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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / April 2005Cozamel or Grand Cayman
My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in September. I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the better diving? Thank You Bill > My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in > September. I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the > better diving? > Thank You > Bill Cozumel, without a doubt! I cruised with Royal Caribean 2 years ago - They contract with Red Sail Divers in GC. They rushed thru the dives, too many divers - about 24 of them. In Coz I booked my own. willy <bill_tee@hotmail.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in :September. I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the :better diving? Grand Cayman is fantastic. Cozumel is better. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in September. > I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the better > diving? To answer that, it's important to know why you can only dive in one place and what kind of dive do you plan. Both islands have some spectacular diving. First, on either island, consider booking your own dive rather than letting the cruise ship do it for you. The cruise ship will book whatever makes them the most money. It will be close to the cruise ship docks and probably will not be the best, or even close to the best diving on the island. This is particularly true on Grand Cayman. The last time I was there, cruise ship passengers were diving almost inside the port. There was much better diving only a short walk away. The downside to booking on your own, is timing. The cruise ship won't book you on something and then leave you behind (or so I've been told). If you book yourself, they may depart without you if you don't return on time. You'll have to judge the relative risks. If you can only dive in one place because your wife won't let you dive in both, party in Grand Cayman and dive in Cozumel. This advice is based more on my estimation of the land based activities on the two islands than the diving. Grand Cayman, in my opinion, has more, and better, land based activities. The Turtle Farm is worth a visit. If you're short on time, pass on visiting Hell. If you can only dive on one place because the boat only offers you one dive opportunity, I think I'd chose Cozumel, but be real sure to specify a wall dive. In my opinion, there isn't any good non-wall diving in Cozumel. Cozumel diving is almost all in strong to very strong currents. It's drift diving and is best done from a boat. In my opinion, it's not practical, or safe to swim out to the wall dives in Cozumel and wall diving is what Cozumel is all about. It is practical to swim to some very nice dive sites, and even to the walls, on Grand Cayman. There are very nice shore diveable reefs and shops that service them, just south of town on Grand Cayman. It's an easy walk and worth the time to do it. If your wife likes snorkeling, the same place will please her as well. Currents are generally mild to non existent. Check with Eden Rock (first preference for a nearby shore dive and one of my first choices for a night dive anywhere I've been) and Sunset House (second choice for a nearby shore dive and a nice place for a night dive, particularly if the tourist sub is visiting Sunset Reef). Lee Hey hows it going?..better check with your T.A. before booking a trip to the caymans.... I know that they are diverting alot of ship from there after the hurricane.....just something to consider...both are fun and both have there strong points... >> My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in September. >> I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the better [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > Lee >Hey hows it going?..better check with your T.A. before booking a trip to the >caymans.... I know that they are diverting alot of ship from there after the >hurricane.....just something to consider...both are fun and both have there >strong points... Clearly you haven't been paying much attention. GC has been "open for business" to cruise ships since late November and to all traffic since late December. I don't know of a ship that's been diverted since then. Now, the real problem is getting from the ship to the shore. All ships have to tender in, and sometimes the water is rough enough to prevent the tenders from picking up the pax. Perhaps this is what you really meant.  Signaturedillon Women should be obscene and not absurd. grand caymen has nice beach (ie 7mile). Your dive experience may be a factor. caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. i agree with those that prefer coz. fred > My wife wants to go on a cruise to grand Cayman and Cozamel in September. > I can dive only one place. The question is which spot has the better > diving? > Thank You > Bill > caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. > > fred Really? Tell us about the deeper "caymen dives". -- Bob. >> caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. >> >> fred > > Really? Tell us about the deeper "caymen dives". I was kind of wondering the same thing, but since I am already in a contentious discussion elsewhere on this ng refrained from saying anything. It's been a while since I've been to either Cayman or Coz, but it sure seems like on the whole Coz was deeper diving. And it seemed like Coz ops were far more liberal in what depths they wanted you to adhere to, if you listen to that kind of thing. > It's been a while since I've been to either Cayman or Coz, but it sure > seems like on the whole Coz was deeper diving. And it seemed like Coz ops > were far more liberal in what depths they wanted you to adhere to, if you > listen to that kind of thing. My Cayman dives were limited to 100 feet, but dives to 110 feet were tolerated. Anything deeper violated industry policy and usually got a strong reaction. I don't remember what the limits were in Coz, mostly because nobody seemed to be paying a lot of attention to them. I hit 175 feet on one there. Lee I have done a number of dives at Coz >200 fsw as has the Feesh. Maracaibo Deep, for example, starts at about 120 fsw and is typically done to more than 200 fsw (If the operator thinks that you are qualified). No way one could get by with that in the Caymans. Chris >> It's been a while since I've been to either Cayman or Coz, but it sure >> seems like on the whole Coz was deeper diving. And it seemed like Coz [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Lee >I have done a number of dives at Coz >200 fsw as has the Feesh. Maracaibo >Deep, for example, starts at about 120 fsw and is typically done to more >than 200 fsw (If the operator thinks that you are qualified). No way one >could get by with that in the Caymans. It depends upon what your training is and who you dive with in Grand Cayman. I've done dives to 270' with Dive Tech. Dive safe, Cpt. Dale I doubt that Dive Tech will let you get to 270 fsw right off a cruise ship...or an airplane. They need to get to know you can handle it. >>I have done a number of dives at Coz >200 fsw as has the Feesh. Maracaibo >>Deep, for example, starts at about 120 fsw and is typically done to more [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Dive safe, > Cpt. Dale >I doubt that Dive Tech will let you get to 270 fsw right off a cruise >ship...or an airplane. They need to get to know you can handle it. Of course they need to know you can do it. I did say it depends on your training. I'm sure they have other criteria as well. Dive safe, Cpt. Dale > >I doubt that Dive Tech will let you get to 270 fsw right off a cruise > >ship...or an airplane. They need to get to know you can handle it. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Dive safe, > Cpt. Dale http://www.sheenaconolly.com/custom/general/divinginfo.cfm *> There is a firm limit of a depth of 110 feet for visiting divers, *> regardless of training and experience and the 69 member companies *> of the CIWOA will not allow you to exceed that. Of course that's the silliness of the Cayman Islands Watersports Operators Association (CIWOA). You can hardly dive the Big Tunnel if your depth is limited to 110 feet. ;^). Here's a story I posted about even a NITROX EAN36 dive to 196 fsw is ok (according to the Uwatec computer <G>): "I have an andedotal story to tell about my Cayman Aggressor trip in 1999. I was diving with my ORCA computer on air, and the Uwatec Nitrox PRO on EAN, and was laughing at my friend "Crusty" for diving with a Cochran computer ..." "At any rate, Crusty was quick to point out that My Uwatec Nitrox computer DROPPED DEAD (locked out) on the last day (about Dive 23 of that trip), while his Cochran computer was still alive. :-) " "It was then that I had to explain to him the reason the Uwatec Nitrox PRO locked out was that 10 dives BEFORE I had taken it to a 196 fsw dive (on AIR) while forgetting to reset the EAN 32 to EAN 21. " -- Bob. > I have done a number of dives at Coz >200 fsw as has the Feesh. Maracaibo > Deep, for example, starts at about 120 fsw and is typically done to more > than 200 fsw (If the operator thinks that you are qualified). I posted this in 2003: RF> I walked to the Cozumel RF> chamber once for diagnosis after experiencing some subclinical RF> bends symptoms after diving 20 consecutive days to max below RF> RF> 195 fsw on air "without additives" :-) and was sent out by the RF> chamber physician without even any chamber ride for diagnosis. RF> Story told in rec.scuba on a dive computer related thread. > No way one could get by with that in the Caymans. > > Chris Sure you can. Just do it and don't tell the dive operator about it. :-)) Silly CIWOA rules beget Golden Silence. <G> -- Bob. > > It's been a while since I've been to either Cayman or Coz, but it sure > > seems like on the whole Coz was deeper diving. And it seemed like Coz ops [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > tolerated. Anything deeper violated industry policy and usually got a > strong reaction. FYI, Cayman's policy changed last summer; it now allows an occasional absolute maximum depth of 130fsw, which resolves those 'minor transgression' problems on some dive sites' swim-through overheads. But you generally won't hear about it, as the Dive Ops haven't changed their official briefing depth requirements. Generally speaking for Cayman, there is some "looking the other way", but its generally only after they get to know and trust that you're a good diver. If there's a jerk onboard the boat the next day, the rules can tighten right back up. I'm not saying that enforcement is erratic, but its more the case that 98% of the time, its not an issue, as people aren't particularly tempted to go deep, and if they do, its more generally a modest 120fsw-140fsw instead of a 199fsw-290fsw extreme (although there are always exceptions). If there's going to be a deep diversion, its usually more of a case that it is quietly cleared ahead of time with the DM without his management being around. > I don't remember what the limits were in Coz, mostly because nobody > seemed to be paying a lot of attention to them. I hit 175 feet on > one there. IIRC, the official limit is supposedly something like 90fsw. My understanding is that it gets routinely ignored by nearly everyone. IMO, the bottom line is that if the OP wants a really deep dive, then its easier to do it in a one day visit on Cozumel. Otherwise, it comes down to the OP's personal choice of if he wants a moored dive vs. a drift dive in a current. Or if the OP also considers that to also be a wash, then the choice is based on some non-diving feature, such as the island's topside attractions. -hh >grand caymen has nice beach (ie 7mile). Your dive experience may be a >factor. caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. >i agree with those that prefer coz. Most of our first dives were 70 to 90 feet. Do Cayman dives go deeper than this on a regular basis? >fred > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> Thank You >> Bill Signaturedillon "When the French are against it, you know we can't be far wrong." - Adm. Bobbie Ray Inman >> caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. >> i agree with those that prefer coz. > Most of our first dives were 70 to 90 feet. Do Cayman dives go deeper > than this on a regular basis? Most ops in the Caymans limit depth to 100 or 110'. I'm pretty sure that all of the wall dives I've done there have been to at least the low 90's, with most running right around 100'. It seems to me that we hear plenty of stories about dives to 100' and more in Coz. Wall dives in the Caymans may have a hard bottom that's a little bit deeper than most stuff in Coz, but most divers don't get anywhere close to the bottom. There are also plenty of shallow sites in the Caymans, so second dives are almost always to sites with a hard bottom between 50 and 60'. Coz certainly isn't famous for its shallow dives. If the OP prefers to do a two tank shallow trip I think GC is the hands down favorite. The sites may not be outstanding, but he can have a pair of 50 minutes dives if his air lasts (depending on the op). There's also the option of Stingray City, of course. If he's interested in wall dives, Cayman has some great stuff, but most of it isn't on the west end, and that's where he'll be diving if he doesn't want to miss the boat. If divng a wall is his preference, and especially if getting below 100 to 110' is important, Coz is probably the better choice. SignatureSteve The above can be construed as personal opinion in the absence of a reasonable belief that it was intended as a statement of fact. If you want a reply to reach me, remove the SPAMTRAP from the address. >>> caymen dives tend to be deeper, cozumel you have current. >>> i agree with those that prefer coz. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >bottom. There are also plenty of shallow sites in the Caymans, so second dives are >almost always to sites with a hard bottom between 50 and 60'. If he wants quality deep dive, Cozumel is clearly a better choice. OTOH, many of my recent dives in Kona had first trips in the 110-120 range. I have a picture of my computer showing 111 and we went deeper than that. People ask me why I took the picture and I always say "I dunno, the nitrogen told me to do it". >Coz certainly isn't famous for its shallow dives. If the OP prefers to do a two tank >shallow trip I think GC is the hands down favorite. The sites may not be outstanding, [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >preference, and especially if getting below 100 to 110' is important, Coz is probably >the better choice. Most our deep dives were two parters. Half at depth, half in the 45-60 foot range. It was not uncommon to get 45-50 minutes on those dives, and 1 hour plus on the shallow dives. Those were limited by the DM's patience. Signaturedillon "When the French are against it, you know we can't be far wrong." - Adm. Bobbie Ray Inman I just got back from Cozumel. Contact Aldora Divers and dive Devil's Throat - wonderful dive and they use HP 120 tanks instead of the average 80's. Make sure your computer will walk you through deco though cause it's hard to keep out of it. We saw a sleeping nurse shark an arm's length away on the wall and some amazing rays and barracuda. Enjoy! Bill Jamison Hey Bill I have been to cozumel twice in the last year and I would have to say that Cozumel is the place to go, I went diving with Pepe's Scuba and had an excellent time. I did 26 dives in about 5 days it was an incredible experience. -zach |
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