ambergris caye in may

[justadyver]

4 of us will be staying at Banyan bay.
saw a lot of good reviews for chuck and robbies.
has anybody dove with them? How about other dive operations.
dont like large groups. all of us have 500 + dives

 

[peterbj7]

Chuck 'n Robbies are a good dive center and you won't go wrong with them. You may find smaller groups with Island Divers, who are my preferred operator here for local dives. Rudy who owns it was for years the star DM at Bottom Time.

 

[Gaz]

Robbie used to work for me as a young lad and he is a very personable likable guy his operation I have only heard good things about it and I am sure you wont for wrong diving with his outfit.

He is a small operations so he also fits in with your requirment of small groups.

Island divers I dont see much about them when I visit all the dive message boards other than from peter but have known Rudy since he first started with Bottom Time way back when and he is also a nice guy and I am sure his op is up to scratch since peter is asscocaited with them. I would wait till you get there though to book as they are local lads and there response to emails is unfortunatley not very good at all.

You could also try Bottom Time which is at your location they are not that busy and since there is 4 experienced divers such as your self you may just get a boat to yourself.

On another note you guys have 500 dives each I am just wondering why you chose Ambergris Caye ? While I am a big promoter of Ambergris Caye and its diving I would not of reccmomended divers with 500 dives each, to dive ambergris caye. Reason being is its hard to keep very experienced divers happy with the diving off Ambergris Caye for a weeks diving.

In my days of a dive resort owner if you guys had contacted me i would of advised you spend a week on the Aggressor or head to Glovers for the week or Lighthouse or Turneffe where the diving is more to the standard experienced divers such as yourself expect.

If you insisited on coming to Ambergris Caye then I would of clearly explained the diving and what to expect.

Be sure to supplement your weeks diving with an offshore trip to either Blue Hole/ Lighthouse Reef or Turneffe Islands both North Turneffe and Southern Turneffe at Elbow.

Have a great trip

Gaz Cooper

 

[justadyver]

Gaz

Our friends are into timeshares and Banyan bay had a slot open up.
Would you elaborate on the diving and what to expect? we have been to Cayman islands all three,Bonaire,Riveria maya,bahamas,many lakes and quarries in the US.
any suggestions for dive sights we can ask them to take us.

thanks to Gaz and Peter for the response

 

[Gaz]

Check out my other post titled Top ten Dives of Ambergris Caye it will give you an idea of sites to request.

Be sure to break the week up with a Atoll trip and you should be fine

have a great trip

 

[diverrex]

We've stayed at Banyan Bay twice. Really nice units, nice beach (a rare thing on AC, at least the southern part). Both times we dove with Ramon's. They have several boats so they will sort out the inexperienced versus experienced divers on different boats. We would walk there every morning along the beach. Make sure to stop in at Fido's for food and drink.

 

[Pimdiver]

Been to AC twice in the last two years, and absolutely recommend Chuck and Robbie's. You'll feel like family after the first day.

 

[Wayfarer2]

I have been to Ambergris four times in the last three years and have to agree with Gaz that the diving there is nice but not the same level as Grand Cayman or Bonaire. I have not used Chuck and Robbie but all of the friends I have made on the island speak very highly of them. On Ambergris I would say my favorite dives are Esmeralda for the nurse sharks and Eagle Ray Pass, for you guessed it, the Eagle Rays. When I go to Ambergris it’s not so much for the diving as the great people and relaxation, the diving is a nice side line. I also agree that breaking the week up with a trip to the Atolls is a great idea. I did the Blue Hole trip and while I felt that the Blue Hole was a been there done that dive the two follow up dives at Light House Wall and Aquarium were some of the best I have ever done. Those dives led me to taking my first live aboard trip last week on the Belize aggressor III, hands down the best dive trip I have ever taken.


Some Recommendations.

If you are staying down south I highly recommend a golf cart to get to and from town.

Sunset Grill on the back side of town has great food and be sure to check out the Tarpon feeding off the back dock. Estels Kitchen has great breakfast and Lunch and is also a great place to spend the afternoon drinking beer and the Bloody Marys are also top notch. Right next door Caliente has great food I especially like the Lobster and Fidos is always a safe bet for a good meal. And don’t miss the Pizza at Pepperonis.

The island has a great music scene. Check out the Sunday Jam at BC’s bar. Dennis Wolf and the Usual Suspects are glad to have people come up and join them for a song or two. Don’t Miss All Cayed Up their young Bass player Derik is amazing, stick around for his rendition of Shakey Town! Catch them Tuesdays at Wet Willies and Sundays he plays with Gino and the Shackshakers at Crazy Cunucks.

Some Links to check out

Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board

Gringo In Belize

Wet Willies

SEND-DERRICK-TO-SUMMER-MUSIC-CAMP

 

[pedro101]

Check and Robbies come highly recommended. Amigos Del Mar is another good dive operation.

For other options during your stay check out the San Pedro Events calendar
San Pedro Events Calendar | Ambergris Vacations | Discount Travel Packages for San Pedro, Belize