Grand Cayman
Introduction
In Cayman Islands, one finds, without any doubt, more banks than diving sites... Everything is expensive there, including hotels; but it is a very safe place. The amateurs of good cooking will be overwhelmed in Grand Cayman. The diving is especially interesting for the underwater relief... even if one finds a great quantity of reef fish. The majority of the diving sites are reached by boat, the shore diving being rather rare. Be careful with the safety rules, which are extremely strict: the dives proceed at a maximum of 30 meters and never more than 30 minutes. This insular regulation means that one can go up with more than 120 bars in his tank, which is very unpleasant! Grand Cayman is not very far from Cuba. One can go there by plane (a very old Russian plane); if you like adventure...
Travel facts
Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
Diving type
Destination
easily accessible
bargain destination
Diving level & type
for beginners
for advanced divers
shore diving
liveaboard
Diving Characteristics
pelagics
lots of fish
lots of corals
interesting underwater scenery
Other activities
attractive natural spots
gastronomy
night life
beach
snorkeling
Infrastructures
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Divetech Training Center (diving center)telephone : (1 345) 946 5658fax : (1 345) 946 5659address : P.O. Box 31435 SMB, Grand Cayman, BWIemail : divetech@candw.kyinternet : www.divetech.comrating : 4 / 4 starscomments :Specialist in technical diving, this school teaches Nitrox diving, Rebreather and even Trimix for very deep dives. Possibility of renting all the material on the spot, including underwater scooters.
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Cayman Diving Lodge (hotel and diving center)email : info@divelodge.cominternet : www.divelodge.comrating : 4 / 4 starscomments :Unfortunately, this hotel and diving center were seriously damaged during hurricane Yvan in 2004. Operations are suspended, the hotel plans to re-open in a near future.
The hotel and diving center were together in an isolated place, but with splendid spots in the neighborhoods! It was an ideal location to escape the crowd and still dive in perfect conditions. We hope they will be able to open again, soon!
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Sunset House (hotel and diving center)telephone : (1 345) 949 7111 (from US: 1888 854 4767)fax : (1 345) 949 7101address : P.O. Box 479, Grand Cayman, BWIemail : sunset@candw.kyinternet : www.sunsethouse.comrating : 4 / 4 starscomments :Hotel dedicated to the practice of sea diving. Shore diving is very interesting but, contrary to what is advertised, one cannot dive 24h/24, as each diver is allowed only one oxygen tank between 17h30 and the morning... Pity!
The hotel is high class and all sites are reachable within less than 30 minutes. Guests can choose the boat's destination.
Diving Sites
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description :Armchair Reefrating : 4.0depth : 17 mvisibility : good
Enormous amount of fish! A school of big tarpons, a sleeping shark in a cave. All sorts of reef fish. -
description :Balboarating : 4.0type of diving : wreckdepth : 12 mvisibility : average
Diving site situated just at the exit of Georgetown harbor. The churning of the sea bed by the boats reduces visibility (about 10 meters). A wreck sunk in 1957 of which remains a heap of scrap iron spread over a large surface. -
description :Big Pinnaclerating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Sea very rough, difficult to climb back onto the boat, strong current. Saw 2 turtles, a school of barracudas. Very beautiful passage at depth of 30 meters in a kind of small valley closing in at the top. Tubes de corals and big sponges. -
description :Big Tunnelrating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Series of tunnels some connecting to others sometimes converging onto a vertiginous wall. Saw a school of a dozen barracudas, one turtle, and schools of multicolored fish. Angel fish escort us for a while. Very beautiful flora, but few fish below 15 meters -
description :Bonnie's Archrating : 4.0depth : 20 mvisibility : good
Great arc of coral located at a depth of 20 meters, under which lives a school of large tarpons. Shore diving. -
description :Dolphin's Drop Offrating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : good
no description -
description :Eden Rockrating : 4.0depth : 15 mvisibility : very good
Multitude of narrow and shallow tunnels: very spectacular diving, and a large number of fishes, including 5 or 6 tarpoons (in a small cave) and lots of parrots and trumpet-fish. Can be reached from the shore (from the diving center of the Eden Rock). -
description :Mazesrating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : good
Splendid dive site with many canyons and caves. -
description :Mesarating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Great concentration of fish: parrot fish, angel fish, pipe fish. Schools of multicolored fish, saw a barracuda. Very beautiful corals. As its name Mesa implies, this site appears like a table - a slightly raised flat reef. -
