Comments |
We stayed at the Westin, which was about the same as any other Cayman hotel (nice, but overpriced). There is a restaurant across the street that we ate lunch at for much less money and with better food: Eat’s Café. We dove, however, with Indigo Divers.
Five years ago, we dove with Captain Don's, which is no longer in business. We tried to find the divemaster that we had such a great time with and found out that he and his wife opened up Indigo Divers. With a maximum six divers on board, it was a personalized experience for those people who prefer not to be cramped on a cattle boat. The captain, owner, and divemaster, Chris Alpers, and his wife, Kate, ran a top-notch operation. They let divers dive to their experience within reasonable limits. We preferred to dive with Chris and Kate rather than on our own; they pointed out sea life that we would have missed and brought us to spots with some of the bigger creatures, such as turtles, sharks (nurse, reef, and hammerhead), eels, and various rays. Kate also has a particular knack for finding critters, pointing out some beautiful smaller creatures that we would have missed. The boat was in excellent condition and often had only four divers, Kate, and Chris. Chris was receptive to customer requests, such as spending the surface interval at Stingray City or hitting specific dive sites. We got really spoiled on the boat. Of course, the equipment is taken care of and they have snacks and drinks. Kate's sense of humor made the trips back and forth enjoyable and Chris has a wealth of diving experience. On our first dive, my wife's mask was filling with water due to a crack sustained during travel. Kate swapped masks with her under water and saved the dive. They went the extra mile to ensure that everybody was comfortable, safe, and had a good time. I would not even consider diving with anyone else in Grand Cayman. They provided Nitrox for a fee ($15/tank) which was worth it for us "geezers." The coral wasn't as great as I remember it, still nice, but we saw plenty of critters. Also, the water was not as crystal clear as I remember it.
The island is still recovering from the hurricane in ‘04 and some shops and restaurants had just reopened. Tuesdays are all you can eat lobster at Deckers (do not miss it if you love lobster). Calypso Grill was another winning restaurant. Don't go to the Wharf unless you have several kids in tow.
The bottom line is: we went down to dive for three days and ended up diving for five days because Kate and Chris at Indigo Divers made the trip so enjoyable. They cost a few bucks more than other places, but they are absolutely worth it. They have a great boat, fantastic personalities, and provide a wonderful diving experience. |