Dive from San Pedro or Lighthouse Reef (Huracan/Itza) or Both?

[ktripp]

Greetings - I am new here. I've been researching the differences between staying in San Pedro and diving there all week, including one Blue Hole dive vs staying on Lighthouse Reef at Itza or Huracan. I've seen helpful posts about Itza and Huracan -- can anyone help me know if it's preferable to spend all of our time staying/diving from Lighthouse Reef or would it be worth it to split, staying part of the week on Lighthouse and the last bit in San Pedro?

My husband and I will be traveling 7/9 to 7/16 or 17 this year. We are new to diving, 8 dives logged as PADI Open Water only, certified January 2022 in Cozumel (thank you Kaitlyn and Sandra of SanKai Divers, they were AWESOME). I have seen concerns about visibility due to rain and also hesitations about mosquitos. But it seems that most people that stay at Lighthouse say it's worth it and way better than anything else.......any opinions? Also, Itza vs Huracan? It sounds like both are great but perhaps Huracan is the frontrunner?

Anything else to consider in choosing where to stay and dive when we only have a week?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ReefHound]

San Pedro will have more topside amenities and less logistical issues but the diving at the atolls is far superior to the reefs around San Pedro. You can stay in San Pedro and dive the atolls but that will mean long boat rides and some trips may not make due to seas or lack of divers.

 

[ktripp]

Thank you so much!
I forgot to mention we are on a waitlist for a liveaboard -- in your opinion, would staying at the atolls still be preferable to a liveaboard?
Thank you!

 

[ReefHound]

I'd go LOB over staying on the atolls. Is money not an issue?

 

[ktripp]

Good question -- July to December is our last shot at a dive trip for a few years so we are swinging it -- we reasoned if the liveaboard opened up, we would go for it. If not, we were trying to figure out the next best thing, knowing that we won't be able to go again for awhile. My husband has time off in July but we saw a LOB open in December.....would you recommend waiting for that instead if possible?

 

[d^2b]

Good question -- July to December is our last shot at a dive trip for a few years so we are swinging it -- we reasoned if the liveaboard opened up, we would go for it. If not, we were trying to figure out the next best thing, knowing that we won't be able to go again for awhile. My husband has time off in July but we saw a LOB open in December.....would you recommend waiting for that instead if possible?

I liked the diving more staying on Lighthouse atoll [1]. IMHO, that's best diving on the Agressor itinerary, so you just get more of the good parts. The accommodations are definitely fancier on Aggressor (AC, for one). I was there in March, not sure how I'd feel about no AC in July.

[1]: Trip Report - Itza Resort. March 2022

 

[scubadada]

Thank you so much!
I forgot to mention we are on a waitlist for a liveaboard -- in your opinion, would staying at the atolls still be preferable to a liveaboard?
Thank you!

I did the BA IV in April, it was a very good Caribbean trip Trip Report - Belize on the Aggressor IV April 9-16, 2022

It looks like the BA III is open for July 9-16. The Master cabin with double bed appears available, same cost as a Deluxe cabin, it looks very nice. Are you waitlisted for the BA IV?

I took the BA IV mainly for the side by side twins, too old to climb up and down, particularly in the middle of the night. For a couple, the double beds would seem fine. Maybe the III?

 

[d^2b]

After doing both III and IV. I would happily return to the BA III. No real complaints about the IV, I just prefer the smaller boat (and smaller number of divers).

 

[scubadada]

The BA III takes 18 passengers, the BA !V takes 20. The largest deluxe room on the BA III is 9 x 9, 2 are 8 x 7. The deluxe rooms on the BA IV are all 9+ x 9+. Probably the nicest room of the 8 LOBs I've been on, size, storage, AC, bathroom/shower

I would not hesitate to go on the BA III, especially as a couple or if I could be sure to get a bottom bunk. The only other boat we saw the week while on the BA IV was the III. We saw no boats from Huracan or Itza or any other day boats. It was windy and choppy during the week

 

[Boiler_81]

Being newly certified and with only 8 dives under your belt, you may want to reconsider doing the Blue Hole. That is not a dive for beginners.