Shore Diving - Anchors Point

Newbie Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

Hi all! Have any of you tried diving Anchor Point as a shore dive? I've heard it's just a little more than a 100 yards out and was curious if anyone thinks it's worth the swim. btw...I've been an avid diver for 11 years and my buddy and I can physically make the swim. I'm just wondering what someone who's been there thinks of it.

I will be on the East side the 1st week of September and thought I might do a shore dive or two when I'm not doing boat dives with OF...I've heard good things about those guys somewhere Wink

. Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated!

edited just to fix typo in title - scubachar

Status Member Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 765

I know where Anchor Point is, but have not dived it. If you drive west from where you are staying, you will pass Barefoot Beach, which is surrounded by coral walls and only has 2-3 houses. The next dirt road to the sea is the one to take to the beach (stay left at the fork). Nice little beach there. It is about 100 yds to the dive site. My diver friends say to tow your dive stuff and enjoy the snorkel out to the wall. They say Anchor Point would be more aptly named Mountain Ridge.

Newbie Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 3

That sounds great NorthSideSue...I'll have to give it a try! I'm so ready to get in the water. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:49 pm Post subject: Anchor Point

NorthSideSue, I tried following your directions to the Anchor Point entry point and could not do so. Have there been some recent changes to the geography around there? Does the dirt road still exist?

Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject:

I have found some good information on the shore dive in question!. spin

However I do not know when it was posted Confused

Anchor Point, Queen's Highway

Location: Anchor Point right next to Barefoot Beach Gardens Entrance difficulty:◊ Distance from shore: 120yards(wall)

Tanks or equipment available on site: NO

Accessible: Most of the year, usually too rough Nov-Jan Marker buoy: NO Dept: Wall lip 50ft Map:

This dive site is not the easiest to find, which probably explains the lack of "dive traffic" in this location.

You have to look for a dirt road right before Barefoot Beach that will take you to the shore. The cove where you will be gearing up is fantastic and it makes a great picnic spot after the dive.

The entrance is easy and sandy but booties still should be worn because of the rocks in the water shortly after the beach. The swim out is not as long as Babylon but it will still take a few minutes to get there, do the "snorkel out" here as well and you will be rewarded by beautiful shallow reefs with plenty of marine life.

The wall here is truly spectacular, the sheer size of the coral formation on the "wall lip" is humongous, if there is a name for this dive it should be "Mountain Range" because that is exactly what it looks like, a huge mountain ridge.

The shallow reefs on the way back also make a good 25ft stop to see an abundant amount of colorful juvenile fish.

I have added some pictures below for your viewing pleasure....1st photo shows barefoot beach gardens and the dirt road

second photo refers to the same, but actual view at the time

3rd shows road going off to the left

lastly shows entrance in relation to the site 120 yds

Happy Diving!!!

RC sun

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:26 am Post subject:

Perhaps it's just me, or perhaps the terrain has changed, but I have not been able to locate the dirt road just to the West of Barefoot Beach Gardens shown in the photo. Has anyone been there in the last 2 months or so?

Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:26 am Post subject:

Alex,

Northside Sue has been in Cayman for the last several weeks, and is due to come home in the next couple of days.

I'm sure when she returns to her computer, she'll probably see this and be able to give you an answer.

Sorry, I know absolutely nothing about that part of the island Rolling Eyes

.

Char

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:20 pm Post subject:

Northside Sue are you there?

Status Member Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 765

I noticed that a couple of the beach access roads had been closed off. I'm not sure how far you would have to hoof it to the dive site from the nearest road to the water. Sorry.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:17 pm Post subject:

OK, thanks.

Temporary Resident Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 124

I dove this spot a few years back, actually before Ivan so I don't know if the road is the same. I plan on checking it out again next week.

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:30 pm Post subject:

Lesclaypool, dfid you get a chance to check out the Anchor Point shore access? What did you find?

Temporary Resident Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 124

Hi there alex. No, I didn't make it up there this time, not even to babylon. I was so blown away by Northwest pt. at the Cracked Conch I did not even bother. Dove there 3 times instead. We had my wife's friend this time and I'm not sure she would have been up for the long swim out to the wall in that area. Next time though, I am going to give it a try. From what I remember (and this was pre-Ivan), there was a road there by the Barefoot beach. I always get that one confused with the very similar little road to babylon. That area never seemed very developed so unless they had a major building boom in the past few years, I am sure there still must be some beach access near that area. Even if it involved a walk it would be worth it, that site from what I remember was as good as babylon, with both of them being about the same effort to get to, about 100yds from shore.

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:09 am Post subject:

OK, thanks.