Steve Egner
Contributor
We had a great trip to Belize, December 19-30. My kids became OW certified on this trip, under the watchful eyes of Terrill, Sam, Elvis, C-Dog, and Martin, of Hopkins Divers (formerly Hamanasi Divers) of Hopkins, Belize. I can't say enough great things about these guys; They were fun, and yet firm instructors. They did not coddle the kids, ages 13 and 15, but made the experience safe and enjoyable. All of their dives were boat dives, all safety stops in the water column, and often on somewhat lumpy seas. I extend my sincere thanks to all the staff at Hopkins Divers, for making this a really memorable trip. I hope you enjoy the pics, the first two are of Rhys, 15, and Zoe, 13.
Elvis, Martin, and Sam, DMs at Hopkins, introduced me to a fantastic new aspect of warm-water diving, spearing Lionfish. I've never done this on a charter before; Elvis fashioned the sling spears himself. Lionfishing adds $50 to the two-tank dive cost, but we had groups no larger than three divers, with a dedicated DM. He acts as spotter, clipper, and bag man: You spot the fish, spear them, carefully pass the spear to your DM, and he hands you a fresh spear. While you're off hunting your next fish, he clips the poisonous spines and bags the fish. Be sure to ask Elvis if you can borrow his "lucky" glove, you'll appreciate the grip.
Martin, cleaning fish on the dock:
A close look at a terrific pile of fish.
Lionfish on spear, and then being clipped and bagged:
Elvis cleaning another batch, while Zoe gives the thumbs up. 13 yrs old, her first certified OW dive, bagged at least 4 fish.
This is Sam, giving the kids a few spearfishing tips during our surface interval.
Inside the Hopkins Divers facility, Rhys, Zoe, and another diver do the final log entries for their OW cert. Terrill was a very detail-minded instructor.
Shark cruising us during our ascent from the Blue Hole.
This guy stalked us all along the reef:
Elvis, Martin, and Sam, DMs at Hopkins, introduced me to a fantastic new aspect of warm-water diving, spearing Lionfish. I've never done this on a charter before; Elvis fashioned the sling spears himself. Lionfishing adds $50 to the two-tank dive cost, but we had groups no larger than three divers, with a dedicated DM. He acts as spotter, clipper, and bag man: You spot the fish, spear them, carefully pass the spear to your DM, and he hands you a fresh spear. While you're off hunting your next fish, he clips the poisonous spines and bags the fish. Be sure to ask Elvis if you can borrow his "lucky" glove, you'll appreciate the grip.
Martin, cleaning fish on the dock:
A close look at a terrific pile of fish.
Lionfish on spear, and then being clipped and bagged:
Elvis cleaning another batch, while Zoe gives the thumbs up. 13 yrs old, her first certified OW dive, bagged at least 4 fish.
This is Sam, giving the kids a few spearfishing tips during our surface interval.
Inside the Hopkins Divers facility, Rhys, Zoe, and another diver do the final log entries for their OW cert. Terrill was a very detail-minded instructor.
Shark cruising us during our ascent from the Blue Hole.
This guy stalked us all along the reef:
