Cayman Aggressor II, November, 1994. "Fantastic trip. The crew, the food, the ocean life, and the guests were all outstanding. The relief captain, Michael Clavean, was knowledgeable and made everyone feel comfortable, as did Yvonne Spencer, Carole Reador (what a cook), and Amy Sopmer (friendly, attractive and helpful with cameras); Arturo Calva (visiting crew member from Costa Rica) was great. Amy did a slide show of what we might see, Arturo did a slide slow on Cocos Islands, and all photographers did their own show. . . . Accommodations were below Truk Aggressor but nice - food slightly above Truk however both dive boats locations and crews are outstanding. Food was excellent, varied, and Carol even fixed a separate vegetarian dish for one couple each meal ­­ not an advance request ­­ wonderful ability to improvise. Threw me a birthday party with help of my girlfriend. . . . Crossing to Little Cayman was a little rough; diving at Little Cayman is much better than Grand Cayman. Large Grouper -­ friendly. Beautiful tropical fish. The highlight of the entire trip was a night dive with Molly the Manta. We descended to 30 feet and placed our flashlights in the sand, pointing up to attract plankton and Molly. Molly came and swam beautiful acrobatic circles feeding on the plankton for over an hour. Divers would touch her as she swam overhead. Truly a great experience. I was the last to go back to the boat, having spent one hour and 26 minutes with Molly. . . . My third Aggressor, having done the original Kona Aggressor and the Belize Aggressor. While all Aggressor trips were at or above expectation, this trip was clearly above. I completed my 200th dive on this trip and I rate it as my best dive trip. . . . I used a Data Max Pro Am Integrated Computer, having upgraded. I found it to use; the ascent arrows were helpful. I never set off the ascent beeper. Upgrading policy is a great idea. . . . Barefoot Man at Holiday Inn, Grand Cayman, Friday night is a must for divers." Lesley D. Hand, Lafayette, CA

Cayman Aggressor, March 1995. "Excellent, well-run operation with an outstanding captain and crew. I'd recommend this for anyone. Divers are fully responsible for their own profiles, which I knew from previous Aggressor trips, and one diver did spend the last night in the decompression chamber on Grand Cayman. He really wasn't pushing the limits too drastically but had been sick, was sunburned, etc. the crew did everything they could to get him on oxygen but he refused. They took him, when he asked, to the hospital. He blamed only himself." Nancy & Jack Betts, Yutan, NE

Cayman Aggressor III, March 1995. "As usual, Aggressor is a well-run operation. We had hoped to go to Little Cayman, but they only go to Little Cayman in the summer - Easter through November. The rest of the time they claim the Bloody Bay wall is too rough to be enjoyable. They were able to take us to some great sites on Grand Cayman." Anon., Belmont, CA

Cayman Aggressor III, March 1995. "The boat has a capacity of 18, but there were only 10 - would be crowded with 18. . . . Food was good and plentiful though often fat-laden. Service was warm and friendly. . . . Diving was nice, but few large fish - however the reefs are in good shape and pretty. Water 81 degrees. Vis 20­100 feet. 100 ft. maximum depth, but not enforced. . . . Weather kept us on west side of island all week -­ we were always surrounded by other dive boats." William Baylis, Louisville, CO

Cayman Aggressor III, 1995. "Excellent - second Aggressor trip. There will be more. Wish I had known rental video cameras not available." Georgia Williamson, Raymore, MO

Cayman Aggressor III, March, 1995. "Bar none, the best food on a live-aboard and most hotels. Captain Bill runs the most efficient ship anywhere. The boat is in the best condition of any comparably aged boat and the crew performs quickly and efficiently. Our second visit to Grand Cayman - first in February. Neither time did the weather allow much (only one day) diving on the north wall. Boat (we were told) had not been to Little Cayman or Cayman Beach since December because of weather. Sea choppy; no currents; water 80°; visibility 75­125 feet; could dive own profile; no restrictions enforced, but there was advice and DCS info aplenty." Darryl F. Allen, Toledo, OH

Little Cayman Diver II, January, 1995. "Trip was wonderful. Little Cayman was all I expected and more. Fish and reef were beautiful, crew accommodating. . . . The boat had a lot to improve. We occupied cabin three mid ship and the small of diesel fuel was overwhelming, at times, driving us out of our cabin. The smell of sewage in the main salon was terrible. When asked about why it was that way, the crew had no explanations nor corrective actions. They skirted the issue and were not even apologetic about it. The crew pointed out reasons why they felt superior to other live-aboards (Aggressor) such as heads and showers in almost every room. They could not however take care of the basic problem of the terrible odors coming from their boat. . . . I am a shop owner in East Rochester, New York. I really was amazed at the lack of concern about these problems aboard the boat." Ron Rothstein, Rochester, NY

