Photo: Photos Stephen Clarke, Harrison Gayton

 Surf and Skate

George Town may not quite qualify as a concrete jungle, but it does offer up what is possibly the best concrete playground in the world.

The world-renowned Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park in Grand Harbour is the perfect spot to work on those skate and surf skills, even if your skill level can best be described as rusty to nonexistent.
It is ironic that one of the top land-based adventures in Cayman involves water, but the wave machine at Black Pearl is a brilliant opportunity to hit the waves often so clearly absent from Cayman’s perfectly mirror-like waters.

The park runs open sessions for everyone from beginners to the experienced on Fridays and Saturdays from 7.30pm and on Sundays between 3pm and 6pm. There is also an under 12’s friendly slide session at 6.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays which is very popular with kids and parents alike, with all sessions lasting for 30 minutes.

“The kids slide session involves the wave being turned into a water slide where the kids basically slide on their bums over the top. Every week we get a turnout of up to 50 kids,” says Aramis Pincovai, Black Pearl Skate Park and Wave coordinator.

Depending on your preference and level of skill, you can either play it safe and bodyboard on your stomach, or flow-board standing up.

“Included in the session is basic instruction and tips from my experienced staff on how to ride and improve,” says Aramis.

The wave is also available for private hire for anywhere between 9am and 9pm as long as it doesn’t conflict with the open sessions. However, bookings are essential, as the wave is a very popular birthday party venue and hosts many such parties over the course of a weekend. Of course, with the Brick House right there, catering is also well taken care of, whether the event is large or small.

The skate park is also well worth a visit and has passed under the wheels of some of the legends of the sport over the years, drawing rave reviews in the process. The park encompasses 62,000 square feet of concrete bowls and half and quarter pipes, with three main courses for experts, intermediates and beginners respectively.

The skate park is open seven days a week, from 10.30am to 7pm on most weekdays, with extended hours on Thursdays for night skate until 9pm. Over the weekend, the park opens at 9.30am, with a night skate session until 9pm on Saturdays.

For more information, call 947-4161
or visit blackpearl.ky.

Swim with the dolphins

One of the more recent attractions to open in Cayman is Dolphin Discovery, which offers visitors a variety of options for interacting with the dolphins housed there.

Three swim with the dolphins programmes are available, starting with the Dolphin Lovers’ Swim. This package includes an educational component in which participants learn more about the dolphins’ lives and interesting facts about them, as well as interaction with the dolphins, including a kiss and handshake as well as jumps and tail splashes.

The Dolphin Swim Adventure features the same education content as the Dolphin Lovers’ Swim, but includes more interaction with the dolphins, including a boogie board push or a dorsal fin tow.
However, the top of the line Dolphin Royal Swim is bound to be the experience of a lifetime as you interact with two dolphins. Interaction includes a foot push among other things, allowing you to get closer to dolphins than you ever imagined.

The onsite gift shop also offers mementoes of your dolphin experience, including photos taken during the dolphin swim programme to keep the memory of the event fresh.

All dolphin swim participants also receive free entry to the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm, located just across the road from Dolphin Discovery.

For those looking for a taste of what Dolphin Discovery has to offer, there is a free dolphin show every Sunday at 12.30pm.

The venue also takes its educational responsibility seriously, offering a Dolphins and Me programme for schools, where students learn more about dolphins, their lives and their environment. They also learn more about how to take care of the environment and limit their impact on the local marine life. Part of the programme even teaches them how to render everyday items less harmful to the environment, including breaking six-pack holders in order to keep them from posing a hazard to marine life and crushing cans so these do not trap small creatures.

For more information, call 949-7946
or visit dolphindiscovery.com

Take to the skies

Sometimes the greatest adventures are to be had by changing your perspective, and there is no better way to do this than a flight with Cayman Islands Helicopters. For those of us who have started to take the Cayman Islands for granted, getting to look down on the familiar sights like Seven Mile Beach and the North Sound from the passenger seat of Jerome Begot’s helicopter is a sure way to bring back the sense of wonder that for many has been lying dormant. Seeing more shades of blue that you’ve ever imagined possible and seeing features of the Island you might otherwise never notice. Cayman Islands Helicopters offers a number of different adventures, from a 20 minute Stingray City tour taking in the sights of the North Sound as well as Seven Mile Beach, or a Whole Island tour that lasts for 50 minutes and takes in the whole of Grand Cayman out to Rum Point, over the North Sound and Stingray City, as well as the District of West Bay and Seven Mile Beach. For those who want something truly special, there is also the option of a sunset flight, followed by dinner at one of Cayman’s top restaurants and a limo ride home.

For more information, call 943-4354
or visit caymanislandshelicopters.com

Walk on water

For those who would rather spend time on the water than in it, Wowballs, or walk on water balls, provide an interesting alternative. These massive see-through plastic balls allow users to walk, run, or just float around on the water, all the while safely tethered and with an operator to ensure that the user is safe at all times. When you are tired from all the activity, the transparent nature of the ball also means that the bottom makes the perfect window into the underwater world, so you can sit back and observe the fish.
Wowballs currently operates from Public Beach on Seven Mile Beach, and also from Hammerheads in George Town. The watertight balls have more than enough air inside to last for an hour, although the standard session is no longer than ten minutes. Of course, it takes a bit of skills to walk and eventually run in the ball, so it might take couple of attempts before you are able to look like a pro. Then again, part of the fun is falling down, and experiencing a splashdown in the water without getting wet is definitely a unique experience. The balls are also available for parties, corporate team building and various other events.

For more information, call 323-0606
or visit wowballs.ky.

We welcome your comments on our stories. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited.