Night Diving
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Grand Cayman's Main Diving Regions
Divers can regularly enjoy near perfect visibility in Cayman waters
Ask any dive master what the “best dive site” in Cayman is and you will not get a straight answer. Why? Because there isn’t one!
With 365 marked dive sites, the appeal of any one site will vary depending on conditions on any given day, the diver’s level of experience and the preferences and interests of the diver: are they avid wreck divers, depth junkies or macro photographers? Rather than listing specific dive sites, we provide a broad overview of the types of dives you will encounter in different areas of the Cayman Islands.
Sunset Divers is located at Sunset House, a dive resort with accommodation, relaxed atmosphere at My Bar, and a restaurant serving both casual comfort dishes and Indian food.
Sunset Divers
Dive Shop
Sunset Divers offers snorkelling, boat and shore dive options, plus a restaurant and bar.
North Side
The North Wall, which runs parallel to the north shore, plunges dramatically from around 40ft down many thousands of feet, just a hundred yards or so from shore. There are great wall dives all along the north shore of Grand Cayman with coral gardens at the top of the wall, convenient for safety or decompression stops following a deep dive. There is an abundance of healthy hard and soft corals, including black coral, plenty of overhangs and swim throughs on the wall and always a chance of seeing some pelagic fish out in the blue. Conditions here are best during the summer when seas are calm and you will have a greater chance of seeing schools of spotted eagle rays and perhaps sharks.
West Side
The reefs and walls off the west coast, from North West Point to George Town are the most frequently dived sites, as this the leeward shore so conditions are favourable for diving year–round. All the wreck dives are in this area, including the Wreck of the Oro Verde, Doc Poulson and the Kittiwake. There are also some outstanding wall and reef dives, as well as a number of accessible shore dives including Turtle Reef, Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto. From April to September look out for huge schools of tiny silversides hiding in caves, and the resident tarpon and grouper who feast on them.
SunDivers share their picturesque location with the famous Cracked Conch oceanfront restaurant, serving delectable Caribbean fusion dishes. Click for more.
Sundivers is located on the Cracked Conch premises. You can rent your dive gear to explore Turtle Reef at your own leisure. Expect to see the mini-wall, a tarpon cave, beautiful corals and lots of fish.
South Side
The dive sites along the south coast are most often dived during the winter, as they remain calm during nor’westers. The drop offs on the southern side typically start at greater depths than in other areas and there are some spectacular canyons, coral encrusted arches, swim–throughs and caves in this area.
East End
Here you will find the most remote and unspoilt diving on Grand Cayman. Significantly fewer divers come out this far, and with 55 dive sites to choose from in this district, you can easily escape the crowds. A good mix of walls, with drops offs starting at around 45ft, and shallower reefs with soaring pinnacles and canyons can be found in this area. There is good chance of seeing sharks and millions of silversides gather in caves and under overhangs during the summer.
Before you dive...
Familiarise yourself with the local diving regulations and guidelines set by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. These include maintaining proper buoyancy control, respecting marine life and coral reefs, and avoiding touching or disturbing any underwater creatures.
