Safety · Destination Guide
Quiet walls, a legendary frigate wreck, and bluff-top adventure on the wild Sister Island
Updated Apr 26, 2026 • 26 sources
Cayman Brac rewards conservative planning. Use local operators, public moorings, good buoyancy, and day-by-day weather judgment. The island has local emergency care at Faith Hospital, while the Cayman Islands recompression chamber is at George Town Hospital on Grand Cayman.
Treat the Brac as a wall and wreck destination, not just a tropical reef destination. Stay within training, monitor depth closely, and avoid wreck interiors, caves, or swim-through overheads unless trained and guided. Carry an SMB, use Nitrox only within certification limits, and keep repetitive dive profiles conservative. Surface chop can be the limiting factor, so follow captain decisions on site swaps. Freedivers should use a trained buddy, float, flag, and formal blackout prevention protocol.
Faith Hospital on Cayman Brac provides 24-hour Accident and Emergency support, but the Cayman Islands' recompression chamber is at George Town Hospital on Grand Cayman and is available on-call through Cayman Hyperbaric Services. In a suspected dive emergency, call local emergency services first, stabilize the diver, and contact DAN for specialist diving medical guidance.
No-glove and no-touch rules are real
Cayman marine rules prohibit gloves while diving or snorkeling and prohibit damaging coral or taking marine life. Good buoyancy and reef awareness are not optional.
Walls can pull profiles deep fast
Many Brac sites start gently and then drop sharply. Watch depth, gas, and no-decompression limits, especially when photographing sponges, chutes, and wall edges.
Fall trips need storm flexibility
September and October can still have excellent days, but they need refundable plans, trip insurance, and acceptance that flights, boats, and sites may change.
Ironshore and surge affect shore entries
Rocky entries, urchins, and unexpected surge can turn an easy-looking snorkel into a poor choice. Wear booties and ask local staff which coast is protected.
Do not touch, stand on, or kick coral. Do not take marine life while on scuba, do not remove coral or sponges, do not dump waste, do not feed wildlife, and do not wear gloves while diving or snorkeling. Use public moorings instead of anchoring near reefs, report damaged moorings or turtle nesting activity, and use the DoE marine parks app to confirm where you are.
Do Not Do This
Avoid entering when no-glove and no-touch rules are real. Confirm local briefings before committing.
| Contact | Role | Phone | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Services | Police, fire, ambulance, and immediate life-safety emergencies | 911 | 24 hours |
| Faith Hospital | Cayman Brac community hospital and Accident and Emergency department | +1 345 948 2243 | 24-hour Accident and Emergency |
| Cayman Hyperbaric Services | Cayman Islands recompression chamber at George Town Hospital, Grand Cayman | +1 345 949 2989 | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on-call |
| Divers Alert Network Emergency Hotline | Diving medical emergency consultation and travel-assistance routing | +1 919 684 9111 | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year |
| Cayman Islands Department of Environment | Marine offences, mooring reports, turtle reports, and conservation guidance | +1 345 949 8469; Cayman Brac +1 345 926 0136; VHF 17 | Office hours for general contact; use 911 for emergencies |
| DoE Turtle Hotline | Report turtle tracks, nests, hatchlings, or disturbance | +1 345 938 6378 | Turtle nesting season, May to November |