best time to dive cayman islands best time to dive cayman islands

To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. MV Capt. Despite being small measuring only 16 x 1.6 kilometers (10 x 1 mile), tourism is booming and tourism facilities are sprawling especially in South Town. There is also a dive shop and restaurant. The seven mile beach area is beautiful for walking and photo opportunities. There is slightly more rain during the summer months. 1. The reef slopes gradually from 5 to 17 meters (17-55ft), and is covered in hard corals, sea whips, small sponges and gorgonians. Get in touch with our specialists Most people see flights, accommodations, and activities far cheaper during this time since fewer tourists are visiting. Scott S. Bateman is a professional journalist who has traveled widely throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Grand Cayman, the main island, is often one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, especially with western Caribbean cruises. Enjoy 20% OFF select PADI eLearning programs, FREE ReActivate online refresher, subscription to Scuba Diving magazine + so much more when you join PADI Club. That's is how we pay ourselves. This gives the unique Caymans dive site a blend of steep vertical walls, sloping reefs, and coral-crusted fingers. Through this site,my intent is to be able to sponsor the new chapter in my life as a scuba diver. We dived 3 days in February 2014, and they were all excellent and memorable dives. Booming in the sense that Little Cayman has over 15 dive sites that have attracted divers from all parts of the globe, and sprawling since all the dive sites are teeming with marine life. Bloody Bay Wall is considered the epicenter of scuba diving in this marine park. On Grand Cayman, I stayed at hotels on the west end along Seven Mile beach. If youre thinking Cheeseburger is an odd name for a dive site, you probably wont be surprised that this shore dive probably took its name after the Burger King that was located across the road! My favorite were the groupers who followed us like pets. When shopping and eating out, be sure to identify which currency prices . Little Cayman GoPro Video Workshop: April 2023, Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners, shifted the Kittiwake from her original position. Three long, wide tunnels, accessible to the majority of divers, extend from the sand flats to open out onto the reef wall. Find & Book Liveaboards Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. This is a must-do dive for people vacationing in Grand Cayman. For diving, the reefs are easy to reach from many dive operators and offer a diversity of schooling fish, sponges, turtles, rays, and even sharks. The three islands that make up the nation, Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman, are diverse and have distinct diving. The people of the island are friendly and culturally diverse. The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and April. 0 Explore the top-rated styles for every type of trip to the beach. 310-915-6677 1. This area is an international tourist destination and can be crowded. The best time to go to the Cayman Islands is in March and April because there is spring break from school and April has a combination of warm temperatures and a low risk of rain. Penetration can be done in this wreck courtesy from its numerous entry and exit points that were made before it was intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef. Stingray City offers divers the opportunity to fully interact with these amazing creatures. Babylon- Grand Cayman Island is surrounded by a wall, but what makes the Babylon site special is the pinnacle with a canyon cutting the north wall. This dive site first became popular in the 90s when it was featured in the film The Firm, starring Tom Cruise. From full scuba certification courses to one-day experiences for those who've never breathed off a regulator, the Cayman Islands qualify as an scuba diving shrine. But these aren't the only good and bad times. December through April are especially popular times to go because of low risk of rainfall and more moderate temperatures. Other highlights include barracudas, yellowtail snappers, hawksbill turtles, and stingrays that sleep in the sand. The visibility at Donnas Delight on Little Cayman is typically good and the relaxed and easy diving here is suitable for all levels. Cayman Brac Beach Resort. Plus, along the wall, you can meet triggerfish, eagle rays, turtles, lobsters and many more! Get in touch with our specialists for even more in-depth travel advice. This site is my attempt to live the adrenaline my life is missing and be able to live real-life storybook stories with my wife and children. Dining can be pricey but the meals I have had have been wonderful. They pickup from the Westin, Ritz and Kimpton Seafire beaches for their West Dives, which is one of their standout features. Sharp-eyed divers can find leopard flatworms and the tunnels are also popular hangouts for rays and green moray eels. Purposely sunk in 2011, she now sits upright in the sand at 18 meters (60ft) and is a teeming artificial reef encrusted with coral. As a diver, with