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Little Cayman TIPS FROM OUR MEMBERS!


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6 replies to this topic

#1 WreckWench

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Posted 22 July 2016 - 08:09 AM

We :wub: our members! And they are why we are an amazing dive club!

 

So if you have tips to share about Little Cayman and/or our resort and dive operator please feel free to share with us! (We will also be sharing a TON of information necessary for your trip via our "Official Trip PM" starting VERY SOON! Stay tuned! -ww



Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
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Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
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formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#2 Ocean Girl

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Posted 22 July 2016 - 05:51 PM

I was just in Little Cayman at Little Cayman Beach Resort in June.  Here's some info if you've never been before.  Hope this helps!

 

Getting There & Back

  • Cayman Airways only option from Grand Canyman.  MAXIMUM COMBINED CHECKED BAGGAGE IS 50 LBS!!!   Maximum carryon is 15 lbs.  They do weigh the bags.   One in our group was a little over and they didn't charge the extra for the weight, but someone else in a different group that was over did get charge. 
  • The plane is a small prop plane that seats about 12-15 persons.  Little to no leg room so carry on bag will be on your lap or under your legs.
  • Our flight was delayed going due to weather....patience  (there is a better eating "restaurant" upstairs at the terminal. Skip the one in the seating area if you need food)
  • Leaving LC....you will get a note the day before you leave (especially if you are scheduled to leave on Saturday), to have a bag that can be checked and flown over on Friday.  Saturday is the big day for flights, and sometimes your luggage won't arrive to Grand Canyman with you unless some bags can go ahead.  You'll get a note in your room the day before the requested date.  Luggage was waiting at Grand Cayman airport for pickup.  No problems.

Little Cayman Resort

  • PLENTY of food....don't need snacks.  It's buffet style for all three meals.   Food was excellent!   They are also able to accomodate some dietary requests.
  • Bar-- excellent bar tenders.  Drinks a bit pricey, though that is expected as everything is flown in.  Very fun to hang out in the afternoon.
  • Almost every night there is some type of "event" at the bar-- ladies night, bingo, trivia, karoke etc.
  • Speaking of karaoke...if you are in a pool room-- bring ear plugs if you are a light sleeper.   This resort bar is also the locals hangout.  There aren't many of them that are on island year-round.
  • There is a great clothesline behind the East building Follow signs for tennis court.  (To the left if you are facing the ocean).  I found that my swimsuits etc. dried very quickly out there.  In room drying wasn't very successful for me. Still damp in the am.
  • Artwork....bring paints or something to decorate driftwood.  This is "the" thing at the bar.  Fun to see what past guests have done.
  • Tipping.....ours was a package, so there was basic gratuity included in the package for the resort staff.  If you wish to tip extra for the group, specific people, you can do that.  For the resort, for credit card, you can put it on your "bill" for when you check out.  This also includes what you purchased at the bar or at the dive shop if you wanted to put it on your room tab.  NOTE:  Dive staff-- company is different than the resort and the package gratuities don't cover the dive staff.  (See below)

 

Diving

  • Remember your C-cards!!!  Also if you are diving Nitrox, they will want to see that card too.
  • Excellent diving!   We were there at the end of a storm, so visibility wasn't as great as  it could be.  (per one of the others in our group that had been there before.)  But-- when we were there it was 80-100 foot vis. So, I consider that good.
  • All the diving is on the North side, (resort on South side).  There is the deep wall (drops hundreds of feet) and there is the shallow wall.  The first dive will always be on the deep wall.  The second dive sometimes, and if so, limited to 60' depth.
  • Bring a reusable water bottle.  On thme boat they have coolers of water.  They do have paper cups, but they have to burn all their trash. So having your own reusable water bottle helps the environment. 
  • Our group did 3 dives/day.  The two morning dives and the afternoon dive.  So essentially you are on the boat from 8 am and get back around noon then head out at 2 pm for the afternoon dive and back about 4:30-ish.  Essentially up, dive, dive, eat, dive, bar, eat, sleep.  
  • Night dive--- AWESOME!   If your group has your own boat,  ask your captain (s) if you can take your afternoon dive and push it to late afternoon and do a late afternoon/evening dive.  That way you can see the change from diurnal to nocturnal.  Our group did this.  Have to plan in advance to have kitchen acommodate this trip. You will not get the dining room dinner, but they can make a packed dinner-- essentially sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie.  It was fine to have that to accomodate our request. 
  • As our group had the whole boat for 3 dives/day, our gear was left on the boat--bc, reg (if you choose).  You have the same tanks each dive. You do need to take off your mask/snorkel/fins/wet-suit.  There is a sheltered open-air place to hang your suite and fins.  THERE ARE NO LOCKERS--at least that I found.  But I didn't have any concerns about security.
  • Nitrox or no nitrox??   I'm nitrox certified, but chose not to use it this trip.   There are only a few dives that I wish I had it.  So, you are good either way.
  • Dive lengths.....they dive company has a standard.  The first dive is a maximum of 100 feet for 60 minutes.  The second dive is 60 feet for 60 minutes. Same if you do the afternoon/evening dive.   Although most of our group could have done 90 minutes on our tanks....we still had to come up at 60 minutes.   We pushed it a few times, and on day 3, they stressed that this was their company policy.   
  • There is a dive guide on every dive.  You can choose to go with them and see things they point out or go on your own.  They do a really good dive briefing and a great map.  I did a combination of both.  (Though, if you don't go with them-- you may miss the awesome sea horses on the couple dives that have them.)
  • Dive shop.....small but nice.  They don't have a repair shop, though they have a few necessities if needed--high pressure hose, snorkel, etc.  The captain/instructor/DM/guides have a few tools for repairs if needed.
  • Greatest thing....at the end, you can go in the dive shop, tell them what boat you were on and then they will print you out information from your dives---dive site, visibility, water temp etc.  
  • Tips for the dive staff....tips not included in package gratuities.  In the dive shop, there are "mailboxes" by the door for each of the individuals.  There is a sign next to it for recommended tipping practice.  You can also do a group tip (through the dive shop employee) via cash or by credit card. 
  • I am a "fisher"-- much like "birder" but I have my life fish list.  I saw well over 60 different fish species.  Though only a few new ones, and mostly juviniilles or inital phase fish.  I've dove in Bonaire and  Belize and saw many of the same fish.  Saw several nudibranchs though they were TINY!  Need macro lens for them.  

