasures you have in mind are lots of shopping and restaurant choices, the East End will put you a long drive from all that. There are spas at Morritt's and the Reef though.

releck97, nice budget for your trip. Heck - my wife spent $700 on the spa alone! And of course boat diving 3 dives a day is a lot pricier than shore for obvious reasons. I've been trying for some time to get my wife to consider condo options at Coz; she insists on the Palace (and then we still go out to eat at least a few nights). She would not consider stocking up a condo and cooking, so I automatically assume restaurant prices for meals. I know that lots of condo options exist on Grand Cayman but she will definately want some access to shopping and especially restaurants (not that there is any shopping on LC, of course, but she's in love with the chefs at LCBR). And she does love the quiet beach walks. Who am I to argue; if she's not happy I can't dive, lol. When we do stay on GC, she will probably want to stay on West End based on Damselfish's comments.

 

[releck97]

Releck,

Nice report! Thanks.

What was the water temp when you were there? We're going to be there starting 3/30. I, too, prefer shore diving, but have only dove the west side and nw side.

What type of entry can I expect on the east end? Dock like Macabuca? Sea pool like Sunset House?

Because of the Nor'wester, there was some upwelling of colder water, however water temps hovered between 78-81 f.
The entry for the east end dives is always beach. I drank a ton of beer last week and still lost 4 lbs. (lol). You will work for those pristine dives!

 

[caymaniac]

There's not really any long beach walks at LC or the Brac. GC has those sister Islands beat by far when it comes to the beach, if that's what you are looking to do at those places...forget it.
Diving at LC is the best, diving at the Brac is 2nd, diving on the north wall at GC is third. I've dove the east side of GC a number of times, it was good no doubt but it was also very rough. It can be rough on the north side of the Brac and LC but when it's diveable you can't beat it. Being able to dive the wall off LC is so easy and there is plenty of life even if you decide to hit the shallows. The Brac recently enlisted more shore diving as an op has taken up that spot and is promoting it.
The choices on who to dive with is very minimal on both sister islands. GC has them beat by a long ways, but for me it's not really about ops but it's about the diving. We do enjoy long walks on the beach but that is not what LC is about. Exploring the Brac is varied and interesting as the diving is really good and there are plenty of sites to see top side, like the boulder strewn south east shore where you can chip off your own pieces of Caymanite, where you can hike on the bluff trail and observe the boobies nesting and caring for their young in the spring. There's the town where the grocery store is nothing like GC, nor are the people who on the Brac are very friendly.
I hope you get a chance to visit and dive both at some point but please, do not count on long beach walks on LC or the Brac.

 

[Qnape]

Long beach walks on LC; not as many might expect. Sorry if I gave that impression. The beach by LCBR is pretty narrow, and can be strewn with some debris and a few rocks. But it is quiet - my wife usually tells me she sees one or two people only. Same true after a kayak to Owen Island - no people. and certainly not a groomed beach. She is tempted by 7 mile beach for the beach, I remain drawn to LC for the diving. But fair's fair and we've done LC three times (twice with my dive buddy / daughter) so if she wants the beach on GC next time, so be it.

 

[caymaniac]

Here's a photo of the biggest beach on Cayman Brac, rivaled by the public beach on the Brac which is somewhat smaller and the old Divi beach which is smaller yet, these all really beat "point of Sand" beach or the beach at Little Cayman Beach Resort.

The beaches on Cayman Brac/Little Cayman don't compare to Seven Mile beach, the South Sound, the East side beaches or even a big chunk of the north area near/including Rum Point.....they all beat any beaches on the Sister Islands.