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Dive Review of Ocean Frontiers in
Cayman Islands/East End, Grand Cayman

Ocean Frontiers: "So many mistakes", Nov, 2018,

by Lori Ann Krushefski, NY, US (Reviewer Reviewer 6 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 10635.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 3 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments Could not have been nicer when I called and asked to extend car rental by a day. But, I’d been promised a car large enough to handle dive luggage for 3 people. I was given a compact car, thus necessitating two (40-min each way) trips to the airport and back.

Arrived early, room was 2 beds instead of 3. They did us a solid by giving us a 3-br penthouse suite across the way. There were several flights of steps to get to it, but a overall, the room was so nice that it was a good trade off. Lovely and huge accommodation. In the mixup, I’d left my laptop on the first room we’d been assigned. Once I realized this, I called the manager, and he quickly and pleasantly picked it up and brought it to me.

We were repeatedly told that the boat crew would handle all our gear. Specifically that wetsuits would be hung to dry. One day I arrived to a find my hooded vest was soaking wet. On the second day, my dive skin was soaking wet—really no excuse for that. We were also told that our gear would be set up, and our weights would be on the floor in front of our gear. At the end of the first dive day, I told them how many pounds I needed. On both days after that, it was wrong. Seems like such a simple thing to get right. My low pressure inflator hose had not been hooked up one day. No problem—found it during my pre-dive check. But another detail they missed.

I’d also asked for Nitrox, and a woman at reception clarified that about 3 times upon arrival because the reception area was very busy. I arrived to the boat on day one to find my tanks were air. They swapped them with no problem. I was told their computer system reaches a max of data it can hold, but doesn’t tell the user its reached that max. Apparently once it maxes out, changes (like requests for Nitrox) aren’t saved to the system.

Boat crew was enthusiastic in greeting us, getting Nitrox analyzed. Briefings were good enough in terms of topography. We heard precious little about what kinds of critters we could expect to see during the dive, and the guides pointed out next to nothing. They just toured us thru the site without pointing anything out.

Regardless of reason/fault: the end result felt like poor attention to detail and non-delivery on promises. They advertise and promise “valet diving.” They didn’t come anywhere close to what other operations provide when they say they have valet service. (Put your own weights in, suits clearly hadn’t been hung, Nitrox request missed, very few critters pointed out by guides.)

On site restaurant was out of Diet Coke the whole time we were there. I noted that there were plenty of cans in the reception area—it’s not as if there were a shortage on the island. Food and cocktails at Eagle Ray’s was otherwise very good.
Websites Ocean Frontiers   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Most of the Hawaiian islands, Caribbean, California, Indonesia
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 82-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Know where your next breath of air is coming from (as opposed to making you stay with an assigned buddy). Typically dive times were capped only by the crew’s suggestion that we be accommodating to fellow divers: if you’re the last buddy pair in the water, do safety stop.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 2 stars
Small Critters 1 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

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

Subject Matter 3 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Huge camera table
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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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