Cayman Islands

Little Cayman

Little Cayman Diver II, October 1996, Steve Rosenfeld, Simi Valley, CA. "Nice cabins, own private bathroom. Small dive deck, but well organized. Tanks, B.C. and regulators are kept at bottom of large swim step making entry and exit very easy. Good air fills and a very helpful crew. The meals went from very good to very average. The diving was good. The water was warm and clear. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 82 degrees. Fish life was somewhat disappointing. The only large fish I saw were waiting under the boat for a handout. Depth restrictions enforced for 110 feet."

Little Cayman Diver II, October 1996, Leon Garden, Monterey, CA. "Water: 83 to 84 degree, Vis: 70 to 100 feet. Third, fourth and sixth trip on LCDII for some in our group of ten. Three years ago boat was new; she was spit and polished, clean as a whistle. Needs serious clean­up and redecorating. Accommodations great; just showing wear and tear from the busy schedule. . . . Winds and choppy seas gave a late start and rough crossing from Cayman Brac to Little Cayman. Crew, skipper, engineer, cook and steward worked hard to ensure 5 to 6 dives each day starting with a 6AM sunrise dive and ending with an 8PM night dive! Camera rinse tank inadequate for three photographers ­­ cameras storage table worked fine. Cayman Diving Association need to "get real" with max depth and make it the same as certification agencies 130 feet. Owner Winston McDermitt needs to ride the boat for a week and spend money and attention to details (cleanliness throughout, especially galley, paint and woodwork). Jackson Bight and Bloody Bay are probably the best wall dives in the Carib. LCD II get divers maximum diving with very good support. We'll be back!"

Little Cayman Diver II, November 1996, No Name, Englewood, CO. "Weather bad all week so the diving can't be rated fairly. The boat, however, is an expensive live-aboard which badly needs refurbishing and a good cleaning. Even the rubber like weave placements we ate every meal off of looked like they hadn't been washed in months (felt like it too). Dishes were Melmac (plastic), the rage in the 50's & 60's. Quite unappetizing 30 years later. Two people fell on it during the week we were aboard while holding the handrail. Prices for all 5 cabins are the same. The farther forward one moves in the boat, the more this fact will rankle. . . . Crew was capable not entertaining nor attentive beyond absolute necessities. Our 6th live-aboard trip and you can do better!"

Little Cayman Diver II, February 1997, Scott Kramer, Los Angeles, CA. "Eight divers aboard (max of 12 would be a crush.) Food two notches above the rest! No rental equipment to speak of. No boutique. No booze. Boat shows its age, but a refit is in the near future. Boarding boat was dangerous and an alternate method should be found. Room 3 has three beds (orgy room). Room 2 a tub. vis: 40-100 ft. water: 76-80 degrees."

Little Cayman Diver II, February 1997, Shirley LaMear, Pacific, MO. "Everything mechanical worked! Boat needs a lot of work but the crew was excellent; Vic, our captain, Bob our divemaster, Debbie and Freddie, our cooks. Food plentiful, tasty, imaginative, served with a flourish, great American chow! The diving was terrific. vis: 80-90 ft. water: 82 degrees. You drink, you no dive. Vis not as good as I've seen before, but still my favorite destination for variety of corals, fish, weather. . . . We're a group with an average age of 50 so for us old farts we like upscale dive trips."

Little Cayman Diver II, February 1997, Bob LaMear, Pacific, MO. "We were forewarned by owner, Winston McDermott, that crew had not maintained boat properly. As a result, only divemaster Bob remained. Actually, old crew got raves from guests and absentee owner should visit more often to ensure proper maintenance of his lovely boat. New captain Vic has boat well on way back to greatness. No breakdowns, first time all winter. Crew worked constantly; even captain hanging over side in improvised bosun chair sanding and varnishing. First live-aboard. Shirley and I have been diving since 1973 and Little Cayman is our favorite, but where have all the sharks gone? vis: 60­80 ft. water: 78­81 degrees. Still no word from Molly! Did five dives a day on air. There aren't enough hours in the day, one must eat sometime. . . . Stopover on Grand Cayman and I dive with "Fisheye" to Trinity caves and shallow second dive; GC still good (just don't look shoreward)."

