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

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Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point, May, 2011, by G. Tripp Jones MD, SC, US ( Top Contributor 72 reports with 29 Helpful votes). Report 6052.
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	My wife and I went to the East End of Grand Cayman for the first time since Hurricane Ivan destroyed the Cayman Dive Lodge and surrounding area in 2004. We booked this ourselves and it was very easily done. We flew from Charlotte, NC directly to Georgetown and got a car rental to the condo, about a 35 minute easy drive from the airport. The East End is laid back and a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of Seven Mile Beach. The condo was a one bedroom, nicely adequate for the two of us. We went to a local grocery store for breakfast and lunch supplies and went out at night to local restaurants. There is no bar or restaurant on site, so a car is a must (and was included in the package, which was nice). There are 2 swimming pools on site. There are local restaurants, some local and non-pricey to very expensive (Tukka, Lighthouse, etc) but the food was very good. Over the Edge is another good local restaurant,great at sunset. The dive operation is excellent. After we set our gear outside our door the first day, we did nothing but put it on prior to a dive. The staff stored and washed the equipment and set up and took down the equipment for each dive. I think this was the most efficient, well trained, pleasant staff that I have ever seen in 20 years of diving.You could go on your own, or guided for half the dive or so if desired. There were always 2 crew in the water and 1 on the boat at all times. We did 2 tank dives each morning and could opt for 2 more in the afternoon if we desired, but the package was for 6 days of 2 tank dives. The boats leave at 8 AM, and the first dive is deep on the wall with a second reef dive, returning by 12 noon at latest. The boats are large and the number of divers is limited to 12, so you don't have a "cattle boat". There is a once weekly trek to dive the "new" wreck, the Kittiwake, near West Bay on the western end (on Tuesdays), but we opted not to do it this trip. The walls, swim throughs, chutes, etc are beautiful and the coral is in good shape, except for a few areas bleached, but the fish life was very good to excellent. There were a few Lionfish, but they are trying to control them, so that is a work in progress. Turtles were seen relatively often, but sharks were few. To me, the East End diving is more pristine. We will undoubtedly return. I would like to see a single tank afternoon dive, rather than just a 2 tank pm dive. We did 2 AM and 2 PM dives one day, so that would push it, if everyday, for a 62 yo like me. The Lionfish roundup dive is a single pm dive, but only once weekly. There is also a "3 tank safari" dive once weekly, but you have to sign up early for that. There is talk of a bar and restaurant to be built and this would add to the resort. I would rate this operation overall as "excellent" and will undoubtedly return soon. The staff is really excellent in all aspects of the dive operation.
Websites	Ocean Frontiers
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Truk, Australia, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Belize, Roatan, Curacao, Bonaire, Cozumel
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	79-81°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	70-125 Ft/ 21-38 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Recreational limits for Cayman Islands.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	My wife, the photographer, thought the setup was fine and no complaints.

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

Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point, May, 2011,

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