Belize Planning, Please Help!

[Downing]

Having just returned from Turneffe Island Resort, I can give you the scoop on this place.

1) Lots of diving- At least 3 a day, would love unlimited shore diving, but I know that isn't always a option. Want to hit as many "signature" spots as I can. ie/elbow

The diving schedule there is fixed, but you can add on two dives for a total of 17 in six days. That's two on Sunday (the first is a checkout dive), three on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, four on Thursday including the night dive, and two on Friday. No diving Saturday since that's the day most guests are coming or going.

All diving is off the boat. No shore diving allowed and there's nothing to see off the beach but sea grass, anyway.

Signature spots would be the Blue Hole and the other two area dives, an hour twenty minutes away, and the Elbow, five minutes away. We dived the Elbow three days in a row last time. The Blue Hole's unique, but the other two area dives and the Elbow are a blast.

2) Want to do a Whale Shark snorkel or dive

No whale sharks. That's why we're headed to Placencia to dive with Splash next year. That, and we just want to head to Placencia and dive with Splash.

3) Reasonable price, going to dive, so don't care a lot about extras I will never see or use. All inclusive food helps, but not a must.

Hmm, one person's "reasonable" is another person's budget buster. TIR is expensive but you don't have to shell out for food, gas or transportation once you get there. If you factor in those costs, I think TIR's reasonable. The food and accomodations are first-rate.

4) Nitrox not a must, but nice to have.

They do 32% only.

5) I take a ton of UW pics/video, so wild life diversity certainly helps, and so does good vis.

I thought the vis was slightly better overall the first time we went, which was in June/July two years ago, than last time, which was in July/August, but I would still describe it as quite good. The photographers among us had no complaints.

Having stayed there for three weeks over two vacations, I can tell you my wife and I love the place and will return again after we check out some other spots. Out of all the other guests we've met there, there was only one couple that said they wouldn't come back but my impression was that there were issues between them such that they wouldn't have enjoyed any place else, either.

Hope that helps.

Depending on how important the Whale Sharks are to your plans, you may want to either break up your stay into a north then south thing or do a tour like Ralph suggested from Placencia. Since my wife and I are planning to stay in Placencia next summer for two weeks, if we hadn't already dived the BH and Elbow areas for three weeks in the last two years then we would definitely do that tour.

Good luck in making your decision.

 

[Damselfish]

question about the Tuesday BH/Lighthouse Reef trip from TIR - is there an alternative to this, or is it go or there's no diving that day? Not sure how many boats they have? (What kind of boats do they have, anyway?)

 

[caileon]

If I stayed at TIR, is it possible to leave the island for a day, and do a Whale Shark dive, and come back, or do boats not come and leave the island everyday? They the information so far is great, keep it coming.

 

[Downing]

question about the Tuesday BH/Lighthouse Reef trip from TIR - is there an alternative to this, or is it go or there's no diving that day? Not sure how many boats they have? (What kind of boats do they have, anyway?)

Everyone goes, including all the dive staff, so there is no other alternative but to go if you want to dive. Of course, you could always stay on the island and just kick back for the day. Except for the occasional fisherman returning from the flats, you'd have the entire island pretty much to yourself.

There are three dive boats: one big, two small. The big one, the 49 foot Miss Bella, is used for the Blue Hole trip as well as guest transfers to and from the mainland. Great boat. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my trip report it was in the shop when we went last month, so we were stuck with a rental that was adequate but nowhere near the same class. The two smaller ones can accommodate as many as 12 divers each and are used for diving around the island, which is to say every day except BH Day and Transfer Day.

Here are some photos from our trip two years ago (before they changed the name from "Lodge" to "Resort"):

One thing about TIR that will spoil you in a hurry: there are something like 50 dive sites less than 10 minutes away from the dock. Some of them, like The Front Porch, were only a couple of minutes out and within plain sight of the cabanas. Our last day, in a private conversation with the dive staff I requested we go to the furthest site that they do, the Zoo. It took about 15 minutes to get there, and I could see the other divers were starting to get restless, wondering what was taking so long--which is why I made the request privately so as not to be overruled by the others. Except for BH Day, all surface intervals are done on the island, with enough time to jump in the pool, drink some coffee or even take a quick nap.

caileon, boat transfers to the island are done on Saturdays and Wednesdays, but the latter only if someone's actually coming or going. The main transfer day is Saturday, but last time almost half the folks who came over on the boat with us left on Wednesday, which surprised me as that wasn't the case the first time.

In any case, it wouldn't be practical to leave the island for one day to go catch the Whale Sharks. Too far to go and not enough time. The island's 30 miles from Belize City. It takes over an hour to get there. Then you'd have to get to the airport, fly to Placencia, catch a boat, do the dive, fly back and be at the dock by 2:30 to catch the boat back to the island.

For more info on TIR, you might want to check my trip report near the bottom of this forum's first page or better yet Stoo's report from a few months ago, probably around page 3 or 4. I put some other photos of the place in his report so you could get a pretty decent idea of what the accommodations look like.

There are two other dive resorts on the atoll, Turneffe Flats and Blackbird Caye Resort that you may want to research as well. I've never stayed at either, so I'm looking forward to reading ccracer's report next month on TF since he's also been to TIR.

 

[Damselfish]

If I stayed at TIR, is it possible to leave the island for a day, and do a Whale Shark dive, and come back, or do boats not come and leave the island everyday? They the information so far is great, keep it coming.

I don't think this is remotely practical. You're talking about 2 different areas of the country, things are just not that close or convenient. Realize that there are flights from Belize City to Placencia.

TIR does transfers to the mainland Wed and Sat, though it sounds like they'll try and make arrangements for other days (perhaps for a price?) But even they went everyday the timing doesn't work. You'd have to then get way down there in time to make a boat, go diving, travel back.

Heck, I suppose you could pay a chopper or private boat enough to get you there and back, but you could jump through all sorts of hoops and the whales might not cooperate anyway. If you are really intent on seeing whale sharks better to be there a few days at least and up your odds.

 

[Abner Mendez]

I regularly dive with splash.They have the most dive boats so more dive choices.I went on their blue trip this week.
What a blast!!!!
We dive South water caye and the Elbow on the way.
We were the first boat at the blue hole early in the morning and had the place to ourselves.
Saw lots of shark!!
My brother and sister are junior divers so they snorkel at the blue hole and lots of shark came to the boat.They really enjoyed swimming with the shark.

 

[Abner Mendez]

I regularly dive with splash.
They have the most dive boats so more dive choices.
I went on thier blue hole trip this week.
What a blast!!!
We dive south water caye and the elbow on the way.We were the first boat at the blue hole early in the morning and had the place to ourselves.
Saw lots of shark!!!
My brother and sister are junior divers so they snorkel at the blue hole and lots of shark came to the boat.they really enjoyed swimming with the shark.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Gaz, I sent you a PM on the trip but my PM outbox shows nothing in it. If you got it ok, if not e-mail me at ralph@splashbelize.com.
Regards
Ralph

 

[Stoo]

For more info on TIR, you might want to check my trip report near the bottom of this forum's first page or better yet Stoo's report from a few months ago...

For what it's worth, we just re-booked for this March. While TIR isn't perfect, we think it is probably the best overall resort we have stayed in, all things considered. We just came back from Brac Reef a couple of weeks ago, and while we enjoyed it, TIR is just on a different level.

Having said that, it is very quiet, very isolated and if you want "action" (other than great diving I mean) then this isn't the place for you.

Regarding Turneffe Flats and Blackbirds, we looked into these as well and for various reasons, opted for TIR again. All of these places are pricey (although our airfare is much lower this year since we booked so far in advance) and I suppose there's a little bit of comfort in repeating... After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I do intend to get a new wetsuit this year... The weather and water last March was chilly and I froze!

 

[hydroknot]

Strongly recommend Turneffe Island Resort (Belize Fishing & Diving Resorts | Turneffe Island Resort | Vacation in Belize). My wife & I just returned from a fantastic 10-day scuba diving vacation at the resort, which is located just inside the southern end of the Turneffe Atoll.  The resort is beautiful, rooms are very comfortable, food is excellent, staff is friendly ... and the diving is superb!  We liked it so much that we are returning this December with our 15 y/o daughter.  

All diving done from boats; however, transit times to sites very short ... 10 minutes or so. Trip to Blue Hole, the exception, takes about an hour. You'll make 15-16 dives during a 7-night stay. DMs & boat captains make diving above the water effortless.