Ambergris Caye November 18-27

[Jeannie Knierim]

We will be going to Ambergris Caye with our adult children November 18-27. Most of the time it will be just my husband and I diving. We are AOW and generally have a bottom time of 65-80 minutes depending on the conditions. We prefer small groups that allow us to stay down as long as our air consumption will allow. November 20-23 our 3 adult children will be with us, so we will be a group of 5 on those dates. They are also AOW. They want to dive 2 days with us during that time. We have a couple of questions. First, should we take the to Turneffe Atoll or the Blue Hole for one of the days. We will do a local dive on the other day. Second question, it is important to my husband and I that we have a safe experience that allows us to be in a small group--we are not fans of cattle boats--and that allows us to stay down based on our air consumption and not a set 45 minute time. We are staying at the Portofino Beach Hotel on Ambergris Caye in case that makes a difference. This will be our first trip to Belize, so we would appreciate your advice.

 

[Bookworm11]

If you go to Turneffe, that's a LONG DAY! I went there for a 3 dive trip. It's 2 1/2 hours there and 2 1/2 hours back, maybe more. For our last dive, the current got very strong, and my DM had to drag me along the whole time. (Of course I was newly certified OW at the time!) The ocean got very rough near the end of the third dive, and it was extremely difficult for me to get back on the boat. There were at least 3 foot swells on the ocean. The boat trip back was very rough as well. I imagine it's a long day to go to the Blue Hole. I dove with Ramons Dive Shop, and I don't remember any boat ever going out with more than 8 people. Of course that was during COVID.