Which Liveaboard for Cayman Islands or Bahamas?

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Got back a couple weeks ago from our first trip on a liveaboard (Nekton Pilot) and loved the convenience of everything. Have been thinking about another trip for this year on a different boat/itinerary. Our first trip a few years ago was to Grand Cayman, been thinking about a liveaboard in that area but WHO? I recall the diving was pretty good off Grand Cayman, great walls, tons of turtles, etc... Any suggestions for a good liveaboard/not too steep price (something around $2000 or less but may not be realistic there).

Or:

Bahamas? I've looked at Explorer Ventures Nimrod online. Great price of $1495 pp for 7 days. Is it worth it? Good Diving? Nice Boat? Good Food?

Now that we've been on one, It makes it really hard to want to stay on land anywhere and have to lug our gear around. Thanks!

 

[mrlipis]

Hello fellow Coloradan, I'm just down the road from ya (Monument). Here is a link to the Aggressor fleet. Aggressor Fleet | The ultimate in live-aboards since 1984 . They have a boat in the Caymans and would be considered the upperclass of the liveaboards.

I am on my first liveaboard next week CEX1 out of Exumas, I can give you a trip report, not that there aren't plenty to review. Anyplace I go that is in the 70s is going to get a favorable review however.
I have been reading your posts regarding the Nekton... BUMMER. I know I have learned a ton from the accidents and incidents forum.

Bruce

 

[robint]

Got back a couple weeks ago from our first trip on a liveaboard (Nekton Pilot) and loved the convenience of everything. Have been thinking about another trip for this year on a different boat/itinerary. Our first trip a few years ago was to Grand Cayman, been thinking about a liveaboard in that area but WHO? I recall the diving was pretty good off Grand Cayman, great walls, tons of turtles, etc... Any suggestions for a good liveaboard/not too steep price (something around $2000 or less but may not be realistic there).

Or:

Bahamas? I've looked at Explorer Ventures Nimrod online. Great price of $1495 pp for 7 days. Is it worth it? Good Diving? Nice Boat? Good Food?

Now that we've been on one, It makes it really hard to want to stay on land anywhere and have to lug our gear around. Thanks!

When do you plan to go? That makes a huge difference. We are doing our second trip on the Nekton to Bahamas in April. Our first trip was the Cay Sal itinerary and it totally ROCKED! It was our first liveaboard and got us hooked. We are doing the Medio Reef trip this time which incorporates a newer area near Cay Sal plus one day over at Cay Sal blue holes, so a little bit of both.
Only problem with doing the Nekton to Bahamas though is time - they are only there in late spring-summer. So if you want to go there any other time, I would go for the Explorer. They do a different area of the Bahamas but I have heard nothing but great things about the op and diving.

As far as the Caymans, I have heard mixed reports about the liveaboard for the Aggressor. What I have been told is that they only make the crossing over to the other islands about half the time due to seas... meaning you end up diving only Grand Cayman. Not really a bad thing, but the divers we spoke with were not happy as they said the diving got boring and they didn't get to do the walls of Little Cayman like they hoped when booking the trip. The Nekton does the Caymans also but not in 2008. They go back in 2009, which is when we intend to do the itinerary. We know a few people who have done it on the Nekton and raved about it. They loved the diving and the boat, and got to do both areas as the boat can make the crossing, even in rough weather.

hope this helps!

 

[tstormdiver]

I did the Explorer Ventures Caribbean Explorer I & was very impressed with the entire experience. I would love to do it again.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Hi Bruce! Let me know how your trip goes. I know what you mean about the weather. You might even hit 80 degrees there- that's what the temp was in Belize 2 weeks ago! A dramatic and welcome change to the weather we are supposed to be getting anytime here!

RobinT-
Time frame...That all depends on when I can convince my husband to book another trip! I was thinking maybe May/June into the summer. I'd love to do a Cayman liveaboard but really so we can dive around the other two islands. If all we'd get to do was Grand Cayman then I'd just stay at Cobalt Coast. Overall though I wonder which (Bahamas, Cayman Islands or even Turks & Caicos) has the best diving?

 

[robint]

Summertime? The Aggressor might have better luck getting over to the other islands then but they still have no guarantee. Diving the Caymans is supposed to be fantastic from what we have been told by people who have done Little Cayman land-based and also the Nekton Cayman divers. Grand Cayman sees alot of newbies and snorkelers but some of the dives sites are great - just not enough for 4-5 dives per day for 6 days (from what we were told, not done it yet)

BUT if you haven't decided on locaton yet, you might want to consider Turks & Caicos Explorer. Explorer Ventures: Adventures in Live-Aboard Diving If you do a search on YouTube you can find some videos of the diving there. Also, the Explorer in Saba is supposed to be good diving. I helped a couple book the Saba Explorer trip last year (their first liveaboard and they were terrified!) and they came back and hugged me. They said it was the best dive trip of their lives. Liveaboards really show you a whole new side to diving!

 

[CoralSeaMan]

I will be doing the Cayman Agressor next week. I will be happy to give a report when I get back.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Thanks CoralSeaman! Our last trip to Grand Cayman was in 2005 and while it was our 1st dive trip, they had some pretty incredible walls and good sea life, and we had excellent visibility too so I'll be interested to hear how it is. Would love to do Bloody Bay Wall so I hope you get to check it out!

Have a great and safe trip!

 

[Darnold9999]

Have done Cayman on Nekton and it was a great trip. Bloody Bay wall is excellent. The crossing was rough however - stuff falling out of cabinets. I am told some were seasick - I just took drugs and knocked myself out otherwise I am sure I would have joined them. Don't think you can go wrong with either Aggressor or Nekton - both will pass if the weather is too rough, don't know if Nekton can take bigger water than Aggressor, I suspect so, because it is bigger and less subject to wave action, but I am not sure. I do know Aggressor was on site when we were there.

Was much less impressed with Grand Cayman - the two sites we did there from the Nekton were underwhelming and the shore dive from Sunset was really boring. The boat dive a friend did with Sunset was much better I am told - I was flying out she was staying until the next day.

 

[johnspierce]

My wife and I did the CEX1 in Bahamas last July -- great trip! Food was very good, crew was excellent. The CEX1 is the oldest boat in Explorer Ventures fleet, but it had just been in for a 1 week maintenance cycle and was in great shape. Captain was great too, diving was superb. Highly recommended.

JP