2000 Chapbook

Grand Cayman is great for divers seeking familiar surroundings: it's Americanized and crowded, with traffic, Burger Kings, Ramadas, and Hyattsand it's expensive.... There are a seemingly endless number of safe and well-organized dive operations; depth and time limits are generally enforced, with some operations showing leniency to experienced divers (though others charge for special computer dives).... Avoid prepaying a dive package so that if you're disappointed with cattle boats or site selection you can switch to someone else.... Dive quality is declining due to development, and Seven Mile Beach reefs are beaten up. To beat crowds, endless youths, and Cayman Cowboys, stay on the North side, the East End (for the best diving), or north of Seven Mile Beach.... Brac diving is not up to the best of Cayman, but it's more laid back than Grand Cayman, and Brac outfits make frequent trips to Little Cayman from April to November; rough water often prevents trips at other times.... For Caribbean walls, clear water, and beautiful reefs, Little Cayman is nonpareil; a dozen dive boats a day can visit a two-mile stretch. The water's under 80 in the winter, when days can be cool, and in the low 80s in summer.... The Cayman Islands are in the hurricane belt.

Cayman Brac

Brac Aquatics/Carib Sands Condos, June 1999, Larry McDonald (LarryMcDonald@worldnet.att.net), Safety Harbor, FL. Vis: 60-150 ft. Water: 84 degrees. Sunny. Brac Aquatics staff was so helpful I was skeptical there was some catch to it. There wasn't. Low-stress tropical dives. Great coral formations, depths shallow to endless walls, good variety of fish (no large schools), excellent water conditions. Short rides (10-30 min.). Tibbitswreck rather boring. If there was current on one side of island, we went to the other (20 min.) To get groceries you need a car. Helpful people, and no fear of crime, theft, or rudeness. (Ph: 813-962-2236, Fax: 813-264-2742)

Brac Reef Resort, August 1998, Clyde & Eleanor Brannen, Jefferson, GA. Vis: 90-150 ft. Water: 86-89 degrees. Sunny, cloudy. Water: calm, no currents, Cayman depth limit of 110 feet enforced. Different profiles for computer/table divers. Marine park rules: no gloves allowed. Nitrox available for a $10/tank upcharge (32% only) with a slight discount if you dive Nitrox for the week ($8/tank). Full service photo shop. "Video Ed" is knowledgeable about critters and cameras. E6 developing, but expensive ($10/roll). The islands sponsored a photo contest and gave each contestant 3 rolls of Kodak 100 Elite film. It had to be developed on site. Entry fee paid by Resort($20). On the boat there was a table for cameras only, but no rinse tank. Separate rinse tank on shore for cameras. Photo setup very good. Reefs in excellent shape and diving was marvelous! Divemasters gave good briefings, telling you things/critters to look for. Dive staff courteous and friendly. Set up your equipment and rinsed gear at the end of the day (rinse was cursory at best), Russian frigate was fun storm damage has wiped out the center section. Not a lot of fish. Walls awesome, deep drop-offs, everything was beautiful. Small critters (tube worms, garden eels, blennies). Lots of large barrel and tube sponges, elkhorn and brain coral. Five 42-foot Newton dive boats between their resorts (Brac Reef and Little Cayman Beach Resort). Resort is comfortable, plenty of good food served buffet style. Rooms are adequate, but I wish they'd had at least a queen size bed (we had two full-size in our room). Bar is open air and no alcohol allowed until your dive day was through. No bugs. The bad: All the personal service can make you complacent and forget to check your own gear and your buddy's. But, it was nice not to lug gear to and from the dive shop every day. Island Air has a 55lb/person weight limit, we opted to leave our dive lights at home to save weight and had to rent lights for the night dive, one of which quit working in the middle of the dive. Cayman Air weight limit is bigger, but the only flight out is at 6:15 a.m. (taxi leaves the resort at 5:00 a.m.) The grounds were pleasant, but could use a thorough cleaning. When you're paying Cayman prices you want to see pristine! Visited Divi Tiara down the street, Brac Reef looked in better shape. (Ph: 818-323-8727; fax 345-323-8827)

Brac Reef Resort, February 1999, Dan Oliver, J.D., Walla Walla, WA. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 78-80 degrees. Dive restrictions: 110'. Every morning at 6:45 a.m. the Cayman Air jet wakes you up for breakfast as it takes off from across the road. Craig, the divemaster, was great! Took us to two sites that had not been dived in 1.5 years, anchor only locations. Booby Bird Haven next to limestone wall where the surge is normally too large. The fish life abundant. I could use my macro lens to capture Christmas tree worms due to the surge. Stoplight parrotfish were schooling. Resort is similar to an American Hotel, devoid of local color. Sign-up for the full meal plan. No other options close by.

Brac Reef Resort, March 1999, Ken Davis, Scotch Plains, NJ. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 77-78 degrees. Excellent, professional dive operation. Bring your gear down to the boat and you never handle it again. Briefings thorough, go with divemaster or on your own (110 ft limit with computer). Reefs were healthy with good variety of tropicals. Saw barracuda, tarpon, turtles. Tibbitswreck is now broken in half but still impressive. Water cooler and choppier than this wimpy diver likes, but tolerable. Resort comfortable, not luxurious. Food plentiful. Good but not gourmet. Main problem is late p.m. arrival and early a.m. departure. We came on Cayman Air. Not much to do if you're not a diver.

Brac Reef Resort, April 1999, David C. Johnston, St. Paul, MN. Vis: 50-120 ft, Water: 78-80 degrees. Restrictions: 110' for 50 min. Excellent food. Dessert cook won this year's Cayman Island cookoff. Typical Caribbean: 3 dives per day. I would like more. Nice varied diving sites, walls, spur & groove, channels. Lots of different fish and critters. Hated Cayman Airways flight times! Weather improved mid week so we got to dive the south side of island. Much better wall diving on south then north.

Brac Reef Resort, May 1999, Don & Nancy Fraser (k2df@prodigy.net), Orange Park, FL. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 79-81 degrees. Request for computer divers: 110' for 40 min. Second dive 60' for 50 min. Package through "Experience the Adventure" Tours very good value. Resort was outstanding, rooms very nice, appeared recently renovated. Cable TV and air conditioning, two double beds, balcony with view! Made to order omelets, chef carved main courses, steak, lobster, shrimp, deserts to die for. Staff friendly and helpful. Reef Divers best operation I've encountered. Gear went into mesh bags on first day. Placed outside the room and never handled again until packing to go home. 42 foot Newton dive boats comfortable and uncrowded the entire week. Two tank morning dives, afternoon and night dives. Lots of coral and fish life. Trips to Little Cayman's Bloody Bay and Brac's Russian Frigate included.

Brac Reef Resort, August 1999, Ivane Meredith, Westmont, NJ. Vis; 100-150 ft., Water: 8386 degrees. Restrictions: Time and depth. Staff friendly, helpful, especially Tracey and Aaron, the bartender. Food worth the trip. Though pastry was not as fantastic as touted, everything else scrumptious. A day trip to Little Cayman with Shelby Scott was fun. We fished (caught 8 in 5 minutes), snorkeled, had lunch on beach. His boat was a little old, but ran well; great sailor and very accommodating. Didn't care for dive on Russian destroyer, just a gray ship, no coral or even fish. Reef showed plenty of fish. Grand Cayman has best diving, but Cayman Brac best place for relaxation, people and food. 2-story, covered dock over water with lounges; could spend day there - cool breezes. Can feed tarpon and hundreds of jacks, etc. under dock at night. Good snorkel spot.

Brac Reef Resort, June 1999, Pat & Tom Schwind (mikacody@aol.com), White Lake, MI. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Rainy. Water: choppy, surge. Restrictions: If on a computer, 110ft 40 min. 2nd-3rd dives 60ft, 50 min. or 500 psi.: Great service, roomy boats, flexible divemasters. Handled all gear. Good variety for every meal and everything was great.

Brac Reef Resort, July 1999, Karen & Craig Lange (kclange@wolfenet.com), Yakima, WA. Vis: 100-125 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. Restrictions: Up with 500psi, safety stop: Fresh water rinse tank and a table to put cameras and equipment out of sun. Staff took cameras, rinsed them and set on table as you got out. Diving staff took care of everything. Very organized: they picked up your gear at your room before your first dive. Good pre-dive briefings. Fantastic encounter with a wild dolphin that had been hanging around the island. It played with us twice. Staff stopped the boat so people could snorkel with it. The water was calm so we dove the end of the island that rarely gets dived. Awesome. Excalibur had current and surge but was one of my best dives ever. Shark, turtles, large groups of tarpon, huge lobsters, flying gurnards, ship artifacts. Staff always in the water and were helpful. Boats fast. Package: 3 dives daily, Night dives available when 12 people wanted to go (3 during week). Rooms were nice, clean and food was plentiful and good. No bugs! Cayman air arrival time at 10:30pm, leaves 5:30am! Island is clean and they have a good hospital. Resort arranged an appointment and ride to doctor when Craig picked up a virus.

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, February 1999, Joe McCarthy. Food excellent. Killer desserts (a real feeding frenzy when the Brac Lime Pie hits the table). Dive staff professional and helpful. Did not lurk around trying to catch anyone doing something wrong or play Gestapo about the rules. Forward third of the Russian frigate has broken off and now sits at a 45-degree angle to the rest of the ship that sits upright. Vis was good and water temp 78-82. Nice place to stay and dive. (Ph: 809-948-7553 or 800-367-3484, Fax: 809-948-7316)

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, April 1999, George Menz, Stoughton, MA. Vis: 100+ ft. Water: 74-82 degrees. Sunny, water: choppy. Restrictions: 110 but not strict. Even if we strayed below the limit of 110 feet no one mentioned it. Mesh bags, shampoo, hand cream and beach towels supplied by the resort. Food the best we've had on any trip.

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, May 1999, Mike McCroskey (Owsi35990@aol.com). Dive shop, dive masters, boats, and sites on a par with other Caribbean operations, better than many. Diving was easy and good for inexperienced divers. Package is your best bet because of the cost of food and drinks. Migrating Thimble Jellyfish: from what little information I could get from the staff, these critters drift through the area on winds and currents from middle of April to middle of May. Thimbles themselves are harmless, but their larvae are a serious inconvenience. Locally they call it "Sea itch" and boy does it ever! Larvae get inside the suit. Those with little or no protection seemed to do the best though all divers seemed to experience the problem of stings and (the next day) welts.

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, July 1999, Jason DeSalvo, Montclair, NJ. Vis: 70-100 ft. Water: 83-84 degrees. Restrictions: 110 ft. 5th trip to Caymans, my second at the Divi Tiara, my last visit 16 years ago. Dive operation fantastic, top quality service despite 105 divers (2 large groups. Restrictions were liberal once you showed that they could trust you. Two-tank morning dive (9:00 a.m.) and a one-tank afternoon dive (2:30 p.m.). Night dives twice a week, an extra $40. First morning dive on a wall dive for 50 minutes (you could get 60 minutes if you were in the water first). Though they asked you not to go deeper than 110 feet, no one-seemed to mind if you went off with your buddy to do your own thing and did a swim-through that put you over the wall in 135 feet. Second and afternoon dives were shallow spur and groove reefs with a 50 feet for 50 minutes profile (again, hour dives were common). They include two-tank trip to Little Cayman with a one-week package. Additional trips $30. Upon arriving, we set our gear outside our room and then didn't touch it until they delivered it to our room after our last dive. Your gear is kept in locked rooms. I was surprised to hear people raving about the quality of the diving. There were some sites worthy of such praise - Rockmonster on Cayman Brac; Randy's Gazebo, Mixing Bowl and Donna's Delight on Little Cayman. However, the health of the reefs and the quality of the diving didn't come close to what I experienced in 1983. Elkhorn Forest (on the Brac's south side) no longer has any significant growths of Elkhorn Coral. The fish life at most sites was sparse (Little Cayman fared far better); shallow sites on the north side of the Brac (particularly those in Stake Bay) have more algae than coral. Having dived all over the Caribbean, the shallow sites on Cayman Brac's north side offer the worst diving I've done at any "quality" dive destination. Even Little Cayman's famed walls are showing signs of deterioration. The wall in Jackson's Bay (east of Bloody Bay) was covered in algae below 50 feet. Divemasters and locals claim that the massive algae problem on both islands relates to high water temps (83 - 84 degrees during my trip); unfortunately, by the time the water does cool down (if it does), the algae will have killed most the coral. Gorgonians healthy and plentiful at most sites; on some shallow dives in Stake Bay, living hard corals covered less than 10-15% of the reef. Saw reef sharks, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, spotted eagle rays, and southern stingrays. At Mixing Bowl (Little Cayman) saws 2 eagle rays, 2 reef sharks, 3 nurse sharks, 2 hawksbills, 20+ large groupers. Overall, get to Little Cayman as often as you can and on the Brac, try to convince your captain to go East where the diving is better than at the Western sites near the hotels. The Russian Destroyer is a pretty weak dive, interesting once for conversation value but not worth a second visit. Our night dive was notable only for the fact that we saw nothing that we couldn't see during the day - not one octopus, squid or eel, only a couple of small lobsters. The hotel was nice, albeit a bit run down. Service very good and the staff saw our stay was enjoyable. Breakfast included cereal, fruit, yogurt and a choice of French toast, pancakes or eggs made to order. Lunches and dinners were interesting (if not gourmet) with several entrees from which to choose and fresh salads and bread. All meals buffet style and ample for even the heartiest appetite. One of the most relaxing and enjoyable dive vacations I have taken. Island is quiet and idyllic and offers the perfect environment to unwind. Unfortunately, knowing what the reefs of Cayman Brac were 16 years ago made each dive bittersweet.

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, July 1999, Bob Oberle, Norwalk, OH. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water: 83-85 degrees. First dive 110 ft. for 45 minutes, second 50 ft. for 50 minutes. Sites are excellent with plenty to see. Dive operation; headed by Shawn and his excellent staff; top notch. If you want to talk between dives about diving, where you are from, they converse. If you want to kick back and float in the water, that's OK. If you want to be a hermit and sit there, they will leave you alone. Boats in excellent shape, most sites close, boat rides are short. Start gearing up after you clear the channel and by the time the boat the crew has secured the boat, you are ready for them to bring your gear to you and jump in. They assist you with removal and take care of setting up your equipment for the next dive. Crew rinses your gear and hangs it up, and has it on the boat the next day. Sign up on the boards where you want to go and show up. Everyone runs on island time. Showing up a few minutes late will not damn you to the bilge. Bloody Bay at Little Cayman and the 356 Destroyer have their own sign ups and worth the time to get on. Bloody Bay had best visibility and the 356 offered interesting things. All wall/shallow reef sites were excellent. Night dive was a highlight, with lobster, shrimp and other night critters. Accommodations good. Traded our timeshare in Hilton Head for week at the Divi Tiara Beach Resort. Accommodations vary between the timeshare units and the hotel units. Our unit was nice, clean and oriented toward "island architecture", own kitchen and dining area. Bedroom was air-conditioned, but the remainder of the unit is cooled by breezes: entirely screened in. Glad we had air-conditioning to sleep. Captain's Table had above average food and service; they pick you up (no charge) and return you. Grocery store provided the same service. Three cabs on the island. No casinos, shopping malls. Curling up on a lounge chair with a cold Dos Equis (special lager not amber) after a morning of visiting special marine environments will get me through the upcoming Ohio winter. The memories will be as clear as the water.

Divi Tiara Beach Resort, July 1999, Thomas & Sue Downey (tedj01@worldnet.att.net), Frisco, TX. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 84-86 degrees. Sunny. Restrictions: 110' limit, return to boat with 500 psi, enjoy your dive! 2-tank dive in the AM, 1-tank in the afternoon. Dive operation exceptional. Our crew, Carey and Fernando, did everything for us! Sites 10-15 minute ride, unless we were diving Little Cayman. They brought gear to us; they assisted us into it, then we, did our strides and had great dives! After diving, crew took our gear, rinsed and hung it. Best land-based operation we've dived with! Turtles on most dives, huge groupers would follow us around wanting to be stroked annoying at times because they would get in the way! At the Bus Stop, off Little Cayman, we saw 3 nurse sharks, with two others nearby. Kodak moment! Accommodations adequate, clean comfortable. Service outstanding. Food amazing buffet-style and offered 2 or 3 choices of meat, seafood, poultry; plenty of fresh fruit, veggies, salads, and desserts.

