Belize in December... Like to hear from anyone with Liveaboard experience in Belize.

[mchiapetto]

I will definitely post a trip report Mchiapetto, and I'll make every effort to do that right when we return. We've added 3 days onto our trip to spend a little time on land (off-gassing) and see Tikal in Guatamala, so we don't be home until the 27th. Hopefully that'll be enough time to post a report for you to read before you leave.

QUOTE]

Sounds like we may miss it. We leave the 28th in the morning. We'll be doing a few days of site seeing in Belize before we sail. But I'll see if I can check for your trip report while at the hotel in Belize.

I also think you should consider the night dives. They are often in areas where you can stay shallow and near the boat if you want. It is spectacular at night. Well worth the effort.

The steel 95s are great. I wear a 3mm full wetsuit. I found with the steel tank I can dive with zero weights. Makes for very easy manuevering and bouyancy control. And then there is the longer bottom time too. We decided to pay the outrageous $500 for nitrox just so we can be sure to enjoy the longer air supply without running out of time for nitrogen levels. We also like the bit of safety level it provides. Might be a silly use of the $500 but sometimes you can't put a price on a little peace of mind.

Not sure what your plans are for sight seeing in Belize. We heard the cave tubing is really something. There are a couple of places you can do that at. Let me know if you want any more information.

 

[DiveMaven]

Since we'll be home like at 1am on the 27th, I should have time to post a trip report on that day, so you can read it before you leave if you want. Is there anything specific you want me to pay attention to and report on?

We're taking our flashlights, so will consider doing the night dives, thanks for the encouragement. My husband has never had any interest in night diving and since I can be a little claustrophobic, it doesn't bother me not to pursue it. We'll play it by ear I'm sure, and if he wants to try, we'll give it a try.

I'm actually planning to use my 5mm suit because of the repetitive diving. When we were in Maui this past August, I got cold in my 3mm on days 7 and 8 of diving 2 tanks a day. I understand the water temperature in Belize will be about the same as Maui was (79 degrees), so I bought a thicker suit. It'll work out well since we're heading back to Maui in April where we'll dive 4 days in a row and the water will be closer to 74 degrees. Brrrr....

I totally understand the Nitrox choice you made, and we wrestled with it a lot when we were booking. For us it simply came down to economics since we wanted to stay in Belize a few extra days and tour around. We decided to book a 3 day package with Windy Hill Resort for after the trip. Normally we don't do packaged tours, but after spending a hassle free week on the Nekton, we decided that letting the resort take care of everything sounded pretty good. Our tour will take us to the zoo, Xunanuntich, and Tikal. Included is all transportation, food, lodging, and guides. Should be a relaxing way to spend a few days off-gassing.

Can't wait to leave!

 

[peterbj7]

Quote: "I understand the water temperature in Belize will be about the same as Maui was (79 degrees)"

Water temperature here generally ranges from 82-85F. It's 83 at present.

I noticed the $15 for a very strange nitrox mix. I get criticised for charging $10. I often wonder whether people have any idea what the equipment, maintenance and consumables needed for producing nitrox (and pumping clean air) costs. For example, because of the humidity a set of compressor filters barely lasts 6 weeks, and the cost here is more than double what it is in the US. Of course, you can save money by not changing the filters when they should be changed.....

 

[djanni]

It's that expensive RIX equipment they use. No one else in Belize or the other livaboards use the RIX system. It's a far supoerior system to the others. It's so expensive to buy and maintain they really just break even at $15 per tank. That's their story anyway.

I don't own a dive shop so I have no idea what the equipment or maintenance cost is but I have to say $15 per tank seems like highway robbery. It's $250 for the week unlimited but the limit is really the total number of available dives which is 30. So if you dive them all the average cost per dive is $8.33. $8 is more reasonable.

It's all a volume calulation isn't it? In Cozumel it's $6.00 a tank 32 or 36%. I guess they can do that because their volume is higher.

If we were diving with you and you required $10 a tank we'd buy it. Of course that assumes it's isn't available all over Belize for substantially less.

We are glad to hear the water is that warm. What's the ambient temp at night?

Quote: "I understand the water temperature in Belize will be about the same as Maui was (79 degrees)"

Water temperature here generally ranges from 82-85F. It's 83 at present.

I noticed the $15 for a very strange nitrox mix. I get criticised for charging $10. I often wonder whether people have any idea what the equipment, maintenance and consumables needed for producing nitrox (and pumping clean air) costs. For example, because of the humidity a set of compressor filters barely lasts 6 weeks, and the cost here is more than double what it is in the US. Of course, you can save money by not changing the filters when they should be changed.....

 

[mchiapetto]

Our trip is supposed to do Belize south where I see yours says central. I would be curious to know what dive sites you go to. Also if you have a chance, ask them where they usually go for the south itinerary.

If you could also write about which sites were your favorite and why that would be great.

And finally, tell us what you forgot to bring that you wish you had with you. Also what you took with you that you wish you had left at home.

We went to Tikal a year ago. It was really something to see. It is an experience you will never forget.

Thanks for being willing to post a report so quickly after you get home. You sound like really great people. Wish we were going to be on the boat at the same time.

 

[Ayisha]

Water temperature here generally ranges from 82-85F. It's 83 at present.

May I ask what the water temp is expected to be in late January?

I am going to Belize from Jan 21st - 31st, spending the first week on Ambergris Caye, doing at least 4 days of diving, including the Blue Hole; and then 4 days at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. Not diving while on the mainland.

May I also ask what the best way is to do the Blue Hole? I am Nitrox certified, am comfortable with deep dives and tighter spaces, but have gone to only 120 feet. Not Trimix certified. The leader on this trip has told me he's going to 150 feet, but I'm not so sure about that. He said that the most interesting stuff STARTS at 130 feet...