Little Cayman Diver II, May 1997, Robert Schrage, Rye Brook, NY. "Second time; on her in May 1995. Converted yacht with five cabins (all air-conditioned with private bathrooms and showers). Berths all comfortable and the cabins had plenty of storage. Maximum of 11 divers (we had 10), a captain, 2 divemasters, a cook and an engineer. . . . Main salon with VCR, tape, CD player, books. Dive deck can be cramped if everyone dives at the same time. However, you can dive whenever you want. Camera table is t small; only one, small rinse tank. No film development onboard (if you are desperate, the crew can get your film to the island where E-6 is available). The sun deck (half of which is covered) above the salon was ample but there were only three lounge chairs; other than that no truly comfortable place to sit. . . . The LCDII leaves Cayman Brac Sunday night or Monday morning for the 2-3 hour crossing to Little Cayman, where we spent entire week. North wind created a 2-3 foot swell most days (it flattened out in the evening), churning up sandy areas a bit which cut legendary vis to "only" 70-100 feet. Water was 79-80. . . . Crew sets up your tank, BC and rig Monday morning before the first dive and it is left in place on the dive platform until the last dive of the week. Sit on the dive platform, put on your fins and mask, you are helped on with your BC and roll into the water. Hot water shower on the dive platform. Divemaster logs your dives but you are free to plan your own profiles. Solo diving is permitted. Five dives a day (four day dives and one after dinner) were the norm. There was an excellent briefing (with sketches) before every dive and a divemaster was in the water on almost dive to lead a tour for those who wanted it. Both divemasters were helpful, friendly, attentive and pointed out items that you might miss. . . . Diving is spectacular. Little Cayman deserves its reputation as one of the top locations in the world. You don't get a lot of pelagics, but you do get wall dives on a 3000 foot deep wall where you can start as deep as you want and finish off - gassing on the top of the wall at 15 - 20 feet. Coral and sponges pristine; I only hope future generations will be able to say the same. Lots of animal life and truly "macro heaven." Jackson Bight, with its sandy bottom, coral heads and mini-wall teaming with juveniles, might be the best night dive location in the world. . . . Saturday morning, we returned to Cayman Brac and moored over the Russian destroyer was sunk in October 1996. I did not dive the wreck (we were flying out the next morning and I like to take more than twenty-four hours between my last dive and flight). Those who did dive the wreck generally said that it's a "been there, done that" experience; not much growth and sparse fish life. On Sunday, after a quick breakfast, you are taken to the airport for Cayman Air's 6:30 am flight to Grand Cayman, but when we got to the airport, we learned that Cayman Air's plane was still in Miami from the night before and they didn't know when we would be leaving. Took us back to the boat where we waited for a couple of hours, then back to airport and Cayman Air still had no idea when we would be leaving, then to Brac Reef resort where they served us breakfast again (at Cayman Air's expense) and we waited for the plane in hammocks on the beach. . . . Now for the nits. First off, let me state that Debbie, the cook, is a very good cook and a friendly and lovely person. However, last time chef Chris, a Johnson & Wales trained chef, produced meals as dramatic as the diving. . . . Boat needs a complete yard overhaul if it going to continue to hold itself out as a luxury live-aboard. A comfortable ship, but like a dowager aunt, is beginning to show her age. The carpets need to be replaced and the cabins and heads spruced up. Sun deck could be better. The electrical service was erratic. Two of us had our battery chargers blow out, the CD player wasn't working and the TV stopped working after three days. No tender/chase boat. While the crew kept telling us that a new boat had been ordered, a small Zodiac should have bought while the new tender was on order. If a diver gets in trouble, the divemaster has to swim out and tow the diver back. As it was, when some of the divers wanted to buy some beer (there is no alcohol except for what you bring), one of the divemasters snorkeled to Little Cayman and swam back with the case."

Little Cayman Diver II, June 1997, Jim & Sherrill Smith, Fairview Hts. IL. "Comfortable boat w/air conditioned cabins, each with it's own head and plenty of hot water. Food outstanding w/fresh baked snacks after the 1st dive, and plenty to eat. Five dives available Monday through Friday, two on Saturday. vis: 80-100 ft. water: 84 degrees. Depth limit 110 ft. Easy entry into the water; sit on dive platform, the crew helps you w/your BC, front roll into the water. Great diving; little current, wall starts at 50 ft. or less, plenty of variety in corals and fishes. Many schools of fish and not be constantly bothered by fish expecting to be fed (unlike Grand Cayman). Could do a better job outlining the schedule, when you pick up the boat and when you return to Brac. Flight times to/from Grand Cayman and Brac are not customer friendly, 5:15 am and 9:30 pm. We laid over one day before and after the boat and were much more rested than the other passengers. Overall, a great trip."

Little Cayman Diver II, June 1997, Bert Hubby, Arlington, TX. "I liked the entry into the water. Tanks with each diver's BCD and regulator attached remained on the dive /swim platform when not in use. A diver would then walk down to the platform with his mask, fins and weight belt, sit on the edge of the platform and the crew would bring the tank to the diver and assist the diver in getting into the BCD. Then, fall forward off the platform performing a Caribbean face plant. At the end of the trip the crew disassembled and rinsed the gear. vis: 60-100 ft. water: 82-83 degrees. No diving below 110 ft. No mantas or eagle rays. 10:30 p.m arrival at Cayman Brac airport the Sunday starting the trip and the 6:15 am departure the Sunday ending the trip were exhausting, but still worth the trip."

Little Cayman Diver II, July 1997, Alan and Barbara Fistula, Great Neck, NY. "Topography of wall varied; ledges, overhangs, canyons, chimneys, swim-throughs, corals, visibility (70-90 feet) is good as any place in the Caribbean. Diving wonderful and relaxed; water 85 degrees; diving restrictions: good sense and what your computer will let you do. Operation is first rate and laid back; dive whenever you like. Captain and crew nice but the boat could use work. AC in cabins barely ample; practically no place to store gear in cabins. Baggage and camera equipment stored on the deck of the salon. Get to and from the boat from the dock is by stepping on a rubber tire fender - time to get a gang plank guys! Food good, not great, boat shopworn, but the diving was really nice, and that's what it's all about!"

Little Cayman Diver II, September 1997, Porter Watkins, Louisville, KY. "100 feet visibility, water 80-85 degrees. Put up with anything to see these walls, encounter the spotted eagle rays, follow the reef sharks. Worth the $3200/couple. Captain Robert competent, hard-working, friendly, accessible and knows his stuff (MS in marine biology). Debbie produced meals and snacks that were delicious, healthy, and varied. . . . Weather superb but can be cloudy and choppy. Boat has a nice layout, room on three decks for maximum of 10. Great lounge, smoking only on top decks. Boat moves to various depths and types of dives, one site in the am, one in pm, another for night dives. Captain or divemaster in water or on dive deck when someone is diving. Put BC and tank on you and take it off; getting in/out easy. Lounge: huge stereo, 31 inch monitor for videos, good movie selection. Private full bath for each cabin; excellent sound-proofing. . . . Schedule; boat leaves at 1:00 am Monday night (we flew from Grand Cayman at 10:30 p.m. Sunday) so you start Monday tired. Leave the boat on Sunday at 4:00 a.m. to get to airport. Only 6 days of diving. Boat poor condition cosmetically. A/C broken in lounge; ice machine broken; a/c spotty in cabins; only 4 lounge chairs. Top deck pads for only 2. Front deck rail missing, teak and mahogany in deplorable condition; holes, stains, torn wall coverings. No radar - being fixed. Boat functioned ok and felt safe. Dive deck very small if 10 are setting up. Good for maybe 6. Small camera table and no rules followed for cameras only. No on-board E-6 processing. Gear up, go down 4 steps to narrow area. Must roll off boat and could hit your head on metal grating. Short ladder for exits. Supplies: either didn't have or ran out of everything. (Captain made endless trips to shore in dinghy to pickup necessities and requests). . . . Wish we'd known how tired we'd be to start and end the week. On last day's return to Brac (around 3 p.m.) supper at 6 p.m. so they put you in a non-a/c van and drive around the island to their shop at one of the resorts. You are strongly urged to leave boat and go on this tour. Take few clothes; not much room in some cabins. Cabin with 3 bunks (up front) is the best if they don't stick a stranger in with you. Otherwise request number 4: good floor space, overhead bunk, double bead, big tiled full bath with a tub! You need to be tiny people for the front cabin with 2 bunks that come to a point at the top."

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