Grand Cayman is great for divers seeking familiar surroundings: Americanized, crowded, Burger Kings, traffic, Ramadas and Hyatts - and expensive. . . . endless number of safe and well-organized dive operations; depth and time limits generally enforced; some operations showing leniency to computer divers; others charge for special computer dives. . . . don't prepay diving package; if you're disappointed with cattle boats or site selection you want to switch to someone else. . . . Diving quality declining due to development. Seven Mile Beach reefs beat up. Best diving is on the North Wall. . . . To beat crowds, endless youths and Cayman Cowboys, stay on North side, East End (for best diving) or north of Seven Mile Beach. . . . Brac diving not up to the best of Cayman, but Brac outfits make frequent trips to Little Cayman from April to November; rough water often prevents trips other times. . . . Little Cayman is nonpareil for Caribbean walls, clear water, and beautiful reefs; a dozen dive boats a day can visit a two mile stretch. Water under 80 in the winter - days can be cool, low 80's summer. . . . Cayman Islands are in the hurricane belt; some of Little Cayman's reefs were battered by Gilbert in 1989. . . .

Cayman Brac

Brac Reef Beach Resort, December 1996, Jan L. Witt, Reisterstown, MD. "Good: Lots of Southern stingrays, yellow rays, turtles, tarpon, eagle rays, small tropical fish. Varied reef topography! No insects! Great food. Russian frigate was excellent wreck dive. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 80 degrees. BAD: Reef Divers unorganized, no leadership. Went to "convenient" sites not "best" dive sites. Will not return."

Brac Reef Beach Resort, March 1997, J.M. Ford, Manchester, MO. "Second visit. Dive operation is first-rate: boats roomy, clean and fast, dive personnel knowledgeable and helpful. Within CIWOA limits, we were free to dive our own profiles. The Russian frigate recently sunk is a most interesting. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 79­80 degrees. . . . Room clean and modern, food is the best of any Caribbean dive resort we are familiar with, even better than last year. The weather was perfect, and day trip to the walls on Little Cayman is most enjoyable. We shall return."

Brac Reef Beach Resort, August 1997, Chuck Wohlust, Orlando, FL. "Cayman Brac wonderful for peace and quiet; wonderful wall diving. No night life except in the water. Corals most attractive feature of the diving. Excellent service, great people. vis: 75-100 ft. water: 83-85 degrees. Food was so-so, served buffet style, but plenty to eat. Desserts out of this world."

Divi Tiara Beach, December 1996, Samuel R. Wheatman, Colorado Springs, CO. "Dive staff lug and rinse your gear. They really want you to have a fun and safe time. Healthy reefs. Good vis. 70­120 ft. water: 78 degrees. Relaxing. Superb dive operation. Excellent food. Safe island. Quiet. Diving restrictions enforced were: first dive 110 ft. . . . Second dive 50 ft. for 50 minutes."

Divi Tiara Beach, February 1997, Lee Pepin, Stamford, CT. "Stew Shwarty has moved from dive manager to resort manager. He rebuilt the dive operation with his hands­on approach and is well on his way in making improvements to the overall resort. Since my last visit two years ago the food has improved. The resort is clean and well maintained. Stew has started working on capital improvements to the timeshare units. Ours had a new TV and refrigerator. Next are new linens and maintenance to the mahogany sliders. Boats ran very well and are in good repair. One boat was in drydock for repairs in preparation for their summer rush. Dive services were even better; now they set up your gear for you then rinse it after your dive and return it to your hook. Shawn took over the dive manager slot in November and seems to be doing a good job. Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman is still one of the best dives in the world for my money. vis: 100 +ft. water: 78­79 degrees. Dive restrictions were 110 ft max on computer. The new ship sunk at Cayman Brac is just that, still new. It will take more years to show some interesting coral growth and more fish life."

Dive Tiara Beach, March 1997, Victor Bary, Cranford, NJ. "Excellent accommodations at both hotel and dive operation. Both staffs friendly and professional. Dive operation and photo shop meet Peter Hughes standards in all aspects. No large pelagics, but excellent coral and small and medium sized fish. Night dive was exceptional. vis: 75­125 ft. water: 80 degrees. Cuban frigate MV Keith Tibbetts well worth doing. Island is small, low key, safe and friendly. Skip the meal plan and use local restaurants."

Divi Tiara Beach, August 1997, Matthew Rifkin, New York, NY. "Restricted to 110 feet with a computer; second dive 60 minutes. Making reservations a major hassle; wait to speak to customer service 20-30 minutes. Staff could not answer simple questions without putting me on hold. They said they would send a faxes (travel vouchers) but nothing would come, or it would be incorrect. . . . Hotel not in the best shape. Food good. Dive staff on the "cool" side; they leave you alone and you can dive your computer to the max. Diving is hassle free: they put your gear on the boats, set it up and store it when you're finished. Not a lot of wall diving on the Brac. Best walls on Little Cayman - a one hour ride; trips there twice a week."

Grand Cayman

Bob Soto's/Plantation, October 1996, W.R. Gooch, Springfield, MO. "Cayman madness week. Lots of organized events. End of hurricane Lillie and early dives were big surf breakers for dive boats! Stingray city is underrated and incredible. vis: 40­100 ft. water: 80­82 degrees. Food expensive and rental car essential to find food and shore dive. Recommend Lobster Pot for dinner and shore dive: Tarpon were great in the caves! Good time."

Bob Sotos/Treasure Island, March 1997, Ralph M. Wilkins, Newport Beach, CA. "Fairly well run cattleboat operation; always insist on trip to North Wall & South Wall. Operation will discourage these trips. Calm to choppy, bad currents. vis: 50­80 ft. water: 75­80 degrees. West side can get boring/crowded. Very few want to go North, generally only 4­6 on North Wall boats. . . . Treasure Island basically a Motel 6. Food expensive. Need to rent car, check out shore diving operation next (1 Mi.) to past/turtle farm (good people)not much different from West side, no cattle boats and a heck of a lot cheaper dive your own profile. Nitrox."

Captain Marvin's/Indies/Fisheye/Tortuga Divers/Enterprise B & B, December 1996, Jonathan Baron & Esther Kahn Tucson, AZ. "Went to Enterprise Bed and Breakfast to conserve money. Expected it to be Spartan, but were extremely disappointed to find out was run down: a number of the drawers in the dresser were broken, the closet door would not shut, the toilet paper dispenser was unusable. Ads for Enterprise B&B state that each room has a mini­fridge, a microwave and TV. Accurate, but misleading. Not enough room in the microwave to pop a single bag of popcorn. Only one non-religious T.V. station. . . . Guests do not have access to a telephone at all times which proved to be critical when an emergency arose. If the owners would invest in each room and get a pay phone, this might actually be a good deal for divers to Grand Cayman with a tight budget. . . . Original package included diving with Captain Marvin's; this too was a fiasco; every day we were sent to other operations due to boat repairs and snorkeling charters taking precedence over divers. . . Consequently, we are able to review four different dive operations; the best of which was Indies Divers. Extremely well organized and the dive briefings were very informative including a map of the site drawn on a white board. While there were limits, they did allow experienced divers some freedom. The divemasters were very friendly and helpful. Dove with Fisheye where the dive profiles were strictly enforced and the boat was over crowded. On both dives we came up with over 1000 psi. The one day we dove with Captain Marvin's was fine, but very disorganized. Also dove the east end with Tortuga Divers. Typical Cayman Island cattle boat with 20 divers. On the East End the sites are more pristine and the vis was better, but the dives were not worth the long drive and the choppy water. . . . Grand Cayman may be great for beginning divers, but experienced divers should go someplace where they have more freedom and the sites are more interesting. vis: 40­80 ft. water: 78­80 degrees."

Capt. Marvin's/Enterprise Bed and Breakfast, February 1997, Ken & Diana Smart, Northridge, CA. "5th trip with Capt. Marvin's, Enterprise B&B. Great value, with accommodations, car and dives on boat and free tank daily for shore dives, which is becoming more limited with outside tanks. Reefs on West Wall starting to show diver pressure, but deep dives sites still beautiful with less visible diver contact. vis: 70­100 ft. water: 81 degrees. Normal 10 min. drive from the Enterprise takes 30 minutes in the a.m. to reach dive boat departure location. Big Daddy's on 7 Mile Beach not to be missed for Wed. night ribs and chicken all­u­can eat special. Take care while driving in Grand Cayman."

Capt. Marvin's/Lacovia Luxury Condos, May 1997, Susan & Rufus Lewis, Houston, TX. "Ocean view condos with large kitchen and washer/dryer on 7 mile beach across from Hyatt were great. To avoid large crowds, from Capt. Marvin's we chartered boat and divemaster, Angelika very experienced and took underwater slides for our group of four. Had rental car. Extra expense makes a fabulous trip!"

Cayman Diving Lodge, February 1997, D. Randy Howarth, Huntington Beach, CA. "Incredible diving experience with excellent fun divemasters, great hospitality and incredible coral wall dives on the East and North walls. Even a shark dive with six good sized (6­8 foot) reef sharks."

Cayman Diving Lodge, August 1997, John Stuart, St. Joseph, MO. "Week incredible. Simple with no frills, but great staff makes your stay pleasurable. New boat (a Pro 48) ideally suited for East End diving; never crowded. Two divemasters in the water at all times. safety conscious, knowledgeable of the reefs. vis; 80 ft. ft. water: 80-85 degrees."

Cayman Marine Lab/Treasure Island Condos, August 1997, Charlotte & Bob Rubin, Brooklyn, NY. "Cayman Marine Lab runs a particularly fine operation. Friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. Small groups and lots of personal attention. Vis: 50+. water: 85 degrees. Jon Goffetti was in charge during owner Dr. Tom Byrnes' absence. Mini lectures between dives were most informative. Treasure Island Condos a real value in an area that is quite over priced."

Don Foster's/Westin, October 1996, Art Weller, Milwaukee, WI. "Extremely high prices. Little life on the reef except aggressive tropicals greedy with being overfeed. vis: 80-120 feet. water: 79-80 degrees. Restrictions for diving were 100 ft. and time to their specifications regardless of computer or experience. . . . One reason to choose Grand Cayman was the above water activity and safety of the island. After Westin employees suggested my wife not venture too far alone at night due to a rapist on the prowl. I ran into a road block looking for an escaped murder. Wish we had never gone!"

Fisheye/Treasure Island Condos, March 1997, NBR, Abilene, TX. "Treasure Island Condos well equipped and comfortable; micro wave, cable TV, washer, dryer. Sandy beach, snorkeling not good; poor vis and nothing of interest to see. Prices were high; cab fare for 4 people was $16 nearly every time, beer $35­40 per case, dinner averaged $15­20 per person. Dive restrictions 100 feet maximum and 20 minutes (30 minutes with a computer) on the first dive; 30 minute surface interval; 40 minutes with 50 feet maximum on the second dive. vis: 10­75 ft. water: 79 degrees. . . . When I asked why there was an arbitrary restriction of 30 minutes on the first dive for computer divers, I got a lot of double talk, but it was obvious they wanted to hurry back to the beach so they could load up the afternoon crowd. Dive operations run by business men that care more about their profits than they do about showing the customers a good time. I can live with the high prices in the Cayman Islands, but I will not go back as long as you have 1250­1500 psi in your tank every time you come up."

Fisheye/Seagull Condos, April 1997, No Name. "Dive operation well run. Pickup at hotels/condos with van. Free use of Sea and Sea camera. You provide film. Large boat for West Wall diving. Two boats for North Wall/Stingray City. 10­20 minutes to almost all sites. If buddied with another computer user, could dive own profile (not below 100 ft. Cayman limits). Provided cold water on boats and ice chest to keep own drinks cold. Shop has complete still and video camera rental diagnostic facilities. vis: 70­100 ft. water: 80 degrees. Excellent operation w/800 number for direct contact with shop. They also set up living accommodations. Fisheye does no instruction, but refers all to Diver Tec and are pleased with the results. . . . Stayed at Seagull condos on 7 mile. One bedroom with full kitchen. Good."

Fisheye, September 1997, John and Betsy Robinson, New Vernon, NJ. "75-150 ft. water: 83 degrees. Six years diving with Parrot's Landing, but we switched to Fisheye after reviewing 3 years of Undercurrent and a 20 minute telephone interview with three finalists. Glad we did. Positives: plethora of experienced personnel (Vicki and Eric were standouts); stunning expertise in photography, advice before and during the dive, critiques of finished product; extra bottom time for computer divers - 30 minutes during wall dive and 40 minutes for shallow dive; deep dive guided with maximum of 5 divers per DM; sound management and a "whatever it takes" attitude - once a rookie DM lost her way to the wall and took us on a 30 minute, high-speed tour of the sand flats; when Hank, the manager, learned of this, he apologized and refunded the full price of that day's diving. . . . Downsides: boats crowded, but manageable (Fisheye set up your gear); bottom times not as long as Parrots advanced boats; a couple DM's arrogant. Island increasingly touristy, some reefs have been abused, little critters are under-represented, easy to find jaded people. vis: But damn, walls are still spectacular and some soft coral gullies are rich and gorgeous, especially on the North Wall."

Indies Divers/Indies Suites, June 1997, Mark & Selena Chino, Mescalero, New Mexico. "Cayman offers activity for almost anyone: diving, tennis, golf, shopping. Variety of accommodations for any budget. Good weather/beautiful beaches. People friendly for the most part. 4th time to Cayman and no problems with crime. Lots of restaurants. . . . Cons; Traffic congestion and high prices. Diving too regimented (all operators), operators visit same sites too often. Small groups on boat, largest group was 12 on this trip. Was not chastised or lectured for breaking dive profile by 10 ft. On 1 dive. On another dive, buddy & I overshot mooring and surfaced far from boat, boat picked us up ­­ no hassle from staff. Given option of joining guided group or doing our own thing, within limits, on 1st (deep) dive. Staff (Penny, Paul, David, Jimmy) pleasant and helpful. No problems with dive scheduling. 2­tank a.m. dive: $58.50 U.S. 2 tank group dive video: $50 U.S. Resort Course; $90 U.S. includes all equipment and one shallow dive. Summer rate: $160/night. 7th night free for repeat customers, as is bottle of wine in room upon check­in. For maid services; an envelope is left in room for guest's use based on maid service during stay. Full kitchen, plates, cups/glasses, utensils, provided. Great way to save on meals by doing won cooking. Complimentary cont. Breakfast each morning off lobby area and free BBQ during happy hour each Fri. Small BBQ grills available for outside cooking. Hotel is quiet and away from crowded 7 mi. beach."

Neptune Divers/Caribbean Club, August 1997, Porter Watkins, Louisville, KY. "Water 80-85 degrees, vis 100 feet. Diving limited to 110 feet, come back to the boat with 500 psi. Caribbean Club has 18 villas (individual cottages set around a beautiful garden. Each has huge living room, large 1 or 2 bedrooms, nice baths (1 or 2) and big fully equipped kitchens. Clean, bright, airy, nice furnishings, air conditioning and fans. Restaurant absolutely gourmet and Hugely Expensive, like the rest of the Caymans. . . . Dove with Keith, owner of Neptune, an ex-Coloradan. Great guy. Little, fast, one-third covered boat moored three minutes from the Caribbean Club. Maximum of 8 divers. Asks where you want to go and offers suggestions. Will guide and point things out or you can go on own. Dive your computer. 45 minute surface interval then next dive. 2 morning dives and 2 afternoon dives and night dives. Talk about his Harley bike or take him some Beef jerky and the guy is yours!"

Ocean Frontiers, July 1997, Leo Bridgland. "East end of Cayman. Two of the three owners, Steve and Mo, were in the shop every day and at least one is on the boat. Maximum of 12 divers; asked for opinions and made every effort to accommodate preferences. Detailed briefing and map of dive site. Could follow along or strike out on own. Computer divers allowed as much freedom as possible. Tanks 3400 PSI. Boat big, fast, comfortable with a large deck, flying bridge and shaded area. Convenient rear platform and removable side rails for easy entry, fresh water shower, head/changing room well stocked with dry towels. Water coolers both lemonade and drinking water, pineapple slices between dives. . . . Steve and Mo are energetic, enthusiastic and intent on guaranteeing a pleasurable experience."

Parrot's Landing, January 1997, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, Santa Monica, CA. "West Wall over-dived. Not much special, but pleasant diving. North Wall spectacular. Stingray City is a bathtub with overgrown rubber duckies. Parrot's Landing well-organized and provide a written schedule of your dives, but it's lost its enthusiasm for diving. Divemaster caught an octopus on the night dive for us to play with!"

Parrot's Landing/Coco Tree, March 1997, David L. Orr, Warrington, PA. "Well run dive operation except for restrictions on depth and time for experienced divers. Choice of sites was poor. I kept asking to be shown a site that will make me come again. No luck, in fact on our last dive of the week the site, as their last chance to impress us, was the worst site I have ever dived in the Carib. We were mostly on computer, only boats with 4­8 other divers, so they had the opportunity to show us a good time. vis: 65­80 ft. water: 79­81 degrees. Diving restrictions were no dives over 40 minutes even with computer. Having been to Cayman five years ago, I know there were many great sites. Dive pressure and water quality seem to be taking their toll."

Parrot's Landing, May 1997, Roger Roth, Cincinnati, OH. "Won a week's diving at Parrot's Landing for the video category grand prize in Houston's Seaspace Photo Contest last year. While in Cayman, my buddy and I had equipment problems with our rebreathers. Nancy Romanica, and her staff at Dive Tech (formerly Turtle Reef Divers) were helpful in troubleshooting our problems, as well as Ed Uditis and his staff from Fisheye. Nancy traded good parts from her cache of ten Atlantis I's for our bad ones. This could have put her hands deeply into our pockets, however this was not the case. She did not even charge us a rental fee! Got our 50% Nitrox bottles delivered from Frank Slifka at Pure Air Limited, who also dives and teaches the use of the Atlantis I rebreather. His knowledge of use and maintenance far surpasses anything we had been taught. The aid and professionalism extended to us in Cayman was done for the sole purpose of promoting good, safe diving, and not capitalistically-oriented."

Parrot's Landing/The London House, June 1997, Joseph F. Rach, Newark, DE. "Recommend for first trip after certification. Diving easy, enjoyable and the variety readily available: coral formations, walls, wrecks, night diving. vis: 30-75 ft. water: 76-80 degrees. Shore diving off Parrots Landing is good."

Parrot's Landing, September 1996, John and Betsy Robinson, Now Vernon, NJ. "After six years we became unhappy with service. Good boats, plus an advanced boat with long bottom time for computer divers, but other than the advanced boat, erratic dive schedules, instances of lousy divemastership - no safety stops mentioned - less than 25 minute surface interval between dives, inferior briefings. Vis: 50-100 ft. water: 81 degrees."

Red Sail Sports, February 1997, D. Randy Howarth, Huntington Beach, CA. "Dove with Red Sail off 7 mile Beach and Stingray City (the Funniest shallow dive ever). What an overbearing pompous and belittling attitude they had."

Red Sail Sports, March 1997, S.G.S., Oakland, CA. "Water 77 degrees. My girl friend (a newly certified diver) and I (over 2,500 logged dives) were on her first certified dive, and the rules were strict: 'Hold the anchor line, descend in a group, stay at the same level, ascend together, etc.' So as I'm drifting on the surface, my shoulder 6 inches from the buoy line waiting for Donna to enter the water, my first stage is yanked by the divemaster as he spins me 90 degrees and shoves me face-first into the line and yells "hold the rope". Then, as I'm descending next to her for moral support, 18 inches from the line, he again grabs my first stage, pulls me around in a full circle, grabs my wrist and shoves my hand at the line. Then as I drift down ten feet to remind my buddy to return to "divemaster level" at 70 feet (this is a 100 ft/20 minutes profile), he again yanks me by my BC and kicks me in the face as he passes to grab her first stage. When he began to pull me to the surface by BC during our five minute safety stop (5 rather than his 3 because of colder water, more activity and first dive of the season) I calmly unsheathed my knife and held it to his throat until he let go and backed-off. The smiles and thumbs-up I received from the other divers on the boat let me know I was not the only one subjected to his dive-nazi attitude. Needless to say, we enjoyed the rest of our trip diving with Foster's."

Resort Sports LTD./Spanish Bay Reef, May 1997, Rick Tuss, Wilmington, DE. "Dived only the north Wall. Few dives were above 50 ft, mild to medium current. For experienced divers, it was great. Large number of turtles and eagle rays. Large lobster on most dives. Dive operation is friendly and professional. Only filled the boat to capacity (18 divers) once. vis: 60­100 ft. water: 81­82 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced; 110 ft. Cayman Watersport Assoc. restrictions are limiting, but once they were comfortable with our skills, we were free to dive our own profiles within lessor limits. Resort ­­ about 50 rooms ­­ is all inclusive, catering more to non diver; about 15% of the guests are signed up for the dive package."

Treasure Island Divers/Dive Inn/Hyatt Regency, March 1997, Thomas F. Dixon, Meridian, ID. "Treasure Island bought Dive Inn operation. Good operation. Keep gear between dives, always on correct boat. Not pushy or clock watchers. Very accommodating, boats good, both sides of island so a choice where one dives. We had a great relaxed time with lots of diving. Could do two morning and two afternoon if wanted to daily. Corals/sponges and small fish great and plentiful lobsters, turtles, octopus, barracuda and micro stuff. vis: 40­80 ft. water: 77­83 degrees. Hyatt costly, but clean and nice. Some good restaurants on island, but costly."

Treasure Island Divers/Treasure Island Resorts, April 1997, Phil Guskin, Pickerington, OH. "Gave experienced divers the freedom to explore, imposing only a depth limit which they did check. Computer diving encouraged. Dive crew excellent. Explained sites and location of "home bodies", which made independent exploring more rewarding. vis: 75-100 ft. water: 75-78 degrees. Orange Canyon corals unique. . . . photo equipment or video cost extreme. Did not explain well difference between Sting Ray City and Sting Ray Bar. Made it difficult for snorkelers and "non-swimmers" to enjoy a unique experience."

Treasure Island Divers/Indies Suites, July 1997, Jeff and Sherry Hotham, Phoenix, AZ. "Treasure Island Divers not associated with Treasure Island Resort but located nearby. Computer divers may dive profiles, but no decompression diving. Follow a guide or go on your own. Divemasters didn't rush and allowed plenty of time for observing and photographing. Surfaced after 60 minutes and no one was upset. Three big boats; plenty of shade, sun deck, fresh water shower, fresh water bucket for cameras. Could choose the west end or north side boat. Only 2 of our 13 dives crowded. North wall had better diving; eagle rays and turtles at Eagle Ray Pass, Princess Penny's Pinnacle and Black Forest. Price - lowest on the island. Even repaired my spare air for no charge (it just had $50 annual!) . . . Only negative: second string divemasters were not as interested in providing good service (reluctant to lead dives, did not point out interesting creatures, did not take us to requested dive spots). Owner showed up and commandeered a boat for himself throwing everyone into a reshuffle. vis: 60-100+ft water: 86 degrees."

Treasure Island Divers/Treasure Island Resort, July 1997, Dennis Munden, Del Mar, CA. "Vis 60-90 feet. Restricted to 110 feet and back with 500psi. Accommodations clean, nothing fancy. Service average. Dive operation average for Cayman. Garcia 45 ft. dive boats, not crowded. Crew and dive personnel nice but not very interested in what was happening; just going through the motions. West Walls are world class, almost as good as Little Cayman."

Treasure Island Dives/Treasure Island, July 1997, Dennis Munden, Del Mar, CA. "Had just returned from 10 days on Little Cayman and were staying with our daughter in Miami when our daughter won a free trip (I never get one!) to Grand Cayman. On the spur of the moment we returned to the Caymans for 5 days of diving. Accommodations clean but nothing fancy. Service average. Big organization and you don't get personal attention. Dive operation average for Grand Cayman. Boats are Garcia 45 ft dive boats. Not busy so not crowded. Crew and dive personnel nice but not interested in what was happening. Just going through the motions. Dive sites about the same shape, they were a few years ago. West walls are still world class, almost as good as Little Cayman."

Tortuga Club, July 1997, Nancy Teff, Glendale, AZ. "Diving is the best we've experienced. vis: 100+. water: 80+. The resort was first class. The dive shop was first class. They catered to the divers. Lots of help on and off with gear. Stingray City was great, only wish they ran the trip more than once per week. Food very expensive. East End is quite a drive from Georgetown. Not much night life nearby outside the resort."

Tortuga Divers/Cayman Kai, April 1996, Jason Doren, San Francisco, CA. "Dove North wall with Tortuga Divers. Stayed at Cayman Kai. Dive operation near condo/resort not running during most of our stay due (dove with them one day at Stingray City. Dive good, but site extremely overcrowded ­­ No big surprise). Three days dove with Tortuga Divers on North Wall. Dive shop on east end of island. Weather mostly sunny, light to moderate wind. Water calm. Slight current. Slight chop. Water temp 75 degrees. 3 mil wetsuit. vis: a disappointing 40­50 ft. What happened to the famous Caymans unlimited vis? Guess you have to go in June. Dive operation friendly, but somewhat restrictive, particularly on first (deep) dive. Repeated sites for second dive despite my requests to go to new site. No pelagics, a couple of turtles, disappointing fish life. Hardly any soft coral. Very nice hard corals. Large sponges, gargonians, brain and black corals. . . . Cayman Kai Resort: beautiful, secluded and reasonably priced. . . . Highlight of the trip was night dive at Balboa wreck. Largest shrimp, anemone and lobsters I have ever seen. One lobster was the size of a golden retriever."

Little Cayman

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1996, C.L. Murphy, South Haven, MI. "Small island very laid back, quiet and peaceful. Operation sets up your gear on board for you on each dive. Gear left on board and rinsed by the staff and readied for the next day. Entry is easy off the stern; staff brings your gear and helps you into your gear. Two dives in morning and one in the afternoon: vis: 75­150 ft. water: 78­80 degrees. Dining facilities, food, accommodations and services are outstanding. The dive staff goes out of their way to assist you. World class operation."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, September 1996, Kendall Botellio, Phoenix, AZ. "Water: 77 to 80 degrees, Vis: 60-150 feet. Food excellent!! Wall diving world class with sharks, turtles, seahorse, domesticated groupers and lots of color! Divemasters were great! One incident disheartening: divemaster radioed another divemaster and made negative comments about our group in front of group. Aside from that it was excellent! Cayman Air has weight restrictions so pack light! Gear was left on boat so no hassle with it. Jackson Wall much better than Blood Bay Wall."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, October 1996, Tex Frank, Evergreen, CO. "Flew from Miami to Cayman Brac and had to wait until next day to fly to Little Cayman due to flight schedule. Cost $20/person. Little Cayman Beach Resort van met us at grass airstrip. Nicest resort on Little Cayman (2+ years old). New 42 ft. dive boats with twin stern ladders for existing. Two to three dive masters/crew on each trip. . . . Mostly dived on Bloody Bay wall. Three dives per day and $15 extra and we got to dive new Russian destroyer sunk off Cayman Brac (Destroyer is fairly sterile. Eagle rays and Garden eels on bottom were only critters). 100 ft. visibility on all dives. Typical Caribbean marine life but healthy. Sponges, rays, groupers, tunnels in great numbers. No wetsuit needed (85 degree water). Great staff both on boats and at resort. Great food (choice of 3 entrees each meal), clean, AC rooms, photoshop, dive shop, drying room, pool, bar, 60 residents on entire island. Better than Bonaire, Cozumel, or other Cayman Islands. Travel light. Island Air charges for excess numbers between Little Cayman and Grand Cayman due to full flights."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, December 1996, Dorrie Rapp, White River Junction, VT. "Water: 78 to 81 degrees. Vis: 70 to 90 feet. Good: Efficiency and extraordinary helpful/friendliness of dives and resort staff. Extraordinary health of reef and fantastic walls. For better overall then what we had expected."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, January 1997, Carol Rafaloff, Suffern, NY. "Water: 77 to 80 degrees, Vis: 80 to 150 feet. Did not touch gear once it was set up. Excellent briefings. Went to Brac to see Russian Freight recently sunk. When water was tough they dove calmer side of island; walls fabulous. Saw 3 or more good sized turtles on almost every dive. Good size rays and large angels, hogfish, trunkfish. Groupers were big and lots of large barracudas. Doesn't get any better. Walls start at about 40 feet in many spots. Healthy reefs and coral, no damage ­­ not over dived. Dive operation could not repair micro U.S. diver reg. But rented a good Sherwood. . . . Non divers could come and eat themselves silly; better food than some of the glitzy places we've been to. New upgraded rooms and resort is only 3 years old­­ clean."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, April 1997, Thomas Ingram "Best equipped resort/dive operation we have encountered. The food preparation, display and taste was terrific. Preservation by the dive staff of the underwater parks and sea life unmatched. vis: 75­150 ft. water: 78­80 degrees."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, May 1997, Hans S. Menco, Pittsford, NY. "Best reefs I have seen in Caribbean, with plenty of magnificent soft corals and sponges. vis: 50-80 ft. water: 70 degrees. Hotel, services, dive operation all first rate. No rinse tanks for cameras on board the dive boats. Rinse tanks are available upon return to dive shop after 2 tank dive."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June, 1997, Brian and Karen Woods, Bothell, WA. "1st class operations. Service great! Only complaint: profile restrictions - 45 minutes is not enough for the multilevel profile at Little Cayman. Never ended dive under 1200 psi. Food and service outstanding. Unless you showed up early for meals, you might stand at the end of a line of 60 people. Reef Divers runs 3 boats, 2-42' Newtons and a Pro 42. Request Newtons: far more comfortable (room and ride) and faster then the Pro 42. vis: 60-100 ft. water: 83-84 degrees."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, July 1997, Dennis Munden, Del Mar, CA. "Water 80-82 degrees; vis 60-100 feet. Restricted to 110 feet, back on the boat with 500 psi. Food plentiful and delicious. Rooms nicely done and cleaned daily. I have been diving for 41 years and have never had better divemasters. Boats are fast, heads work. Could use is a rinse bucket for cameras."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, July 1997, Robert & Louise Gould, Denville, NJ. "Outstanding. Well run resort and dive operation. Very organized and professional. Excellent food served buffet style. Good pool side bar. No ocean bathing due to eelgrass. Island Air limits luggage to 55 lbs., excluding" small carry-ons. . . . Boats left at 8:30 for 2 dives and 2:00 for 1 dive. No beach diving. Water 85+ with 75 -100 ft. Viz. Dive restrictions enforced were 110' w/computers, 100 w/tables. Lots of turtles, rays, large friendly groupers and tropicals. Saw 2 sharks. All reef/wall sites in excellent condition. Went to the Brac for 2 dives, 1 on the "Russian". Great staff with excellent dive briefings. Protection of the reef and safety stressed. Can have guided dive or go on your own. Tanks filled to 2800-3400."

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1997, J.M. Ford, Manchester, MO. "Best diving operation in the Caribbean. Resort is clean, modern, very well run with what must be the best food at any dive resort we have visited. Diving conditions superb; calm seas, great visibility, and Bloody Bay Wall is superb. vis: 100-125 ft. water: 82-83 degrees. Diving restriction enforced was 110 ft. Plenty of hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, turtles and massive grouper."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, January 1997, Mike Bray, Mission Viejo, CA. "Little Cayman not only offers great diving, but a wonderful escape from crowds and overdeveloped resorts. Paradise Villas has 12 units, each with a small but fully outfitted kitchen. No phone or television, another bonus. We usually had breakfast and lunch at our unit, and dinner at the Hungry Iguana Restaurant next door. The food selections were varied and very good. If gourmet dinning is a must, check out Pirate's Point. . . . The dive operation, Paradise Divers, is run by an experienced Englishman named Tony Nicholsen. The Paradise boat was in Grand Cayman for repairs, so we used a very diver friendly pontoon boat provided by Chip McCoy. Tony was a very competent guide, dive groups were very small (on two occasions Tony took me out solo), and the weather cooperative Groupers were off spawning so saw no large fish. vis: 80­100 ft. water: 78­81 degrees. Everything else was terrific."

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, May 1997, Jim Stearns, Mundelein, IL. "Water 82 degrees, visibility 100 to 200 feet. Why go anywhere else? Better diving, less restriction, no cattle call meals, big rooms with living room and kitchen! Cook your own food, save big money (but be sure to visit Gladys at least one night). Villas sleep three easily. Free bikes, friendly office staff. New manager, Kerry, the best. Diving phenomenal. Not slick, but very good. Divemaster Tony knows his stuff. Lets you dive with or without him, your own profile (with computer) hour plus bottom time. Picks you up for a short ride to the site, no heavy seas or one-half hour rides. Ideal for experienced divers. Wall is amazing. Caverns cool."

Pirate's Point, July 1996, Jeff Johnson/Ann La Grone, Saratoga, CA. "Water: 82 to 84 Degrees, Vis: 100 to 200 feet. Two thumbs­up for Pirates Point! Small, well maintained. Rooms cozy, not elegant. The beach was outfitted with shaded hammocks. Access to the water from the beach was rocky. Food outstanding, served in a communal dining room which developed camaraderie among guests. Well­stocked, self­serve bar where you hung out before and after dinner to socialize, play games, or stare at the eclectic art work left by past guests. Activities: nature walks, bird preserves, and bicycling. . . . Below water quite a treat. Bloody Bay Wall reminded me of the Napali coast of Hawaii . . . . under water. loaded with interesting topography: cuts into the wall, swim­throughs, arches, chimneys. Mostly smaller fish, some schools, many small critters, eels, and turtles. Dive boat new, accommodated about 20 divers, and had a head. The dive masters served as the resort staff and were excellent in both roles."