description :Round Rock Caverating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Passage through a tunnel leading onto a vertiginous wall. . Very good visibility. Lots of sponges and black corals. Many barracudas, one skate. -
description :Trinity Cavesrating : 4.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
From 14 meters, the coral can be found on this diving site. It is then possible to use tunnels and chimneys to reach the wall. Beautiful corals, a crab, an eagle-ray and of course some groupers are typically found on this site. -
description :Wildlife Reefrating : 4.0depth : 14 mvisibility : excellent
2 or 3 shallow furrows (mini valleys). Saw a skate quite close up. Many fish. -
description :Aquariumrating : 3.0depth : 15 mvisibility : good
A Fish Reserve: this diving allows seeing a great quantity of small fish, especially at the beginning of the dive. -
description :Devil's Grottorating : 3.0depth : 15 mvisibility : very good
Very similar to Eden Rock, with more caves but less fish. -
description :Eagle Ray Rockrating : 3.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Canyons bordered with sponges and black corals. At the exit of a tunnel, a group of 5 barracudas were waiting for us: one of them followed us for 20 minutes! Current very strong at times. Big groupers and parrot fish. -
description :Haunted Houserating : 3.0depth : 30 mvisibility : average
no description -
description :Hepp's pipelinerating : 3.0depth : 20 mvisibility : good
Two falls parallel to the coast (very near). Beautiful corals and sponges, but few fish. -
description :Little Table Rockrating : 3.0depth : 15 mvisibility : average
Quite a lot of caves. Saw sea spiders and 2 lobsters, as well as the usual fish. -
description :Lone Star Reefrating : 3.0depth : 15 mvisibility : good
Some beautiful barracudas and lots of reef fish (violet-blues sponges, tubes). A tunnel. -
description :Orange Canyonrating : 3.0depth : 30 mvisibility : excellent
Quite a lot of crevices leading onto a vertiginous wall. At 30 meters, few fish but magnificent corals. Lots of sponges. From 15 meters, and up to the surface, a myriad of reef fish. -
description :Royal Palms Ledgerating : 3.0depth : 18 mvisibility : good
Small reef in the shape of a horseshoe with a maximum depth of 18 meters. Enormous amount of fish but of reduced size. -
description :Sand Chuterating : 3.0depth : 30 mvisibility : average
Large band of sand leading into the blue. Numerous small cavities and passages in tunnels but relatively few fish. A skate was seen. -
description :Spanish Bay Reefrating : 3.0depth : 35 mvisibility : good
Very beautiful flora, located at a hundred meters off the shore. -
description :Stingray Cityrating : 3.0depth : 4 mvisibility : average
Considered one of the most famous dives in shallow water (less than 5 meters). Lots of stingrays come here to seek food brought by divers, making this site a little artificial... But it remains a unique experience. -
description :Sunset House Shore Divingrating : 3.0depth : 20 mvisibility : excellent
No wall, but rather an aquatic garden cut by small valleys of a maximum depth of 16 meters. Saw a turtle, several barracudas (one was enormous), a lobster and lots of reef fish. Access into the water by a ladder! -
description :Turtle Reef Wall (little wall)rating : 3.0depth : 20 mvisibility : good
Many fish, with a giant stingray and a moray. Multicolored corals as well as large sponges. Note: the use of a scooter makes the fish disappear... -
description :Big Deeperrating : 2.0depth : 35 mvisibility : good
Wall similar to the majority of those on the island. -
description :Doc Poulson Wreckrating : 2.0type of diving : wreckdepth : 15 mvisibility : average
On this site, the boat moors directly to the wreck of a boat that was voluntarily sunk in 1991. Its interior can be easily visited. We found there 2 big barracudas, 1 large grouper and 1 green moray. Otherwise, there is nothing really interesting. -
description :Fourtheen Treesrating : 2.0depth : 15 mvisibility : excellent
The anchor is thrown directly into the sand. This site presents very small islands of coral with lots of small reef fish. 2 lobsters were also seen. -
description :Oro Verderating : 2.0type of diving : wreckdepth : 15 mvisibility : good
Wreck of a 55 m length boat, sunk in 1980. You can visit the inside of this wreck. In fact, it looks more like a scrap-iron heap. Few fish, some groupers. -
description :Paradise Reefrating : 2.0depth : 15 mvisibility : average
no description -
description :Princess Penny's Wallrating : 2.0depth : 35 mvisibility : good
Wall dedicated to the memory of a diver who died of cancer. Few fish. -
description :Tarpon Taproonrating : 2.0depth : 15 mvisibility : good
Less interesting dive site with some tunnels. -
description :TSSS [(next to Pageant Beach Reef)]rating : 2.0depth : 12 mvisibility : good
Shallow site formed by a succession of small canyons, caves and tunnels. Lots of small fish. A slight current. -
description :Turtle Reef Wall (main wall)rating : 2.0depth : 40 mvisibility : average
Along the shore, a vertiginous wall but relatively few fish. -
description :Public Bay Reefrating : 1.0depth : 15 mvisibility : good
Opposite Holiday Inn, dive of no interest.
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