Cayman Brac

Brac Aquatics, Brac Caribbean Condos, 1995, Yvonne and Doug Faulkner, Cedar Park, TX. "Beautiful condos. All amenities, tile floors, private beach, hammocks, private lagoon. Diving spectacular. Little Cayman the best. Cayman Airways always late."

Brac Reef Resort, September 1995, Bob Bilstein, Denver, CO. "Staff handled gear set up for the week; wash and store it. Friendly and knowledgeable about all the sites. Peter, the boat captain and divemaster, gave very informative briefings."

Brac Reef Resort, October 1995, E. Aliquippa, PA. "Allowed to dive our own agenda with Cayman limitations. No large stuff (except a large grouper) moray, sailfin blenny, flying guanard. Little Cayman trip, but I prefer Brac; less crowded, walls as pretty, deeper. . . . Whirlpool not warm, no beach diving. Friendly staff, uncrowded boat, assist as desired - you don't handle gear after the first day. Discount if you are a return guest; book direct."

Brac Reef Resort, December 1995, James Matthews, Kingstor Springs, TN. "Dive operation was excellent. Divemasters patient, knowledgeable, and helpful. Dives spectacular. Good value. Resort comfortable. The food very good and varied."

Brac Reef Resort, Winter 1996, Greg Rodden, Philadelphia, PA. "All inclusive with drinks. Buffet tasty and plentiful. Clean, comfortable room with TV; single rooms $200 extra. Attractive and well-maintained grounds; private beach, swimming pool, working hot tub. No night life other than bar. Friendly, helpful and efficient staff. . . . Dive shop well stocked: rent a Nikonos for $50/day. Boats maximum of 20 divers. Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and safety conscious staff. Two tanks in the AM and one in the PM. Two days we went to Little Cayman; 45 minute trip Water: 75° to 80°F. vis: 75 to 125 ft. Diving great though coral bleaching."

Brac Reef Resort, January 1996, A.L. Shuhart, Putnam Valley, NY. "Book dives before you go for best price. Depending on whom you spoke to in Ft. Lauderdale, prices varied. Good selection of munchies between dives. Towed in a boat from Divi three times."

Brac Aquatics, Private Villa, January 1996, Denege & Peter Blood, Greene, NY. "Professional, friendly, trustworthy, but you carry your own equipment. Rough wet weather. Storms affected vis; 50 feet. Not many fish. Guided dive upon request. Patient with noncertified divers . They fixed my Mares regulator (improperly sealed diaphragm) and my Sherwood regulator (stuck purge button) at no cost. . . . Hideaways provided villa; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, outdoor wash area. Kitchen, dining area, living area, outdoor gazebo with hammock, caretaker. Food expensive and difficult to get fresh. Suitable for children. Not luxury, but a good camp like atmosphere: $1500 for 10 days. Minivan rental $500."

Brac Reef Resort, February 1996, T. J. Donlin, Oak Park, IL. "Clean, comfortable rooms. The food was good, people friendly. Reef Divers friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The diving was terrific - nice undamaged coral, lots of fish and lots of critters. The day trip to Little Cayman was great. Only about 10­15 minutes of open ocean, and the final 30 minutes close to shore. Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Reef the best I've ever experienced. When I go back to the Caymans, I'll be sure to split my time between the Brac and Little Cayman, because one day of diving at Little Cayman is not enough. vis. 80­100 ft. water: 72°­73°."

Brac Reef Resort, August 1996, Michael Ford, Manchester, MO. "Room very nice, food excellent. Day trip to Little Cayman outstanding. Divemasters very competent. Water: 81­82 degrees Vis: 100 Feet."

Divi Tiara, March 1995, Sandy Lamb, Brookfield, WI. "Diving beautiful, trips to Little Cayman spectacular. Clean, large rooms with balconies, gorgeous views, excellent restaurant that serves American and Caribbean cuisine (and buffet). Rent motor scooters or take bikes to island establishments for fish, chicken, or meat cooked Cayman fashion with bell pepper and spices. Resort has tennis courts, a sand beach and fresh water pool for nondivers."

Divi Tiara, July 1995, Connie Rosenberg, Morristown, NJ. "New dive manager has operation in top form, the resort is barefoot casual, the food has ups & downs. desserts are worth every calorie. Diving spectacular. On a snorkeling trip from the shore at Buccaneer's reef we saw shark, turtle, school of squid, puffer, scorpion fish, filefish all in one hour!"

Divi Tiara, July 1995, Jackie Maciel, Franklin, MA. "You are given a number & gear bag; placed on a hook in the gear house; dive crew sets up all gear on the boat you have signed for. Dive your own profile; computer divers can usually get an extra 10 min. Doesn't pamper rookies. Water: 84 degrees, days very hot so we took afternoon boat dive. For an operation that sponsors the Nikonos Shoot-out I had expected at least a special table for cameras, and rinse buckets that did not leak."

Divi Tiara, July 1995, Roberta Sonnino, MD, Richmond, VA. "New managers for hotel and dive operation; everything ran smoothly. Aileen Kane, Photo Pro, helpful and pleasant."

Divi Tiara, July 1995, Nate Plotkin, Semora, NC. "Boat, crew & staff excellent. Rooms needed improvement. TV's hardly worked at all, although cable is available. Diving good although no large fish or good wrecks. Overall very good trip, but not excellent."

Divi Tiara, September 1995, Juli Tracy & Dick Gamble, San Diego, CA. "Coral and walls pretty; less fish life than expected. 18­20 people on 40' boat with one ladder; lines to enter and surface. Water clear, 84°, diving a disappointment. No snorkeling in front of the hotel - only eel grass and ironshore. Boat broke down three times. Wouldn't start at the dock until they brought out 110V battery, so no surprise that it didn't start at the site - 90 minute wait; radio weak, so divemaster swam ashore to get help. Second time we were within sight of hotel but radio didn't work, nor did emergency flare! Didn't get the second of our Little Cayman dives (not enough other people interested)."

