Rodale’s Scuba Diving

The Cayman Islands: It’s a Family Affair

Sly and the Family Stone would love the Cayman Islands. Whether it’s below or above the surface, it’s definitely a family affair when in comes to Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac.

“Quote,” says Angela Martin, Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands.

Quite simply, the family that dives together stays together. As children move beyond the kindergarten level, the search starts for shared opportunities offering quality time and the stuff of which vacation memories are made. For diving families or those who want to become one, the Cayman Islands offer a host of outdoor activities in, on, and near the water, family friendly accommodations and dining, and a secure environment for kids.

There may not be a better place in the world for a family diving vacation than the Cayman Islands. Ideal year-round air and water temperatures, crystal-clear visibility, generally calm conditions, a wide variety of underwater experiences, and an incredible array of ‘surface interval’ activities all combine to make the Cayman Islands the place for family fun in, on, and out of the water.

Underwater Family Fun

Family vacations that include diving lead to shared experiences missing for many families today. The lack of competition, combined with a strong sense of camaraderie and shared time, makes for unique family memories that only underwater family fun can provide. The Cayman Islands provide a perfect setting for this fun.

The underwater options for families visiting the Cayman Islands are virtually endless, with introductory ‘resort courses,’ many certification options, simple shore diving, dozens of boat diving options every day, snorkeling, and the more recent additions of SNUBA and SASY all making it easy for kids and parents to build lifelong vacation memories on Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.

Scuba diving on all three islands is ideal for certified divers of all ages. Whether it’s a shallow reef dive from shore or an all-day adventure on a boat, families can (and do) spend weeks diving together throughout the Cayman Islands. In fact, even local families dive together here, with several popular clubs and programs for kids cropping up of late.

As one divemaster recently told an enraptured twelve-year-old, “I dive here every day and I never get bored, so I know you won’t either.” This ‘classroom’ rarely bores even the most jaded child. Whether they’re already certified or do so once there, parents and kids will never forget Cayman Islands diving.

For those not old enough or ready for getting certified (including adults), many other options are available to keep it a family affair in the Cayman Islands. Required ages vary with different operators (and certifying agencies), but additional possibilities can include snorkeling, SNUBA (the tank floats in a raft at the surface), and SASY (supplied air snorkeling for youth).

Of course, snorkeling from virtually anywhere on all three islands is something the family can be doing in a matter of minutes. The snorkeling (or diving) trip to famed Stingray City is a family foray that few ever forget. Once a child has touched a stingray or swam alongside one, you have a Cayman Islands fan for life.

It’s never been easier to share the underwater world as a family unit on all three islands. Of course, families can’t always be underwater, so the other hours can be filled with an incredible number of choices to meet any child’s fancy. Boredom simply isn’t a word heard in the Cayman Islands above or below the surface.

A Safe Environment

Day or night, families feel completely comfortable in the Cayman Islands, whether taking a stroll along famed Seven Mile Beach, driving in the country, walking around George Town’s shopping district, walking the virtually traffic-free roads of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, or stopping at a roadside restaurant, historic site, or secluded beach. The nation’s high standard of living and education, low unemployment, and long-time emphasis on family values have created a safe haven for residents and visitors alike.

Stay and Play

There are a wide variety of accommodations options available to families, with both condominiums and resorts offering varied possibilities. Roughly half of the room stock in the Cayman Islands is in condominium properties, which means there are many units that can easily accommodate from four to eight people or more and provide living space for family gatherings. Most are equipped with VCRs and video rentals are easily available.

Many resorts now offer extensive children’s programs that include education, fun, and several field trips. Evening (or even daytime) sitting services make it easy for parents to plan their own time together, as well.

Eat, Drink, and Be Happy

Kid- (and parent-) friendly dining includes familiar names from home, like KFC, Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and Haagen Dazs. In addition, causal local dining choices like Calypso Grill, Blue Parrot, Cimboco, Lone Star Bar & Grill, and Pirate’s Den offer fun family foods like ribs, wings, nachos, and burgers. Many hotels and restaurants even feature children’s menus, with reduced prices and smaller portions for children at breakfast buffets, theme dinners, barbecues, and most other meals.

Ode To H20 Memories

Along with diving and snorkeling, there are many other activities which can be shared by parent and child. For example, something as simple as shell collecting along the beautiful beaches of all three islands is a frequent family pastime that doesn’t require any equipment except a good set of eyes.

Of course, kids and their parents often like to play with toys, so resorts and independent operators offer a wide variety of watersports equipment and pursuits, including banana boats, catamarans, ocean kayaks, sailboats, waverunners, windsurfers, and much more. Glass-bottom boat trips, sunset cruises, semi-submersible and fully-submersible submarines, an authentic replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon, and other seafaring forays provide yet more opportunities to share marine-based memories.

Many children and their parents are surprised to learn the Cayman Islands are a fishing Mecca. Experienced captains and their crews operate excursions that include some of the world’s best fishing, swimming, and a fresh-caught lunch or snack.

Land ‘Ho

Outdoors family fun doesn’t stop on land, either. Opportunities for nature excursions include a wide variety of choices, one or more of which that are sure to please even the pickiest parents or TV-saturated youngsters.

One of the Cayman Islands’ most popular destinations is the Cayman Turtle Farm on West Bay Road. The only facility of its kind in the world, tanks of endangered green sea turtles--15,000 in number and ranging in size from tiny newborns to huge breeders--enable visitors to see the different stages of turtle development. There’s a special tank that contains fairly large turtles that may be picked up for family photos. A large shop features and extensive collection of books and educational materials about turtles.

Other land-based outdoors activities include: Cardinal D’s Park, where more than 60 species of native birds (including Cayman parrots), blue iguana, miniature ponies, and more await; the Mastic Trail, where a guide can lead families over distinct topographical regions, discussing the vegetation and wildlife that make the Cayman Islands unique; and the newly restored Pedro St. James, the country’s oldest stone structure and the birthplace of democracy for the Cayman Islands (there’s an excellent multi-media presentation depicting 18th and 19th century life).

Further family outing options include the Cayman Islands Museum, walking tours of several districts, a movie theater showing popular first-run films, a bowling center, several arcades and hugely popular indoor play centers, a miniature golf course, biking, horseback riding, visiting one of many caves on Cayman Brac, ‘conching’ (snorkeling for conch and then preparing a snack), and much more. There are also many special events throughout the year that are fun for the entire family (like the Cayman Madness dive vacation promotion each fall, famed Pirates Week, fishing tournaments, and many other ongoing events on all three islands).

For visiting families, the topside attractions are almost as numerous as the dive sites just offshore. A new Heritage One Passport provides special pricing to kids and adults at four land-based tourism attractions: Cayman Islands National Museum; Cayman Turtle Farm; Pedro St. James National Historic Site, and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

Thus, it’s a family affair in the Cayman Islands in, on, and near the crystal-clear Caribbean. The family that dives together will never forget Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac.

For further information about family diving and vacationing in the Cayman Islands, call (800) 346-3313 or visit two very helpful websites: www.caymanislands.ky and www.divecayman.ky.