Belize to Cancun Itinerary

[adimi24]

Hello everyone! I am very inexperienced and ignorant! Please help me!

I am going to Belize for 6 weeks to volunteer with Blue Ventures, doing reef surveys at the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve in Northern Belize. I have no certifications but will receive my OW and advanced Open water during this expedition. I have 1 week free after the expeidition to get from Northern Belize to Cancun to fly home. This was a very last minute decision to do this trip ( I came home early from Chile to do this ) and have had very little time to read up on what to do during this last week, that is why I am asking you for some ideas! I know/think I want to do the day trip to the Blue hole/lighthouse reef in Belize but know little else about what else is worth doing. Since I will be based near the fishing town of Sarteneja in northern Belize I think it might make more sense to just cross the border and focus on the Yucuatan. What would you recommend doing with a few days between Chetumal and Cancun?


I am alone, young and on a budget ( hopefully staying in hostels and traveling by local buses, non of this all inclusive dive resort places unfortunately). During the expedition in Belize I am supposedly going to be able to dive 6 days a week, for 4 weeks ( =24 but I think i'll be lucky to get 20 dives, and then 3 more for the BH day trip and whatever else I do in Belzie ). Diving a cenote or two seems AWSOME but I know I probably shouldn't because of the lack of experience I will have at that time. It doesn't seem to make much sense nor is it possible to try to dive all these top places in Belize and Mexico. Maybe I should pick one or two spots to stay in for 3 days each and then get my flight out of Cancun.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[diversteve]

I am very inexperienced and ignorant!

Do a search for it here but diving the Blue Hole as a new OW diver can be a very bad idea. To see anything you'll need to exceed your training limits. Anything worth seeing is below 130'+ Plus it's a real trust-me dive - you're trusting your buddy, the DM, your gear (renting gear? scientific research is typically underfunded so it can be old/worn) and your newly acquired abilities to deal with an emergency situation at depth. Even the need to safely descend/ascend quickly to stay out of deco obligations is something you need to learn and practice. Anyone who would take a new OW diver there is someone I wouldn't trust.

Plus it's possible to easily go into deco - which won't be covered in detail in your training except as "don't do it". It's really not that great a dive either. You'll see sharks elsewhere in Belize and it can be really murky down there. And the bottom is 300'+ so you need the skills to deal with that. I'm not saying don't ever do it - just not now. There's a few recent threads in the Belize forum about this same topic.

If you do get bent, it's a long (probably painful) boat ride back to the chamber on Ambergris also. That wouldn't be my idea of a good dive day. You also likely will have to miss your flight home to complete your treatments - and pay to stay somewhere during them - assuming there's no permanent damage. I'd suggest getting some dive insurance also - DAN may provide it free during your training (maybe not in Belize or with your program - IDK but details are a phone call away) - you can't imagine what a med-evac flight back to the U.S. costs...A friends was $30K+ from the Caribbean recently. Not counting the recompression chamber rides, hospital stays and ambulances on both ends. All said and done, insurance paid about $50K total for all the treatments required. And this person works as a dive professional.

As a new diver, I'd do a Cenote before I'd dive the Blue Hole. Although I wouldn't really do either. You won't need to get anywhere near that kind of depth to see one and some of them are very benign. At many you can see all your outs as you start the dive. Don't do the long overhead obstructed portions though. Most operators won't let you anyway.

Nothing personal but with 20 dives Advanced Open Water is a stretch. Consider it a license to learn, not an achievement.

 

[DandyDon]

Would you complete your profile so we have more background, please.

There is a large amount of info I'd suggest to a newbie going off on such an adventure, but knowing a little more about you, country of residence, etc. would help.

 

[adimi24]

Hey guys, I filled in some of my profile info but it still isn't much! I already have DAN insurance, it was required by Blue Ventures ( the reef survey people).

Diversteve, I read some of those threads and I doubt I will dive the BH anymore. Cenotes still sound really cool. Anyway, what CAN I do? Where would you recommend I spend these 6 days?

 

[DandyDon]

Hey guys, I filled in some of my profile info but it still isn't much! I already have DAN insurance, it was required by Blue Ventures ( the reef survey people).

Diversteve, I read some of those threads and I doubt I will dive the BH anymore. Cenotes still sound really cool. Anyway, what CAN I do? Where would you recommend I spend these 6 days?

Thanks for the updating.

Good that you have the DAN insurance. You can turn to them for all sorts of info for travel planning, medical & dive needs, etc. If you chose the cheapest plan tho, do call in to upgrade that to at least the middle - $10/year more but day & night differences.

So you've done a couple of Discover dives, not only in the ocean but in Galapagos? How cool. So you know about equalizing then. Ears seem to cause more problems for divers overall, challenges with equalizing, forcing them leading to injuries, after dive ear infections, etc. Always equalize early & often and I use a mix of alcohol & vinegar in my ears every day after diving to prevent infections. I used to get "swimmers ear" from time to time and I hated having to sit in a doctor's office on the verge of tears waiting for expensive prescriptions so I got better at preventing them.

I looked over the organization's site a little and their programs sound great, very interesting. I suppose you will be traveling with your own mask, snorkel, and fins - using rental/loaner gear? Make sure your mask fits your face well and carry your own little bottle of baby shampoo for defog. I'm sure they will give you good info on travel safety but do keep in mind that Belize is a dangerous country outside of the tourist areas. Locals from Ambergris Cay will not go to Belize City without a body guard. Take all cautions seriously and stay safe. It's also be a good idea to register your trip on the US State Dept site, just in case.

So you are flying into Cancun, busing down to the border, and crossing from Chetumal? Nice buses, safe, but no onboard bathrooms as I recall. Sounds like a great adventure. I did a week on Ambergris years ago but have not see the areas you'll be working nor any of Mexico south of Tulum - altho I have been tempted. There are so many options for your free week. You might want to take your time working your way back to Cancun, exploring the coast of Mexico and dive opportunities you may find. