Belize Dive Haven?

[Protondecay123]

Ok... Since folks seem to have lots of opinions about the resort chosen for the 2021 SURGE
I would note NONE of those with negative views have attended any ScubaBoard events in the past.

Roxanne, I and Bay Adventures do our homework and I am sorry if folks think this is a gamble.

Duly noted. To paraphrase Spiro T Agnew . “ Here of SB, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. “

 

[The Chairman]

I never said "marked up". I wasn't saying that SB marked up the price for members over market rate, I was wondering if SB received a significant cut-rate price and didn't pass it on, keeping it at market rate. Becuase I can't think of another reason why SB would choose BDH over another place like Turneffe.

We don't ever handle the money, so you can be sure we don't mark things up. @cardzard usually negotiates a killer deal with extra dives and other amenities. As popular as these are with the Invasion crews, they are even more popular with resorts. They fight to get our business and the members benefit. Here's how we do it:

• We travel large, no, we travel huge
  • We've had groups of 130 plus
  • We have sold out on several occasions
• We never handle the money
• @cardzard and @ROXANNE negotiate the trips
  • They are always unique
  • Often below what shops pay
  • Usually include additional amenities and/or extra dives
  • We don't let them "cattle boat" us
    
  • I am never involved in the decision
    • The tail doesn't wag the doll
  • We often get thousands of dollars in giveaways for the trip
• @cardzard, @ROXANNE, a guest and I stay free
  • @cardzard and @ROXANNE are amazing liaisons
    • He handles issues before they become problems
  • He forces the resort to keep their promises
• The destinations do have to advertise on SB
  • Advertisers get contacted first
  • Advertising does NOT guarantee they get our business
  • I am not involved in the decision and usually find out where we are going with everyone else
• Gear advertisers who join us pay the same as everyone else
• The trips and fun are well documented
  • The good
  • And the bad
  • They are mostly good because they want us back not to mention that @cardzard and @ROXANNE are amazing liaisons
  • We have forums dedicated to each event
    • We've never failed having lots of diving and fun
      • We can't control the weather
      • Sometimes we succeed even in spite of the diveop or resort

This new resort is HUNGRY for business, so we got a good deal. Dennis is very excited about diving the Blue hole.

 

[The Chairman]

I'm questioning the wisdom of putting so much on the line for a place that is completely unproven, and in fact, unfinished. B

A year is a long time to get ready for us. Often an Invasion or Surge does a lot to increase their presence on the internet in terms of popularity. The chatter about the trip on ScubaBoard is amazingly effective as an organic "SEO" as it were. It drifts to other platforms as well, giving these trips an unusual amount of clout.

This isn't lost on the resorts or dive ops. They will be ready, because frankly, they can't afford the bad publicity.

I mentioned this in my last post, but @cardzard and @ROXANNE are amazing liaisons. They intuit, identify and resolve problems usually before anyone ever notices. They make resorts keep their promises. If you ever want to see a resort at it's "best", then our events are for you. If you haven't been on one, you're missing out on the fun, frolic and lifelong friendships.

 

[Downing]

If somewhere around 130 people are going on this trip, then I guess Dive Haven is the only choice for staying on the atolls. The other resorts out there couldn't handle anywhere near that number.

I would still be cautious. So many projects in Belize, bigger than Dive Haven, have failed. Take a drive up the Placcencia peninsula and you'll see what I mean. Abandoned half-built resorts and hotels that look like ghost towns. An international airport that went nowhere after all the land was cleared. A housing/golf course project that attracted a whole bunch of investors but only got as far as a single dirt road before it went belly up. A similar project up the Southern Highway for five hundred houses that has stalled at about twenty.

All of this amounts to millions of dollars in investment by supposedly smart and wealthy people that amounted to somewhere between very little and very nothing.

At least Dive Haven is (mostly) built. It sounds like the owner has very deep pockets, but I bet they're nowhere near as deep as when he decided to do this. One might think that a year should be sufficient to be completely ready but it would be a mistake to think of it like an American project being built in the United States. Projects like this move a lot slower in Belize. There's no way it would have taken 12 years to be built in the US.

And I'd be more than a little concerned that even if they finish the place, it doesn't sound like they've had 130 guests total, much less in one night. This could be overwhelming even if they bring in some temporary help to deal with it.

But I don't want to be a Negative Nancy. Hopefully it all works out and SB has a great time and everyone comes back with nothing but nice things to say about Belize, a country that I love warts and all.

 

[ReefHound]

A year is a long time to get ready for us. Often an Invasion or Surge does a lot to increase their presence on the internet in terms of popularity. The chatter about the trip on ScubaBoard is amazingly effective as an organic "SEO" as it were. It drifts to other platforms as well, giving these trips an unusual amount of clout.

This isn't lost on the resorts or dive ops. They will be ready, because frankly, they can't afford the bad publicity.

I agree a year is plenty of time to finish. But by that logic, this place should have opened by 2015 since it was well under construction in 2013. Just be aware the owner has zero experience running a resort, is a non-Belizean, and has been at odds with locals and the Turneffe Atoll Trust organization since 2013.

In a year, one of us is going to be able to say i told you so. I really really hope it is you because that will mean a lot of people here had a great time versus had a disappointing experience and/or lost a lot of money. (Trip insurance doesn't cover everything.)

 

[scubadada]

The first review on Undercurrent of Dive Haven was recently posted from January, entitled "Work in Progress" It is available to members. There was not much regarding the diving, so I emailed the reporter. All dives were within 30 minutes of the resort off Turneffe. Trips to the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye are an additional $190 ($150 + $40 marine park fee), trips to Lighthouse Reef are an additional $160 ($150 + $10 marine park fee)

 

[Downing]

I would think the SB trip negotiated the Blue Hole/Half Moon Caye into the price of the trip or at least at a discount for those who want to want to do those dives. I would think lot of them are going to want to go, especially to Half Moon Caye.

 

[markmud]

If we chose resorts based on reviews or post from folks with hidden agendas or bias, then we would never go anywhere.

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for defending yourself and Roxanne's excellent track record for negotiating and project managing these trips. I have attended 3 of your events and found them to be a really good deal. We all knew that 4 of us attended for "free"; however, it isn't for free. You have done this type of event before and you have it down to a system. You have spent many hours organizing.

Have these trips had some issues? All endeavors do. Dennis fixes things as best he can. He is serious about it.

Many of us at Surges end up winning huge prizes. Your odds of winning a grand prize are really high. These prizes are worth thousands and the Shearwater prize (Surges only) is worth more than $1,300 alone.

Dollar for dollar, you provide an excellent experience. There is no way SB is marking-up. The math does not add up.

Thanks Dennis, Roxanne, and of course, "The Big Kahuna."

The three of you saved diving for Cathy and I.

Cathy and I are already planning for our Roatan Invasion. Last year we spent two weeks on Curacao, for the price of one trip, because of SB. We are very close to pulling-the-trigger on another 8 days on Curacao next December.


mark mudgett

 

[scubadada]

I would think the SB trip negotiated the Blue Hole/Half Moon Caye into the price of the trip or at least at a discount for those who want to want to do those dives. I would think lot of them are going to want to go, especially to Half Moon Caye.

Apparently, that was not possible ScubaBoard SURGE Central 2021 Belize

 

[markmud]

We don't ever handle the money, so you can be sure we don't mark things up. @cardzard usually negotiates a killer deal with extra dives and other amenities. As popular as these are with the Invasion crews, they are even more popular with resorts. They fight to get our business and the members benefit. Here's how we do it:

• We travel large, no, we travel huge
  • We've had groups of 130 plus
  • We have sold out on several occasions
• We never handle the money
• @cardzard and @ROXANNE negotiate the trips
  • They are always unique
  • Often below what shops pay
  • Usually include additional amenities and/or extra dives
  • We don't let them "cattle boat" us
    
  • I am never involved in the decision
    • The tail doesn't wag the doll
  • We often get thousands of dollars in giveaways for the trip
• @cardzard, @ROXANNE, a guest and I stay free
  • @cardzard and @ROXANNE are amazing liaisons
    • He handles issues before they become problems
  • He forces the resort to keep their promises
• The destinations do have to advertise on SB
  • Advertisers get contacted first
  • Advertising does NOT guarantee they get our business
  • I am not involved in the decision and usually find out where we are going with everyone else
• Gear advertisers who join us pay the same as everyone else
• The trips and fun are well documented
  • The good
  • And the bad
  • They are mostly good because they want us back not to mention that @cardzard and @ROXANNE are amazing liaisons
  • We have forums dedicated to each event
    • We've never failed having lots of diving and fun
      • We can't control the weather
      • Sometimes we succeed even in spite of the diveop or resort

This new resort is HUNGRY for business, so we got a good deal. Dennis is very excited about diving the Blue hole.

Hi Big Kahuna,

Your written words are right-on. I don't believe there is any evidence that would prove what you wrote to be false or embellished in any way.

The ad hominem narratives based on assumptions in this thread are insulting.

I am sorry that you and Dennis need to defend SB and Surges.

Life is a gamble. Rolling the dice on this new resort will probably work out very well. Dive Haven has a lot to lose.

I understand the fear that a new service provider can engender. A thread based on those fears is appropriate and I applaud the posters who have kept the thread on topic.

Thanks Bro,
m