Divi Tiara, October 1995, Michael & Brita Bono, Middle Island, NY. "Diving for beginners to experienced. Vis 100'. Gorgeous walls, caves, marine life. Crew courteous and accommodating; colorful sponges and coral; huge walls, turtles, tarpon, shark, eels, lobster, octopus, angelfish. Photo Tiara a great operation. Rented a Nikonos and they gave short course on the best way to get the best shots. Took 400 pictures. Water: 86 degrees"

Divi Tiara, December 1995, Mike Dickey, Idaho Springs CO. "Water too rough to go to Little Cayman. Enjoyed the diving. Boat staff, dive staff and photo staff pleasant. Food tasty but too expensive for what you get. No food stores near; shelves empty the day before the barge arrives. Rented a scooter; people friendly. Safe and crime free island."

Divi Tiara, June 1996, Dirk Wood, MD, OH. "Buffet dining - best food and service. Same day E-6 developing. Best service on dive boat. Regs and BCD's affixed by crew. Fresh water rinse post dive. Equipment picked up and delivered to room. Friendly, service-oriented crew and hotel staff. vis: 80­120 ft. water: 82°­84°."

Divi Tiara, July 1996, John and Charlotte Larson, Valencia, CA. "Weather good, rooms comfortable, resort clean and well taken care of. Food good, buffet extremely slow at breakfast. Divemasters friendly and helpful. Went to Little Cayman, halfway there, ran out of gas, inexcusable. Bobbed around two hours until help from another towed us to a dive site at the Brac. When the boat captain radioed Divi Tiara for help, the head divemaster said on the radio for all to hear, it's going to be awhile so just put them back in the water. No concern for divers very unprofessional. Two other boat break downs which made the remaining boats crowded. Had a good time but surprised at the deficiencies in Peter Hughes operation. vis: 50­60 ft. water: 83°­84°."

Divi Tiara, August 1996, Samuel R. Wheatman, Colorado Springs, CO. "Diving is great, especially if you're into small critters. Two-tank in AM, one in PM, two night dives, weekly trip to Little Cayman. Dive crew professional, friendly, safety conscious and helpful. The only thing you lug are weight belts to and from storage sheds each day, and anything you want to carry to your room. At site, walk to the stern and sit. The crew lifts your gear on to you! Since they accommodate handicapped divers, they'd haul your weights if you needed. Crew dunked gear. After such great service, how can you not tip generously? Great photo and video courses; hired a video professional to follow us for two dives. She provided us a fabulous souvenir. . . . Limited shopping, restaurants and bars. Economy rooms adequate; you can upgrade. Excellent buffet. Getting to and from Brac is by Cayman Airways 737's or small Island Air plane with baggage limits (better schedules). Clothing is shorts, t-shirts and sandals, so don't need to pack much."

Grand Cayman

Aquanauts, Treasure Island Resort, February 1996, Brenda Mallison, Chugiak, AK. "Clean resort, service indifferent. Request that shower be repaired ignored. Maid always in our room cleaning when we got back to hotel after diving. Aquanauts great. Geared toward intermediate and advanced divers. Less than 12 divers. First dive is 100' followed by shallow dives, different dive site each day. Terrific personalized service. vis. 60­80 ft. water:78°­80°."

Aquanauts/Treasure Island Resort, April 1996, Col. Darrell L. Meader, Fort Wright, KY. "Clean accommodations, island folks pleasant. Room broken into and robbed. Room safe is a joke; they can open it without a code. Hertz over charged and didn't have care when we arrived. Lost dive time and the car was a disaster. Aquanauts 5 stars in taking care of divers from basic to world-class. Treat you with respect. Diving super."

Bob Soto's, May 1995, Joseph Palma, Franklin Square, NY. "Nice to go back and see same faces, especially Leslie, the manager. Staff fantastic; have fun and keep professional. No rinse tanks on shore, no where to leave your wet gear. I hate lugging a bag full of wet gear to my room. vis: 60­80 ft. water: 78°­82°."

Bob Soto's/Villas of the Galleon Condo, July 1995, Sharon Cipolla, Thousand Oaks, CA. "Diving: West 1 star/North 3 star/South 4 star/East 4 star due to current & swell. West: vast majority of divers inexperienced or ignorant of buoyancy control & dive boat etiquette. Experienced divers should request a 'Gold Card' to computer dive w/buddy (not in group with divemaster) & stay to the north/south/or east. Staff helpful & well-versed on sites/conditions/marine biology & fish identification."

Bob Soto's, November 1995, Ken Colten, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. "Boats full but well organized on Gold Card Program, minimum restrictions. Because of large number of divers, late getting to best spots. Did one site three times (poor). Vis: 50­90 ft. water: 78°­80°."

Bob Soto's/Treasure Island, December 1995, Lynn Offhaus, Hamburg, NY. "Good briefings. Crew somewhat friendly. Boats roomy. On night dive the crew put divers in water without a divemaster. There were 20 divers; 6 had never done a night dive. I was buddied with an 18 & 20 year old brother and sister who were nervous and virgin to night diving. I did a rescue while divemasters stayed dry. . . . On the final dive the crew started the engine after they thought all divers were on board. 2 were still in the water. We yelled to the crew, they did a head count, stopped the boat and helped the two out of the water. They implied that they went over their allowed 30 minute bottom time. The divers computer showed total dive time of 30 minutes. Water: 80°­82°. Vis: 50 to 75 ft."

Bob Soto's/Holiday Inn, June 1996, Ed Nigh, Aruada, CO. "Great operation. Good briefings, good trips. Accommodate resort to hard core divers. Boats well laid out, dive shop well managed, good rental equipment . Employees knowledgeable, friendly. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 82°­86°. Most dives 60 ft./30 min. or 50 ft. max/40 min. max. . . . Holiday Inn: plenty going on every night: Barefoot man and Band to good old American BBQ and Rocking Reggae. Clean rooms friendly staff, great food. Seven Mile Beach was 25 yards away."

Bob Soto's/Holiday Inn, July 1996, Sharon Nigh, Aruada, CO. "Good divemasters; told us what to look for while we were down. 60 ft./40 min. or no more than 500 psi. Hard gearing up because it was so crowded. Loved the Holiday Inn. Great buffet a.m. & p.m."

Bob Soto's/Holiday Inn, July 1996, Craig & Ruth Campbell, Long Grove, IL. "Hotel food only adequate; restaurants excellent. Computer Diving: gold card issued after a deep check out dive to experienced divers; you enter the water first and return last, but are restricted by time constraints. On your own underwater and can move at your own pace. No camera rinse tank on the boat, and rinse barrel is contaminated by dive equipment. . . . Excessive current on one dive; crew did not recognize it as drift dive, even though the ladder was almost horizontal behind the boat. No divemaster remained on boat; when a diver was caught in the current and unable to return to the boat, we had to wait until a divemaster returned. No trailing line or any way to recover the diver without moving the boat after divers returned. Crews helpful and friendly, but more interested in getting everyone up to move to a new site fast. Surface intervals seemed abbreviated, particularly if you had extended your stay underwater as a result of having the Gold Card. Few angel fish and large reef fish. Vis often cloudy with particles suspended; 60­80 foot. Better vis last October."

Capt. Marvin's/Enterprise Bed and Breakfast, 1995, Steve Wilson. "Boats not crowded; no camera rinse tanks. Divemaster knowledgeable about sites and asked for requests. Dive on wall impressive; guided and by the tables. Some might have liked to dive their computer, but since everyone didn't have a computer, that wasn't the plan. Rented sub-compact car and did OK (2 divers w/gear); 4 people and gear would push it to the limit."

Captain Marvin/Enterprise Bed and Breakfast, September 1995, Karen and Joel Schulman, Steamboat Springs, CO. "Enterprise basic and clean, rinse tanks and room to dry gear. Captain Marvin's like a private charter. Computers not a problem; dived the North and West walls. . . . Take a condo tour at Tortuga Club and get a free two tank dive."

Capt. Marvin/Enterprise Bed and Breakfast, January 1996, Tom Stoa, Bismarck, ND. "Seven unit motel on quiet street. $170/day for two includes breakfast, 2 tanks and subcompact rental - rare deal. Rooms Spartan, clean, need some repairs. Manager great. Captain Marvin calls every morning to say here to meet the boat - North, west or south sides. Dive operation small and family run. 3­5 divers. Crew gave us tanks for shore dives. Rental car helpful due to out of the way location of Enterprise. Water. 78­80 degrees."

Cayman Dive Laboratory, May 1995, Maurice Bresenhan. "Tom Byrne, Ph.D., excellent guide; mini-lectures add to experience. Boat in excellent shape. Small groups (6). Grand Cayman is Orlando with diving. Go elsewhere."

Cayman Diving Lodge, May 1995, Evelyn Stearns, Naperville, IL. "Dives easy, boat excellent, staff wonderful, meals hearty. Water 83 degrees. Ample storage, hangers for skins. 3000+ fills. Several hang lines for decom. Night and afternoon dives. Great place for beginners or 'lazy' divers. Sue & Leonard Brooks are TOPS."

Cayman Dive Lodge, May 1995, Maurice Bresenhan. "Good boat, well equipped. Sites in good to excellent shape, groups small (6). Reasonable freedom, except 100 ft. limit. East end as it used to be. Too bad remainder of island is generic & overdived.Orlando with diving. Go elsewhere"

Cayman Diving Lodge, November 1995, Pat Sullivan, Spokane, WA. "Loved the lodge and location. Two dives/day for 10 days and never to the same place twice. The West End and North Side rough all week, so lots of day divers came over. Need a soft chair to sit and read on the deck of the lodge. Plenty of snorkeling out front. Vis: 80­100 ft. water: 84°."

Cayman Diving Lodge, January 1996, Kathy and Joe Robinson, Budd Lake, NJ. "New management. Painting and installing new French doors and beautiful white large tile floors. Food fair, but they are trying. 7 people on staff; caring, knowledgeable and fun. Marc Montgomery is great divemaster. Diving superb. Tunnels, chimneys, canyons galore. Variety of fish; turtles and rays."

Cayman Diving Lodge, January 1996, Bob and Jenni Long, Columbus OH. "Good briefings. Fresh fruit and drinks between dives. Follow divemaster or do your own thing. Not a lot of room for cameras. You setup gear and change between dives. Rinse tank and hose at dock. Diving disappointing; not a lot of fish; sponges and corals is great on North Wall and East End. Don t waste your money on West End; Cayman very expensive; bring suitcase of money. Dinners $40 and up. Saw everything in a day."

Cayman Diving Lodge, June 1996, Mark S. Rackman, Cincinnati, OH. "Water: 78­80, Vis: 50­80 feet. Old dive dedicated resort; nothing less and nothing more. No phones, no TV, no pool, no dining room (out door dining area), no menus, no extras. Clean and well attended. Staff friendly and ever-present. Diving excellent! Best wall dives I've seen. NITROX - I was the first customer. Call ahead to arrange; only EAN 32 is available."

Clint Ebanks, August 1995, Neal Grossman, Houston, TX. "Did not allow us to dive our computers. Too restrictive."

Coconut Harbor/Neptune's Realm, July 1995, Ed Nigh, Arvada, CO. "'Excellent diving, terrific food at the 'Blue Parrot.' Divemasters on the Conure - made fun of several novice divers problems - allowed one to drift for a couple of minutes before helping him get aboard, more interested in touting their own diving skills than helping people. Snotty counter help at Parrots Landing Dive Shop - terminated my dive package with them after they informed my wife she could not be certified by them due to her asthma - prior conversations they said 'no problems - no hassle.' 'Neptune's Realm Divers' - a real dive operation - great people."

Coconut Harbor/Dive Paradise, August 1995, Charles and Donna Earp, Virginia Beach, VA. "Pick you up, take you back. Lockers at motel for gear. Could leave clothes outside door to dry. Rooms had kitchenette, saved us money on meals. Vis: 90­120 ft. water: 82°."

Dive Inn/Sleep Inn, May 1995, Bernie Horton, Arroyo Grande, CA. "The takes care of your equipment until you leave. Dive boat was not easy entry & exit. Even though I had reserved morning dives, 1st two days had to be afternoon dives as they had chartered the boat. Dove 3 on North wall which is about all they do."

Dive Inn/Sleep Inn, February 1996, Unsigned. "Sleep Inn is clean, inexpensive, no frills, block from beach. Swimming pool/hot tub. Dive Inn provides transportation to Treasure Island Dive Shop. Crew friendly, but do little for you. Safe outfit. Coral has deteriorated, fish smaller and fewer than 4 years ago. Sting Ray City is worth diving rather than snorkeling. vis: 60­80 ft. water: 82°."

Don Foster/Radisson, September 1996, Michael Halvorsen, Wood Dale, IL. "People friendly. Hotel, house restaurant first rate. Don Foster pickups on beach at 9 am. Site chosen by the divers. Rental equipment fairly new. Island very expensive."

Don Foster's, September 1995, Mike Allison, Pasadena, MD. "Quick boat rides to dive sites; picked up on beach at hotel - excellent conditions for my wife who gets seasick easily. Vis: 100­170 ft. Great wall diving on East end. . . . Extremely hot and humid with little relief even at night. Food outrageously expensive; we ended up eating fast food most days and even that cost us $25/meal/couple. Water: 82°­85°."

Don Foster's/Radisson, November 1995, JoAnne Kitzin, Hartsdale, NY. "Rooms nice. Pool nice. Eating facilities mediocre but walk to others. Foster's staff friendly and knowledgeable about sites, guided dives or freedom to explore. Boats and equipment in great shape. Complaints: They choose your boat and destination; divers with time left on computers and air in the tank are required to come up within their dive tables. Price of diving outrageous, taxi fares are killers' some restaurants $20­30 round trip. Photo facilities overpriced. Bring everything you need."

Don Foster's/Radisson, November 1995, Scott Richardson, Boulder, CO. "Boat large, fast enough, easy entry, large shaded area, dip tank. Foster's staff was friendly, helpful, excellent briefings. Allowed divers to explore on own, to use computers liberally. Hotel very nice, pool, bar and snacks by beach."

Don Foster's/Plantation Village Beach Resort, November 1995, Robert Athanasiou. "Condos beautiful, well appointed, quiet and convenient; Foster offered to pick us up but 4 min beach walk was too pleasant. Ocean View rooms do not mean that you necessarily have a great ocean view -just more private. Pool View is cheaper but a lot more chummy. Did own cooking, laundry; they loan you bicycles. . . . Foster's staff helpful, courteous, cheerful. Will carry your bags or provide a cart to move your gear. One or more of the staff dove with us. Briefings excellent. Sometimes dove at nonbuoyed sites with fresher coral. Trip on the north side canceled due to high waves. Offered to reschedule trip later in the day or refund. Rain most days. Water 82 deg, 100 feet vis. 100' depth on first dive, 60' maximum on the second. On one dive, my buddy and I went to 110 feet - subjected to finger wagging. I appreciated the warning. Coral and dive sites worn. No large critters; abundance of tropicals only on the shallow dives. Compared to Little Cayman, Grand Cayman loses out big time."

Don Foster's/Radisson, May 1996, Craig Young, Sharon Busey, Monomonee Falls, WI. "Well-run, friendly, professional operation; honor site requests but late start (9:15 to 9:30AM) resulted in many sites already occupied. Experienced divers on their own; divemaster available for guided tours. Didn t badger for tips; crew respectful and courteous. . . . Radisson comfortable and convenient to Foster s. Food O.K, but expensive. Good moderate restaurants; Billy's Place, the Almond Tree, the Cracked Conch, the Crow's Nest. Wonderful and expensive: Casa Havana at the Westin. Tasty baked goods at the Coffee Trader."

Eden Rock, January 1996, Bob and Jenni Long, Columbus, OH. "West End diving disappointing. Not many fish; coral taking abuse. Took PM dive; staff hurried everybody so they could get back for supper. Short bottom times and surface interval. Boat was well setup with large camera table. No refreshments, only water. No dock at shop. In sloppy seas you time the heights of the wave and jump on board. Shore dive: like a desert. Go to Turtle Farm entry; at 60 feet mini wall dive with good things to see."

Eden's Rock, January 1996, Steve Neal, Fairfield, TX. "Walking distance from the cruise ship pier. Devils Grotto: conch, grass eels, big grouper, large tarpon, hogfish , barracuda, 5' eels. Well lighted caverns dead inside but fun. Biggest eagle ray I've seen in 77 dives. Tanks $100 refills $6."

Fisheye, July 1995, Bill Rucker, Bedford, TX. "Diver friendly operation. Boats are on time; experienced divers do your own thing and treated like grown-ups."

Fisheye, July 1995, Jackie Maciel, Franklin, MA. "3-day photo course excellent. First 2 dives devoted to 35mm shots, the second day was Macro, the third day was wide angle. Results were amazing; next 2 weeks we spent diving the Caymans; the pictures were the best we've taken. Dive boats set up for photographers. Dive shop manager helpful when my pressure gauge developed a leak. Sent us to 'Diver's Supply' because they carried replacement 'spindles' for pressure gauges. The manager at Diver's Supply not only did the repair while I waited, but charged us only $3.50!!"

Fisheye/Victoria House, November 1995, John Yarrington, Elmer, NJ. "Victoria House quiet, uncrowded, beautiful beach. . . . Fisheye accommodating with excellent staff. Package dives nonrefundable: if you miss a dive and don't reschedule, your money is gone - even with advance notice! Beautiful reefs with small reef fish."

Fisheye, January 1996, Bob and Jenni Long, Columbus OH. "North Wall and Stingray City. Staff set up gear and changed it between dives. Not a cattle boat. Good briefings. Pop or juice between dives. Helpful briefings at Stingray City to avoid having your fingers chewed on."

Fisheye/Holiday Inn, June 1996, Bill Knoblauch, Graham McMullen, Fair Oaks CA. "Holiday Inn: bathroom door had air slots in it, so, one didn't want to get too noisy in there! Cramped if you keep dive gear in room. Good breakfast buffet $10; dancing at night with Barefoot and Band. . . . Fisheye one of the best. Three boats - 18-diver boat dives the West side; a 12-diver boat and an 8-diver boat dive the North End. West side over-dove, North End wall first class, with lots of small and big critters. Boats have camera trays, dunk tank for cameras and computers only! Thorough briefings. Allow divers to dive computers, but intolerant of divers who did not respect dive profile; one bozo would not come up after the allotted time because, she said, she had to clear her computer. Her fourth dive of the day - 1st and 3rd dives below 100'. The guide told her if she could not abide the rules she would not be welcome. Fisheye had dive lockers and rinse tank."

