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Gay’s favourite dives

Every month, What’s Hot devotes a page to Divemaster of the Month, giving well deserved acknowledgement to the underwater guides who keep our visitors safe and happy. I’d like to broaden that recognition to Divemaster of the Decade, or maybe I should say 2 ½ decades. Meet Gay Morse.
 
It’s debatable what may have put Pirates Point on the map: it could be owner Gladys Howards’ world renowned food or it could be the resort’s dive operation which Gay has been part of since 1988. Now since I’m more of a connoisseur of fine food than SCUBA diving I guess I’m going to have to rely on some of their repeat guests’ experience to get the answer. And the only way to do that is to hang out with the divers while dining on one of Gladys’ gourmet creations or over a cold brew in Pirates Point’s unique lounge, decorated with an array of beach treasures that would make any beachcomber envious.
 
At Pirates Point most first time guests become repeat guests and from what I’ve heard across the dining table it seems the casualness of their diving experience has much to do with this. First off the boat leaves at 9am – so there is no early breakfast rushing to catch the boat. Once the divers reach the dive spot there is no time frame as to when everyone must rush back to the resort. The chef is radioed when guests are ready to return for lunch and then the cuisine is prepared. We’re not talking about hotdogs and fries here, lunch can be hefty fresh salads, pastas, homemade breads and sweet desserts.
 
The other unique part of the dive operation is the fact that the dive staff see you in the water on the first dive then offer as much or as little assistance as is needed. Experienced divers are welcome to stay on a guided dive for the critter hunts, or they can do their own dive. If someone is newer and needs a bit more attention, then they use as many guides as needed to make sure everyone has a great dive.
 
The same way that Gladys built up the food, by catering to the guests needs, is how Gay and Ed Morse, along with Martha Steinhagen, Michelle Davis, Bob Morse and Mike Valle have built up Pirates Point’s dive reputation. The dive operation was started by Larry Smith, who came to Pirates Point with Gladys in 1986 from Tyler, Texas. Then in 1988 after a three year stretch working for Don Fosters Dive, Gay moved to Pirates Point, realising that she preferred the remote and better diving environment of Little Cayman. Today, 25 year later, still guiding and teaching visiting divers, Gay still loves her job.
 
A quarter century of diving Cayman waters and most of that on Little Cayman, no doubt makes Gay the Sister Islands’ foremost SCUBA authority. However , Gay refuses to take all the credit, she makes it very clear that the Pirates Point success story can be ascribed to teamwork. Visiting divers, be they experienced or new, all seem to agree on one thing though, they left as a better diver, and this is of course attributed to Gay and Pirates Point’s very experienced diving staff. In her humorous book ‘So you want to live on an Island’, Gay memoirs the fun, rum, trials and tribulations of her 25 years in the Cayman Islands.
 
OK , so let’s get to the bottom line here: is it Gladys’ great food or the dive operation that have made Pirates Point one of the most successful dive resorts in the Cayman’s?
Hmmm, I’ll tell you after dessert.    WH

G Nowak , better known as The Barefoot Man  is a regular contributor to WHATS HOT. Catch his fun performance at the REEF RESORT in East End and make sure you visit his web site
www.barefootman.com