Diving in Belize - your experiences?

[zahner]

I am planning a week-long trip to Belize for the spring and I know there are a bunch of divers here. I would like to know your experiences in Belize and any recommendations (dive outfits, sites not to miss, hotels, etc) you might have. We would be a party of four all w/ advanced open water cert. Thanks in advance!

Terence

 

[joe]

my friend did it and he said it awsome that all i can tell you and also there are little pools oof water on the shoor that were just filled with blenneys and gramas.

thats wat he said.

 

[Josh]

I spent a week on the Sun Dancer (peterhughes.com), I highly recommend it!

I really suggest looking into a liveaboard as the best dive sites are very far from shore. You definately do not want to miss the Blue Hole dive, but it is really short and you blow your whole profile for the day. It takes about 2 hours to get there from Ambergris, but on the liveaboard you stay in the area all day.

If everyone is advanced open water, and this is a diving centric trip, then a liveaboard is the way to go.

If you do decide to stay on land, do NOT stay in Belize City.

I can answer any questions you might have, my wife and I spent two weeks there and did just about everything you can think of.

-Josh

 

[nycmat]

i did a wek in honduras right next to Belize. You can take a boat to the bay islands right off of the coast of honduras. it isnt far and dive off the coast and see the reef for a minimum price. it is real cheap i dove for 12$ a dive. great savings. JUST DONT DRINK THE WATER!!! It s spoiled for real it is. the drinking water that is.
the reef is the 2nd best in the world they say and from what i saw thay are right. also this is just south of the caymans where you pay through the nose try it there

 

[zahner]

Josh - thanks for the recommendations, I've not done a liveaboard before and it sounds like it is the best way to do it in Belize. I wouldn't want to waste so much time travelling back and forth. The couple we are planning on going with were on a liveaboard for about a week earlier this year on the GBR and they loved it. I'm sure I will have plenty of questions as I research further, tks for the offer!

Terence

 

[Josh]

Terence,

Once you do a liveaboard you will probably not want to do land based diving again!

You set up your equipment once, you rarely have to lift your gear, no transit times, no theft, etc. It is very comfortable.

The food on that boat was great. Also, because of the hull shape, you don't have to use a dive tender. You literally jump off the back of the boat and start your dive. When you are tired or cold, you swim back up, hop out, take a warm shower on the dive deck, and they wrap you in a heated towel! At night when you finish the night dives they have hot chocolate with rum waiting for you. It is great for couples since you don't have to do every dive, and you can leave a dive early if you are tired.

For a location like Belize, I can't recommend it enough.

-Josh

 

[zahner]

wow that sounds perfect! I see getting really spoiled. what time of year were you down there?

 

[Josh]

Early September, the water was about 78-80.