By Theresa Storm
For The Calgary Herald
The Cayman Islands, British West Indies

We swore it would not happen to us.

Despite being of sane mind and sound body, on a recent Cayman Islands vacation my husband Reid and I came down with a serious affliction that those in the know warn has lifelong -- usually incurable -- symptoms.

Diveitis.

Simply put, it is a hopeless addiction to scuba diving. Funny thing is it happened so unobtrusively, sans any telltale signs of dependency, we didn’t realize we were being sucked into its obsessive grasp until we found ourselves cramming three extra dives into the last two days.

After all, we were novices when we set out for the world-famous diving isles. Since earning our PADI Open Water certification in Belize in April 2004, where we consecutively logged seven plunges into the deep, I had just five more dives under my belt, Reid three less.

With our post-certification experience a single dive here and there with long gaps between, I have battled nerves and uncertainty each time. For me, the “do I love diving or not?” jury was still out.

That is why we decided doing multiple dives in a single trip would boost our skills and confidence. But, we agreed before departing, this would not solely be a “dive vacation.”

On past trips, we had encountered enough dive fanatics to know they are bonkers: when not diving or sleeping, they are viewing underwater photos, videos and marine identification guides, while swapping fish tales ad nauseam.

We couldn’t imagine being one of “them.” No, we reassured ourselves, we would keep our vacations balanced, adding diving to our mix of adventures.

After a single easy, yet thrilling, shallow dive to feed the southern stingrays and pet velvety Little Psycho, a 1.5-metre green moray eel at Grand Cayman’s Stingray City, a Twin Otter flew us 36 minutes northeast to the tiny sister island of Little Cayman, population 100.

Little Cayman Beach Resort, our home for the next three days, is almost deserted, the morning dive boats departed. Partially nervous, partially excited, we head for Reef Divers, the resort-owned and -managed dive center.

Worried about being grouped with highly experienced divers, I ask whether assignments to boats are based on experience, keeping the novices together with a higher ratio of divemasters?

“No,” is the reply, “you dive with your buddy.”

Gulp. My nervous quotient raises an octave.

“But, we are both beginners,” I explain, “and we are not ready to dive alone.”

“At least one divemaster conducts a guided underwater tour,” she reassures. “Just tell the crew when you get on the boat.”

With visions of being two in a herd, I’m not feeling so sure about this. Until now, we have had a dedicated divemaster or been part of a small group. Sorry Reid, but I still want my mommy/daddy!

Boarding the dive boat, I beetle for the first person I see in a staff T-shirt. Introducing himself as Ron, he promises to take good care of us.

Mooring at Ringers on legendary Bloody Bay Wall, the best wall diving in the Caribbean, Ron conducts the pre-dive briefing, drawing the site on a whiteboard and noting what aquatic life to watch for. After giving the profile (maximum depth and time) he announces, “The pool is open.”

The experienced divers are gone in a flash. We, on the other hand, hang back. Directed to sit on the swim platform, we don our fins and masks, then slip on the BCD the crew delivers – this is first-class valet diving.

“I’ll meet you under the boat,” Ron assures.

By the time we descend, the rest of the divers are gone, surprisingly leaving Ron to us. Although I stay close to his fin heels and constantly check both Reid and my mysterious rental wrist computer (my first time diving with one), my nerves calm as the dive progresses and soon I’m delighting over juvenile spotted drums, a spotted moray eel and a bizarre-looking honeycomb cow fish.

Over the next two days, we dive the wall four more times. Feeling comfortable with our crew and new dive friends, it’s hard to leave.

But Cayman Brac, the middle-sized of the three islands, a mere five-minute flight away, waits.

Although we’ve agreed to take this day off, within 10 minutes of arrival, Reid admits he wants to dive after all. I readily agree (perhaps a sign of pending addiction?).

This time we enter Reef Divers sister shop at Brac Reef Beach Resort brimming with excitement. Warmly welcomed by Martin Van Der Touw, dive operations manager, we’re impressed with his operation. Although we’re not scheduled until tomorrow, we’re willing to beg to join the afternoon dive.

Warm and personable instructor Jason Belport and divemaster Vicki Kaiser make us instantly comfortable, as do our fellow divers. With them, over the next four days we venture down under eight more times, our confidence, skills and awareness increasing a tonne.

It’s not until the second last day -- when we log three dives, even though we said never more than two -- that we begin to glean we’re hooked. It’s a certainty when we ditch our no-dive last morning to fit in two more.

HELP! Call Divers Anonymous. And, BTW, we prefer the term “dive addicted” to “crazed fanatics.”

- 30 -

This is a follow-up to Theresa Storm’s three-part tales from the deep series about learning to scuba dive, published by The Calgary Herald in 2004.

Ready for a dive vacation?
If you go to the Cayman Islands

Getting There:

• The sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are located 145 kilometres northeast of Grand Cayman.
• Four flights daily on Cayman Airways Express from Grand Cayman, http://www.caymanairways.com/. (There are no ferries).


Where to Dive, Eat and Sleep:

Little Cayman Beach Resort and Brac Reef Beach Resort
• Both 40-room resorts are located on a stunning private white-sand beach with shaded hammocks. They also have a pool, jacuzzi, floodlit tennis court, beach volleyball, horseshoes, basketball, darts, pool or foosball table, and a fitness room; rentals of kayaks, sailboats, paddleboats, windsurfers and bicycles; also internet, a day spa and boutique. The food is delicious, especially the to-die-for desserts. You won’t lose weight on this vacation.
• All inclusive ‘Dive, Eat & Sleep' packages include three 1-tank dives per day.
• Little Cayman: Three-day packages in high season (until April 14) start at $683 US per person, seven days from $1,714.
• Cayman Brac: Three-day packages (excluding Christmas and Easter) start at $573 US per person, seven days from $1,430.
• Low season, non-diver and special rates available (see websites).


More Information and Reservations:
• For information, brochures or reservations call the resorts’ reservation office: Reef FantaSeas in Florida (see individual phone numbers below), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Little Cayman: http://www.littlecayman.com/; to book call toll-free 1-800- 327-3835 or (727) 323-8727; e-mail bestdiving@reefseas.com.  
• Cayman Brac: http://www.bracreef.com/; to book call toll-free 1-800-594-0843; e-mail brac@reefseas.com.


Tourist Information:
• The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism’s Toronto office has loads of information and is very helpful. Visit www.caymanislands.ky/canada  or call toll-free 1-800-263-5805.
• The tourist board also has a special dive site: http://www.divecayman.ky/