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Dive Review of Pirates Point in
Cayman Islands/Little Cayman

Pirates Point, May, 2007,

by Nancy Olah and Bill Pace, SC, USA ( 2 reports). Report 3512.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments In almost 20 years of diving, Pirates Point on Little Cayman has emerged as our new standard of excellence among dive resorts. The combination of outstanding diving, fabulous food, and caring staff in such a lovely, unspoiled setting leaves just one question in your mind – how soon can we afford to return?

We stayed at Pirates Point during the last week of May in an oceanfront triple. While the accommodations are a little rustic, they were more than satisfactory for our needs. My husband, 14 year old son, and I are all divers, and we were impressed by the quality and professionalism of their dive operation. Gay, Ingrid, Peter, and Ash are all excellent dive masters, and they were especially helpful in assisting me with my dive gear on the stern platform. (I had a back injury a few years ago, and need to be very careful not to re-injury myself.) My fears were unfounded – I was in such good hands with the Pirates Point dive team that I dove twelve times without any back problems whatsoever, thanks to their help. We saw hawksbill turtles on almost every dive, schools of squid, sharks, eels, eagle rays, and abundant fish and coral. After diving in other locations with bleached coral and fished out reefs, it was immensely satisfying to dive in such healthy conditions.

We met interesting and congenial fellow divers – some of whom have been coming for up to 18 years! Both on the dive boat and in the dining room, we heard fascinating stories about their diving experiences and their stays at Pirates Point. We looked forward to every meal. Each meal was exceptionally executed by Cam, Dave and Debbie, usually centered around various themes. Lunch would be piping hot when we got back from diving around two, and had such stand out menus as home made pizza, beer battered snapper, or beef curry with cocoanut rice and mango chutney. Several hours later (after hanging out in the hammock, riding bikes around the island, or shooting darts in the bar), the dinner bell would ring for another great meal. Whether it was fajitas, roast beef, barbequed chicken and ribs, paella, or perfectly grilled tuna, the main course (like lunch) was always accompanied by at least three vegetables or side dishes, and fresh leafy salads. Dinner was served with wine, and was followed by gut-busting deserts: peanut butter pie, strawberry shortcake, fresh mango over sponge cake, or key lime pie, to name just a few. My son gained 8 lbs. in one week, despite making twelve dives, playing Frisbee on the beach, and riding a bike over 22 miles around the island.

The staff was extremely accommodating – especially to my son who was the youngest person there. Gladys Howard, Pirates Point’s legendary owner, was gone for most of our visit, so we really cherished the fun champagne party they threw at her lovely home when she returned on Friday. Gladys’ interesting stories and infectious laugh that Friday made us wish that we had been able to have more exposure to her during our entire week. However, if Gladys had been there all week, we might not hagve spent as much time with our dive masters, especially Gay, who efficiently manages Pirates Point, has written a hilarious book about her experiences on Little Cayman, and is a dive master beyond compare, and Ingrid, a lovely former attorney from Wales with a sparkling wit, who “chucked it all” six years ago to travel around the world.

Our vacation at Pirates Point could not have been better. While not luxurious, I would rank it among the finest dive resorts in the world!

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Bonaire, Cayman Brac, Aruba, Provo, Roatan, Cozumel, Aruba, Hawaii, Lanai, Kauai, Australia, San Salvador, St. Lucia, St. Croix, Florida Keys
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 80-82°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Check out dives were with Gay Morse, who has been with Pirates Point almost 20 years. She's an incredible divemaster, and made great suggestions about how to improve buoyancy and become a better diver.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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 [None]
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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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