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Scuba:
There are three areas north, west, and east shores that the dive operations visit.
After a 30-45 minute boat ride from the north harbor you find some of the most spectacular wall diving available. Everywhere you look, brilliantly colored corals, sponges, fan corals growing on shear wall cliffs (take a dive light the colors will explode!). A full rainbow spectrum of colors exists all intermingled with teeming fish life of all varieties. Grand Cayman provided my first experience with "swim thrus" filled with clouds of silversides fish, opening to a school of tarpon just waiting for dinner. Very cool! Some sharks can be seen if lucky.
The most famous north coast location is Stingray City, a shallow dive area (8’-12’) - other islands have tried to duplicated but none have equaled. Here Scuba divers and snorkelers can visit, interact and feed very friendly stingrays of all size.
The most frequently dived locations are off seven-mile beach on the south side. This area has heavy diving pressure and contains a few broken wrecks with traditional coral heads and reef formations along a sandy bottom. Not near as spectacular as the wall diving off the north shore, it is very good for beginner or novice divers.
Convince and easy are key words, pick-up and delivery on your hotel’s beach starts an enjoyable morning or afternoon of diving.This provides a good diving environment, leaving time for sun, family, pool, and partying (catch the "Bare-footed Man’s" show), and shopping.
The east shore is very infrequently dived. By all means if the opportunity arises to dive these sites, take it. My first shark sighting occurred there. Could only dive it one day, but understand that "locals" prefer to save it for themselves (always a good sign!).
Another possibility to dive Grand Cayman exists, that being aboard a "live aboard" operation. The Cayman Aggressor is based in Grand Cayman and might be a better hedge against the "priciness" of Grand Cayman.
Rating (3-1/2 Flags)
High-Points:
Excellent diving (North & East shore)
Excellent dive operations (Top quality boats & facilities)
Excellent Accommodations (Wide variety --as fancy as you want to pay for)
Family oriented (lots of toys for big and small "kids")
"Postcard" Beaches (Seven-mile & Northeast)
Lessor-Points:
Expensive (bring your credit cards!)
Busy (not a quiet secluded island)
Good diving (South side – can be crowded dive boats & sites)
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