The Great Cut dive site is a twenty five minute ride from the Riding Rock Marina.
Dive site is offshore from Clear Pond.
Type of mooring: fixed line with a pickup line on a float ball.
Site briefing: The depth of the Great Cut dive site under the boat is 40 feet on a hardpan and coral bottom. The wall is behind the boat and drops from 40 feet to 110 feet into a huge crack in the reef. A ridge is formed by a section of the wall that has split off and runs parallel to the wall about 50 feet away. This ridge is about 60 feet at the top and is about 250 long. In the middle of the ridge a tunnel passes through to the outer wall. It is shaped like a keyhole with the top at 95 feet and the sandy bottom going from 110 to 150 feet on a slope. Going north the ridge ends in a vertical cliff and to the south it reconnects with the wall in a rolling slope from 40 to 80 feet. There are several schools of grunts on the top of the ridge and huge elephant ear sponges on the north end of the ridge. The face of the shallow wall section has several big coral outcroppings hanging over the big cut.
How to dive it: Swim across the top of the wall and drop down into the great cut. Look for several hanging rope sponges at 85 feet, they mark the entrance to the tunnel. You will see blue water through the tunnel. Pass through the tunnel and bear right around the ridge at 120 to 100 feet. Follow around the ridge until it brings you back to the tunnel. Ascend to the top of the ridge and follow it south about 200 feet and back up to the edge of the wall. Follow the 40 foot wall edge north back to the boat.
We go there: usually as the first dive of the day.
