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Dive Review of Reef Divers/Brac Reef Resort in
Cayman Islands/Cayman Brac

Reef Divers/Brac Reef Resort, Jan, 2008,

by Jeanne Reeder, MO, USA (Contributor Contributor 16 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 4188.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments
My dive bag did not arrive with me that afternoon, but came by 8 pm. The reception desk staff found me in the dining room to let me know; our wonderful waiter Omar heard the good news too, and passed it along to me.

Cayman Brac diving was not as good as Cozumel or Bonaire, but very good. Fish were plentiful and the coral was healthy and colorful. No sharks; lots of big barracuda. It was very windy while we were there and the last day the seas were high which made getting back onto the boat a real challenge. Conditions were too rough to go to the famous Bloody Bay Wall off Little Cayman, a 2 hour boat ride.

Most of the diving was between long 'fingers' formed by towering coral reefs, ranging in height from 8 to 25 feet. Some of these chutes were as wide as 10-15', others got so narrow it made swimming through on the bottom a bit tricky. I love swim thru's, but found only two, entering at 75 ft, exiting on the wall at 111. We had to dive north island because of the rougher seas instead of south island where there are caves.

Amazingly, there was no remotely decent snorkeling on Brac. Sea grass off the beach prevented most from even trying. Kayaking was available for free, but so shallow and rocky unless you went through the 6' breakers, or were in the boat lane, not worth it. Bikes were old and rusty, but did the trick for close-by trips to the market or liquor store.

The resort was utilitarian, clean, neat, with lots of hot water -- perfect for dedicated divers. Hammocks (huge-for-two) were strewn about the white powdery sand -- one had to choose carefully as to not get under a loaded coconut palm. I made good use of them as well as the porch swings in the dock area.

Food was outstanding, a divers dream. Salads and veggie dishes were prepared with a light hand, very refreshing. Fresh fruit was abundant -- papayas, pineapple, orange and grapefruit slices, strawberries, grapes and cherries. Flavors were spicy, but not over the top: perfect for my taste! There were three main dishes, one always shrimp creatively prepared. Their jerk chicken was delicious. In addition at dinner, there was also one main 'meat' such as Prime Rib with chef ready to slice-to-fit your taste. (also a magnificent glazed ham and a tender pork roast) The pastry chef was amazing; at dinner there were 3 or 4 cakes (chocolate, spice, carrot, etc) or pie (apple, chocolate, cherry, etc), homemade ice cream (chocolate or strawberry) with toppings. At lunch he had several kinds of cookies and brownies. The chocolate cream pie he made was truly one of the most delicious I have ever had.

Breakfast offered the usual choices of sausage, bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs, often pancakes & french toast, and a ton of fresh fruit. And the cook was there to individually prepare omelets of our choice.

All food was buffet. Wait staff remembered your beverage order and were great.

Alcoholic beverages were expensive: $4 for a beer and wine for $5. Gin on ice was $7.

Rented a car one afternoon very reasonably priced) and went to the cliffs, which were spectacular, but I think one had to be a true climber to appreciate them. The limestone/coral was the sharpest 'rock' I have ever encountered; a fall would have resulted in major damage.

Brac Reef Resort and on-site dive shop Reef Divers run an excellent operation.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Raja Ampat, Palau, Zamami Japan, Bonaire, Cozumel, Curacao, Roatan, Turks & Caicos, Saba, Statia, St. Kitts, Belize, Akumal
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy Seas choppy
Water Temp 77-79°F / 25-26°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Very good about letting us dive our own profile.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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