Scuba Diving Cayman Islands

Diving Cayman Islands Overview

Diving Cayman is among the most popular dive vacations with many North American divers. While diving on the West End of Grand Cayman has succumbed to the travails of the tourist industry, the North Wall and East End still provide good diving. However, it’s become extremely expensive so many divers head to the sister islands and even better diving:. Arguably the best diving is Little Cayman and boats from the Brac make regular trips, though at times winter weather prevents the journey. In late August 2008, Hurricane Gustav damaged a number of structures on both Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, but most operations opened soon thereafter.

Cayman Islands Seasonal Dive Planner

The Caymans' hottest period is from May to November. During winter, temperatures can drop down to the low 70s. Rainy season starts in May and peaks in October. Rains are normally short and intense. Run-off has little effect on Grand Cayman's water clarity, which averages about 135 feet horizontally on the deeper reefs. Both Little Cayman and Cayman Brac boast even higher visibility averages. Water temperatures vary, from the upper 70s in the winter to low 80s during the summer. Trade winds are out of the northeast in the winter and the southeast during the summer. Northwesterly storms can occur from December through April.

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LIVING THE DREAM DIVERS We specialize in delivering safe, friendly, and professional dive trips. We guarantee stunning sites and small groups on our spacious boat.	Divetech @ Cobalt Coast Dive Resort Year round diving - NW Point of Grand Cayman. Daily boats trips, 100% computer profiles + unlimited shore diving. Training from kids, advanced, tek to CCR	INDIGO DIVERS Grand Cayman Owner operated for the very best in personal service. 6 DIVERS MAX. Certified divers only. Outstanding diving with a touch of class.	Paradise Villas Resort, Little Cayman Affordable Little Cayman. 12 Oceanfront villas with kitchenettes, seaside dining at the Hungry Iguana, diving at world famous Bloody Bay.	Undercurrent Online: Instant access to the latest issues and all readers reports. Click here now

Diving Cayman Islands Feature Articles and Reader Reports

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All Availble to Undercurrent Online Members; Some Publicly Available as Indicated

Diving Cayman Islands Articles - Land Based Bonaire, Caymans, China. . ., a dangerous Baja dive shop, and what, no octopus for your buddy?, 1/12 Australia, Grand Cayman, Philippines . . ., and when it’s really the best time to dive in Raja Ampat, 11/11 Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman, Costa Rica, plus advice about Mabul diving and your passport pages, 10/11 Virgins, Little Cayman, Palau, Sipadan…, Trash is drifting, sea life is missing, but these dive sites still shine, 2/11 CSI: Cayman Islands , 4/10 Grand Cayman Officials Say Alcohol and Stingrays Do Mix , 2/10 Police to Patrol Grand Cayman’s Stingray City, 9/09 Thumbs Up: Divetech, Grand Cayman, 3/09 Pirates Point Resort, Little Cayman, still the best of Cayman diving, 10/08 Cayman Dive Operators Protest Safety Regulations, 8/08 Bahamas, Canada, Caymans, Indonesia, planning your next dive trip? Here are readers’ suggestions, 7/08 Available to the Public Deaths in the Caymans, 6/07 Stingray City Tours Continue Despite Irwin's Death, 10/06 Cayman Coral Crisis, 5/06 The Divi Tiara Resort, Cayman Brac, the Nikon School of Underwater Photography, 10/04 The Caymans, Ivan, and You, 10/04 A Word from Cayman Diving Lodge, 6/04 Cobalt Coast Resort: Divetech, hopefully, a different Grand Cayman experience, 5/04 Cayman Eases Diving Restrictions, 5/04 Cayman Controversies, 5/04 Divers Stiffed as LCD Leaves Little Cayman, 9/02 Grand Cayman, the East End, the best of the class, 9/01 Grand Cayman's East End, bargain basement diving at Cayman Diving Lodge, 5/00 Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman, walls, boobies, bites and Bloody Bay, 8/99 The Rest of Little Cayman, 8/99 Insider's Guide to Grand Cayman, Do it right and dive your own profile — do it wrong and get blackballed, 4/98 Pirate's Point, Little Cayman, 9/96 Grand Cayman, 1/96 Divi Tiara Beach Resort, 10/95 Little Cayman Beach, 6/94

Diving Cayman Islands Articles - Liveaboards Why You Need Undercurrent, we really give you the truth about “undiscovered” dive sites: Florida, Borneo, Grand Cayman …, 10/10 Nekton Cruises Shuts Down , 6/10 Available to the Public Cayman Aggressor IV, a less-pricey alternative to Cayman resorts?, 9/07 Land-Based Recommendations for the Caymans, 9/07 Five Personal Caribbean Favorites, and summertime in Cayman, 6/02 Little Cayman Diver II, An update on old problems and new crowds, 8/98 Aggressor III, Cayman Is, 9/95 Little Cayman Diver II, 9/94

Editor's Book Picks for Scuba Diving Cayman Islands
Including Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac

The books below are my favorites about diving in this part of the world All books are available at a significant discount from Amazon.com; just follow the links. -- BD

World Atlas of Coral Reefs
by Mark D. Spalding, Corinna Ravilious, Edmund P. Green, United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center.

