FAQs

Yes, we are a PADI 5 Star Dive Center and can teach all of PADI’s recreational certification classes; Open Water Diver, Advanced Diver, Nitrox Enriched Air Diver, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster. We also offer PADI Specialty classes on Fish ID, Lionfish Hunter, Shark Awareness,  Deep Diver, Photography, Coral Conservation, and Self Reliant Diver. We also offer First Aid CPR classes to divers and non-divers.

The Cayman Islands have a long history and reputation as a very safe diving destination.  Ocean Frontiers operates to the strict safety standards of the Cayman Islands Port Authority and Tourism Association Watersports requirements. All vessels are inspected and licensed annually, all dive staff are PADI-certified Dive Masters or higher and trained in search and rescue. Our compressors are inspected and tested independently for breathing air quality every 90 days. All tanks and scuba equipment are continuously maintained and tested to international standards at the required intervals by certified repair technicians. All rental masks, mouthpieces on regulators and snorkels are treated with antibacterial rinse and sterilized using a baby bottle cleaning solution.

Beginner scuba classes (Resort Course) require that you are able to swim and can pass a medical questionnaire. Certified scuba divers will need to provide proof of certification prior to boarding a dive vessel or renting scuba equipment in the Cayman Islands.

There are no upper age limits, if you are fit and able, you can dive. If taking a dive class, you will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire, which may result in the need for a doctor’s clearance before scuba diving. We always recommend checking with your doctor if you are unsure about your fitness to dive. Our crew is always ready to help with any mobility restrictions with elder divers and can help you with removing your dive gear before climbing up the dive boat ladder.

Diver certification cards do not have an expiry date, however, Ocean Frontiers requires that you stay current. 12 months of surface interval since your last dive, but less than 24 months a 'Pool Self-Check' is required. If you haven't been diving in 2-4 years, an Orientation Dive and Pool Self-Check are required for boat diving trips with certified divers. If your last dive was 5-9 years ago you will need to complete a full PADI refresher class. Divers with 10 or more years without diving will need to complete a Full PADI certification class.

Grand Cayman enjoys four distinctly different diving areas - North, East, South, and West, with each section offering a vast selection of dive sites. Ocean Frontiers specializes in diving and snorkeling around the entire East End District, with 55 dive sites and several dedicated snorkel reefs. If you are looking to get away from the crowd, off the beaten path with hardly another boat in sight, East End is your kind of diving.

Yes, the Southern Stingrays within the designated Wildlife Interaction Zones on Grand Cayman are very comfortable with people and are very safe. Ocean Frontiers follows strict rules and safety protocols including limiting the amount of bait fed to the rays, not wearing any footwear or fins and not removing Stingrays from the water surface. Your expert guide will provide a briefing before entering the water to interact with the Stingrays. Our guests are always in the water with one of our experienced stingray guides.

We do appreciate that your little human is, in fact, a little human.  However, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands does not differentiate by age when counting souls on board our vessels.  Each living person participating in our excursions is counted towards our maximum capacity and must therefore pay for the spot that they are occupying.

Ocean Frontiers dive shop and dock are located on-site at Compass Point Dive Resort on the East End of Grand Cayman. We offer a variety of dive and stay packages at this resort so you can ‘Roll Out of Bed and onto the Dive Boat’.

Divers choose the East End, ultimately because of the quality of diving and what they are going to see underwater. The marine life, the corals, the sponges, the topography and overall reef health is simply the best in Grand Cayman. The other reason is that it is the only location in the world you can dive with Ocean Frontiers - we have the best dive boats by far and deliver a service that will make you never want to dive elsewhere again.

No way, it is all the same Caribbean after all - warm, clear water with great visibility. We are on the windward side of Grand Cayman, so there is a constant breeze and at times there will be some chop and swells. Similar diving conditions to Cayman Brac, Little Cayman and the Florida Keys or other destinations in the Caribbean.

