Standing on the dock at Cobalt Coast Resort, a popular diving resort in Grand Cayman, I wondered if I was really going to do this. This being getting my open water certification. I was turning 39, and I’ve feared deep water for most of my adult life. I didn’t want to go around the sun another year with this fear, but the idea of going 60 feet underwater and completing drills was terrifying me. 

If I’m so terrified, why am I doing this? The answer is my daughter. A few years ago, she started mentioning that she wished she could dive with her dad, and then we found out about a program called Kids Sea Camp, where kids as young as 10 can get their Junior Open Water certification; both hubby and my daughter were ecstatic. Feeling a little adventurous myself, I announced that I, too, would get certified and conquer my fear of deep water.  I’ve wanted to do it for some time, and this was the motivation I needed.

And yet, when the time came, I spent the flight wondering how I got myself into this because as the time to do it approached, I was really nervous about my ability to do it at all. I should explain that I grew up in the a small village in Jamaica, and the biggest fear for most parents was the kids around deep water. It was a rational fear because, at the time, the #1 cause of accidental death was drowning. As a result, I spent many years not knowing how to swim until we immigrated to Canada, and I started taking lessons. Even when I learned how to swim, I wouldn’t venture too far out, and if I couldn’t touch the bottom, I would move closer to shore.  Children have a way of pushing us completely out of our comfort zone. I knew I couldn’t let my daughter do something that I thought was dangerous. If it was safe enough for her to do it, it was safe enough for me, and I just had to get out of my head. 

When we arrived in the Cayman Islands, we did some drills in the pool and some in the ocean. Something magical happened in Grand Cayman – the beauty of what I was seeing and the sheer awe of the sea life pushed some of the fear out of my mind. I had scuba-dived once before, though, not more than 15 feet, where I could easily exit the water if needed. The first time I dived was when I was dating my now husband, then boyfriend, on a trip to Cuba. The adrenaline of young love always pushes fear away, and we did a resort course, where I got my initial taste of diving in Cayo Guillermo; I was awed by the underworld life, how it looks like little villages, and the school of fish seem to be going along a path, and the coral looked like little forests. I was sure I would do it again soon. But after my daughter was born a few years later, my fears came back tenfold because, this time, it wasn’t just about me – I had to be safe for both of us. Add in postpartum anxiety, and the fear of deep water became even more intense.  It’s funny how she became the catalyst for pushing that fear aside years later.  

When I made the big announcement that I would get certified, I did an intro dive with PADI while in Bermuda. Neither of those dives prepared me for the beauty of diving in Grand Cayman. As a beginner diver, I loved that there was little to no current in the water, so I didn’t have to worry about watching for locations, and I could just relax and experience what was happening around me. The clarity of the water was incredible it felt like I was looking at an aquarium, except the sea life was all around me.  The abundance of sea creatures, from stingrays, turtles, octopi, giant lobsters, and schools up on schools of fish, calmed my mind. At one point, a baby turtle seems to be flirting with and swimming around us. It was a surreal experience. 

One of my favourite experiences is the USS Kittiwake, I didn’t realize until I saw it that it was in Grand Cayman because it is one of the most Instagrammed diving spots in the world, and you’ve likely seen it on Instagram if you follow any diving hashtags.  We went to a dive site called Walmart, which was aptly named because this is where I saw the most variety of sea life in one place. If you go to Walmart, you are almost guaranteed to see turtles.

I’ve talked about my experience so far, but as mentioned, it was a family trip.  My hubby, who is an advanced diver, had a different experience than Katelyn & I. For the most part, we all went on the same boat, and the more experienced divers would go to a different spot. My daughter & I would, for the most part, be at about 40 feet deep, whereas he went much deeper.  He signed up for a night tour and came back talking about “the thing” – yes, that’s the name for it, and the Caymans is one of the few places in the world where you can see it. The description of it creeped me out, including giant worms that would come towards the flashlight as that’s the only light in the water at night, but the glowing octopi sounded cool, not enough to experience it for myself, but if you want a night diving experience, he recommends doing it at Cobalt Coast because they were able to go just off the dock.

There are many things to do if you don’t want to dive all day or if someone in your group doesn’t dive. We chose to go with Kids Sea Camp because while my daughter & I were getting certified and hubby was diving 3 dives a day, our little guy, aged 7, was in the camp program having the time of his life. He did the SASY program, where he learned how to use a BCD and regulator and breathe compressed air while staying above the water, essentially the first stage in learning about diving. 

They did a few hours in the water every day, and when they weren’t diving, they would be off on some great excursions like Crystal Caves,  a natural attraction with stalactite and stalagmite crystal structures, as well as bats! Now, seeing bats up close doesn’t get me excited but the kid went on about it for days after the trip and still talks about it, years later. 

Ethan and the kids in the sassy program also went to Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Garden, where he learned about different types of birds and animals. He was beyond excited to see a cashew fruit up close. He loves cashews and didn’t know what the fruit looked like. 

We went to Camana Bay, a newly built area on Grand Cayman with upscale shops and a gorgeous beach. There are lots of restaurants to choose from, including an ice cream shop and a splash pad area – which the kids quite enjoyed. 

I loved the Grand Cayman for our first family dive vacation because it offered something for everyone in the family.  If you are an experienced diver and looking for adventure, there are amazing places like Trinity Caves, a set of three swim-through coral canyons off the shore on seven-mile beach where you can get a chance to see the elusive eagle ray on the sand flats.

If you are a beginner, the options are almost endless, including shore diving from many of the resorts and beaches.  One of our family’s overall favourite experiences was the Stingray City site (no, not the tourist attraction) this is where you scuba dive around the sand flats, and the guide feeds the stingray. This was especially amazing because we were all there together. Our 7-year-old was above the water with his guide in his SASY scuba gear, my daughter, husband & I were at the bottom, only 15 feet away, sitting on the sand with the stingrays who allowed us to touch them.  Even our 7-year-old got a chance to touch one when they swam close to the water’s surface. 

Diving as a family in Grand Cayman is an amazing experience full of moments that will take your breath away. I never thought I’d be someone who relished the thought of diving with my husband and children, but now it’s a big part of our travels.