a PADI account you can access your eLearning along with many more tools to help you on your adventures. Fiji: Dive the Soft Coral Capital of the World. I have been diving in Grand Cayman several times. Please Sign-in or Register to save My Ideas for later, Our social channels The largest among the three islands, Grand Cayman is highly popular among SCUBA divers from all over the world. From our 24hr helpline to our expert local guides and selection of handpicked reading lists. PADI Dive Resorts for all budgets, in the best dive locations around the world. The water is about 100 feet deep, and there is a good variety of soft and hard corals. Diving is available year-round. I guess thats one drawback of guided dives, everyone is constantly on the move, not ideal for photography, especially macro photography. Grand Cayman is a sophisticated Caribbean island with great nightlife, great resort options, and the wonderful attraction of stingray city, and very good wall diving. Head to around 30m/98ft for some of the best wall views. While diving is a year-round activity in the Cayman Islands, June to August is considered to be the best time of year to dive Grand Cayman and the nearby islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT DIVING IN CAYMANS? Roundabout is located along the North Wall in Grand Cayman. September can bring rougher waters if there is a tropical storm, and that is also the month with a higher chance of a hurricane, although hurricanes are not common. Trinity Caves is one Cayman dive site that never disappoints. Discover these empowering women's history destinations selected by the U.S. News travel editors. divemasters and lovers of all things underwater, know the best time The worst time is September during the hurricane season. Another top option for divers, Cayman Brac Beach Resort is, as its name implies, located on the third island in the Cayman Islands: 15-square-mile Cayman Brac. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content. 6. Dive vacations in the Cayman Islands are a good choice for underwater photographers with their many opportunities to capture the beauty of the place and wonderful visibility, and also for travellers looking for deep dives - you can find many along the Cayman walls. Kittiwake- Though this wreck has been sunken rather recently and has not developed much coral yet, it is still a fantastic dive site for all levels. Facebook From 5 star restaurants to fish frys at the local gas station. Yes, that is true and get ready since the 333 islands of Fiji will take you into a quintessential South United Arab Emirates: Unspoiled Dive Sites. This spot is about 20-feet deep, and has a lot of coral. Eels, rays, sharks, and turtles are frequently seen. With a PADI Travel account, you can favourite dive operators to come back to later on any device or computer. I have lived in the corporate world for a few years now with very little excitement in my life. September is the worst month of the Caribbean hurricane season, which officially goes from June through November. For us divers, the financial self-sufficiency of the Cayman Islands is only the icing on the cake. This is a wall that drops 2000 meters to the sea floor. But its not just the heat that matters when visiting the Cayman Islands. Click here to learn more. Stingrays and turtles are known to swim here. You can see Spotted Eagle Rays flying passed this area from depths of about 30 to 100 feet. There are lots of other fish and coral. Eden Rock has lots of coral and fish, and Devils Grotto has underwater caves that you can explore. They can offer up their first-hand Red Sail Sports have been Scuba Diving in Cayman for 40 years. The Cayman Islands are a premier diving destination, boasting 365 dive sites, as well as the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame . For shark diving, we suggest the Maze, Scuba Bowl and the Grouper Grotto which is also filled with lots of good-size groupers. The Cayman Islands has also designated four special areas for protection such as marine park zones, replenishment zones, environmental zones, and no diving zones. The amazing diversity and dive sites for all levels are just one of the reasons why the Cayman Islands is also one of the top dive destinations in the Carribean. The islands are warm year-round with average highs holding steady in the 80s. Live a life others only dream about. It is worth noting however that from June until October is the hurricane season in the Caribbean. Often you can see massive tarpons, barracudas, and schools of silversides. Eagle Ray Pass is located along the North Wall in Grand Cayman. A 2018 poll listed Bonaire as the best dive spot for beginners, conservation, freediving, macro diving, shore diving, and snorkeling. Continue with Recommended Cookies. This is a fun dive spot that you can access from shore. Wreck of the Oro Verde is located in Grand Cayman. The ridges are carpeted in a variety of hard and soft coral, barrel and tube sponges, and purple sea fans that house a vast array of miniature sea creatures. Most dive operators will take you there. The Cayman Islands dollar is legal tender in these islands. For water sports lovers, there are