Dive Review of Dive Tech/Cobalt Coast in
Cayman Islands/Grand Cayman

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Dive Tech/Cobalt Coast, May, 2007, by JoAn Ferguson, VA, USA ( Reviewer 5 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 3349.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	About five years ago we were certified by Dive Tech in Grand Caymans. We decided to return for a short trip and see if the diving was as good as we remembered. It was – nothing can beat the North Wall! The Dive Op We decided to return to Dive Tech, not only because they certified us, but because we liked the idea of a combination of morning boat dives and unlimited shore diving available from their two locations. We dove on their larger boat, the Atatude, which could hold up to 22 divers, but was never full – usually about 13 divers. Lots of room on the boat. Each day there was a mix of staff as captain, divemaster, and shop help. All seemed friendly and knowledgeable. Typically morning routine for those staying at Cobalt Coast was meet up at 7:45am, put gear in a truck, get in assigned van, drive to boat dock, carry gear to boat, and start gearing up. This isn’t “valet diving”. You carry your gear and set up your own tanks. Dive sites were often just a few minutes away. They are clearly set up for technical divers, rebreathers, and free divers. But most of the people there during our stay were recreational divers, although most used Nitrox. One family that didn’t use Nitrox decided to get the training, so that they could enjoy the long bottom times like everyone else. We watched some folks training for free diving – very cool to watch below (as I enjoyed my deep breaths!). Also a few people with rebreathers. The Hotel We stayed at the Cobalt Coast dive resort right next to Dive Tech. Good package deal combining room, breakfast, two tank morning boat dives, and unlimited shore dives. We were only there for four nights, so opted for one of the smaller hotel-style rooms. I was pleasantly surprised. Plenty of space in the room, lots of storage, refrigerator, and roomy bathroom. We were also only a few steps away from Dive Tech in one direction, and food/bar in the other direction. Unlimited Internet access is available at no additional charge. It’s wireless and is available around the bar and pool. Our room was very close, so if we put the computer near the window, we could access the Internet from our room. I used Skype to call home every day, so this was convenient. The Restaurants We ate at Cobalt Coast for many of our meals, although we didn’t get the meal plan. Breakfast was very good and convenient before diving. Lunch was also good – but expensive. It was $8.50 CI for most sandwiches – about $10.63 in US dollars. Yikes. But it was convenient! If you are going to eat there, the meal plan for $55 per day would be worth it. We went to Pappagallo’s for dinner one night. It’s only a short drive from Cobalt Coast. Very pleasant setting and good food. Also expensive. Just plan on spending lots of money for food… The Dives We did 11 dives in our 3+ days of diving. They encourage you to do your first shore dive on the day of arrival. That was fun! Diving was pretty deep – max depths between 60 and 100 feet. Typical dive times of 45 minutes to an hour. Saw lots of turtles – both Hawksbill and Green Sea Turtles between 18 and 24 inches in diameter. Other cool sightings – Spotted Eagle Ray, Juvenile Spotted Drum, Southern Stingrays, and breeding behaviors during afternoon shore diving. Dives at the North Wall, where you gaze into the abyss are not to be missed. Final Thoughts We weren’t sure that it was worth going to Grand Cayman for such a short trip – just four nights. Staying at Cobalt Coast and diving with Dive Tech allowed us to get into a relaxing and fun routine very quickly. I was very glad that we went!
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	various Carribean islands, Florida Keys, Hawaii
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	rainy	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-82°F / 28-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	0-0 Ft/ 0-0 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	130 feet max depth, 60 minutes from surface to surface, 5 minute (not 3 minute) safety stop at 15 feet, dive with a buddy, everyone must dive with a computer, and never have less than 5 minutes of No Deco time on your computer
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Camera only tanks on the boats and at the shore diving locations. Soft table on the boat for cameras to set on. Divemasters carefully handed down cameras to divers.

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Dive Review of Dive Tech/Cobalt Coast in Cayman Islands/Grand Cayman

Dive Tech/Cobalt Coast, May, 2007,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Tech/Cobalt Coast in
Cayman Islands/Grand Cayman