 

[djanni]

I stand corrected on the price of Nitrox in Cozumel. My beautiful wife tells me it was $10.00 per tank.

It's that expensive RIX equipment they use. No one else in Belize or the other livaboards use the RIX system. It's a far supoerior system to the others. It's so expensive to buy and maintain they really just break even at $15 per tank. That's their story anyway.

I don't own a dive shop so I have no idea what the equipment or maintenance cost is but I have to say $15 per tank seems like highway robbery. It's $250 for the week unlimited but the limit is really the total number of available dives which is 30. So if you dive them all the average cost per dive is $8.33. $8 is more reasonable.

It's all a volume calulation isn't it? In Cozumel it's $6.00 a tank 32 or 36%. I guess they can do that because their volume is higher.

If we were diving with you and you required $10 a tank we'd buy it. Of course that assumes it's isn't available all over Belize for substantially less.

We are glad to hear the water is that warm. What's the ambient temp at night?

 

[DiveMaven]

Our trip is supposed to do Belize south where I see yours says central. I would be curious to know what dive sites you go to. Also if you have a chance, ask them where they usually go for the south itinerary.

If you could also write about which sites were your favorite and why that would be great.

And finally, tell us what you forgot to bring that you wish you had with you. Also what you took with you that you wish you had left at home.

We went to Tikal a year ago. It was really something to see. It is an experience you will never forget.

Thanks for being willing to post a report so quickly after you get home. You sound like really great people. Wish we were going to be on the boat at the same time.

You are more than welcome! Everyone on this board has been so great about answering questions and providing support that the least I can do is post a trip report quickly to hopefully give you some good information for your trip!

My DH and I are pretty minimalist when packing for any trip to the tropics, so it'll definitely be interesting to see if we over or under-pack for this trip. I think the biggest problem I'm having with the packing thing right now is how much "warmer" clothing to take. Although I expect the weather to be warm, I also know it can be cooler in the evenings, so I'll definitely make some specific recommendations to you on that based on the weather patterns that we have.

Okay, so for all you Belize experts, what is the typical outside temperature in December and should we be bringing some long pants and long sleeved shirts (cotton or linen of course)??

 

[hopefulist]

For my trips to Central America, diving is just one piece of the action. I usually travel for a month or so at a time which might include village stays, high altitude hiking (not in Belize, obviously), rafting or canoing, ruin hopping, and lots of hiking. I realize dive equipment takes up a lot of space, but - even with my mask and snorkel - I can pack everything for a month-long trip in a carry-on sized bag so I don't have to check anything on the plane or be separated from my stuff on a bus. My packing list is #15 on the FAQ thread of the Thorntree Forum:

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=12&STARTPAGE=1

I always take long sleeves and long pants, partly for bugs, partly for social acceptance, and partly for cool temps at higher altitudes. I don't take cotton because it never dries and there are amazing microfibers available now that are much cooler, lighter weight, and dry really fast.

If you're just sticking to a liveaboard it wouldn't apply to you, but for those who want to see a bit of Belize inland, check out the Belize Forum:

http://www.belizeforum.com

Your temperature question could be asked there (search first); I travel in the summer so am not much help with winter weather.

Happy trails!

 

[peterbj7]

Nitrox $10 per tank in Cozumel. You're right that the diver volumes up there are much higher than in Belize, which probably helps to explain why people can make fortunes running dive centers in the Yucatan whilst most operators in Belize barely get by. Dive prices are nominally the same as well ($30 for a local dive), with discounts easier to get in Belize. Just because people are desperate for business.

By late Jan the water is beginning to warm up, but will probably still only be 81-82F. Air temperatures can be relatively quite cool, and some lightweight long pants and a sweatshirt or light fleece are certainly in order. Can't give a temperature, but a lot has to do with windchill. I dive with a lycra/nylon skin year-round, and only rarely feel underwater that I could do with a bit more. A well fitting 3mm full suit should be finehere for any season for all except the most warm blooded of people. I do know of one person who uses a drysuit in winter, and he and I have dived together - he in his drysuit, me with my skin. I carry a very large nylon raintop on the boat for night dives, because although I'm not usually at all cold under water it can be freezing cold at speed in an open boat. One reason we installed hot showers at the dive center, and take hot cocoa for immediately after the dive.

I see Don corrected his statement that nitrox was much cheaper in Mexico, but the principle he raised remains. Whether or not something is "daylight robbery" depends what it costs to provide. Costs in Belize are unbelievably high and rising all the time, and providing anything like a quality dive product for $30 per local dive is now very difficult. Many people say they hate cattle boats, but they don't seem to appreciate that the cost of operating a boat is independent of the number of divers on board, so the fewer the divers the more that must be charged each. I dived in Cozumel last summer, and was unable to find anyone prepared to take me out for less than $30. And I saw no boats with fewer than 20 divers. In Belize, at any rate at my shop, we rarely go out with more than 6, and often 4 or fewer, and often discount dives by 20% or 30%. Just work out the economics. Gasoline here now costs over $5:50 per gallon.

I should have said that Belize gets very windy in the spring, and the cool wind can be quite debilitating. Nominally that's in March, but the climate seems to be all over the place these days so even in January I'd bring what I said above, plus something windproof. It's still very humid, though, so breathability is crucial. The wind can churn up the sea a lot, and a couple of years ago we had many divers wanting to go out, but couldn't even attempt to go through the barrier reef to the dive sites for a full two weeks. Boats have been known to overturn in the reef opening, so we take these weather conditions very seriously.