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

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Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point: "Easy Diving, Good Operator, But Not Many Fish", Nov, 2016, by Sandy Falen, KS, US ( Sr. Contributor 29 reports with 20 Helpful votes). Report 9306.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was a return trip to East End after ten years. I chose this location for a quick and easy dive escape, from that perspective, it's hard to beat. Connections to Grand Cayman are many, and from there, the drive to East End is about forty minutes. The escape from Georgetown's cruise ship traffic and development is worth the pleasant drive. The walls, crevices, and swim-throughs at East End are fun and photogenic. The water was warm, and I never encountered a current worth mentioning. During my four days of diving, the wind -- which had been very brisk upon arrival -- settled down, but there remained a persistent chop on the surface. I'll assume that is why diving the north side was never even mentioned. Two dives in the morning begin with the boat call at 7:45. If you've got other activities in mind, or are traveling with a non-diving companion, you'll have plenty of post-dive hours remaining in your day upon return to the dock around noon (or before). The boats are roomy, with 12 divers max, and nitrox is analyzed on board before departure. All in all, the dive operation is top-notch, with skilled people who don't hover or preach. Unfortunately, I found the fish life to be depressingly absent, and the coral reefs to be alarmingly algae-covered. Yes, we saw sharks with some regularity. But the groupers were less populous than I recalled in the past; perhaps it was a seasonal issue, but it was definitely noticeable. Even more disturbing was the absence of small tropicals. When you can count the trunk fish with two fingers over eight dives, something is wrong. Same goes with the butterflies and damsels, and even the snappers -- the fish are down and the reef at times seemed empty. I can only speculate that the lionfish invasion is in large part the culprit. Hooray for the locals for creating a demand for them in restaurants, but I suspect it's still a losing battle. I have been diving the Caribbean for thirty years, and I realize it will never be like it was "back in the day." For those who are newer to diving, East End may have seemed like an underwater heaven -- but given the demographic I observed on the dive boat each day, I suspect I wasn't alone in my sad perspective. Compass Point is a terrific accommodation, with everything you could want: full kitchen, washer/dryer, private ocean-front patio or balcony, security safe -- the works. Ocean Frontier's dive operation is one of the best I've ever encountered. If you're looking for an easy dive trip from the States, this might be just the ticket.
Websites	Ocean Frontiers Compass Point
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Most of the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Palau, Sulawesi, Kosrae, Fiji, Raja Ampat
Closest Airport	GCM	Getting There	From the airport, it's a pleasant, 40-minute drive to East End.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	60-80 Ft/ 18-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Dive your profile.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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

Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point: "Easy Diving, Good Operator, But Not Many Fish", Nov, 2016,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

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