Little Cayman Diver II, February, 1995. "Luxury yacht converted for diving. Great crew, gourmet meals. Twenty­seven dives on Bloody Bay Jackson Wall; far better than any land­based on Little Cayman. Only thing missing is big fish. Highly recommend." Bob and Nancy Schwankert, Livingston, NJ

Little Cayman Diver II, April, 1995. "Impressed with operation, diving, service, food preparation, and abundance. Been to many ­- this ranks with the best." Pat Angel, Munster, IN

Little Cayman Diver II, May, 1995. "We were on a return trip at no charge due to circumstances beyond Winston McDermott's control. Island Air refused to transport my photo equipment ostensibly because of full flights -­ the flight coming in the day we left had only three passengers and our flight from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman had only ourselves aboard. However, Winston was more than accommodating in rescheduling. . . . The boat could use a few improvements (larger rinse tanks, fans in room to help circulate A/C), but these minor inconveniences are more than compensated by a superb crew. Captain John Clamp and first mate Ray Bain were knowledgeable and went beyond the call of duty to keep everyone happy. Divemaster Wayne kept a discreet eye on those who needed it and a 'have a good one ­-see you on board' to those who needed no assistance. . . . One highlight had to be Chef Christopher. Trained in culinary school at Laterlochen ('Between the Lakes') Switzerland, he prepared the best food I've eaten aboard any live-aboard, anywhere. . . . Overall ratings : excellent. With a new reservations staff ­­ they are somewhat surly and not nearly as helpful as everyone else in the organization ­­ and simple design changes that I'm sure will be given attention, the LCDII rates as one of the best in the Caribbean." Michael E. Goodman, D.D.S., Middletown, IND

Little Cayman Diver II, May,1995. "My first live­aboard; if all you want to do is dive, sleep and eat great food, I can recommend this boat, a converted yacht with five cabins (air-conditioned and with private bathrooms and showers). The berths were comfortable and the cabins had plenty of storage. It takes 10 guests (11 in a pinch) and four crew members for a week of diving off Little Cayman. There is a main salon with VCR, CD player and book selection. The dive deck can be cramped; there is only a small camera table. There was only one hard core photographer on board and with his three cameras and equipment the table and rinse tank were full. No film development facilities. The sun deck above the salon (why on this luxury boat is the sun deck was not carpeted, are there not more than three lounge chairs, and why you have to bring your own beach towel?). . . . Left Cayman Brac Sunday night (Monday morning) at 1:30 a.m. for the 2-3 hour crossing to Little Cayman. Spent the entire week diving Bloody Bay/Jackson Reef. The diving was excellent. The only 'problem' was that the visibility was only 80-120 feet. (Gee, life is tough.) Water temp was about 80-81. The crew sets up your tank, BC and rig Monday morning before the first dive and it is left in place until the last dive of the week. You grab your fins, mask and weights from your storage locker on the dive deck, sit on the dive platform, put on your fins and mask, you are helped on with your BC and roll into the water. . . . The Aggressor was in the area for three days and there were 6-8 day boats from the Little Cayman resorts, but only once did I see a diver from another boat ­­ the only time I ran into any current that made me work to get back to the boat. . . . The DM, Wayne, or Capt. John always gave a clear briefing and were ready to lead you on a tour of the area if you wanted. If you wanted to be left alone, that was OK with them. You could dive whenever you wanted. The only rule was that meals were served during certain hours, so if you wanted to eat, be out of the water at meal time. Each dive's time and depth and the diver's time in the water and time out was logged by the crew. . . . The food was great. Chef Chris (trained at Johnson and Wales, apprenticed in Switzerland) varied the menu and always had a treat waiting after a dive, brownies, fresh baked cookies, cheese and crackers, cake. One couple didn't eat meat and he always had something special. The soups served at lunch were especially good. There is no liquor served on board. . . .The only drawbacks were: (1) The passenger manifest the crew had showed five passengers but 10 showed up. Not a big problem, the crew handled it well (making up berths at 12:00 a.m. and switching cabin assignments). One couple came without any equipment (not even masks). They said that they had told the office that they needed everything, not just BC's, regs, etc. However, no one told the crew about this until they were ready to dive. The crew managed to put together enough equipment from their personal gear. (2) Travel to Cayman Brac is at odd hours. Fly from Grand Cayman to the Brac at 11:30 p.m., arriving at 11:55 p.m. and on the LCDII at 12:45 a.m. You leave the boat at 5:00 a.m. the next Sunday morning to catch a 6:30 a.m. flight to Grand Cayman. This can make for a LONG layover, depending on your connections." Bob Schrager, NY

