Going back to Grand Cayman.

[dr mindcrime]

Hello,
I am going back to grand cayman next month, anyone have any suggestions for cool must do dives while I am there for 8 days? I prefer shore diving and have done turtle reef and eden rock multiple times but I am open to any great boat dives.  Has anyone dove the east end? Shore dives or boat dives?
Please give me some ideas.
thanks in advance!
-dr.

[mjgriffing]

We were in Grand Cayman in June and dove with Neptune's Divers.  They were a great outfit to work with.  They limit the boats to 8 people.  They were really good at making sure we didn't dive the same place twice during the week (unless we wanted to).  We deferred to their judgement due to weather and the fact that we really didn't know much about the dive sites.  Without hesitation, we'd dive with them again.  Every dive we did was wonderful.  We are pretty good on air consumption (not trying to brag) and they were really good about the fact that we stayed down longer because we had the air and computer time to do so.

[dr mindcrime]

I will give Neptune a try, never have gone with them. Thanks for the input. Did you ever dive the east side of the island? I cannot wait 4 weeks and counting, plus I go back to Cayman Brac in January!

[DiverQueen]

I've heard that StingRay City is super cool!  Watch out for the stingRay "hickeys" though....Don't want to make her jealous! ;D >

[dr mindcrime]

StingRay City is one of the best experiences you can have. I go there just about every trip.  I would advise everyone to check it out it is truly awesome.

[mjgriffing]

We did not dive the East End.  When we were there in June, the weather was such that we mostly dove the North side.  We planned one day off in the middle of the week - a good thing since there was a lightening storm that day.  We snorkeled Sting Ray City.  I've read other reviews that it is something you should do once - and we agree.  Once was enough.  Personally, I enjoy seeing the rays in their normal situation, not when hundreds of them are being drawn tot he sound of the boat engines.  Other sites we visited included Dream Maker, Black Forest, Eagle Ray Pass, Lemon Dropoff, Aquarium North, Big Tunnel, Three Trees, In Between, Lost Treasure.  Most days, the first dive was to about 100 feet followed by a dive to about 50 feet.  On all dives, we saw abundant fish life.  On one of the dives, we saw garden eels for the first time.  I think it was Big Tunnel when we saw tarpon hanging around.  As I said before, all the dives were great.

[mjgriffing]

Meant to include this in the last post.  We stayed on Seven Mile Beach.  It was our 25th wedding anniversary and we wanted to be where we would get some pampering.  We did drive to the East End.  SMB has been more or less rebuilt after the hurricane a couple years ago.  The East End has not.  It appeared that about 50% of the property on the East End was still severely damaged and up for sale.  Houses without walls or doors, etc.  The old Cayman Dive Lodge is no more.  From SMB, the boat rides are too long for most operators to want to go to the East End. 

[dr mindcrime]

Thanks again for all the info mj.
6 days and counting.