Aqua Dives

[calicant]

Looks like Aqua Dives has moved location. We used them while staying at the Sunbreeze in July when the shop was just next to the hotel. They have changed the name on their web site to Aqua Scuba Center and seem to have moved to the Tacklebox dock. Does this mean there will be a different operation working from the Sunbreeze?

We already booked flights and a room at the Sunbreeze for another week starting Dec 23rd.

Last but not least, can I easily make a trip to Caracol from Ambergris Caye in one day or do I need an overnight? Would like to do that while denitrogenating before our flight home.

 

[Gaz]

Yes it will Be Hugh Parkeys Belize Dive Connection an excellent op with quality dive boats.

They were supposed to move a few months ago but the Hotel had to go to court in order to get Aqua Dives out of their property

As for the change of name why would you would change a branded name of over 11 years which has tens of thousands of dollars invested in it through advertising and past goodwill the mind wants to know.

I just checked there site and it indeed forwards to a new domain name and the site has been changed to reflect the Aqua Scuba center and a new facebook page with no friends.

Seems like an attempt to put the old name Aqua Dives behind them and start fresh, its the same owners I presume so nothings changed except the name.

As for Caracol you should be able to arrange it when you get there

Gaz Cooper

 

[peterbj7]

They appeared to be still ensconsed at Sunbreeze when I walked past there yesterday, but I'll check today.

 

[calicant]

Thanks for the info. We liked Aqua Dives when we did our open water course a few weeks ago. The staff were very nice to us as novice divers and their scuba diving course hooked us into making another booking for Ambergris as soon as we got home.

Didn't know about the lease issues at the Sunbreeze.

I'll be making more trips with Aqua Dives(or Scuba) but will try a couple of other shops as well on this next trip.

We find we like almost everyone on Ambergris, especially the locals we meet while ordering coffee and powder buns for breakfast!

 

[peterbj7]

They've used the name Aqua Scuba for years, just not as their corporate name. I do know there are various legal issues going on, but so far as I'm aware not over evicting them from their current location. The issues I'm aware of concern another matter. That said, they do seem rather to have dropped the ball in a recent training incident which was the subject of another thread here last week.

I was told yesterday that Teresa Parkey, owner of Belize Dive Connection, is "coming to the island" very shortly. Whether that means just her or her entire business isn't clear at present. However, her business is partly (largely?) owned by the same people who own Sunbreeze, so they have an interest in bringing both under the same roof.

 

[calicant]

We will be staying at the Sunbreeze and will visit the dive shop about 10 mins after we check in. It will be interesting to find out who is running it.

 

[Storm]

We will be staying at the Sunbreeze and will visit the dive shop about 10 mins after we check in. It will be interesting to find out who is running it.

Could you post a review of the Sunbreeze (or PM if you prefer) after your stay. we're heading down there to stay with them in December and a current review would be very interesting to read.

 

[calicant]

We liked the Sunbreeze because of the location - it took a few minutes to WALK there from the airport and you can walk to any of the San Pedro "downtown" restaurants and bars at night or at lunch on dive breaks.

Our room was a deluxe which had one Queen bed (the bed was the worst part of the room but we are used to a King sized Tempurpedic at home). The bathroom was great with a large walk in shower in which two can rinse off salt water after a dive at the same time. A small TV was useful on last trip due to two world cup semi finals which we caught the replays of later at night. Air conditioning was on full time (to avoid condensation problems said the staff) and made the room as cold as a fridge which was good for us mostly except we used an extra blanket and my Nikon got so cold it would fog up taking pictures (leaving it at home next time).

The Blue Grill Restaurant was not great for breakfast in our opinion but lunch and dinner were great (but quite pricey like most Ambergris places). Lobster dinner was exceptional in my opinion.

Hope that helps. By the way, we are late forties couple from UK but live in California if demographic information helps put our views in perspective.

Enjoy your trip

 

[Storm]

HMMM constant AC could be an Issue for the wife...she's most defineately "thermally challeged" and while my Canon is a semi sealed unit, I'm not thrilled with the "Fogging" iisue.( and I'm not leaving it at home...week two is all about photography for me.)

Are there safes in each room for secured storage, or is it a "behind the reception desk" thing.

We also will have a deluxe room, and our demographics are quite simialr...we're late foprties early fifties, from Canada....still residing in Canada.

Thanks...

 

[calicant]

There is no safe in the room unfortunately. The behind the desk system provides you with two additional keys along with room key. One the receptionist takes to open your box, the other you use to lock a banker style envelope which is about big enough in which to stash a wad of fifties and a couple of passports. We don't travel with anything worth stealing so we just lock our cases and carry the Vicodin and Ambien at all times.

We may buy our own regulators so we might worry about how to keep them safe. Maybe we can bring a little SD Card camera for room security.

I went to Montreal for a few weeks in the late 90's and thought it was one of the best places I've been to for food and social life. Coming home on foot at 6.00AM from an after hours bar with icicles dangling from my tash was something I remember doing frequently. My French had a window of semi-fluency between drinking four and seven beers.