I am looking for some recommendations for a dive operation on LC. I’m traveling there this December with 6 other divers. A few questions I have:
1) We will be staying at a non-affiliated location (VRBO). Will that matter?
2) Are there any cattle call boats we need to avoid?
3) Will any cross to Cayman Brac for a day? We’d like to dive the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts.
We have met divers on Little Cayman Reef Diver boats that were not staying at the resort, but they were usually local property owners and that could make a difference - it never hurts to know people! And there were only 1 or 2 of them at a time, so it was probably easier to accommodate them. Also, we tend to travel in the off-season when things aren't as busy, but in December (especially if you will be there in late December?) resorts and boats will be more crowded. I think that with a large group of divers, it's good advice to make your diving arrangements now. It would be a shame to get there and not be able to do as much diving as you'd like.
As far as taking a trip over to Brac to dive the Tibbetts, Reef Divers will usually do that once or even twice per week if there are enough divers that want to do it - but since you have a group of 7 divers you should be able to arrange something. There is a fuel surcharge, even if you already have a dive package with Reef Divers, but it's not terrible, maybe $25 or $35 extra per person for the 2 dives. I'm not sure, we didn't do the Tibbetts trip when we were on LC last year because we have already dived it several times; but I hope that you do get to dive it, it's a really cool wreck. I imagine that some of the other dive ops also go over to Brac, but I'm not sure, I've never asked.
But if it is windy and the water is rough, they probably won't make the crossing to Brac, no matter how many people are willing to pay extra to go there. The same goes for the crossing from Brac to Little for folks staying on Brac that want to dive BBW.
Southern Cross is a smaller resort but I seem to recall that they have big boats (again I am not sure, I've never dived with them) buy they might be willing to service your group.
I have never shore dived on Little Cayman but I know that
@Ricardo V. has done it and liked it, so perhaps he can tell you more about it.
Little Cayman in December, how exciting!