If there is one book that belongs in every traveling diver's library, this is it. The superb World Atlas of Coral Reefs has everything you want to know about the reefs from Costa Rica and Cuba to the Coral Sea and Cayman. The information is specific and up to date. The photos, maps and layout superb. And the price, for this 424 page, full color, hard bound volume, is a steal at $31.50

The Atlas was released in September by the United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center to document and conserve the world's coral reefs. Clearly written with divers in mind, it's an invaluable resource for global travelers. Here's what you'll find.

• 94 maps, including global maps of biodiversity and reef stresses, regional maps showing 3-D bathymetry and high resolution maps showing reefs, mangroves, population centers, dive centers and protected areas.
• 280 color photographs, showing reefs, wildlife, people and places, Including 84 photographs taken from space by Shuttle astronauts.
• Text explaining the formation, structure and ecology of coral reefs; their various uses and abuses at the hands of humans; and the techniques used in coral reef mapping.
• Detailed texts describing the distribution and status of coral reefs in every country.
• Data tables listing information on biodiversity, human use, and protected areas. These include statistics on coral reef area, biodiversity, fish consumption, and threats.

For example, you can learn about pollution damage to the reefs at Providenciales and the lack of human impact, as well. Or, where extensive bleaching took place in Honduras 1998. You'll read that Milne Bay in Papua New Guineas has the most extensive reef system in that country and where, in Fiji, the bumphead parrotfish and tridachna clams will not be found, thanks to overfishing. Order now.

Diving Cozumel ... Cayman Islands ... Belize ... Bahamas ... Bay Islands ... Bonaire ... Bermuda ... British Virgin Islands ... Hawaii ... Micronesia
by Speck, Garoutte, Middleton, Cancelmo, Strohofer, Lewbel, Martin, Douglass, Verdure, Rosenberg, Hanauer...

No matter where you are headed, the Aqua Quest Books covering your destination are the only way to supplement Undercurrent's hardhitting critical information. Each of these books describes specific dive sites, depths and location, shore diving entries, the critters you'll see, local history and customs, places of interests. Take one as you travel or buy one after you return for the memories. Scores of excellent colorful pictures and maps supplement each of these 7x10 paperback 128 page books.

Paul Humann ID Books by Paul Humann, Ned Deloach: The three set fish, creature and coral ID books by Paul Humann are the unparalleled sources for information on Caribbean sea life and identification. This month Paul and his partner Ned deLoach released updated and expanded editions of each, with scores of new critters, even better photos, and information unavailable anywhere else. Why, the Reef Fish Identification book, at more than 500 pages, is 20 percent larger than the previous volume, which came out in 1994. Whenever I travel to the Caribbean, I tote all three books and spend my down hours figuring out what I saw and where to look to find rare creatures. Paul's splendid Reef Creature book (420 pages), covers sponges, nudibranchs, octopus, crustaceans, Christmas tree worms and plenty more. His Coral ID book (276 pages) helps you identify all the hard and soft corals, spawning, and even the growth on top of corals, as well as algae and other plant life. Beginners may want to ID only fish, but I'd recommend that all three books be part of every diver's library. And, if you have an old set, by all means replace it. You'll be delighted at the additions and improvements. Each book normally retails for $40, but are discounted when you order here. And the boxed 3-volume set is available now at a bigger discount, $81.60 (June, 2004). You'll get the best prices Amazon.com has to offer, speedy delivery, and the knowledge that a large hunk of our profit will go to preserve coral reefs. All are spiral bound, 6x9

• Reef Fish Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas ,
• Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas and
• Reef Coral Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
• The Boxed Set of all three (now listed at $81.60 -- June, 2004)

Watching Fishes: Understanding Coral Reef Fish Behavior
by Roberta Wilson, James Q. Wilson.

Your buddies can probably name the reef fish, but read this volume and you can explain what those critters are actually doing -- and why. This fascinating book describes why and how fish change color, how they smell and socialize, the difference between day and night behavior, even how damsels cultivate algae patches -- which is why they attach you when you fin by. Watching Fishes, Understanding Coral and Reef Fish Behavior is written for divers, not scientists, by Roberta and James Q. Wilson. They describe in lively nonfiction prose the behavior of basslets to blennies, clownfish to crinoids, damsels to drumfish. Perfect for between-dive reference. Paperback, 6x9, 274 pages.

You might find some other books of interest in our Editor's Book Picks section.