Exploring the Island

  • Island is 1 mile wide by 10 miles long....pretty short.  
  • The resort has bicycles for rent.  If it is a short time-- it is free. If it is more than an hour or so, there is a daily price.  You can see a lot by bicycle.
  • There is a trail across the width of the island from the airport across to the barge pier.  It is supposed to be a nice walk, but I didn't have time to do it.
  • You can bike or walk from the resort to the airport---it is less than 1 mile away.  Between the two, there is the general store-- a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  If you are a soda fiend...probably cheaper to buy a 6pack or so from the store than it is to buy it at the bar.  Wasn't bad at the bar-- $1.50 a can?
  • What sounded interesting that I didn't get to, is that there is a marine sanctuary for the Cayman Island based on LC.  They offer tours on Friday afternoons.  The front desk can tell you about that.
  • As for renting mopeds...probably don't need to unless you are wanting to go all the way to the opposite end of the island. 
  • I found that with 3 dives a day, I really didn't have time to really explore the island.  My goal was dive, dive, dive as I was in dry dock for awhile.  Those that chose to only do the 2 morning dives, had the time to explore and relax more. 
  • The resort also have stand up paddle boards and kayaks if you only do the morning dives or have tons of energy.  I think there is a small rental fee for those, but don't recall.  I didn't have time, plus we had 6+ foot swells outside of the lagoon the first several days.  (Due to the passing of a storm)

  • dive_sail_etc, TeRRable, Resqdew and 1 other like this

#3 ItsScubaJen

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Posted 22 July 2016 - 10:33 PM

Wow, FANTASTIC write up! Thank you for taking the time to provide so much detail.

#4 MizTee

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Posted 23 July 2016 - 07:22 AM

Awesome. Thank you for providing a wonderful travel guide for LC. Lots of valuable information.

#5 ItsScubaJen

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Posted 24 July 2016 - 12:58 PM

The food at LCBR is *fantastic*, but if you like to have a little snack or something sweet, consider bringing it from home. Prices for grocery items on the island are astronomical, and there are some things you won't be able to find at all. Last time I brought some saltines, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers - items that are non-perishable and easily transported.

#6 WreckWench

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Posted 25 July 2016 - 03:46 AM

The food at LCBR is *fantastic*, but if you like to have a little snack or something sweet, consider bringing it from home. Prices for grocery items on the island are astronomical, and there are some things you won't be able to find at all. Last time I brought some saltines, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers - items that are non-perishable and easily transported.

 

Not to mention usually not fresh and everything is not available...so either sweets...nuts...or even certain crunch snacks...if you gotta have them...you gotta bring them!



Contact me directly at Kamala@SingleDivers.com for your private or group travel needs or 864-557-6079 AND don't miss SD's 2018-2021 Trips! ....here! Most are once in a lifetime opportunities...don't miss the chance to go!!
SD LEGACY/OLD/MANUAL Forms & Documents.... here !

Click here TO PAY for Merchandise, Membership, or Travel
"Imitation is the sincerest flattery." - Gandhi
"Imitation is proof that originality is rare." - ScubaHawk
SingleDivers.com...often imitated...never duplicated!

Kamala Shadduck c/o SingleDivers.com LLC
2234 North Federal Hwy, #1010 Boca Raton, FL 33431
formerly...
710 Dive Buddy Lane; Salem, SC 29676
864-557-6079 tel/celfone/office or tollfree fax 888-480-0906

#7 Ksue44

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Posted 26 July 2016 - 02:22 PM

I'm curious - how is the snorkeling? Great write-up and informative!


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