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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / April 2006New Resort for Cayman Brac?
Some references have been floating around for awhile now. Here's a decent summary report. http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000006/000665.htm -hh Here's some more info...the marketing company's website: http://www.crystalazure.com/ Its essentially a condo complex, although one that is claiming that it will have its own dive operation. Its location is on the Brac's generally *windward* south shore, and as per their map, it looks to be very near Public Beach. Of course, when its not to windward, its close to being downwind of the garbage dump. Insofar as its beach, yes there is sand in this area, but there's also "knee knocker" coral-rock-rubble in the first ~10ft of water, which is hard to see when the weather's in its normal windward mode, which makes shore entries for snorkeling and/or diving a bit more advanced than Bonaire (think of a Bonaire shore dive down near "Tribbles"). There is a "protective reef" of sorts at Public Beach in that there's a shallow shoal that can be swum over at high tide in select spots, but its not a reef that's exposed at low tide with calm water behind it to form a good anchorage (such as down in Dick Slessinger's Bay, where Divi Tiara & Brac Reef Beach Resort, plus Brac Caribbean and Carib Sands condos all are). All in all, it is that difficult combination of not really enough reef topology to offer a good anchorage for routinely docking diveboats and putting customers onboard, and yet just enough shallow rock such that I'd have to wonder how they plan on being able to find a deep enough channel to get a diveboat from a dock out into deep water. Even if this part is taken care of, except for the reverse flow winter months, its then going to be a long boat ride to windward to turn the western point to get to the north side reefs & walls...I'd estimate that when its a good 3-4 miles and thus, ~20 minutes outbound (and 25+ minutes return) to motor to the lee of the West End point. The rest of the marketing website discusses costs, contract terms, etc...it is interesting to note that the Purchase Payment Schedule calls for 80% down before construction is completed. Similarly, the least conservative "Investment Return" from rentals assumes a 50% occupancy rate on a $2000/week condo, which given the general overabundence of condos already built & available for rent on the Brac is IMO unrealistic. YMMV. -hh So much for my plans to visit Brac again. Little Cayman, here I come. Lee > Some references have been floating around for awhile now. Here's a > decent summary report. > > http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000006/000665.htm > > -hh > So much for my plans to visit Brac again. Little Cayman, here I come. Just because its been announced .. and a website assembled .. doesn't mean that its actually going to happen anytime soon. There's been two other failed projects on the Brac, as well as one right off of Bloody Bay in Little Cayman. Nevertheless, I would suggest going to LC before the Government ram-rods through the new airport construction. With the new proposed airstrip's proximity to the Booby Pond, I'd expect some bird strike hazards in the first few years of its operations. And for a place to stay on LC, I'd recommend Pirate's Point. While they only do two liesurly dives per day, they don't rush bottom times ("like some other places do") and more importantly, Gladys has the best food on the island. -hh "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :And for a place to stay on LC, I'd recommend Pirate's Point. While they :only do two liesurly dives per day, they don't rush bottom times ("like :some other places do") and more importantly, Gladys has the best food :on the island. What are the places that rush your bottom time? Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard > resulting in: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > What are the places that rush your bottom time? Typically, LCBR. They have a lunch schedule to adhere to and a 3rd PM dive, so they generally "ask" that the dive#1 be ~45 minutes and ~50 minutes (maybe 60 for a "good group") for the 2nd AM dive. In contrast, PP does only 2 dives/day, but since the attitude is to make them full, unhurried dives with a good SI and that that lunch won't be served until after the divers return. Overall, I'd say to expect to average 1 hour first dives and 1:15 second dives. -hh "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :Typically, LCBR. They have a lunch schedule to adhere to and a 3rd PM :dive, so they generally "ask" that the dive#1 be ~45 minutes and ~50 [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] :won't be served until after the divers return. Overall, I'd say to :expect to average 1 hour first dives and 1:15 second dives. I was at LCBR in Dec. The bottom times I got were generally about 50 and 60 in the morning, and 60-65 after lunch. Some people might think that is being rushed, but I found it rather leisurely. PP does 75 minute dives? I don't think I can get 75 minutes from an Al 80 and I am reasonably good on air consumption, certainly by male standards. But if you can do it, and that's what you like, all the power to you. Nice to have choices. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard > resulting in: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I was at LCBR in Dec. The bottom times I got were generally about 50 > and 60 in the morning, and 60-65 after lunch. As of early last year, their official party line from Bruce was: "...buddy team, keep the first dive of the day to max 100'/45 minutes and the second and third dives to 60'/50 minutes." Since your numbers modestly exceed (and you've represented them as averages), I'd say that it is good to hear that they're finally cutting some slack - - they've gotten negative feedback for being "controlling", and there have been cases in the past where staff "chewed out the customer" for being 5-10 minutes overdue that appeared to have finally stopped. BTW, did you have much success in requesting & getting in Night Dives? > Some people might think that is being rushed, but I found it rather leisurely. Its easy to get spoiled. But in the end, you can sort out if you're being rushed by checking your logbook to see how much air you came up with, and how long/short your Surface Intervals were. > PP does 75 minute dives? Or longer. Last time I was to PP, my longest dive was 1:19, which was after a 1:17 surface interval. Our group was good at always keeping it to under 90 minutes, and would make it a point to trim SI and be first in if they wanted to go long. > I don't think I can get 75 minutes from an Al 80 and I am reasonably > good on air consumption, certainly by male standards. But if you > can do it, and that's what you like, all the power to you. Its really the "miracle" of multi-level diving at work. The general reason why a ~45 minute profile is the topic of comments of it being "short" is because it is so easy to multi-level dive these sites on LC where the top of the walls are so shallow. It is such that even novices can get a 40+ minute dive after their ~3rd try. And one extreme example of how easy it is to multilevel is from an old diver who used to frequent the Aggressor: he would do a deep spike and then float around in the "safety stop deep" shallows so as to be able to later brag about doing "100 for 100" types of profiles on but a single AL80, even though after you turn the numbers you realize that this also only requires a good but 'unmiraculous' SAC of 0.50, since there's some interesting spots at 'Mixing Bowl' where the dive depth is only 7ft or so, up in the hardpan where you sometimes can find turtles & nurse sharks. > Nice to have choices. It always is. Another good thing about PP is that there's no Karoke machine ... the closest thing to nightly entertainment is to play 'Mexican Train' dominos after dinner with Gladys :-) -hh "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :BTW, did you have much success in requesting & getting in Night Dives? I have little if any interest in night dives, but I think one or two were offered. What I found ironic was that a dive trip to Cayman Brac was offered. When I dove Cayman Brac, they offered a dive trip to Little Cayman. Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > I have little if any interest in night dives, but I think one or two > were offered. I dearly love night dives. The ability to do one pretty much any time I like is one of the reasons I like Grand Cayman about as much as I like the smaller islands. > What I found ironic was that a dive trip to Cayman Brac was offered. When > I dove Cayman Brac, they offered a dive > trip to Little Cayman. That used to be standard procedures for BRBR and its sister accomodations on Little Cayman. My only visit to Little Cayman was on a boat from Brac. The guests from Little Cayman visited Brac the same day. It was a nice way to expose customers to the variety available from each island. Lee having dived Little Cayman and Cayman Brac several times...I can't imagine anyone wanting to visit Cayman Brac while being based in a resort or live-aboard dropping anchor in those waters. Its like the old song..."how can you keep them down on the farm once they been to Paree!" > > I have little if any interest in night dives, but I think one or two > > were offered. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Lee > having dived Little Cayman and Cayman Brac several times...I can't imagine > anyone wanting to visit Cayman Brac while being based in a resort or live-aboard > dropping anchor in those waters. It all depends on what you like and what you're looking for. For example, I've dived on four (4) different wrecks on Cayman Brac (the latest being the Prince Frederick Wreck), but on Little Cayman, there's only a couple of old diveboat engine blocks, which are hardly 'wrecks'. Topside, there's also some things of interest to some (YMMV), although when it comes to birdwatching specifically for the endangered West Indian Whistling Duck, I've had better success on Little Cayman on its north shore ponds: http://www.huntzinger.com/photo/2004/little_cayman/cayman-whistling-ducks.jpg > Its like the old song..."how can you keep them down on the farm once they been > to Paree!" Been to Paris too...IIRC, four times now...but still haven't bothered to go for a dive in the Seine, as it didn't look like it had any good viz. -hh > only do two liesurly dives per day, Geez, I hate it when you get those lying surly dives. :^) |
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