Yes, you sure can, unsupervised buddy team diving on dive computers is permitted for experienced divers. Unguided diving on the wall/drop-off is at the discretion of the captain at certain dive sites. When diving unguided, we suggest jumping in first and coming out last to extend your bottom time, providing no-deco time and air supply permits. We also require that you and your buddy both have a computer and that you do not exceed the 100ft depth limit and that you do not go into deco. Our dive profiles on a Two-Tank Boat Dive are as follows - the first dive is 100 feet max with a 60-minute bottom time. The surface interval is 45 mins, followed by the second dive is a maximum of 50 to 60 ft, with a maximum bottom time of 60 minutes. We take a max of 14 divers per boat with three dive-masters, so dives are typically guided in groups of 7. One of the crew always stays on board and two guides are always in the water to make sure you don’t miss anything. Many divers prefer to relax and follow one of our expert guides.

Yes, absolutely - this is one of the perks of diving with us. After arriving at Ocean Frontiers, you will be able to leave your dive gear in our secure, shaded and well-ventilated customer storage area. Each diver has their own station with hangers and a large crate box, complete with a name tag so that we can have your gear on the boat for you each time you are diving. We will also rinse and hang your gear for you when storing and set up your gear on the boat for you every day you are scheduled to dive. Remember you are on vacation.

The ocean is either warm or hot, never cold. Water temperature peaks in Sept and Oct reaching 86f to 87f then drops slightly, eventually reaching a low of 78f to 79f during the winter months of February and March. A 3mm shorty wetsuit or rash guard is quite appropriate in the summer months, while in the winter full suits are recommended for those who get cold easily.

We require 24 hours notice for rescheduling or canceling of dive trips for a full refund or a fee of $30.00 will be charged. 48 hours notice is needed from groups of 4 or more.

Most of the best East side diving in Grand Cayman is done from boats. There are two very nice shore dives in the area for experienced and advanced shore divers, as there are no facilities at those sites. Shore diving is subject to weather and never guaranteed. Check with the front desk upon check-in and we'll be glad to point you in the right direction and rent you some tanks.

"Viz forever" is our motto, some even call us viz-snobs, as if the visibility is less than 80feet, we ain't getting in the water ;) Water visibility is generally fantastic, averaging over 100 feet. It can even be up to 200 feet in the best conditions.

Yes, we dive the wreck of the ex-USS Kittiwake every Wednesday as part of our Three Tank Safari.

Divers are prohibited from wearing gloves while scuba diving under the Marine Marks Regulations. Divers who do not wear gloves are deterred from touching the coral reef. We have found that gloves tend to give divers a misconception that they do not damage the reef as they are not really touching the reef with their own hands. Ocean Frontiers follows all Marine Park and conservation regulations in the Cayman Islands.

Nitrox is available for an additional surcharge of US$12.00 per tank, $55 for 6 tanks, or $99 for 12 tanks. We also offer Nitrox certification, which is easy and doesn't take much time. We use 32% Nitrox for our dive profiles.

All of our Dive Staff are trained professionals and pride themselves on providing the highest level of service and best diving on the island. Gratuities are not expected or solicited - This is what we do :) However, gratuities are welcomed and if you feel you would like to show your appreciation to someone specifically or the whole staff for going the extra mile - gratuity envelopes are available at the front desk of the dive shop. Feel free to discuss with our operations manager if you are unsure what is appropriate.

The weather on Grand Cayman is typically sunny, warm and beautiful, all year round. The hottest period is between mid-July to mid-September, and it rarely falls below 80f degrees even during ‘winter’ days. Evenings in January and February can be cool, dropping to about 70f. The rainy season runs from mid-May to November. It is not common for it to be raining at one end of the island, but have brilliant sunshine elsewhere on the island. Usually, when it rains, it rains heavily for a couple of hours and then stays clear for the rest of the day.

Hurricane season runs from June to November and rarely produces more than a tropical depression weather system, as the Cayman Islands are not directly in the main storm path. Ocean Frontiers offers a Hurricane guarantee with a full refund in the event the island is closed for visitors and dive trips were cancelled.

Yes, providing you have international roaming as part of your mobile plan, Cayman offers islandwide 4G coverage with either Digicel or Flow networks. Free wi-fi is also available at the dive shop.

Ocean Frontiers Dive Shop and departure point for all East End boat dive trips is located at:

344 Austin Conolly Drive

East End

Grand Cayman

Cayman Islands

KY1-1801

We are on Google Maps and it works.

Every card we have ever heard of, Amex, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and some bank out of China we have never heard of...  Cash works too and Travellers Checks are also accepted. We do not accept checks.