Sunset House, Grand Cayman Trip Report - by Peter Katz

Online   Jun 27, 2023

Well, the month of May came around and it was time for the annual Scuba Shack
Memorial Day Weekend trip. So, on May 24 th , 19 intrepid divers set out for a fun
filled scuba diving extravaganza. However, our destination was not the traditional
Nassau that we knew and loved but Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Yes,
unfortunately due to negative changes at our usual dive operator in Nassau, we
were forced to look elsewhere to provide the excellent diving experience to which
our group was accustomed. Fortunately, we found our new home for the Memorial
Day trip with Sunset House and Sunset Divers in Grand Cayman.

Travel-wise, it was very similar to the travel time and experience we had getting to
Nassau. One big difference was that Sunset House provided ground transportation
from and to the airport, which was a nice change. Sunset House is located just
south of Georgetown right on the water. We were all able to get ocean view rooms,
which afforded us wonderful views of the sun sets. Since most of us arrived around
noon, we were able to grab lunch at My Bar, the outdoor covered ocean view
bar/restaurant, attend a dive briefing and then grab a tank (air or nitrox-if you were
certified) and do a terrific shore dive. Doing a dive on the day of arrival was a
wonderful way to re-acquaint ourselves with our gear, weight requirements and
buoyancy. More about shore diving later.

Breakfasts were included and were quite adequate. After breakfast, we were
assigned to a boat and crew. They did not want to overcrowd the dive boats, so
they split the group in two, which worked out very well. The crews were fantastic,
helping with gear, on and off the boat, great dive briefings. And best of all, the
boats were clean and reliable – engines started and ran!

The first two days of boat diving were on the north side of the island due to the
wind being unfavorable for diving on the west side. It was a treat to dive on the
north side, since they do not get there that often. The last days we were able to
board the boats right out in front of Sunset House rather than taking a bus ride to
the northside docks. The trip included two tank morning boat dives and one
afternoon dive on the wreck of the Kittiwake, a 251 foot long US navy submarine
rescue ship. The wall dives were spectacular as well as the shallower dives.
Although we did not encounter as many reef sharks as we were used to seeing in
Nassau, the nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, southern rays, eels, tarpon, turtles and
other critters as well as wrecks more than made up for lack of reef sharks.

And I can’t say enough about the dive staff. Mel, a wonderful and personable
Canadian, runs an excellent dive operation with safety and comfort of the guests of utmost importance. The dive briefings and tours are excellent with finding cool stuff the prime directive.

In terms of the shore diving, although I am not a big fan, it is an excellent set up.
There is no sand to drag your gear over and there are places to set up and gear up.
There are a couple of areas where you can do a giant stride entry, but the ocean
pool with a ladder entry was by far the preferred method. There is plenty to see on
these dives from rays, reef squid, tarpon, turtles to the mermaid statue, Amphitrite,
and the Nicholson Wreck. I polled the group and the majority would like to include
a one tank afternoon boat dive for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The afternoon
boat dive would still leave time for an afternoon shore dive and/or a night shore
dive if you would like (there is no charge for shore diving).

Sunset House has two restaurants, My Bar and Sea Harvest. My Bar is a lovely
outdoor, covered bar and restaurant. The menu is the same for both restaurants
including a separate Indian menu available at both places. Sea Harvest is an indoor
setting with an uncovered outdoor patio dining area available for group dinners.
Surprisingly, the menus are quite extensive and will accommodate a myriad of
tastes.

In summary, Sunset House was an excellent choice, comfortable and reasonable
with excellent dining experiences available. Sunset Divers is a quality dive
operation with safety and comfort of prime importance. Both operations have well-
trained, courteous, and professional staffs that made us feel welcomed. So, plan on
joining us next May for Scuba Shack’s second annual Grand Cayman Memorial
Day Weekend Trip!