Indies Divers and Suites, July 1995, Mike and Brenda Kane, Herndon, VA. "Each room comes with a huge, modern kitchen, dining/living room and large bedroom with balcony. Staff of Indies Divers is professional, friendly and knowledgeable. More expensive than other dive locations but worth the trip."

Indies Divers and Suites, July 1995, Thomas Key, Litchfield Park, AZ. "Indies Divers has excellent, attentive staff. 6­8 divers profile their dives by computer; 100 ft and 500 psi limits. Boat is excellent - 1st aid kit, fresh water, shower, drinking water, marine head and a out of air reg in the water. Spotted rays, excellent coral, school of five squid. Boat only goes to North Wall locations 20­30 min; Shore dived at Sunset House Reef, Eden Rock, Smith Cove. Tank rental reasonable. Weather was super."

Neptune Divers, January 1996, Leonard and Donna Turner, Silver Spring, MD. "Boat hit by a tender from a cruise ship so helped arrange dives with other operations. We consider them very professional. vis. 60­70 ft. water: 74°­78.°"

Off the Wall Divers/Tamarind Bay, June 1995, Manny Lopez, Newtown Square, PA. "Tamarind Bay: outstanding condos. . . . Off the Wall Divers a personal operation. Great new sights along the North Wall that large operations don't visit. For experienced divers."

Parrots Landing/London House, June 1995, Frank Topel, Westmont, IL. "Beach diving excellent, just a short swim from dive shop. Sand bottom coral trenches located almost anywhere around the island, teem with life. Parrots Landing excellent. Boats (45 ft.) 7­17 divers, plenty of room. Dives videotaped and available to view; no pressure to purchase."

Parrots Landing/London House, June 1995, The Fab 5, Alex, VA. "Diving excellent. Facilities great. Well stocked dive shop, rental gear, excellent shore diving with unlimited air fills on days you booked a boat dive. Not impressed with staff; only two of 15 seemed to care. Little help with equipment, getting out of the water onto the boat and did nothing more than their job required them to do. Photo operation employees great."

Parrots Landing/Sea View Hotel, July 1995, Rick Toms, Austin, TX. "Swimming pool is saltwater. 'Unlimited' shore diving available, but no tanks or weights available. Divemasters and captain in a hurry to get back to load another boat for afternoon dives. Diving good, accommodations okay."

Parrots Landing/Coconut Harbor, August 1995, Bob Werby, Frankun, VA. "Staff at resort were great. Parrot's very good, but we also like the 'sit down and remove tank' feature of Foster's. Coconut Harbor convenient for shore dives. Took van from resort to Parrot's for all dives. Rooms and services good. Videographer at Parrot's Landing did excellent job. Rented a Nikonos V from Cathy Church's and took 37 nice photos on first time."

Parrots Landing/Coconut Harbor, October 1995, Eric J. Lavonas, Villa Hills, KY. "Excellent boats, safe attitude. Up to 20 divers, crowded on guided drift dives. Pay extra $5 for advanced computer boat to double bottom time. Do in advance so you don't get closed out. Divemasters friendly, efficient, knowledgeable. My package included 4 boat dives daily, but they scheduled me for days off, night dives, and Sting Ray City without asking me."

Red Sail Sports, June 1995, Russell Welsch, Bossier, LA. "Staff knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Stormy weather, rough seas, diving rough (4­6' swells), but outstanding. Vis 60­100. First dive guided 100' 20 minute wall dive. Second 50', 40 minute buddy dive in shallows. For new divers, the pampering is great. Great boats, but leave late, so they don't get choice spots. Eagle rays, sting rays, morays, lobsters, tons of fish."

Red Sail Sports/Hyatt, February 1996, T. J. Donlen, Oak Park, IL. "Hyatt wonderful; at $380 per night it should be. Red Sail professional, safe. Close to the prime spots on the west wall, but because they depart 30­40 minutes after other operations all we had were not-so-prime spots; many boring. Abundance of coral damage and lack of fish large and small. North wall was nice, but rough seas and poor vis. water: 72°­73°."

Scuba Cayman/Tarquin Manor, September 1995, Steven Carey, Piscataway, NJ. "Beautiful condo complex on 7 Mile Beach. Scuba Cayman is nice group of locals, but consistently 45 to 90 minutes late."

Seaview/Sunset House, June 1995, Neal Koblitz, Seattle, WA. "Hotel good value, excellent restaurant, and wonderful snorkeling from the shore. Sunset House twice the price and rooms are awful. Reputedly the best UW photography store, but you can use the store without staying there - 3-minute walk from the Seaview."

Spanish Bay Reef Resort, May 1995, Jeff Attaway, Sunrise, FL. "Diving excellent."

Spanish Bay Reef, June 1996, Dr. Marvin E. Smith, Altoona, WI. "All inclusive resort; good food, grounds great. Away from rest of the island; only 50 rooms. 2 tank boat dives, unlimited shore/night diving in front: excellent, right on the North Wall. vis: 75­120 ft. water: 80°­85°. Also included are 8 jeeps for driving around. Great place. Excellent divemasters, instructors, and ok equipment. Tanks 3000­3200 psi."

Sunset House, June 1995, Dane Mathiesen, Kochester, MN. "Fifth time at Sunset House. Sunset Divers made each dive worthwhile. Dive 2 days on the Manta, the largest boat; 3 wall dives, room to set up your gear, functioning head and showers, sun deck, and lunch. Clean, warm water, little current, lots of fish."

Sunset House, October 1995, David Kupersmith, East Northport, NY. "Third trip. Only one boat/day with no more than 14 on board. Divemasters excellent; total freedom within prescribed limits. Water 80­83°. Two spotted eagle rays off Devil's Grotto. Morning two-tank and a 7 pm night dive each day. Sunset Reef alive at night. Octopi all around. . . . Rooms clean; cable TV. Excellent food at reasonable prices. Seafood stir fry was a treat."

Sunset House, January 1996, Michael Ford, Manchester, MS. "Day trip to north wall aboard Manta outstanding. Dive profiles too restrictive for careful computer divers. Expensive island. Dive staff great. Vis: 75­125 ft. water: 78°­79°."

Sunset House, February 1996, H. C. Wood, Houston, TX. "Rude staff, cattle car diving. vis: 60­100 ft. water: 78°­80°."

Sunset House, April 1996, C. L. Murphy, South Haven, MI. "Fourth trip. Excellent accommodations and service. New sites . Three tank all day dive on the Manta to the East side is a must. The walls and coral are magnificent. Vis 150' to 200', no currents. 15 dives; tanks 3,000 psi. Dive staff friendly and helpful. Excellent briefing on safety, rules, and site. Water: 82­85°."

Surfside Divers, June 1995, Steve Kent, Mead, WA. "Book in advance. Two tanks dives: $45 U.S.; include unlimited shore diving for days you don't take boat. Dove East End with Tortuga Surfside; can choose any of three sites. Staff at Tortuga helpful and friendly. Used standard Cayman restriction, which render computers as simple record keeping devices. Rained buckets our entire stay!"

Tortuga Club, June 1995, Bob Kopki, Bridgewater, NJ. "Unspoiled East End more hype than fact. Deep dives comparable to North Wall - vis, marine life, and reef comparable. Shallow reefs on nothing like Cayman Brac (N. side) or Little Cayman. Tortuga Divers excessively restrictive on profile, making divers follow the leader and come up with too much air and computer time. Unduly conservative leader got bent out of shape that we weren't following her like sheep - we came up when she felt the dive was finished with 1500# of air and plenty of computer time."

Tortuga Club, July 1995, Timothy Greiwe, Herndon, VA. "Sites on East end can be beautiful; only two dive operations here. Staff friendly and helpful - no attitude here. Flexible and willing to help. Three dive boats. Great dives and great staff!"

Tortuga Club, July 1995, Carol Still, New York, NY. "Diving better than off 7-Mile Beach. Water choppy; caves, swim throughs and pinnacles are superb! 6 foot nurse shark, turtle, eagle ray, eels, large lobsters, huge crabs. Nobody left on the boat - a dangerous way to save money. Staff not helpful in getting out of the water, nor careful about checking people as they got in."

Tortuga Club, September 1995, Tom Casey, Martinez, CA. "Time share resort. Steep shear walls with nice coral, sponges. Large black coral trees. Lack of significant marine life. Enjoyable for the beginner to advanced, but not challenging like South Pacific."

Tortuga Club, January 1996, Ellen Adams, Francestown, NH. "Crew on boats fantastic. Good number of divers, but I didn t feel crowded or rushed. Wall dive led by the dive-master; second a shallow reef dive that you could go with your buddy or with the divemaster. Can use computers; good briefings. Safety conscious without being obnoxious. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 75°­80°. Nice to be away from 7 mile beach; less noise, less traffic. Rent a car unless you plan to stay put. Food excellent and so was service. Rooms nice, kitchen well stocked so you could cook.. Restaurants are expensive."

Tortuga Club, February 1996, Vincent Macaluso, Collegeville, PA. "Leeway for experienced, computer equipped divers. East End pristine and unspoiled. Vis: 50-90 ft. water: 80°-81°."

Tortuga Club, May 1996, Dave Bitter, San Jose, CA. "Dive operation well run. Divemasters knowledgeable. Conditions excellent. Kept groups small and let divers buddy for dives of 50 ft. or less. 100 ft. dive for 20 minutes followed by 50 ft. dive for 40 minutes. vis: 100­150 ft. water: 80°."

Tortuga Club, June 1996, Carl & Nancy Miller, Sharon, MA. "First two days winds were strong, water choppy, currents. Last five days calm. First dive guided; 100 ft/20 min. dive; second 50 ft/40 min. dive after a 35 min. surface interval. Water 81°. Coral vibrant; walls spectacular, variety of fish great ( small). Staff outstanding. Walls great. Operation reliable and punctual. Dive shop, on the pier, needs gear lockers so you don't have to haul your gear back every day. . . . Living units in excellent condition. Restaurant outstanding; grilled grouper, served with a coconut curry sauce. Jacuzzi temperature same as the pool; not our idea of a hot tub. Offer a discount when you reserve dive package in advance. Nonrefundable unless you give a 24 hour notice; if you don't use the entire number of dives in the package, you still pay."

Treasure Island, January 1996, Lynn Offhaus, Hamburg, NY. "Boats left and returned on time. First dive: teamed with a young couple, inexperienced and who, with four others out of 17, had never had a night dive. I ended up doing a rescue, and spent most of my dive keeping an eye on the young divers I was teamed with, since there was no divemaster in the water. On another dive I was sent 50 feet down alone to recover a instructor's watch that fell off her wrist. My last dive they started to leave the site with two divers still in the water. After we yelled they did a head count and helped the divers aboard. I should have been paid, instead of paying them. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 80°­82°."