Little Cayman Diver II, July, 1995. "Good: maximum ten passengers, only eight when we were onboard and they were the type who liked to read or nap between dives rather than play obnoxious music and party. . . . Excellent staff. Wayne is a genius at finding hidden critters. Val's enthusiasm and good nature made the week pleasant. Get her to teach you to play PIGS. . . . Regular chef, Chris, was off,but Pat provided good meals and snacks including adequate chocolate goodies. John was Captain this week; quiet, competent, Jack-of-all-trades. All the staff took turns diving with us if asked. Night dives were interesting even Molly the Manta didn't show up. They lent Floyd a computer when his failed. . . . Bad stuff: Some toilets don't work well. Our cabin (#1) is the quietest but cramped. I wouldn't recommend it for large or tall people. There is no beer, wine, or booze on board ­- bring your own if you want it. I wish they had ice tea and lemonade to drink as I don't care for soda. Only three lounge chairs on the sun deck. Jumping three the pier to the boat is dangerous. One passengers fell in getting off the boat." Lloyd & Mary Gelman, Boulder, CO

Little Cayman Diver II, July, 1995. "Weather and seas were generally calm. Food and snacks were excellent. Divemaster showed us how to get garden eels out of their holes to take macro shots. Molly the manta experiences were great. On last night dive, a small eagle ray swam in and got within one foot of Molly's back and swam in tandem with her. 85 degree water, 70­140 ft. vis, 110 foot limit. . . . The only negative aspect about the boat is the compactness of the dive deck. Storage bins were large but area could be slightly crowded if all ten divers got ready at the same time. Camera rinse tank was limited in size. Eleven divers were booked instead of ten, so two divers shared a storage bin. This in no way overcrowded the boat. A very good trip." Ronald L. Bailey, Roanoke, VA

Little Cayman Diver II, July, 1995. "The only thing that would have made this trip better would have been a few more sharks. The diving (although slightly less than hype would suggest) was very good. The boat and crew were fantastic as was the food. I didn't miss the alcohol (only a little wine for the last night) but I may have brought a six pack had I known this ahead of time. John (captain), Wayne (D.M.), Val (D.M. and helper) and Chris (cook and helper) were fantastic doing whatever was required to satisfy our group. All the guests got along great. This boat has the best of all possible combinations for the price: (10-11 passengers) great service, great diving and luxurious appointments (individual heads and showers for all five rooms)." Lee Ratcliff, Longview, TX

Little Cayman Diver II, August, 1995. "Excellent service to a small group of experienced divers. Guide service if you wanted, or good briefings for those who would rather do their own thing. Excellent chef who accommodated the unique diet of some crazy Texan who was with us. It was fun to try country soul food. Nightly manta ray shows regularly, with eagle rays and sting rays." Stewart Kaslow, Maplewood, NJ

Little Cayman Diver II, August, 1995. "Crew seemed sort of burned out (but nice), food was superb, diving wonderful. . . . The only negative is the condition of the boat. In need of maintenance and repair: broken tiles, stained showers, desalinator was out most of the week, bilge pump broke producing horrible smell. Needs a face-lift as it is billed as a luxury live-aboard. Overall boat appears worn, dusty and tired. Both Wave and Sea Dancer's in much better shape." Carolyn Kimball, Phenix City, AL

Little Cayman Diver II, August, 1995. "Boat laid out well, can fill tanks from hose at back deck. Diving great; weather too. Warm water and pretty good visibility. The crew was fantastic - Captain Jeff worked his ass off with an inoperable water purifier (handled well) and backup generator needing fixing. Chef Chris did a great job feeding us with notorious food. Val was an upbeat divemaster and lots of fun. Wayne took us out at night to find all the jewels at Little Cayman. He has an uncanny knack for the small stuff - finding it and loving you getting good shots. Excellent." Peter Hartlove, Longmont, CO

Little Cayman Diver II, August, 1995. "Crew was excellent and informative, without being overbearing. Worked extra hard (along with owner) when boats air conditioning went down. Bloody Bay and Jackson were great diving, but surprised at the absence of sharks and eagle rays. Plenty of other stuff to see though and the underwater terrain was enjoyable. Food was good and variety pleasing. Nice boat, although somewhat crowded on the dive platform if all ten divers chose to get wet at the same time. Camera table inadequate if most divers were into photography or videography. Not a problem on our trip. Totally enjoyed the week." Jeff and Babette Burleigh, Otsego, MI

Copyright 1996 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.