Greg Caley

Greg Caley from Sunset Divers has left a life that many of us would consider a dream come true in order to work as a dive instructor in the Cayman Islands.

Greg was born in London and grew up just north in Watford, sharing a hometown with the singer George Michael. He attended University of Hertfordshire and pursued an HND in Computer Science. It only took this two-year course for him to realise that he had absolutely no interest in computers whatsoever. Luckily a friend from school was in a band and had asked Greg to assist at gigs.

That same band got signed to Warner Bros, and suddenly Greg found himself in an excellent position to get more work. He became a tour manager for groups that paid for his travel all over the world. The most interesting one of the bunch? Iron Maiden in 2008/2009 which involved four months of skipping from gig to gig on a private jet.

Greg began working in this side of the music business in 2000, but by 2007 he needed a break from the fast-paced schedule. He decided that Australia was as far afield as he could get from the US and Europe tour circuit, and so he booked a much-needed vacation that would allow him six months off. He took a dive resort course early into the trip, and the moment he emerged from the water, he knew that this was a sport in which he had some serious interest.

He immediately worked to get certified as a divemaster and began three months of training followed by an internship at Pro Dive Cairns, where he might have remained, had it not been for the call with the Iron Maiden job offer.

He finished this last tour in July 2009 and two days later was in the Cayman Islands ready to train for his IDC. He had considered going back to Australia but the airline ticket was prohibitively expensive – Cayman just made more sense. Once he became certified as an instructor, Sunset House offered him a job, and by November 2009 he was in the water daily, teaching others the ways of SCUBA.

Greg really likes the instruction side of the job – there’s nothing quite like seeing the faces of those discovering the wonders of diving for the first time. He also never tires of the numerous wall sites surrounding the islands.

Although he misses the tour job and all the great stories he’s gathered over the years (ask him about the time he wandered onto stage and sang with Metallica when he wasn’t supposed to be there), he’s very happy to stick with diving for the time being, with possibly a diversion into marine science and conservation in the future.

When on a boat dive, don’t attempt to take your fins off without holding onto the ladder.

Greg's Top Two

Pallas Arches – Boat Dive

The pin is in 25ft of water where you’ll spy a couple of huge arches. You can swim under them and see loads of life whilst admiring the architecture of the site. Go through one arch and it leads you to a bounty of coral and critters. Pallas Arches is nice and shallow so you can spend a lot of time here. It’s also a great site for practicing underwater navigation. Look out for moray eels and soft corals on the south side.

Babylon

This is a very impressive wall dive and suggested max depth is 100ft. You’ll be stunned by how sheer it is with deep blue sea behind you and blackness beneath. Follow along the wall and see sponges and black coral.

You may be lucky enough to see some big creatures here like hammerhead or reef sharks, so keep your eyes peeled. Check your time and make your way back up to the top of the wall. Make sure you take a safety stop before returning to the boat.

« Back to staff page