Little Cayman

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1995, Guy Huse, Littleton, MA. "Weight restrictions on Island Air from Grand Cayman. They deliver baggage of 55 pounds 24 hours later so pack light. Resort great. Bar prices steep (beer, $4.20 U.S.). Some staff young. Water: 82°F. Vis: 40 to 100 ft."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1995, Charlotte Mann, Littleton, MA. "Friendly, not overbearing, helpful staff who let experienced divers go off on own. Great food. Friendly fish."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, September 1995, Paul Costa, Phoenix, AZ. "Dive staff helped when needed, guided if you wanted. Experienced divers allowed to use computers & buddy dive. Resort facilities are clean, food fine, grounds kept up nicely."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, October 1995, Aurin Tesoro, Houston, TX. "Two big, fast, comfortable boats; ladder easy to use. BC, regulator and weights kept on board. Convenient rinse tank and hanging area for gear. Bloody Bay Wall; look over the edge into the deep blue. Sting rays and turtles. Abundance of fish."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, November 1995, Mark M. & Judith A. Cohen, Moraga, CA. "Wonderful food and facilities. Good guides will guide if needed. Good boats. Great Chef. Poor place to diet."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, December 1995, Richard Dudley, Morristown, NJ. "Luggage comes via 2nd plane. One couple lost day of diving due to lost luggage. Sailboat inactive - no sails. Bar good - high prices. Great walls, vis 50'­60', DM's do not go into water. Jam all divers on one boat. Few big fish. Too many divers."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, January 1996, Don B. Ziperman, Indianapolis, IN. "Walls, canyons, tunnels spectacular. Boats clean, well equipped, well run. Trips left on time. Crew made extra effort; trucked equipment and divers to other side so we would not have a choppy boat ride on night dive. Computer: maximum depth 100, on the boat with 500 psi. Resort superb, well kept. Buffet meals; varied and tasty food. Vis: 75­100 ft. water: 79°­82°."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, January 1996, Harry Soletsky, Brookfield, CT. "Everyone friendly. Shore diving by flatbed; great. Rooms fine, full kitchen, hot water. Dive operation excellent. Great walls and cuts. vis : 75­100 ft. water: 78°­82°."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, February 1996, Chuck Meier and Terry Gosse, Perkasie, PA. "Dive operation well organized; excellent boats. Friendly staff did everything. Bloody Bay Wall and reefs in good condition. Aside from 110' depth limit and the usual no touch rules, diving unrestricted; everyone used computers. Dozen turtles, a huge spiny lobster, huge moray. Night dive on Soto Trader: 6' Jew fish, super male parrotfish, huge hogfish, octopus and sparkling luminescence. Only one night dive: strong winds made navigating the boat through the cut dangerous. vis. 80­100 ft. water: 78­80°. Resort is small enough to foster a friendly atmosphere. 55 lbs. per person weight limit on luggage between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, March 1996, Scott and Joan Taylor, Cave Junction, OR. "Five star experience; great resort, fabulous food, enthusiastic dive guides, wonderful walls. Three wall dives/ day with good coral, lots of big groupers, clouds of tropicals, sharks, rays, turtles, supermale parrotfish, squid. Boats spacious and fast. Afternoon bicycle trips to look for iguanas were fun. Evening spent in the hammocks on the beach. Weather warm and windy which meant no bugs, but somewhat rough seas. . . . Food superb!"

Little Cayman Beach Resort, April 1996, Bruce Lockhard, Indianapolis, IN. "Excellent food, diving, accommodations. Photo lab inflexible. If he didn't want to help you, he wouldn't. My second u/w camera is a Nikonos II and needed to jimmy-rig a tray and strobe. He wouldn t even consider looking at it. . . . Divemasters conscientious; made sure everyone had a good dive; should be more forceful about protecting the reefs. Not uncommon to see divers kicking, grabbing and sitting on the corals. Overall, a very nice operation. vis: 100 ft. water: 78°­82°."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, April 1996, Glenn Thomas/Jean Porwoll, Mouson, MA. "Gear handled for you from the first dive to last. Dive release the worst: even mentioned that tanks may not be inspected. (We couldn t find any that were not inspected within a year). Only able to do one night dive when 3 were advertised. We got the impression that this was routine. Some dive personnel had attitude problems. Bloody Bay Wall lives up to its reputation. Jackson Bight has great tunnels, chimneys and chutes. 20 dives in 6.5 days - 2 tank a.m., 1 tank p.m., the dive boats always left promptly. Dives: 1 hr. + surface intervals. No overt checking of dive profiles. Point of Sands was a great snorkeling spot, look for squid. vis: 60­80 ft. water: 73°. LCBR too much like a motel."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June 1996, Charles Houston, Virginia. "Breakfast at 7:30. Join divers on super 42' boats and get two dives by noon. Eat at 12:30, get in hammock until 2:30, return at 4:00 and eat at 6:30. Meals buffet, three entrees, tasty but won't make a gourmet magazines. 32 new rooms flanking a small pool and Jacuzzi. Tennis, sailing, fishing. Rooms somewhat gloomy and inexpensively furnished; TV with three cable channels, no phone or radio. . . . Most life above 70 feet. Nice coral; punctuated by colorful sponges. Walls had nice coral and swallow water, sometimes only 20 feet. Safety stops became safety swims. Saw no sharks, few barracudas, stingrays, squid, lobsters, medium-size grouper. No morays, eagle or mantas. Tropicals were plentiful but were not thick schools that I remember on West Caicos. Air fills often to 3500#. Gloves aren't allowed. Boat rides are 25­35 minutes. Dive and hotel staffs friendly and would hang out with us apres scuba."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June 1996, Paul Costa, Phoenix, AZ. "Water: 82­84, Vis: 50­100. Service better than last year. Diving still the best. Rooms comfortable, food good assortment. New resort manager friendly and available. Expansion in progress."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, July 1996, Craig & Ruth Campbell, Long Grove, IL. "Molly the Manta has not been seen since October 1995. Divers given profiles for each dive, with computer divers given longer and deeper profiles. You still return with plenty of air; surface intervals about an hour so you cannot deviate too much from the stated profiles. Camera table on boat. No rinse tank on board, but crew washes off camera with fresh water hose after each dive. Provided hang lines, and over the side air supply at 15". Trailing line whenever there was current. Helpful dive staff, carried tanks and helped you put them on. Washed BC's, regulators and weight belts (which remained on boat for duration of stay) each day, Largest fish a Nassau Grouper. No sharks, eagle or manta rays. Some sting rays and turtles. Vis 60 to 80 feet but cloudy. Food is varied and excellent. Chef provided for special dietary needs. King size beds; no smoking rooms available."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, May 1995, Michael Waring, West Sussex, UK. "Tom and Laurie great, but only had their '2nd' boat which gave off a lot of fumes. Paradise Villas well supervised and ok - but like the rest of the island, a bit stark."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, May 1995, Lorri & Evan Wolfe, Colfax, CA. "Resort outstanding. Poor weather. People friendly. No TV, so just good old fashioned getting to know people."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, May 1995, Gilda Sprung, Houston, TX. "Staff made 120% effort. Not a cattle-car operation."

Paradise Divers, June 1995, Joel Maners, Jackson, TN. "Diving great. Tom runs a tight ship and makes sure that everyone dives a safe profile. Boat is nice and spacious with lots of places to put gear. Two ladders. Only complaint: they do not rinse off your gear at the end of the day. . . . Make a dinner reservation at Pirate's Point. Gladys Howard prepares the best meals anywhere."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, June 1995, Michael Pagliarulo, Ithaca, NY. "Fabulous diving and lodging. Small commuter plane a thrill; Villas a short walk from grass runway. Paradise Divers excellent. Tom and Laurie professional, yet personal, always helpful. Sensitive to all levels. Equipment and boat in good condition."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, February 1996, Daniel W. Lanier Mableton, GA. "Little Cayman truly a paradise. 50 permanent residents, hardly any traffic, bank opens one day a week for a couple of hours. Paradise Villas rooms on water with beautiful views. Clean, spacious AC, front and rear covered patios, ceiling fans, kitchen with stove, refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave, utensils. Bicycles free (pedaled to Little Cayman Beach Resort to do an afternoon dive.) If you wanted fresh towels or sheets, all you had to do was ask. . . . I shipped food in cooler; steak, chicken, frozen vegetables, egg beaters, powdered Gatoraid, and a multitude of snacks. Saved at least $300 (Island Air charged me $20 for overweight.) Grocery store within walking distance that sells basic food supplies, although pricey. . . . Paradise Divers picks you up every morning and drives to the dock. Weather prevented us from diving Bloody Bay Wall the first two days; poor vis and rough, so dove Jackson Point. . . . Diving freedom never better, except for 110 ft. depth restriction. At times boat was crowded. Rinse tanks with special care for cameras were more than adequate, We usually took our gear off of the boat everyday, as we knew we might shore dive, or afternoon or night dive with someone else. Paradise did not do night dives, so we dove with Little Cayman Beach Resort ($45). Their boats are comfortable, complete with coolers filled with snacks, a good size photo table for camera work. All the room you could want. Requested time limit for day dives. Said divers had complained about coming back from a dive and not enough food was left. Give me a cold sandwich if it means 30 more minutes on Bloody Bay Wall!. . . . Billing: take care of everything the day you arrive. Don't wait until the last day like I did, when the plane is getting ready to take off and no one is in the dive shop because they are out diving!"

Pirate's Point, May 1995, Michael Waring, West Sussex, UK. "Good accommodations -new room on beach - next time will opt for AC. Gladys is fun; food is good. Dive operation run by Gaye is excellent. Free to dive own profiles (subject to the depth limits). All dive staff helpful. Wonderful diving, minimum hassles. . . . Vis. 100­200 ft. water: 82°­83°."

Pirate's Point, June 1995, David Donovan, Austin, TX. "Diving superb. Boat stalled twice in rough seas. Our praises to Lochlin for taking charge and sailing well. Gay and calm Ed, the shining stars of the staff."

Pirate's Point, June 1995, Ellen & Rick Bensusan, E. Greenwich, RI. "Can't be much better than Jackson & Bloody Bay. Lots of turtles, a few sharks, plenty of rays (eagle & southern), a red seahorse, a school of silversides, friendly groupers, tons of schooling fish. Ed, Gay, Loch, and Marja help improve your buoyancy, assist with marine life identification. Gay takes videos or helps with photography questions. . . . Bugs were hungry."

Pirate's Point, July 1995, Doug Dent, Modesto, CA. "4th visit. Diving superb. Seahorses (please just look don't poke them). Wall starts in 18' to 35. We completed 39 min 120 foot dive. Love those computers. Gladys and staff made this stay an experience. Gladys' Sunday nature walk: she has found the inland pirate's cave."

Pirate's Point, August 1995, Linda Harrison, Brandon, MS. "Divemasters the best. They tried to improve your diving each day. The island is small and uncommercial. The resort had a family atmosphere; honor bar. Food was excellent, served according to relaxed schedule, no rushing. Water: 85°F. Vis: 70 to 100 ft."

Pirate's Point, August 1995, Alan May, Houston. "Everything good in Ben Davison's August 1992 article remains true. Super dive operation. Great meals, no beach. vis: 50­75 ft. water: 80°­82°. Coaching in a nice way, but are allowed to do your own dive or follow guide. Everyone using computer. Guides help everyone to use less weight; reductions as high as 50%. Diving easy."

Pirate's Point, August 1995, Gerald H. Meral, Sacramento, CA. "Gladys Howard's (and chef Roger's) cooking the best in Caribbean; Divemasters Gay, Ed, Loch and Maria are helpful and courteous. Camaraderie of 16­20 guests improves the whole vacation experience, since everyone eats and dives together, and most guests stay a week. Dive boats galore, but the reef does not show much damage."

Pirate's Point, December 1995, Mariella Ross, Medford, NJ. "Remote environment, pristine reef and wall diving. Food is excellent, served in a lovely dining room. Gladys eats with the guests and fusses over the food. Accommodating to vegetarians. Bell ringing for food and diving is like grade school. Rinse tanks shallow and dirty, but they need to conserve fresh water."

Pirate's Point, June 1996, Michael Miller & Anne Selby, Gaston IN. "Accommodations beautiful, dive operation efficient, boat state of the art, diving spectacular, food healthy and delicious, staff helpful and entertaining. Owner, Gladys Howard, a Texan in the most Texas sense of the word, was not there for the first part of the week but made up for it when she arrived. . . . Easiest diving ever seen. Walls start at 20 ft. Big fish and pelagics on every dive. Tiny macro life everywhere. Corals eye-popping, photo opportunities overwhelming. Fish allegedly not fed (we were requested not to feed them) but they were as friendly as housecats. (Water: 80­84 Degrees, Vis 100­150 Feet). Only two dives a day so trip is 10 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Pace is molasses. We arrived at the deep sites after everyone else had dived them and by the second dive everyone was gone (except the live-aboards. Tanks full, guides never rushed us. Dive your computer and take long safety stops. This allows plenty of hammock time, swimming time, digestion time and sleeping time. Why do you think they call it vacation?"

Sam McCoy's Lodge, June 1995 Barry Lipman, Brookfield, CT. "Three boats for a maximum of 18 guests, with unlimited shore diving; 43 dives in 12 days. Shore dives access the same sites as boat dives - 10­15 min. swim with no current to the wall from shore. Top of the wall is shallow so you can enjoy a safety stop on the reef. Coral healthy. Not many large fish except for groupers, smaller tropicals plentiful, lots of invertebrates. Chris McCoy can point out critters you'd otherwise overlook. Advanced divers are allowed freedom to buddy dive within the 110' Cayman Islands limits; beginners will find help as needed. Water can be too rough in the winter to dive the North Wall, so consider spring or summer for guaranteed access to the best sites. Vis exceeded 100'!"

Copyright 1997 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.