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Dive Review of Little Cayman Beach Resort in
Cayman Islands/Little Cayman

Little Cayman Beach Resort: "Effortless Caribbean diving", Feb, 2014,

by Craig A Wood, PA, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 55 reports with 48 Helpful votes). Report 7896.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments This was my second visit to Little Cayman and LCBR, the first trip being in 2010. This was a 60th birthday present from my very nice wife, see the beautiful commemorative plaque she painted for me hanging in the bar, the one with the Lesser Caymans iguana on it and the dive flag background.

We had a very nice, quiet ocean front room. As many have said, the food is quite good and there are many choices, likely to satisfy most visitors. The bar is nice and the workers are friendly. We borrowed bikes on the last afternoon and had a good ride around the island. Make sure there's adequate air in your tires and that the seat is properly adjusted before you leave the resort. We did not visit the Little Cayman Marine Institute this visit but did in 2010. It makes for an interesting field trip and can be arranged through the resort, no fee. In 2010 there was also an iguana outing through the resort, I don't think it was running during this trip. It was fun and informative, I recommend it if offered.

The Reef Divers operation is very well run and efficient. You analyze your nitrox tanks next to the dive shop, label them, and put them aside for the boat to load prior to your dives. Dive briefings are excellent with hand drawn maps and detailed explanations. Equipment service is semi-valet and very convenient. BCs and regs stay on the boat, you take care of your mask, fins, and wetsuit. The rinse station and drying room are right at the beginning of the dock, a short walk from the boat. If you want to try full-valet service, try Ocean Frontiers at Compass Point on the east end of Grand Cayman. We generally did not dive with the DMs but they seemed quite competent and led a well paced dive for the 1st half hour or so. Divers were then left to finish their dives near the boat. We did 17 dives over the 5 1/2 days, 2 each morning and 1 each afternoon except for the last day. My average dive time was 64 minutes (57-71 minutes). I was often around 1st in and last back, nobody ever said a word regarding dive duration. We did no night dives this visit as my wife was uninterested. I had two excellent night dives in 2010 and recommend them highly. My son and I made the trip to dive the Capt Keith Tibbitts in 2010. I found it a mediocre wreck dive and we did not make the extra cost trip this year. I'm glad I dived it once.

So, after all that, how is the diving? Well, the walls are dazzlingly beautiful, most spectacular I've seen in my limited travels. The water is warm and clear. We saw perhaps 10-12 nice Reef Sharks, some came quite close and stayed with us for a while. There are many friendly Nassau Grouper, many acting like pet dogs. I'm probably spoiled by the density and diversity of tropical fish I see on my home reefs in Boynton Beach, but, I kept asking myself where all the fish were. It's certainly not that there are no tropical fish but they are not as numerous and varied as one might expect from a world class destination. There were some unexpected surprises. For instance, in some of the rubble areas there were too numerous to count Yellowhead Jawfish, more than expected, with eggs. The males with eggs became easy to spot by looking for the two black lines extending down their throats from their mouths. Several were seen to expel their mouthful of eggs to aerate them and then recapture them all. This was a great treat.

Reef Divers/LCBR on Little Cayman is one of my Caribbean favorites, up there with Aldora Divers/Aldora Villas on Cozumel, Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point on Grand Cayman, and BD&A/Den Lamen on Bonaire. I'd go back to any of these great locations in a second.

Good diving, Craig
Websites Little Cayman Beach Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Grand Cayman, Cozumel, T&C, Bonaire, Curacao, Maui, Oahu, Key Largo, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Panama, Costa Rica
Closest Airport Little Cayman Getting There Miami to Cayman Brac to Little Cayman. Little Cayman to Grand Cayman to Miami (Grand Cayman is very busy on the weekend)

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 82-83°F / 28-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Dive with buddy or with DM and group. Somewhat flexible 1 hour dive time. Within recreational limits/MOD for mix
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Not a photographer
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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