Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Southern Cross Club in
Cayman Islands/Little Cayman

Southern Cross Club: "Little Cayman - World Class Diving with outstanding service", Dec, 2014,

by Marie Rose, PA, US (Reviewer Reviewer 4 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 8111.

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 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This is a resort that prides itself on service resulting in lots of return divers. The dive location is legendary - loaded with corals, fishes, turtles, sharks with occasional spectacular sightings like whale sharks, hammerheads etc. Interestingly, there is no thermocline, so the water is comfortable top to bottom. If you're there when conditions are calm, visibility is excellent. The island has at this writing about 170 people living there and thus has the absolute charm of no concerns about theft or safety. There is a well stocked general store, liquor store, very professional health clinic (which I can attest to having needed their services), a restaurant and a smattering of shopping. The resort includes all meals (really very good) and beach equipment like kayaks, towels. When booking, you can choose the number of dives you'd like, or add them a la carte later. Dive gear is available to rent. Deep sea fishing and bonefishing are optional add-ons. Kite surfing is also available. The bar is very well stocked and prices are similar to what you might find at any resort. During the day it's run as an honor bar - just log into your account and mark what you've consumed. And of course, once you hit the bar, you're done diving. Our room was a king - well appointed with a large sitting room as well as a porch. Lots of hot water and the AC worked fine. There is WiFi on site. Massage services are available(also for a fee). Diving starts at 8AM with some of the best, most knowledgable divemasters I've ever encountered. Our divemasters for most of the week were Mike and Sherry and they did not disappoint - in knowledge, safety, attitude, and willingness to teach. Mike has over 8000 dives and works hard with each diver individually to insure a great experience. Sherry could not be a nicer person - and has the added ability to haul you out of the water on those choppy days (awesome!).It was fairly windy during our stay, making climbing back onto the boat challenging. But the crew thoroughly instructed the divers (who ranged in age from 30's to 82!) ahead of time as well as assisted them both in the water and on the boat. Without this level of care, we would not have been able to dive some of the sites due to fairly rough conditions. The Cayman Islands have a strict 60 minute policy, and Southern Cross Club abides by this. Depth limits were discussed ahead of time (usually 90 feet or less) and of course tables and dive computers were strictly monitored. Southern Cross also has the added bonus of FREE nitrox. If you pay for the 3 tank dive package, you are guaranteed to go. If you opt for the 2 tank package, and no one else is already scheduled for the afternoon dive, a diver minimum is required. You can also swap out your dive option for fishing (additional charges apply) and this gives you some nice flexibility in activities. We had a very pleasant ride in a small boat to Owen Island where we bonefished with Captain Chris for an afternoon. The resort has a freshwater pool with lots of lounge chairs and umbrellas, as well as hammocks and beach chairs. Everything is very well maintained and clean. Meals were prompt, varied, filling and delicious. Weight gain is a serious possibility. All of this service and quality does however come at a price which may explain that guests during our visit tended to be older, very experienced divers who were not up all night partying, or pushing their dive computers to the max. We had visited Southern Cross about 10 years ago and when deciding we wanted a very relaxed "no brainer" vacation this time, we were not disappointed with our choice to return. This not a 5 star resort, but the service and quality of diving certainly is. MANY thanks to the resort and their staff for a wonderful vacation - we will return again.
Websites Southern Cross Club   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Saba, St. Lucia, Fiji, Hawaii, California, Panama, Cozumel, Bonaire, Curacao, South Caicos,
Closest Airport Little Cayman Getting There Route through Grand Cayman - strict weight limits on the flight to Little Cayman

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, cloudy, dry Seas choppy, surge, no currents
Water Temp -°F / -°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions 60 minutes max, we did not have any dives more than 90 feet (although rough conditions may have limited the dive sites). By "dive your own profile - NO" I mean that you cannot just go anywhere you want - stay somewhat with the group. No alcohol consumption prior to diving. No decompression diving.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Freshwater tub available on the boat. Current is 110V AC. There are no professional photography facilities at the resort
Was this report helpful to you?

Subscriber's Comments

By Kevin Ellman in NJ, US at Feb 02, 2015 09:39 EST  
We just came back from Southern Cross, and I agree wholeheartedly with this review. Very accurate and covers all the bases.
By Charlie Wright in OH, US at Oct 21, 2015 19:51 EST  
We were there in 2014 and are headed back this January. Great place and some of the best or maybe the best diving in the Caribbean. I understand they are just now redoing the pool including adding a depth of ten feet. Great staff which really makes a difference.
By Charlie Wright in OH, US at Oct 21, 2015 19:54 EST  
The three dive option is a definite advantage over other resorts on Little Cayman.
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 1006 dive reviews of Cayman Islands and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 

Want to assemble your own collection of Cayman Islands reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

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.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 3.64 seconds