Grand Cayman

Aquanauts/Sea Princess, December 1998, Kim Stahler & Chad Deshazo, Reading, PA. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 81 degrees. We are experienced divers who also enjoy cruising. Princess is diver-friendly, with an onboard dive shop (limited hrs. and selection) and friendly, knowledgeable instructors and DMs. Dives are expensive to book through the ship ($70/2 tanks) and sometimes involve large inexperienced groups, so we booked directly with Aquanauts. Our three person group had spacious boat to ourselves, and Canadian DM Karen was friendly, funny, and informative. Easy diving. School of tarpon, large green moray in the open. A little bleaching on corals but still beautiful. Stingray City a blast. Large female rays like hungry, friendly cats. Got a sharp bite from an aggressive snapper. Karen offered to let us dive on our own during the second dive after observing our skills. Rinse tanks on boat for cameras. Chad's computer blew just as he was gearing up, and Karen lent him an analog gauge free. (Aquanauts, Morgan's Harbor, PO Box 30147 SMB, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, BWI ; US/Canada toll-free: 1-888-786-6887; e-mail: aquanauts@cayman.org; phone: 1.345.945.1990; fax: 1.345.945.1991; Website www.cayman.org/aquanauts)

Aquanauts/Ocean Frontiers/Island Pine Villas, April 1999, Jerry Smith. Pleased with Aquanauts. Dove the North and West, but since they do not go to the East end, we used Ocean Frontiers. These folks were great. Diving on the East end is more pristine with more opportunities for seeing big animals. Saw a dolphin. The North Wall was beautiful, and Aquanauts took just the two of us. Island Pine Villas very nice and convenient on Seven Mile Beach. Parking not the best. Had a kitchen; restaurants in Cayman are very expensive. Cayman is crowded, and traffic can be a problem. Rented a car from Dollar. Package with Aquanauts provided unlimited shore diving. Good night dives from shore. I was disappointed with the marine life; saw only a few eagle rays, and not much marine life compared to West Palm. Vis 70-100 feet, and the walls are the best part of our dive experience.

Bob Soto's, September 1998, A. Johnson, Mableton, GA. Vis: 80-110 ft. Water: 84-87 degrees. Diving nice: fantastic walls, huge sponges, eagle rays, garden eels, cleaning stations, green turtles, schools of jacks, crinoids, beautiful pastel anemones. Retail staff at Soto's poorly trained and surly. Had a run-in with a clerk who wished to argue about the number of dives remaining in our package. He essentially accused us of lying and trying to cheat them out of an extra dive. When the situation was resolved by his supervisor in our favor, no apology was made to us for their mistake and rude behavior. (Ph: 800-262-7686 or 345-949-2022, Fax: 345-949-8731, e-mail: bobsotos@cayman.org, Website: www.bobsotos.com)

Bob Soto's/Seaview Hotel, October 1998, Kay Williams, Gunnison, CO. Water: 84-88 degrees, Vis: 60-100 ft. Cayman Madness or Cayman Sadness? Bob Soto's large cattle boats so slow plan an extra 2 hours for an AM or PM dive. You may even pack a lunch. AM dive bus pickup 8:15, bus drop off 1:OOPM. All diving during Cayman Madness was prescheduled. 2 trips to the west, one North and one South. They made it to the North because dive 2 was Stingray City. But the day we were to go South they had many excuses and we went West. DM's were excellent: Pat and Johan! Seaview hotel, small, quaint, no beach, but excellent shore diving! Bar crowd of locals and music every night that may sound deceiving but our room was always quiet. Restaurants? Let's just say gratuities never forgotten, service is!

Capitol's Surfside Watersports/Morritt's Tortuga Club, May 1999, Larry & Fawn Lovecchio. Ignacio, CO. Vis: 80-200 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. Clean and safe island with world class diving on North Walls. Terrific swim throughs, pinnacles jutting from the walls, squadrons of large tarpon, eagle rays, turtles, and stingrays were impressive. Capitol's Surfside Watersports package; reasonable rates, free shore diving, free dinner at Billy's Place. Fun loving crew, diver freedom for computer users! Only restriction: back on board with 500 psi. Dives frequently lasted an hour. No problem, mon! Boat plies the waters on the West and North sides and we preferred the North due to its lesser divers impact and the drama of the sheer walls. For shore diving, Babylon on the Northeast side of the island (beach entry at little spot across from modern 4-plexes and a good 100 yd. swim to the buoy) is terrific. Saw a manta doing loop-de-loops. Turtle farm has good shore diving with a great ladder entry. For snorkeling, Morritt's Tortuga Club's dock on East end is the best kept secret on the island. Can't say we had a bad meal anywhere, although eating out is $25-$30/person. Moderately priced ones include Billy's Place (great Jerk food and key lime pie), Champion House, and the fish & fritters stand seaward of the 4-way stop on the way to the turtle farm on Boggy Sand Rd. (Primitive but good fresh fried fish and only open Fri.-Sun.) Budget Rent-A-Car had e-mail discounts. Rent a small car with A/C, gas prices almost $3/gallon. Avoid Georgetown/West Bay during rush hour due to traffic congestion. Locals delightful with strong morals on this prosperous island. (Capitol's Surfside Watersports; P.O. Box 30370 SMB, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; US toll-free: 1-800-543-6828; e-mail: surfside@cayman.org; phone: 1.345.949.7330; fax: 1.345.949.8639 website www.cayman.org/surfside)

Captain Marvin's Aquatics/Caribbean Club, May 1999, Jack Pickett (jandjpickett@worldnet.att.net), Henderson, NV. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Windy, rainy, cloudy. Water: choppy. Restrictions: 100 ft limit. Third time to Cayman, our most disappointing trip yet. Fish and reef life seems to have deteriorated. Captain Marvin's okay. After first dive, allowed us to dive our own profiles, max. 100 ft. Several tanks with short fills. Boat broke down and we had to be towed. They made up the dive the following day. Cayman is very expensive, better values elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Cayman Diving Lodge, February 1999, Dan D. Oliver, J.D., Walla Walla, WA. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 79-80 degrees. Restrictions: 100'. Friendly staff, Comfortable, tropical environment away from busy Georgetown area. Lot of swim throughs with schools of tarpon on mid-level dives. Crevices through coral heads end up on the wall. Divemasters guide the dives, depths and times are predetermined. Ok to stay on top of the coral heads taking photos till everyone's on board. Chef Tim prepares excellent low-fat meals. (Ph: 800-852-3483 or 809-947-7555, Fax: 809-947-7560, e-mail: divelodge@aol.com)

Cayman Diving Lodge, July 1999, Harry L. Cure, Jr. (cure@onramp.net), Fort Worth, TX. Vis: 60-90 ft. Water: 83-84, Choppy, surge. Restrictions: Depth limits and time set but not strictly enforced. Divemasters allowed reasonable variations. Some of the best service and facilities for the money on Grand Cayman. Diving on the East End is the best. Divemasters please their customers, even with bad weather that we faced. Rooms are clean, colorful, not plush, more than adequate for the diver.

Coconut Harbour, March 1999, John & Pat Coover, Hastings, NE. In South Sound area, an ideal Cayman neighborhood where many locals and expats live. They show up at the Blue Parrot restaurant for brew and barbecue. Seven mile beach this isn't! Rooms are motel style but have mini-kitchens to save $$$$. Unlimited shore diving through a cut in the iron shore; Parrots Landing has a dive shop on the premises. Downtown is a ten minute walk, a public sand beach is four blocks up the street and a grocery store and shopping area are close. Management is friendly and helpful. Rent for a double with continental breakfast is reasonable even for high season. What we saved on food and drink by cooking and fixing our own rum punch allowed us to rent a car and circumnavigate the island. By checking periodically with their office in Indianapolis you can make your own reservations and save even more. Phone 1-800-552-6281. (Coconut Harbour, 1315 North Arlington Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana 46219; Fax Number (317) 322-1885; 1-800-552-6281 (US) or (317)322-9921 (INTL); Island Phone # 1-800-949-7468; website www.caymans.com/coconut_Harbour.html)

Dive 'N Stuff Resort/Plantation Village Beach, September 1998, Cheryl McCauley (Cherylmc@navellier.com), Incline Village, NV. Vis: 60-90 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Depth limit 100 ft, but flexible on everything else. Lot of algae on the coral. It seems as if they have dived out their reefs. I was surprised at lack of fish, especially big groupers. North Wall is nice, but boring after awhile. Saw two spotted eagle rays. Cozumel's abundance of fish was much better. I enjoyed the island of Cozumel better too. (Ph: 345-949-6033)

Divers Down/Villas of the Galleon, July/August 1999, Jim Reynolds, Commerce, TX. Vis: 100 ft, Water: 86 degrees. Good Sunday brunch at Westin. Diver's Down the best operation we've used in Grand Cayman. (Phone: (345) 945-1611)

Don Foster's, June 1999, Greg Andrews, Lee's Summit, MO. I arrived on the Carnival Cruise but didn't want to dive with the masses. I walked 2 blocks to Don Foster's. Clean facility with excellent equipment and a fast boat. 2 tank morning dive great. Divemaster Mike pointed out the good stuff we would have missed. (Ph: 800-83-DIVER, Fax: 305-438-4220, e-mail: dfdus@airmail.net)

Fisheye/Lacovia, March 1999, William H. Wallace (70/20.257@compuserve.com), St. Charles, MO. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water 80 degrees. Lacovia is super condo in the middle of 7 mile beach; good operation. Fisheye has a standard routine of 80 to 100 ft. first dive, then a 50-60 ft second dive after 40 minutes on the surface. They would not vary so that 2 shallow dives could be done. After four deep dives we wanted bottom time and not depth. Fisheye had boat problems that almost cost us our Stingray City trip. Poor maintenance on rental regulator. (Ph: 809-947-4209, Fax: 809-947-4208, e-mail: fisheye@candw.ky)

Fisheye/Aquabay Club, July 1999, Eric A. Maschke, Houston, TX. Vis: 100-150 ft, Water: 82-83 degrees. Restrictions: 100 fsw 35 min, depth loosely enforced, 2nd dive 50 fsw 55 min. Aquabay Club nice condos, clean, comfortable, nice ocean view on northern end of 7 Mile Beach. Beach is nice but significant coral debris and some erosion. Fisheye is well run, friendly and accommodating. 7 mile beach still has some nice sites. Fisheye also dives the north side, which is nice. We dived unguided and found some nice swim throughs on the west end. Saw a couple of turtles, 1 shark, 1 Manta ray, several eagle rays during 5 days. Did Ocean Frontiers in 1997 and would consider Fisheye and Ocean Frontiers a great combo. Stingray City is bad! My wife has a 2" scar on her arm from an encounter with a hungry stingray. It is a tourist novelty.

Fisheye (East End)/Ocean Frontier (Northwall)/Britannia Hyatt, Amy R. Simon, Alexandria, VA. Vis: 180+ ft. Water: 82-85 degrees. Said depth limit was 100 ft but divemaster took us to swimthrough at 120ft. Two dives on North Wall: Grand Cayman diving is underrated, just stay away from West End. Dive North Wall and East End. Good corals, wonderful fish life, sharks, eagle rays. North Wall dives with Ocean Frontiers, only 4 divers, flexible about sites. Beautiful underwater landscapes, huge corals, turtles, sharks, rays. Insist on diving own profile: Divemasters on first dive of day swam so fast no time to look at anything. 2nd dive did our own thing, 70-ft max. and 40 minutes made with computers. Free to do whatever as long as we were back in 40 min. Food good but expensive.

Indies Divers/Indies Suites/Fisheye, April 1999, Hank Goichman, Los Angeles, CA. Water: 82-84 degrees, Vis: 75-100 ft. Told that I needed an octopus and would have to use their regulator. I asked for antiseptic spray. First dive was 100', very nice; regulated, no gloves allowed, computers OK. Next AM showed up but was told that the owner fired the dive operator. I booked with Fish Eye. First dive to 100' at Notre Dame Cathedrals, superb dive. Fish Eye did nice job. Diving wonderful. No current, great walls, Indies Suites were very nice. (Phone: (345) 945-5025 Fax: (345) 945-5024)

Ocean Frontiers, August 1998, Will Ruggles, Bakersville, NC. Water: 85-86 degrees, Vis: 80-110 ft. Good boat and pro service if a bit rushed on the morning dives. Amazing walls. Healthy reefs. Rough for some divers but not us. Lot of similarity in the wall and shallow dives. Nice shore dives. Long swims to the walls but beautiful dives. Cayman sucks: above water the atmosphere is savagely tainted by money lust. Can't do much without a car on the East End. Liked the diving, but not the cold commercial frenzy that drives the place. (Ocean Frontiers, PO Box 30433 SMB, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B.W.I.; USA office: (800) 544-6576; Cayman office: (345) 947-7500; Cayman fax: (345) 947-7600; e-mail oceanf@candw.ky; website www.oceanfrontiers.com)

Ocean Frontiers, December 1998, David R. Reid, Ann Arbor, MI. Vis: 50-80 feet. Water: 78-80 degrees. Sunny, water: choppy. Restrictions: Depth, time, psi. Personal interest and attention of owners Mo & Steve and friendly, capable staff. Divemasters Delwin & Ali were wonderful, as was Henri. When you get out of the water they pop a slice of fresh pineapple in your mouth (brownie followed by hot chocolate on night dives). Superb briefings. Computer divers given latitude. Wonderful dive boat with plenty of room. Max number of divers under what many try to put on similar boats. No schlepping of anything. Hand 'em your gear the first day, claim it the last. Worth the trip to East End, relief from the overcrowded 7 Mile Beach area.

Ocean Frontiers/Morritt's Tortuga Club, January 1999, Leon Friedman, Sarasota, FL. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water: 75-80 degrees. Morritt's a time share. Dove 4-2 tank Nitrox dives with Ocean Frontier. Weather rainy and cold, dives excellent, buddy diving, computer diving. Allowed time to do dive plan. For those who wanted guided dive, no problem. Good, fast boat, roomy. Dive staff friendly, caring. Always given a briefing with diagram of site. East end, pristine, great sea life, coral, shark, tarpon, turtle. Great time!

Ocean Frontiers/Fisheye/Morritt's Tortuga Club/Treasure Island, April 1999, Leslie and Victor Eiser (leslie@ed.ca), Beaconsfield QC, Canada. Vis: 45-75 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Sunny, dry. No currents. Restrictions: 10 minutes over the described plan, 120 ft max depth, do safety stop at 1000 psi on deep dives, 500 psi on shallow dives. Computers checked by the divemaster after each dive. We were diving with friends, Kit and Mike, on their first open water experience. Because of a mix-up at Ocean Frontiers, our first dives were with Fisheye. The first a 100' dive to Trinity Caves was fun, though Kit found it frightening and spent the dive clutching the hand of the divemaster. Kit blanched when the dive masters announced that they would not be in the water during the second dive. Kit asked that a divemaster accompany us, and they laughingly refused. We did the dive, Kit clutching my husband's hand. I have never had a divemaster refuse to get in the water during a scheduled dive. Fisheye should know better! Next day we joined Ocean Frontiers, a professional team. The divemasters Mo, Del, Steve, Ali a pleasure. Did 11 dives, including a night dive. Boat fast and spacious enough for 10-12 divers; good covered area, fresh water shower, camera rinse tank and dry table, plenty of dry towels, cold drinks, and fruit, hot chocolate and brownies for night dives. Rental gear was first class (even underwater scooters). Briefings were the best. Multicolored sketches of the sites! 1st of each 2 tank dive was escorted, the 2nd our choice of either guided or "on our own." Each briefing included their reminder to keep the reef pristine and enforced by removing a diver who was too rough on the coral. They understood our newly certified friends weren't entirely comfortable. Only did two dives in the west, both of which were disappointing. Coral covered with sand, lots of broken pieces, surprising lack of fish. Eastern and northern dives were a different story. Turtles, three black tip reef sharks (one about 7' long), tarpon schools, barracuda, schools of assorted varieties, coral beautiful. Ocean Frontiers made sure that we never repeated a site (except to go check on the sharks), followed each dive with a personal dive profile check. Let us computer divers do our thing. Saw only a few tiny morays. Lobsters, turtles, sharks, crabs, huge sponges, great swim throughs. Our reservations got scrambled, though we had prepaid; had to wait each morning to be told if there would be room on the boat. Always cancellations. When we went to close out the account, they tried to charge us more than we had agreed upon in writing. Easily fixed, but why ruin a wonderful operation. Grand Cayman - bring lots and lots of money.

Ocean Frontiers/Tortuga Club, April 1999, Wayne Breitbarth, Mequon, WI. Water: 83 degrees. Sunny. No currents. Diving with Tortuga Divers was average, with the staff having a "who cares" attitude. Ocean Frontiers more customer friendly, one of the best you'll find. They really serve the divers and care about your comfort and enjoyment. Book early since they only take 12 people and the boat fills, but boy will you enjoy just 12 people on that large boat. Take the bus ride and dive with them.

Ocean Frontiers/Treasure Island Divers, August 1999, Leon Friedman, Sarasota, FL. Vis: 100 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. Restrictions: 100'. Great operation, careful, concerned. Handles all levels of divers. Morning dives guided, if you want 2nd tank, buddy or guided, your choice. Did 2 tanks with Treasure Island Divers, good too, especially diving 7 mile beach area.

Ocean Frontiers/Morritt's Tortuga Club, August 1999, Jim Vazquez, Clearwater, FL. Vis: 70-150 ft., Water: 83-86 degrees. Spacious boats with dedicated camera table and camera rinse bucket. Small groups. Boat goes where there are no other boats. Fresh water showers on boat. Friendly competent crew will clean and store your gear for you. Great diving and a great operator.

Ollen Miller's Sun Divers, May 1999, Tony Thompson, Cleveland, TN. Water: 80 degrees, Vis: 100 ft. Restrictions: According to experience. First class one man, one boat operation (Ollen is a native Caymanian who has led dives for various operators all his life). The boat is a fast V-hull, good in all kinds of surf. Eight diver limit. Skilled divers will find the freedom they want, while less experienced divers get the first class attention they need. Highly recommend. Boat is available for private charter. Phone 345-947-6606, Cell phone 345-916-0862, Fax 345-947-6706. (Miller's Ollen Sun Divers; Seven Mile Beach 345-947-6606; Phone: (345) 947-6606 Fax: (345) 947-6706)

Parrot's Landing/Sleep Inn, August 1998, Clyde & Eleanor Brannen, Jefferson, GA. Vis: 40-50 ft. Water: 87 degrees. Weather: rainy. No gloves, no knives, no snorkels. Trip to Stingray City. Boat small but comfortable. Divemasters friendly and knowledgeable. One even spoke Japanese. Videographer had trouble with her camera, but got it working in time to dive with us and order folks around under water. (Not the best of people skills), Stingrays plentiful and fun to play with, but avoid sting ray hickeys they can be very painful. (Ph: 800-448-0428 or 809-949-7884, Fax: 809-949-0294, e-mail: splash@parrotslanding.com)

Parrot's Landing/Coconut Harbor, August 1998, Michelle Russell, Glenwood, IL. Vis: 70-100+ft., water: 84 degrees. No deeper than 110'. Food outrageously expensive, so our travel agent recommended Coconut Harbor with its kitchenette. Had one dinner out for $70 for 2 (modest food with 2 beers) and ate the rest of the week on $90 worth of groceries. Coconut Harbor and Parrot Landing personnel were wonderful as was diving. Surrounded by fish and coral beauty with the water and air 84 degrees.

Peter Milburn, October 1998, Donna Palmer, Candia, NH. Water: 80-90 degrees, Vis: 100ft+. I found information from Undercurrentto choose who to dive with: I chose Peter Milburn's because they are kind to new divers and old. My friend's first dive and for us experienced divers we wanted an area that would please all of us. It happened! We met Peter (the legend) what a great personality. Scott, our divemaster, was like the movie (Captain Ron), very entertaining, very knowledgeable, dive trip kept to 6 people. Thank you Undercurrent.Peter does not advertise. He is known by word of mouth. (Peter Milburn's Dive Cayman Ltd., Georgetown; Phone: (345) 945-5770 Fax: (345) 945-5786 )

Peter Milburn, October 1998, S. DeCamp, Manchester, NH. Vis: 80-90 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. Great diving outfit that Peter Milburn's; had a great time with divemaster Scotty Shoemaker. Asked what we wanted to do and when would it be convenient for us. Had great stories that educated us about the diving and the island with a lot of humor. Four dives with Scotty including a reef, wall, wreck dive and Stingray City. Made inexperienced divers feel at ease and made sure we had a personal guided underwater tour. Milburn's pontoon boats are easy to dive off and have a wide ladder to climb back on. Plenty of room on top to hang out, eat and chat between dives. They have your equipment together and ready for use, all we had to do was sit on the edge of the boat and they brought our vests and tanks and assisted in putting them on. We would have never selected them if it had not been for the information sent to us from Undercurrent.Your service is invaluable.

Peter Milburn/Tom Byrne/Avalon Condo, June 1999, Maribeth Donley, Pittsburgh, PA. Water: 84 degrees, Vis: 80-110 ft. Restrictions: 100-110 ft, return 500 psi. Been to the Caymans 10 times. We had new divers and non-divers who did resort course with Peter. Great. We always find his operation top notch. He takes 6-10 divers and was most accommodating to the resort divers and new divers. Dive crew knowledgeable. Avalon Condo is beautiful. Night dive with Tom Byrne's operation: really bad. Not only was it unsafe, it was a reverse profile. We were told there would be the 4 of us. Turned out to be 9 divers, too many for the dive and only one divemaster/boat driver. 6 newly certified divers. Dove the North Wall, maxing out at 80-90 ft. Our 14-year old was a new diver and on his first night dive. Not good. The divemaster/captain lead the group and never looked back. Terribly tense dive. Tom Byrne wasn't there.

Peter Milburn, July 1999, Stu Roy, Monrovia, CA. Water: 82-84 degrees, Vis: 80-150 ft. Normally excellent diving. Pricey regarding food, but excellent.

Red Sail Sports, December 1998, Debra Welch, Grand Prairie, TX. Vis: 60-80 ft, Water: 80-85 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft limit. We were on Celebrity Mercury Cruise Ship and had a day in port. Booked with Red Sail Sports before we left home. Got there as the dive boat was pulling out and we were 15 minutes early! Dive boat was packed and we squeezed in our gear. Crew could have cared less if we enjoyed ourselves. Cost with dive, tips, cabs back and forth to port $200 for two people. Never again! (Ph: 800-255-6425 or 809-947-5965, Fax: 809-949-8745, e-mail: redsail.com)

Red Sail Sports/Cathy Church Underwater Photography School, Westin, December 1998, Tony & Tracy Dahbura, Centreville, VA. Vis: 200 ft.? Very clear! Water: 76-80 degrees. Restrictions: time. Our RSS package included hotel room and diving two 'regular' boat dives/day (night dives and special dives, like Stingray City, were extra). As new divers on a relaxing vacation, we soon discovered that this was too much diving, especially considering that we wanted to take an underwater photography specialty with the Cathy Church school, a night dive, and Stingray City. When we tried to adjust our entire prepaid package, the RSS desk at the hotel was not helpful, so we went to the main RSS office. When the adjustments were decided, we had some diving 'credits' left, which we decided to use toward jet skiing. Winds were too rough to go out, but RSS would not credit the remaining dollars toward our room, or purchases we had made in the gift store. They gave a gift certificate toward future purchases, time-stamped for one year. so the money is lost. Oh, and the RSS package included unlimited shore diving, however the Westin does not have shore diving so you have to get to another participating facility on the island which does (we chose Sunset House, where we took the underwater photography class with Cathy Church's school). Cathy Church's underwater photography specialty class, with 'John,' was amazing. A first-class operation. Some of our student pictures are even suitable for framing! Stingray City is not to be missed, buy the video. Westin is a fabulous hotel, with all the pampering and amenities you could want.

Sunset House, February 1999, Dan D. Oliver, J.D., Walla Walla, WA. Vis: 70-100 ft. Water: 79-80 degrees. Restrictions: 100'. Keith, the manager, is friendly and helpful. He drew me a map of the "David Nicholson" wreck, a WWII troop carrier. Easy shore diving with no current. Divemasters friendly and enjoy telling funny stories. Diving wasn't very eventful after Little Cayman. Swim throughs fun. Tarpon in caves were a sight. reef tops were the highlight fishlife was exquisite. An American style hotel one mile from Georgetown. The "specials" in the restaurant are reasonable, but the waiters in the Seaharvest Restaurant are surly. (Ph: 800-854-4767 or 809-949-7111, Fax: 809-949-7101, e-mail: sunseths@candw.ky, Website: www.sunsethouse.com)

Sunset House, July 1999, Robert J. Sutherland, Wyckoff, NJ. Vis: 100 ft, Water: 82 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft. This operation can meet the needs of any diver from novice to instructor. Great people, lots of variety, dive like crazy.

Sunset House, July 1999, Joan Seff, Desert Hills, AZ. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water 70-75 degrees. Safety strictly enforced. Sunset House clean and modern. Staff friendly and helpful. Sunset Divers were great especially Sam, Glen and Erica. They recommended sites and let us decide. Stingray City awesome. Wreck of the Balboawas full of life. Too bad they plan to move it! Diving was great.

Sunset House, August 1999, Trish White, San Diego, CA. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 80-84 degrees. Restrictions: 110 ft. Sunset House great. Lockers for gear. Besides 2 dives/day boat, they have a big boat Manta that goes around the island on an all day trip. Lunch and snacks included. Did this 3 different days and saw more animals and reefs than the regular dives on the west side! Great wrecks. The Sunset House was the perfect place to stay. The restaurant and "My Bar" were really good. Great food and beautiful views. Walking distance to town and beaches.

Treasure Island Divers/Sleep Inn, January 1999, John Isbizter, Ellicott City, MD. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 79-81 degrees. Treasure Island Divers: good, clean boats, helpful crew. Left my camera on the dock. Without hesitation, one of the crew drove me back to get it. All you can dive package a bargain. Sleep Inn, basic, clean, cheap. Good location, not on the beach. (Ph: 800-872-7552, or 809-949-4456, Fax: 809-949-7125, e-mail: tidivers@candw.ky, Website www.deepedge.com/tidivers)

Treasure Island Divers, August 1999, Rodney Marshall, Sachse, TX. Vis: 100-125 ft. Water: 82-85 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft.

Tortuga Divers/Morritt's Tortuga Club, March 1999, Fred R. Corban, Jr., Arlington Heights, IL. Vis: 100+ ft. Vis: 78-80 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft. and 500 lbs. The quiet side of Grand Cayman Island. Dive shop with two boats, two pools, kayaks, and windsurfing boats. Rental gear was in good condition. Divemaster did a roll call before the dive and at the conclusion. We were given a thorough pre dive talk and every dive required a three minute stop at fifteen feet. They require a checkout dive for those who have not been diving in one year. Two-dives/day was $75 not including any rental gear. "Black Rock" to a depth of 66 feet and "Elizabeth" at a depth of 50 feet revealed a lot of untouched coral, healthy sponges, Eagle Ray. Not an abundance of fish. "Turtle Pass" with thirteen divers and two dive masters. Awesome wall diving. "Snapper Hole:" plenty of deep cuts, huge brain and elkhorn coral, tarpon, tiger grouper, lot of fish, seventeen divers and three divemasters.

Tortuga Divers/Westin, April 1999, Kevin Hopper, Cincinnati, OH. Vis: 100 ft. Water: 79-82 degrees. Restrictions: 120 feet, 750 psi, safety stop. My favorite divemaster Danny Jetmore left Surfside to join Tortuga to head diving for more experienced divers on a separate boat. Great 2 dives. He is knowledgeable as he has been there for 15 years. I can see why Undercurrentcomments were negative about Tortuga Divers for experienced divers. They realize they have been too restrictive with more advanced divers hence have hired Danny to fill the void. Water can be choppy on this east end when the trade winds are piping. The boat travels mostly within the reef until reaching the dive site to minimize discomfort. Nice size dive boat 42 feet. (Ph: 800-327-8223 or 800-432-8894 or 809/947-7551, e-mail: Tortugad@candu-ky)

Tortuga Club, June 1999, Randy Hoyle, Marietta, GA. Water: 77-80 degrees, Vis: 60-75 ft. Restrictions: Depth. Excellent wall dive. Healthy reef and fish life. Good visibility. Great staff. Convenient room; walked out our back door 200' to dive boat. Huge tarpon under dock. Perfect for snorkeling. Food and other activities expensive. Resort too far from groceries and gas. Shore diving not accessible.

Little Cayman

Conch Club Divers/Conch Club Condos, May 1999, Joe Schierl, Minneapolis, MN. Vis: 150-200 ft. Water: 78-80 degrees. Restrictions: max 110, no deco diving please. Fifth trip to Little Cayman. Conch Club Divers now offers dive services for Conch Club Condos or any other resorts. They prefer to start the day little later in the morning. New 42 foot Newton dive boat, but include a smaller number of divers than the other dive services, improved selection of snacks and beverages, padded rails on the upper sun deck so the ride to and from the dive sites was more comfortable. Hot water shower to rinse off after a dive. After having pleasant experiences the first few years at Little Cayman Beach Resort, we have recently found some of the Reef Divers staff disinterested and/or unwilling to accommodate our needs and requests. Conch Club Divers made our trip enjoyable and went beyond the call of duty to enhance our diving experiences. Call 1-800-327-3835 or fax1-345-946-1028. (website www.conchclub.com/dive.html)

Conch Club Divers/Conch Club Condos, June 1999, Lisa Hinderlider & Dennis Gustason (shark1@uswest.net). Water: 83-86 degrees. Mostly sunny, couple nights of serious rain. Conch Club Divers well run operation, 100 foot depth restriction, but they assessed your skills & let you dive your own profile. Boat new and nice. Head, warm showers, good snacks and beverages. Captain Bill full of good info! 9-10 divers a day, (dive we took with Reef Divers out of Little Cayman Beach Resort had 21 divers). Conch Club Condos beautiful, worth 10 minute walk to get dinner and breakfast (get a beat up bike, it's 3 minutes)! Diving superb! Beautiful corals and sponges, lots of turtles and groupers. Ben and Jerry let you pet them and follow you, hoping you scare out a squirrel fish for them to munch! Saw a banded Pipefish there. Food was great as your reports have stated previously, we were on a breakfast and dinner plan and made our own lunches at the condo! Enjoy your magazine...only reason we went on this trip, had such great reviews!

Conch Club Divers/Conch Club Condos, August 1999, John & Sandra Quick, East Grand Rapids, HI. Water: 84 degrees, Vis: 75+ ft. Condos are beautiful. Situated between Little Cayman Reef Resort and the Southern Cross Club. 2 bedroom 2 bath townhouse unit would easily accommodate 2 couples. Stocked our kitchen with breakfast and lunch foods and had dinner at the various resorts or the one restaurant (Hungary Iguana). Conch Club Divers is superb! Beautiful boat. Nice people. Some of the best diving we have experienced. No good shore diving. Bug spray for "No-see-ums" a good idea.

Conch Club Divers/Conch Club Condos, September 1999, Roger G. Hockman, Chicago, IL. Vis: 100-150 ft., Water: 87-89 degrees. Restrictions: 100'-45 min., 65'-50 min. Conch Club Divers serves all of Little Cayman and is based at Conch Club Condos and Little Cayman Beach Resort. Divemasters (Coco, Wes and Julie) were wonderful, thoughtful, lead each dive point out critters. Most dives on Bloody Bay Wall each more spectacular than the next. Best sites and boat in the Caribbean. No snorkeling or shore dives without much effort, car and swim. Conch Club Divers complete day boat operation never touch your gear, 2 hot shower/hoses, snacks, head, cold water, lemonade, sundeck, 20 minutes to sites. No pelagics or big fish but everything else!

Little Cayman Beach Resort, November 1998, Bill Brown and Tanya Green. Room 215, an oceanfront room. Fabulous, with a microwave (some cookware we didn't use because food at resort was abundant and tasty), a refrigerator, sink, television. Resort is beautiful and the staff is wonderful always smiling. Not much to do except dive. Booby reserve is worth a visit. Great wall diving on Bloody Bay and Jackson Bay. Reef Divers is excellent and though they brief divers restrictively on times and depth they never really enforce it. If you wanted your hand held, they were willing. Darren, a.k.a. Mr. Photo, was very good. E6 processing same day if turned in by 2pm. Randy's Gazebo big reef shark and Cumber's Cave, a great swim-through at an old pirate's anchor. Boats are nice and roomy, with a head, camera table, and fresh water hose. Gear while sitting with the divemasters help and stand up and giant stride in. Best deal if you want to have cocktails is the all-inclusive rate. Drinks are expensive. Island Air waived the extra charge for overweight luggage. (Ph: 345-948-1033, Fax: 345-948-1040)

Little Cayman Beach Resort, December 1998, Carol Johnson, (caroljohnson@chugachelectrc.com) Anchorage, AK. Vis: 75-100 ft. The good: the resort, good variety of food (fish, salads, meats): Clean accommodations. Dive operation efficient, left dock on time, nice, fast boats. The bad: unswimmable beach. I wouldn't stay there unless I got a beach front room. Constant reminders that dive package did not include tips. Indifferent dive guides. Restricted to imposed dive plan even when using a computer and very experienced. 100' maximum. Unfriendly hotel and dive shop personnel. No fish. Too expensive. No night dives due to no channel lights, but dive shop would not do a night shore dive.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, February 1999, Anne & Fred Straus, (HAUSSTRAUS@AOL.COM) Wyoming, OH. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water 78-79 degrees. Restrictions enforced: 100 ft. specific time and depth per dive. Great dive resort! Friendly groupers like to be petted. Great dive boats! If you have sixteen in group, charter a plane from Grand Cayman. Cost is comparable and you depart when you want.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, February 1999, Kurt Schwarz, (KGS7259@aol.com) Potomac, MD. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 78 degrees. First dive 80 ft. for 45 min. 45 min. surface interval and second dive 60 ft. 50 min on computer. Considering the cost of this trip I was disappointed in the diving. Reef Divers takes boats into the marine park (Bloody Bay, Jackson's) for morning dives only. Afternoon dives were on south side. After two afternoon dives decided it wasn't worth it. On last day all three boats were taken out of park and dived south side for second morning dives. Apparently they are limited to 12 boat trips to park/week. Do the live-aboards pay a higher user fee, since they were never seen on the south side? We didn't dive toward the North end of the park; they told us it was due to winds, the visibility wasn't that good, though that's where the live-aboards were moored. Fishlife more sparse than last trip, summer '94. Groupers were off reef spawning, though did see more grouper at end of week. Great sponge formations, 10-12 hawksbill turtles, one eagle ray. Resort very nice, food great. Winds affect the quality of dives in winter.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, March 1999, Bob & Danee Hubbs, Renton, WA. Vis: 80-130 ft. Water: 79-83 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft but with their recommendation. First dive trip we have made on which we put on a couple of pounds, indicative of the quantity and quality of the good food.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, March 1999, Dan Farrell, Valparaiso, IN. Water: 80-82 degrees, Vis: 80-120+ ft. Restrictions: 100' Cayman law. Treated us great, took care of equipment, made sure we saw max number of sites. Good briefings. Crew helpful, no babysitters. They love the ecosystem. Helpful Photo shop. Learned a lot (I'm a novice).

Little Cayman Beach Resort, March 1999, Elizabeth Urban, Madison, WI. Vis: 50-125 ft. Water: 78-79 degrees. Dive restrictions: 100/40; 60/50 They set up dive/20 per boat/guide if needed. 110 ft. Back on boat with 500 psi. 100/45, 60/50. Two tank morning and one afternoon dive. Newton 42 boat. 20 people boat. Rinse bucket for camera. Nitrox. Accommodations and buffet food excellent. Relaxing. Friendly staff and professional. Too windy for night dive. Reef Divers handles your gear throughout stay. Convenient rinse tank and drying hut. Bloody Wall superb. Typical Caribbean marine life, walls, sponges, rays, groupers, turtles, nurse sharks, seahorse. Preservation by the dive staff of the underwater parks and sea life unmatched. Afternoon bicycle trip to look for iguanas was fun. Weather warm and windy.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, April 1999, Don 0. Peck, Paducah, KY. Vis: 60-80 ft. Dive restrictions: 100 ft. Excellent diving experience. Resort, people, service, food, dive operation.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, April 1999, Phil Hampton, Merritt Island, FL. Vis: 50-90 ft. Water: 79-83 degrees. Dive restrictions: 130 feet. Resort clean, pleasant, friendly. Room spacious, even had TV. Food outstanding! Great variety, taste and nice presentation. Great desserts. Keep luggage weight down for the flight from Grand to Little Cayman. Dive boats are 42' Newtons. Boat and crew makes diving easy, both entry and exit. Lots of turtles were comfortable with divers enabling us to get lots of good turtle pictures. Diving freedom.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, May 1999, Janelle Sanda, M.D. (sanda@hazyhom.enjellic.com), Fargo, ND. Meeting of the International Society of Aquatic Medicine. Accommodations pleasant, comfortable, clean. Food buffet tasty, plentiful, and varied (sinful desserts). Water 80-82. Currents minimal. Dive operation efficient and capable, putting 60 divers in the water for 3 dives/day. 42 ft. Newtons with plenty of space for 16-18 diver. 20-30 min. ride to Bloody Bay and Jackson Bight. Staff carries your tank and BC to the dive platform. Restrictions stringent: first dive, max. 100 ft., bottom time 45 min. for computer divers; subsequent dives max. depth 60 ft. and 50 min. Reefs beautiful, some coral disease. Grouper population thriving, allowing great photo ops. Turtles on most dives, stingrays. Several big green morays, macro subjects, if you look.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, May 1999, Michael Tell, Grapevine, TX. Vis: 70-90 ft. Water: 81-83 degrees. Dive restrictions: limited time for computer or table divers (not strict) 110 ft. max (not strict). Well-run up scale operation. Beachfront rooms nice, clean and air conditioned. Food (buffet) the best we've had in the Caribbean. Full meal plan a good deal, drinks not included. (For the extra $100 you would need to drink a lot to break even!) Dive operation 1st class. Great boats, (never crowded), fabulous briefings, you never touch your gear until you leave. Dive the divemaster or buddy; no one's ever in a hurry. Dive sights at Bloody Bay and Jackson's Bight great. 2 in the morning at these spots, one on south shore in afternoon (average); morning dives outrageous. Under impressed with Russian destroyer at Brac. Would rather have dived Bloody Bay. Wreck is coming apart and not much fish life. Two night dives during week on south side, unfortunately were at same sight C$50 extra). Once was enough at the Soto Trader.Don't miss Mixing Bowl, Lea Lea's Lookout and Great Wall all on the North side. Lots of turtles, friendly groupers, rays, barracudas, and shear walls that drop 90 degrees from 2m, to oblivion. Witnessed a barracuda attack cut a large French Angelfish in half. A reef shark finished off what the 'cuda left behind. Package was the most expensive of any place we've been, but you get what you pay for!

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June 1999, Jeffrey Rappin, Chicago, IL. Vis: 40-80 ft. Water: 82-86 degrees. Restrictions enforced: 100 ft. Accommodations good and clean; ocean view units the best. Hotel and dive staffs professional and experienced. Bloody Bay is terrific. Resort had everything a diver needs including great dive boats that were not overcrowded and handled well in choppy seas. Food buffet style for all three meals and you were never hungry.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, June 1999, Gloria Davis, St. James, MO. Vis: 80-100+ ft. Water: 84-85 degrees. Restrictions enforced: 110 ft., but no one checked. First class operation: hotel, diving, photo shop and food. Divemasters were eager to get in the water with you, sometimes good naturally arguing to see who got to go on what dive. We have been all over the Caribbean and Little Cayman Beach Resort Reef Divers have no equal!

Little Cayman Beach Resort, July 1999, Richard Lehach, Larchmont, NY. Water: 83-84 degrees, Vis: 60-100 ft. Restrictions: 110' first dive 40 min., 60' 2 & 3 dives, 50 min. Third trip to LCBR. Bloody Bay was in great condition but the Jackson wall covered with green algae. Dive operator insisted on doing both walls over protests of guests and mooring. Resort is still top notch but the food is down in quality from prior visits with many dishes only lukewarm, particularly breakfasts.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1999, Mike Ford, Manchester, MD. Vis, lOO+ ft., Water. 82-84 degrees. Restrictions: 100,' no decompression dives. Rooms clean, modern, air conditioned, grounds, immaculate, food gourmet and plentiful. Staff friendly and helpful. Wall dives spectacular; dive boats clean, fast and roomy, divemasters and crew helpful and competent. Several sharks (grey reef, black tip, nurse). No insects.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, August 1999, Barb & Don Preston, Canton, OH. Water: 84-86 degrees. 1st dive: 100'/45 min, 2nd & 3rd dives: 60'/50 min for computer divers. Second visit to LCBR. 8 trips aboard Little Cayman Diver.Diving easy with great vis and no current. Reefs healthy. Fish plentiful and varied, from Ben, Jerry & Rudolph, the friendly groupers to trunkfish, trumpetfish, scrawled filefish, scrawled cowfish, angels, queen triggers, spotted drums. Dive staff is friendly and knowledgeable particularly enjoyed Caroline and Jim. Food excellent and plentiful and resort staff accommodating. A transformer supplying power to half the resort blew and the power company didn't get it repaired for 36 hours. They moved those of us in the darkened part to vacant rooms the resort was less than half full. Though dining room was dark, the staff managed admirably.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, September 1999, Wayne Joseph. Because a large group was there, they asked us to dive with Conch Club Divers. Resort is nicely laid out; the rooms have A/C and cable TV. Staff helpful and friendly, beach towels in the lobby. Buffet good and plentiful. Conch Club Divers have a new Newton boat set up well. Plenty of room (they don't take as many divers as Reef Divers), hot water rinses. As long as we stayed within the Cayman rules, they let us explore. Bill and crew were great! Tremendous growth on the walls: barrel sponges, sea fans, azure vase sponges, lot of fish in shallows; eagle rays, lobsters, crabs, conch. Three rolls of my slide film (taken on a night dive I paid extra for) were ruined when the processor malfunctioned. The "photo pro" was too busy making copies of UW videos for the group or playing with his remote control helicopter to keep an eye on the processor. Another diver whose Nikonos flooded (he noticed it when he went down on a dive & we were able to remove the battery right away & get it flushed with fresh water) brought it to him to repair. He said he fixed it, but something went wrong with the electronics when the diver tried to use it again. My confidence in this "pro" is nonexistent.

Paradise Villas/Paradise Divers, November 1998, Scott Farmer, St. Augustine, FL. Vis: 60-80 ft, Water: 85 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft. Paradise Villas; not glitzy or touristy ( Little Cayman Beach Resort is) and you have your own villa right on the beach. People are nice and Hungry Iguana next door, very good restaurant. Diving operator helpful, friendly, informative. Would often ask us where we wanted to dive and help set up gear. Pontoon boat picked us up in front of Bloody Bay, so never a long boat ride. Bloody Bay wall is impressive. Many nurse sharks, turtles, sting rays. "Ben" the large Nassau grouper was nearby to pose for photos or be petted. Relaxing and laid back operation. (Ph: 809-948-4550, Fax: 809-948-4550)

Paradise Divers/Paradise Villas, May 1999, Bill Stephenson (william.stephenson@rossroy.com), Beverly Hills, MI. Vis: 100-150 ft. Water: 78-83 degrees. Restrictions: recreational limits and good common sense. Paradise Divers a little gem. Villas neat and clean, right on the ocean, many bennies include air conditioning, staff most accommodating. The diving (as you note in your Aug. 1999 issue) was superb. Great corals, sponges, sea life (only two sharks seen) great night dives. The dive crew Vinney, Mark, Harold well versed and accommodating. Did check-out dive (first) then let you dive your own profile (computer). You assemble at the Villas at 8:30 in the morning, climb aboard a pick-up truck and drive 3 minute to the other side of the island (i.e. Bloody Bay and Jackson Walls) where you walk across a small beach and board their pontoon boat. That's why the rides back and forth to the sites are so short, but a disadvantage if you like to sun yourself and enjoy the splash of the waves on boat rides, along with time to sort your gear. Staff took care of all gear once you got it to the boat the first day including through rinses of all gear at the end of your stay. The dive crew was young, but experienced and informative about sites. Recorded your depth and bottom time following each dive for any unforeseen occurrences that might arise. While they were never concerned about us after our checkout, they provided serious attention to a first-time diver who couldn't get the hang of it. Took great care for another diver who suffered possible DCS due to abrupt ascent. We've dived Bonaire, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, etc. and Paradise Divers was one of the best. We like to be unencumbered by tourists, crowds, and bawling children, we don't like the hotel atmosphere, we like to cook our own meals (though the Hungry Iguana was pricey, but good.) and do our own thing. Paradise Villas and Paradise Divers gave us the most flexibility we've had in our diving experience to date. The dive crew readily arranged a trip (on another resort's boat) to Cayman Brac to dive the Tibbets, (we declined) but we did get the opportunity to visit Brac because of the untimely rupture of my wives' appendix. It occurred on Wednesday, the only day a doctor is on the island, something to keep in mind. The Little Cayman clinic is new and the doctor was knowledgeable and professional. The dive crew from Paradise Divers readily assisted the doctor in making my wife comfortable and showed their concern for her well being before the air lift via Island Air to Brac - 7 minutes and everything else was unbelievably wonderful. At Faith Hospital the doctor and staff were credible, the facility clean, modern and efficient. Diagnosis and operation were first class and the patient care was better than anything we've experienced in the States at most reasonable prices. YES...we were very lucky concerning the day of the week the situation occurred and the availability of a close by facility of the caliber of Faith Hospital. After seeing the traffic jams on Grand Cayman at 7:00 a.m. on our way back to the States, we've decided the out islands are the way to go. PS: no bugs but a ton of thimble jellies that the turtles loved produced rashes on a couple of people who were diving without wet suits or skins. PPS: Your publication and Chapbook is read, retained and used as a guide to our diving adventures and we have found the information to be accurate and well worth the price of admission.

Pirate's Point, December 1998, H. Wayne Ferguson, Lawrenceburg, IN. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. Weather: rainy. Water: calm, Restrictions: 100 foot limit, all divers have to be on computers. One of the best dive resorts in the Caribbean. Small, laid back with great food. Small friendly and competent staff. Divemasters have been here for some time and are well informed and concerned for the health of the reef. My sixth trip, great wall dives, lots of small critters, an eclectic group of guests. Met a young Frenchman who had sold his software company and was sailing around the islands, he had some interesting stories to share over a cognac. (Ph: 809-948-1010, Fax: 809-948-1011)

Pirate's Point, August 1999, Dave Reubush (d.e.reubush@larc.nasa.gov), Hampton, VA. Your August review was right on. Third trip to Pirate's Point and fourth to Little Cayman. Why do we keep going back to Gladys' where you can only do two dives a day (or three if they happen to do a night dive)? Rest, relaxation, and unwinding, where "Oh, by the way" there happens to be some of the best diving in the Caribbean and "Oh, by the way" the food is outstanding. Pirate's Point is the most "civilized" dive resort I have been to. Breakfast not until 8; bell rings at 9:15 for short pick-up ride to the boat; lunch is ready within minutes after you get back; afternoon is free to swim in the pool, read, or nap; everyone gathers in the bar to socialize at 6:00 when snacks are served; dinner is 7:15-7:30 followed by more socializing, reading. Or, get roped into a game of dominoes with Gladys (who generally wins) that might last until midnight. People at Pirate's Point are wonderful, both staff and guests. We have become friends with people from all over the world. Staff like family. Ed, Gay, Lach, and Marija have been there since before we first went in 1995. Gladys makes it all come together. When she greets you at the airport with a big hug you feel like you, too, are part of the big, extended family.

Pirate's Point, August 1999, Barbara Price, Oakland, CA. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water: 84 degrees. Restrictions: 130 ft. I've gone to Gladys Howard's place often. No place better for beautiful and easy diving. Accommodations wonderful, simple but pampered. Pool is great. Best food of any dive resort - bar none! Service of staff is excellent and personal. Relaxed schedule with 2 great wall dives a day, each an hour or more.

Southern Cross Club, March 1999, Dave & JoAnn Lemly (djlemly@aol.com), Halifax, MS. Vis: 50-120 ft. Water: 78-82 degrees. Sunny, windy. water: calm. Stay above 100 ft. Be on board with 500 psi. Bloody Bay Wall is as good as they say. Lots of turtles and rays. Morning 2 tank dives on Bloody Bay or Jackson Bay Walls. Afternoon usually the same side of the island as the resort. First dive trip since the addition of our daughter; did not want to give up quality of diving. Southern Cross Club perfect. Diving great and I had a wonderful time on land with our daughter. Pool and kayaks. Lagoon in front great for introducing a baby to the water. Eel grass less of a problem during high tide. Deserted island in the lagoon was an easy paddle in the kayaks and a good snorkel spot. We strapped the baby on and rode the free bikes around the island. Saw huge iguana. Hesitant about bringing our baby because we didn't want to disturb the other guests. Everyone at the SCC, from staff to guests, welcomed Marina. There were 2 other children (18 months old) there. Ate at the early sitting and no problems. Food great, though spicy. If you like milder food let them know. Benefits of a "fish and dive" resort were evident when we all benefited from someone's fresh catch. Everyone was accommodating; answering all our questions by phone and e-mail before we arrived. They offered to puree baby food if we ran out. Laid back; shorts and bare feet the whole time. (Ph: 345-948-1099, Fax: 345-948-1098)

Southern Cross Club, June 1999, Dr. Dave and Kerry Ford (daveandkerry@mindspring.com), Columbia, SC. Vis: 80-120 ft. Water: 80-85 degrees. Sunny, dry. Water: Calm. Do not touch reef or sponges. Maintain good buoyancy. Use common sense. Well set up for UWP and video. Amazing club. They make you feel a part of the family. Diving breathtaking; never more than 8 or 10 on boat. Bloody Bay and Jackson's Bay Walls left us wide-eyed. Pretty much every fish, coral and sponge in Paul Humann's ID books. Drumfish, hogfish, supermale parrotfish on a night dive on a wreck, barracuda, flyingfish, cornetfish, rays, burrfish galore, lots of grouper, trunkfish, cowfish, lots of Macro, lobster (one pregnant one living in the bottom of a huge barrel sponge), loggerhead turtles. Water so clear at 110 ft. you could see the boat. Accommodations superb. You get your own air conditioned cottage 10 yards from the lagoon. (Some other operations on the island have motel-like accommodations). Food great, with 2 excellent chefs, Staff Peter, Julie, Charlie, Jason, Bert, and Terry were professional and really made us feel welcome.

Southern Cross Club, July 1999, Dennis Munden (dmunden@sdcoe.k12.ca.us), Del Mar, CA. Vis: 60-130 ft. Water: 81-83 degrees. Restrictions: Standard Cayman Water Association. Been to little Cayman several times and have always wanted to stay here. We were not disappointed. Though new boat was down, the old one was fine. Staff was outstanding John, Terry and the crew were the best. Food great. Bleaching has considerably harmed coral. We all loved the feeling at the Southern Cross.

Southern Cross Club, July 1999, Kathleen D. DeVaney, Redondo Beach, CA. Water: 81-83 degrees, Vis: 70-130 ft. Restrictions: 100 ft/60 min dive 1; 60 ft/60 min dive 2. Excellent operation and beach bungalows on the best beach on the island. Divemasters Terry and Bert were professional and made diving enjoyable, with great service and humor, and shared their knowledge of the island and ocean, while maintaining safe diving. Experienced divers free to dive own profiles within limits. Divemasters went the extra mile to help inexperienced divers. Food very good, and Peter and his staff create a wonderful and relaxed atmosphere.

Southern Cross Club, August 1999, Curt Sanford, Willmar, MN. Vis: 50-70 ft. Water: 82-84 degrees. Restrictions: No deeper than 100 ft, come up with 500 psi. Peter Hillenbrand (owner) knows what he's doing. Rooms clean with no bugs. Food always good, though I wish they had more seafood such as snapper and lobster. Staff excellent! Divemasters know what they're doing. Terry always took us somewhere different. Laid back, relaxing place.