Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Reef · Wall
Armchair Reef
Massive sponges on the drop at 21 m (70 ft)
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A George Town-area reef dive worked from a fixed mooring, with colourful reef running along the edges of a mini-wall. The base of the mooring line sits at 35 ft (11 m) and the site's deeper ground reaches 70 ft (21 m), where massive sponges grow along the drop. The shallow top carries the rest of the dive once the deep end is done.
Where it is and how deep
19.2795° N, 81.3942° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The mooring line is the spine of this dive. You follow it down to its base at 35 ft (11 m), onto reef at the top of the mini-wall, and that single point is where the dive begins and ends. Take a moment there to fix its position in your head before heading off along the edge, because it is the only fixed reference on the site and the reef around the lip looks much the same in every direction.
From the top of the mini-wall the ground falls away to 70 ft (21 m). That deeper edge is where the massive sponges are, so the usual plan is to drop over early, run along the face while gas and no-stop time allow it, then step back up onto the reef top. The colourful reef around the lip of the wall is what carries the rest of the dive, and the ascent and safety stop are done on the line you came down.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Grand Cayman: December to April is drier and calm enough for the exposed south side; August to October is hurricane season, and the rain peaks in October.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Armchair Reef?+
The mooring line reaches the reef at 35 ft (11 m) and the deepest ground on the site is around 70 ft (21 m), on the sponge-covered edge of the mini-wall. Most of the dive is spent shallower than that, up on the reef along the top.
Sources
- Armchair Reef - Scubago — Scubago
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