“Soon come” is a familiar Caribbean phrase normally associated with a tide of red tape and interminable wait. But, when Salt Lake City businessman John McMillian and his Caribbean development director Peter Hughes said that, and teamed up for their second scuba venture on Grand Cayman, their promise of another first class dive resort by Christmas came true.

The luxury dive resort of Spanish Cove, their first project, now has a sister property just south of the island’s capital of George Town. Formerly Casa Bertmar, the newly reopened South Cove resort is a Cayman transformation which bears the unmistakable imprint of Peter Hughes’ professionalism, but retains the informal atmosphere of the original operation.

During the fall 1983, the 22 unit resort underwent a refurbishing program and added several innovative options for guests, transforming South Cove from a dive lodge to a small, quality resort with a guest house atmosphere.

Capt. Wayne Hasson, formerly dive operations director at Casa Bertmar, is now general manager at South Cove. With three years’ experience diving Cayman’s waters, he can assure divers will see the best sites off Grand Cayman–including the incredible “petting zoo” of marine creatures three minutes off South Cove’s shoreline. And guests can expect to spend time with the famous trio of large green morays, Waldo, Waldeen and Wilbur, one of this island’s most popular photographic attractions.

In addition to upgrading the resort, the new South Cove team has established a unique program for guaranteeing guests the best diving year-around: a “symbiotic” dive schedule with sister properly Spanish Cove, on Cayman’s quiet north coast, with immediate access to the magnificent sites on Cayman’s famous North Wall. South Cove guests can request to be accommodated on Spanish Cove’s boats at no additional charge on any day of their vacation. Information is readily available at the South Cove dive shop regarding the planned daily dives of each.

The other unusual offering is the unlimited diving package. This is no hot air fill promotion, but a genuine vacation opportunity which allows South Cove guests unlimited shore diving, within the safety limits of standard tables, from the ironshore on which it and Spanish Cove are located. Excellent diving with a variety of fascinating sites and plentiful marine life exists directly in front of both resorts.

To make shore diving and boat loading as convenient as possible, one of the first additions to South Cove facilities was the creation of a second concrete slipway carved through the ironshore. Guests now simply walk right into the water.

Other onshore changes complete the transformation of this eight year old resort. South Cove’s comfortable double and triple rooms are all fully air conditioned, each with private bath and attractive decor. The two-story guest quarters are adjacent the dining room, bar and dive shop. However, the main lobby and office is now in the new building close to South Church street. The original office is now a complete modern photo center complete with an electronic cigarette coupons center.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.intothegreatlakes.com/cayman-islands/south-cove-coziness-on-the-cayman-islands-part-1/