Pirate's Point, January 1997, Drs. Randy and Carole Buckner, Stellecoom, WA. "Water 79 degrees. Pirate's Point is nice, laid back, great escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. Only two dives per day but the sites are spectacular; maximum depth 110 feet. Non-dive hours were spent sleeping in the cool breeze in one of the many hammocks, bike riding, and playing board games in the club house. Food inventive, plentiful and satisfying. Only down side were the female divemasters who constantly harangued you about taking off more weights. The male divemasters had no such predilection"

Pirate's Point, May 1997, Dick Hess, Denver, CO. "Two dives a day, plus one or two night dives (extra fee) during a normal week) stay. vis: 80 ft. water: 81 degrees. Island very laid back, so is resort, incredibly efficient without you realizing it. The cabins are lovely and spotless. The food is five­star. The resort and dive staff are top notch. In this years "100 best hotels in the world", Pirates Point is the only Caribbean entry. Completely casual, yet elegantly comfortable. The dive sites are spectacular and the staff takes pains to show you the extraordinary sea life. Get an air conditioned cabin. Bring insect repellent; the cabins are screened. Expect to dive, relax and eat like royalty."

Pirates Point, June 1997, Jay Levine, Charlottesville, VA. Wonderful time. I led a group of 20 experienced divers and one snorkeler. Previous trips include Bonaire, Cayman Brac, Roatan, Provo, Nassau. Chartered two planes to avoid spending several hours at the airport in Grand Cayman. Island Air is small but well organized and did everything they said they would do. . . . .for a group the premium in cost was small and worth it. They claim Little Cayman runway is grass but crushed coral is more like. Airport is a small shack; staff from Pirates Point met us in pick-up trucks with benches in the truck beds - our transportation for the week. Lunch was waiting upon arrival (after a 4 minute trip). . . . Accommodations were fine. Four of the ten rooms were air conditioned and the rest had plenty of fans and big screened windows. Oldest rooms were largest and the newest were the smallest but were air conditioned. 4 new oceanfront rooms had the best location; all were well maintained and had private baths with showers and plenty of hot water and towels. Towels provided for the pool and for diving. No good swimming or snorkeling from the beach. Staff dedicated, hard working, professional. Gay, the Resort manager knew us by name in the 30 minutes after we arrived. From Gladys Howard, the owner/operator through the entire staff we had wonderful treatment and a great deal of personal service. . . . The menus, food preparation and presentation was without peer in the diving world. Hors d'oeuvres were different every day and generally of fresh ingredients and prepared flawlessly. One evening, 2 fishermen arrived with a 50 lb yellow fin tuna they caught. The fresh grilled tuna steaks we had the next night are still remembered. Everyone bought Gladys' cookbook. . . . Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Bay are awesome. 2 tank dive every day on a new 42 foot dive boat; good camera table, working head, fast and roomy. 5 minute truck ride to the dock and a 10-15 minute ride to the dive site. At least one instructor to lead a dive for those who wished to follow but everyone was free to do their own thing within the reasonable depth and air limits. The coral, fish, and creatures were plentiful, varied and in good condition. Many turtles and even a few seahorses. Several swim-throughs, great reefs and walls, and some great photo opportunities. . . . Gladys and her staff know how to run a dive resort and really enjoy it."

Southern Cross Club, November 1996, Wade & Margot Howard, Columbia, MD. "Undergoing renovation. Rooms are large with separate sleeping area and sitting room. Plenty of hot water . Hang dive gear on clothes line on front porch. They go out of their way to provide service. Best food we have ever had at a small resort (10 duplex cottages). Diving excellent, visibility was down due to hurricane Marcos two weeks before. vis: 50-60 ft. water: 76-78 degrees. BC s put on tanks for first dive every day and rinsed and stowed after second dive. Terry, divemaster, outstanding! Attentive and informative. Lots of morays, rays and turtles. If you like two great dives a day, a hammock and a good book, this is your kind of place!"

Southern Cross Club, November 1996, Sheryl and Gregg Siebert, Sacramento, Ca. "Neat place, two mini/suite type rooms to a cottage. Best are oceanfront. Only has 10 rooms, food is wonderful and too much of it. Great fishing and scuba library. Friendly staff managed by Tom and Peter the owner. Terry and John, the dive masters are attentive, terrific, helpful, safe, sincere, fun and good human beings. Good equipment, dive boats dock in front of main building. Very well organized. Made sure we got to all the spots we wanted to dive (sometimes you have to get up a little earlier to fight off the Aggressor). Storms had things churned up a bit but Terry checked out the sites early to find the best visibility. Friendly groupers, watch those fingers. Huge morays. Exhilarating dives through tunnels to the walls edge. Incredible night dive, saw a 3 ' puffer. Lots of octopus. Outstanding wall. Checked out the competition and we are glad we were at Southern Cross."

Copyright 1998 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.