great spots for snorkeling including night snorkeling with bioluminescence, options to go sailing or on a catamaran cruise. It was named after the famous free-diver Penny Ventura. View thelive availability of some of the best liveaboards in the Cayman Islandsand book online at the best price or check out our sidebar for land-based options! As of 2023, you can renew your passport online. There is also an air pocket in a decompression chamber that you can pop into and chat with your buddy!! If wall diving is your thing, check out diving in Turks & Caicos. Matt Hampton was a guest of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (visitcaymanislands.com), British Airways, which has London returns from 688 (ba.com), and the Westin Seven Mile Beach, which . During the day rays, turtles, the occasional barracuda and plenty of reef fish mean theres a lot to keep divers engaged. Its a very easy and fun dive, we saw some angelfish and eagle rays. Cayman Brac is the last of the islands and also much less traveld than Grand Caymen. Lionfish have become an invasive species and some of the dive operators offer culling excursions. Hurricanes rarely hit Grand Cayman directly. Despite the name, there arent actually caves here. Away from the stingray action, there are a number of coral heads with a variety of life to check out. This 82 hectare (200 acres) protected area is the refuge of the largest red-footed booby population in the Caribbean and is a popular bird-watching site. Keith Tibbets- This Soviet-built Frigate that was owned by the Cuban navy was given to the Cayman Islands to purposefully sink it. As you enter the cave, you will realize that it is not totally dark as it is illuminated by streaking sunlight streaming from overhead cracks and crevices. Take your camera and get a snap with one of the abandoned bicycles that have also found a home here. They look dark brown without light but the first time my strobes lit one up I was amazed at the super bright rich red color. Dive N Stay Vacation Packages - Compass Point Dive Resort - Cayman Islands (1st January 2023 - 31st December 2023) We offer pre-set Dive & Stay Vacation Packages for 3, 5 or 7 nights, and can also customize your package for any number of nights and for various group sizes. Located in Little Cayman, the Bloody Bay Wall dive site is noted for its high visibility, rich marine life, and the presence of a sheer wall that drops 2000 meters into the deep ocean. The best time to visit Grand Cayman is March and April. For beginners or those who get nervous in enclosed spaces, there are plenty of decks around the exterior to check out. 3. Founder of Georges Watersports & Thingstodocayman.net. This world-class scuba destination is colorful, bright, and teeming with life. Cracks in the ceilings let in plenty of natural light making it easy to search the nooks and crannies for the many crustaceans and other marine creatures that occupy the tunnels. Access to tools and resources at your fingertips, curated to enhance your diving experience. No diving trip in Grand Cayman would be complete without a dive at the infamous Stingray City. All the information you need to plan your dive vacations anywhere in the world. The dive resorts are more expensive than places like Roatan or Belize, but given the reputation of the islands and the quality and ease of the diving, we find the prices reasonable. It exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. Situated on a wide beach on the island's West End, the property offers 40 air-conditioned rooms (renovated in late 2015 and featuring soothing Caribbean . Your dive profile in Stingray City is relatively shallow since your maximum depth is just only 6 meters (20 feet) when you reach the sandy seafloor. The Pedro St. James National Historic Site is a great place for photography, or you can visit Rum Point for a true Caribbean beach experience. The top is at 15m/50ft but the bottom is around 90m/200ft so diver ought to watch their depth gauges carefully as they circle the mountain. The sea is always warm in the Cayman Islands, with surface temperatures never dropping below around 25 o C (78 o F). The islands are warm year-round with average highs. Situated not far from the north point on Grand Cayman, Ghost Mountain is probably named for the behemoth mushroom-like pinnacle that suddenly emerges from the blue as divers near it. Look out for the big groupers who sometimes get inside the huge barrel sponges, turtle, the occasional shark, plenty of reef fish, and the macro life at the cleaning stations. The chart to the right using data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization shows that March is the most popular month of the year to visit followed by December and July. Divers of all levels can explore the engines, pistons, and pieces of the wreck that are scattered at 18m/60ft. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 cleaved the 100m/328ft ship in half but divers can still explore both sections of the wreckage. Honduras coast hosts the Bay Islands which is a compilation of eight islands and 53 small cays and these islands are one of the best scuba diving places in the world. Courtesy of Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman. This site is a firm favorite among local dive masters, most likely because of the intriguing geological features but there is plenty of marine life here too. Before the USS Kittiwake was sunk, the Oro Verde was the wreck dive of choice in the Caymans. Both of these sites are accessible from shore. Photographers can make the worst dive buddies. PrivacyPolicy, 2023 Original Diving | Web Design by D3R. Stingrays, stingrays, and more stingrays is what draws divers to this Cayman site. Corals and sponges are plentiful. Also, check out our article where we review the top 25 things to do in Grand Cayman. The dive schedule would include a deep wall dive followed by a shallower reef or wreck. Stingray City- You can thank the local fishermen for this dive site as they used to clean their catch here that attracted the rays to the site. While accessible from shore, it is a long surface swim so diving the Oro Verde by boat is recommended. My wife and I are traveling there in February 2015 and are PADI AOW and Nitrox certified with ten years of recreational experience diving. This is the most famous dive site in the Cayman Islands - and with good reason. Hop to the other islands by hiring a private boat operator, or better yet, arrange for a liveaboard tour and explore as many Cayman Islands diving sites as you can. Grand Cayman's North Wall plunges deeper than 1800 metres/6000 feet and offers beautiful wall diving with opportunities to see spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. I would like to mention 2 points though, one that it is a bit expensive, both the accommodations and the diving, and secondly, it looks like they allow open water divers to do the deeper wall dives, where you can be as deep as 100 feet, just an FYI, in case youre not comfortable at that depth. When diving through the cut itself, look under and in crevices, plenty of little critters make homes for themselves here. (Closed Circuit Rebreathers/CCR) allows you to massively extend your dive time. Trinity Caves is a popular dive site that is located off the coast of West Bay in Grand Cayman. Bloody Bay Wall is located in Little Cayman. Photographers will love Greenhouse for its varied macro life. for even more in-depth travel advice. In the Cayman Islands, spring is in full force. I quickly learned that if I poked at an area with my stick, the groupers would go right there, a great tool to get them to pose right where i wanted them in my reef scenes. The rainy season spans from May through October though showers usually only last for a few hours at a time. Look along the ledge by the mooring for crabs and check out the four massive barrel sponges. Erwin Poliakoff, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17 zoom, Nikkor 60mm, 85mm, and 105mm macros, Nauticam housing If you are vacationing in Cayman Brac, then you need to visit this spot. Sea temperature varies little, from a high of 86F/30C in August/September to a low of 80F/26.5C in February. From April to October water temperature are at least 27 o C (81 o F) and can reach over 30 o C (85 o F). Sign up to get the latest updates, offers and more. You can dive along this wall and explore the different entrances. Settle on the sand at just 3.7 meters (12ft) and have hordes of southern stingrays glide gracefully around you. These hot temperatures start in May and last into November. Clearly Cayman Group Specials - Big savings on 7-night stays! "High Season" at the hotels is mid-December to mid-April, so rates will be higher then. This British overseas island is home to mystical caves, unscaled escarpments, tropical forests, diverse wildlife and a plethora of other unique experiences. We rarely boast about our service but we believe it's what sets us apart and makes us truly original, so please forgive this moment of unabashed self-promotion. The wall drop is not for the light-hearted as it can reach over 6500ft (2000 m), but along the drop, you can see yellow tube sponges, black and wire corals and waving sea fans. Occasionally, a nurse shark rest on the sand. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'scubadivegeek_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_14',101,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-medrectangle-4-0');The Cayman Islands has a tropical marine climate with two pronounced seasons: a rainy season that runs from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The Caymans have one major event that also may impact the best times to go there. Find the best and most popular products and review them. Located near a popular resort is a vertical drop off that is filled with all sorts of marine life the North Wall. The most striking and common marine life for me were the brightly yellow colored tube sponges. Three Fathom Wall is a popular night dive when eels, lobsters, and reef squid make an appearance. Use Add to ideas + to collect your trip ideas, share with friends or make Exploring its underwater habitats allows you to see an incredible reef that starts at 6 meters (20 feet) deep and slowly slopes down towards a vertical limestone wall that drops down up to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep.