Trip Report - Cayman Aggressor July4th, 2009

[chinacat46]

Originally Posted by thesmoothdome

As always you're a wealth of information China! Thanks for the clarification. We need to chat about the Maldives. I'd like to hit Raja Ampart next year, but it seems like the Dancer boat is in North Suluwesi that time of year. I'm considering either the Maldives Aggressor or the Komodo Dancer. Have you dove either or either area in the July/August?

Haven't been to the Maldives yet I've been waiting for your trip report. I've heard the diving there is better at other times of the year and the liveaboard I hear to do is the Manthiri. The Komodo Dancer(rooms are small) I did later in the year and it I highly recommended it. The Paradise Dancer is an INCREDIBLE boat but I think if I do Raja Ampat again I would go on the Archipelago II. Also you should dive Lembeh Strait from a resort.(Read my report on the Paradise Dancer in Raja as well as Lembeh Resort: Lembeh/Raja Trip Report & Pics )As a photographer you would wet your suit taking pictures there. Go there!

[chinacat46]

Originally Posted by lucidblue

Yeah, that $700 off is the only reason I can even begin to consider it this year. The Aggressor boats look nicer based on looking at the web sites. Is this not the case in person? Is the fact that the crew was kind of off playing a big factor in your preference for PH? Just curious, trying to dig up as much info as I can. I need to read your Sun Dancer trip report when I get home tonight. Also, what did you like better about the Cayman diving?

I vote with Terry I like the diving better in the Caymans but like the Sun Dancer in Belize as a better boat. Most of the Dancer fleet are more roomier then the Aggressor boats. The Caymans and Little Cayman in particular have some incredible walls with very healthy reefs and usually good viz. Lots to see and some great terrain to do it on. Belize isn't bad diving either though so it's really a win-win either place. Another good deal is if you are a regular(go once a year) customer on Peter Hughes boats you can get free nitrox. I paid for it once in 2004 and haven't paid for it since. I've got it down to less then $1 a bottle now. Just got free nitrox on my last trip on the Wind Dancer at the end of May.

[cowgirldiver]

CD, I did the Cayman Aggressor this last January. I did 25 dives (as many as were possible), all air and don't ever remember being limited by nitrogen load. Seems like most of the dives were really not that deep-there were a few wall dives. Sounds like fortunately for me, that I went when there were happier times for the crew. Nice to hear that Kory and Captain Henri are still there.

[thesmoothdome]

[quote=lucidblue;315230]

Originally Posted by thesmoothdome

Yeah, that $700 off is the only reason I can even begin to consider it this year. The Aggressor boats look nicer based on looking at the web sites. Is this not the case in person? Is the fact that the crew was kind of off playing a big factor in your preference for PH? Just curious, trying to dig up as much info as I can. I need to read your Sun Dancer trip report when I get home tonight. Also, what did you like better about the Cayman diving?

Sorry for the 2 month lag in responding to this quote...somehow I missed it the initial posting (same with Compudude's post which followed)

The boats are pretty similar in length and beam, but I'd give the nod to the Sun Dancer II. Our room, which was the only master suite on the boat was no more than a windowless box with a queen bed. We've stayed in two PH boats in the same level room and both had big picture windows. Actually having light coming into the room was a nice way to wake up.

While the dive deck was more spacious on the Agressor boat, the wide stairs down to the swim step were more user friendly than the ladders that led to the aggressors swim step. Of very minor importance, the hot dive deck showers were better placed on the PH boats. On the Agressor, they were on the swim step. On the PH boats, they were on the dive deck, out of the way of any traffic.

In terms of the crew, while I try to report on the overall trip, I do try to seperate every aspect of the trip. Sure the crew was tired, but the room still was less than what I expected, but the diving was better than I hoped.

Overall, I'd say the health of the reefs and the amount of critters were better in Cayman. Some of my favorite dives were around Grand Cayman at the end of the trip. I don't think any of us expected Grand Cayman to rival Little Cayman or Cayman Brac in quality, but it did and we ended the trip on a great note.

[thesmoothdome]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Sounds great! I really want to do a LOB one of these days, too, and Cayman has always been high on my list.

How many dives per day were done, as a general rule? Nitrox, I assume? (and what mixes were available?) All Al.80s?

Again, I want to apologize for the 2 month lag. I completely missed the responses.

We were offered 5 dives every day and 2 dives the final day. Due to some deterioriating traveling conditions, we swapped one night dive for an early morning dive so we could make the crossing between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman a bit more comfortably. I did pass on the early morning dive, but heard it was great. So was sleeping! That's what I love about liveaboards. Miss a dive and it doesn't feel like the end of the world. Of course, I lament about every lost possibility, but it is a vacation after all.

Yes, I was on Nitrox for every dive that week. Like the PH boats I've been on, the Aggressor offered 32%. Just let them know you're diving Nitrox and they do the rest. You just check the mix before the dive, sign the log and you're off. On the Aggressor it was $100.00 for the week and PH charged $150.00 for the 7 days and $200.00 for the 10 day cruise. Both boats stock AL 80s. I didn't see any HP steel. Towards the end of the week one of our smaller female divers discovered that the Aggressor had a few AL 63s and switched over to those though.

BTW, how are the Bali pics coming?

[Travelnsj]

Sorry I missed this report until now. Great report and I loved the part about the Thai massage...LOL....sounds like you had a much better time than I did last year at Little Cayman. I was land based (probably the reason) and thought the diving was OK.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by thesmoothdome

Again, I want to apologize for the 2 month lag. I completely missed the responses.

We were offered 5 dives every day and 2 dives the final day. Due to some deterioriating traveling conditions, we swapped one night dive for an early morning dive so we could make the crossing between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman a bit more comfortably. I did pass on the early morning dive, but heard it was great. So was sleeping! That's what I love about liveaboards. Miss a dive and it doesn't feel like the end of the world. Of course, I lament about every lost possibility, but it is a vacation after all.

Yes, I was on Nitrox for every dive that week. Like the PH boats I've been on, the Aggressor offered 32%. Just let them know you're diving Nitrox and they do the rest. You just check the mix before the dive, sign the log and you're off. On the Aggressor it was $100.00 for the week and PH charged $150.00 for the 7 days and $200.00 for the 10 day cruise. Both boats stock AL 80s. I didn't see any HP steel. Towards the end of the week one of our smaller female divers discovered that the Aggressor had a few AL 63s and switched over to those though.

BTW, how are the Bali pics coming?

Not that I can easily fly with steel... but can you bring your own steel tanks, if you manage a way, or do you have to use the boat's Al80s?

[thesmoothdome]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Not that I can easily fly with steel... but can you bring your own steel tanks, if you manage a way, or do you have to use the boat's Al80s?

I doubt that they would mind, but I can't remember seeing anything allowing or prohibiting bringing your own tanks.

[scubarobin]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Not that I can easily fly with steel... but can you bring your own steel tanks, if you manage a way, or do you have to use the boat's Al80s?

On a liveaboard you are limited in your bottom times to a certain extent so no need for larger tanks or steel tanks unless you have an air consumption problem. The dive gate opens and closes on a timetable and you must be back on boat by a certain time so they can move to the next dive site. I really wouldn't even think about shipping tanks...
Liveaboards are awesome, and getting in 5 dives per day can be kinda rushed at times, especially if you are getting an hour bottom time on many dives. Ron and I find that we try to be first off the boat, and hour SI, then next dive we sometimes have to end our dives before we run low on air due to the Be Back On Boat time..

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by scubarobin

On a liveaboard you are limited in your bottom times to a certain extent so no need for larger tanks or steel tanks unless you have an air consumption problem. The dive gate opens and closes on a timetable and you must be back on boat by a certain time so they can move to the next dive site. I really wouldn't even think about shipping tanks...
Liveaboards are awesome, and getting in 5 dives per day can be kinda rushed at times, especially if you are getting an hour bottom time on many dives. Ron and I find that we try to be first off the boat, and hour SI, then next dive we sometimes have to end our dives before we run low on air due to the Be Back On Boat time..

Ugh. Yuck. I thought that was the whole point of LOBs! No rushed schedules!