I haven't posted in a while, in part because I have not dived in a while. My last scuba dive was April 9, 2011, in Fiji. (Beautiful country, wonderful people, nice diving but not spectacular, long exhausting trip to get there and back.)
I was certified on Long Caye, Glover's Reef, Belize, at Off the Wall dive resort, while staying with Slickrock on the same island, and I've been back once since then. I'm interested in returning to Belize and trying out a different location for variety. Long Caye, Glover's Reef, is very rustic. No A/C or plumbing in the huts, and showers are chilly unless it's been a hot sunny day. But the diving is about 5 minutes from the dock, easy drift dives. The sea can be so rough that I'm severely seasick by the time I get in the water. The corals are amazing.
I like calm seas, because I get seasick very easily. I like very warm water because I get cold easily. I don't like strong currents, and I don't like to go deep. 80 fsw is okay; 60 is better. In short, I'm a wimp and not embarrassed to admit it. I will be 64 years old this fall, and I'm in in good physical condition. I'm willing to stay in rustic accommodations when the surroundings are nice, but I won't turn down luxury accommodations, and I can afford to pay for what I get. Since it will be a year and a half between my last dive and this October, I'll take a refresher course. I've logged 116 dives since getting certified in April of 2008. So I'm not a rank beginner, but I'm still fairly new. I'm comfortable in the water, having snorkeled regularly as a kid. I'm OW certified. My air consumption is not as good as some, but better than many. My buoyancy control could use some improvement, but is not terrible. In short, I'm an okay diver for the kind of diving I enjoy.
I have minimal interest in wrecks. I love the corals and the pretty fishes, and I love to see big animals: turtles, eagle rays, sharks, as well as the smaller colorful fishes. I'd like a resort that uses small boats with few divers rather than large boats/groups, and I can afford to pay for that. I also need a place where they'll carry my tanks for me, and lift them out of the water for me, because I'm just not strong enough. That also excludes me from shore diving.
So now for my questions:
From what I read, it looks as though the water is still warm in October. Is this correct? Below 80 F. is chilly for me.
From my experience, the seas in the Caribbean tend to be much rougher on average in winter. Obviously, nobody can make any promises, but does October tend to exhibit winter type seas, or is it still more typical summer seas (i.e. calmer?)
I've never dived from the mainland, but I've read that the diving is significantly better on the offshore islands, so those are what I'm considering, but I only have experience with Long Caye, Glover's Reef, and the next island over, where the research station is, and where we kayaked for one day of each week. So I'd like advice about which of the other islands to visit, and which resort to stay at.
Access by airplane would be a BIG plus. The 2.5 to 3-hour boat ride to Long Caye is pure hell. SHORT boat rides to the dive sites is a big plus, due to seasickness. I have no interest in the Blue Hole. I dived in a blue hole once, and it was dark and cold. But I'd be fine taking a snorkel day when others go to the BH. I love snorkeling also. I've done a bit of freediving and enjoy it.
I hope this is enough information to make good recommendations, but not so much as to be tedious.
Best island; best resort?
Many thanks.
Daniel
I was certified on Long Caye, Glover's Reef, Belize, at Off the Wall dive resort, while staying with Slickrock on the same island, and I've been back once since then. I'm interested in returning to Belize and trying out a different location for variety. Long Caye, Glover's Reef, is very rustic. No A/C or plumbing in the huts, and showers are chilly unless it's been a hot sunny day. But the diving is about 5 minutes from the dock, easy drift dives. The sea can be so rough that I'm severely seasick by the time I get in the water. The corals are amazing.
I like calm seas, because I get seasick very easily. I like very warm water because I get cold easily. I don't like strong currents, and I don't like to go deep. 80 fsw is okay; 60 is better. In short, I'm a wimp and not embarrassed to admit it. I will be 64 years old this fall, and I'm in in good physical condition. I'm willing to stay in rustic accommodations when the surroundings are nice, but I won't turn down luxury accommodations, and I can afford to pay for what I get. Since it will be a year and a half between my last dive and this October, I'll take a refresher course. I've logged 116 dives since getting certified in April of 2008. So I'm not a rank beginner, but I'm still fairly new. I'm comfortable in the water, having snorkeled regularly as a kid. I'm OW certified. My air consumption is not as good as some, but better than many. My buoyancy control could use some improvement, but is not terrible. In short, I'm an okay diver for the kind of diving I enjoy.
I have minimal interest in wrecks. I love the corals and the pretty fishes, and I love to see big animals: turtles, eagle rays, sharks, as well as the smaller colorful fishes. I'd like a resort that uses small boats with few divers rather than large boats/groups, and I can afford to pay for that. I also need a place where they'll carry my tanks for me, and lift them out of the water for me, because I'm just not strong enough. That also excludes me from shore diving.
So now for my questions:
From what I read, it looks as though the water is still warm in October. Is this correct? Below 80 F. is chilly for me.
From my experience, the seas in the Caribbean tend to be much rougher on average in winter. Obviously, nobody can make any promises, but does October tend to exhibit winter type seas, or is it still more typical summer seas (i.e. calmer?)
I've never dived from the mainland, but I've read that the diving is significantly better on the offshore islands, so those are what I'm considering, but I only have experience with Long Caye, Glover's Reef, and the next island over, where the research station is, and where we kayaked for one day of each week. So I'd like advice about which of the other islands to visit, and which resort to stay at.
Access by airplane would be a BIG plus. The 2.5 to 3-hour boat ride to Long Caye is pure hell. SHORT boat rides to the dive sites is a big plus, due to seasickness. I have no interest in the Blue Hole. I dived in a blue hole once, and it was dark and cold. But I'd be fine taking a snorkel day when others go to the BH. I love snorkeling also. I've done a bit of freediving and enjoy it.
I hope this is enough information to make good recommendations, but not so much as to be tedious.
Best island; best resort?
Many thanks.
Daniel
is that you can go to the lee side, in this case, the west side if the winds are blowing hard from the east or northeast. In San Pedro there is no escape from the tradewinds as far as diving goes. 
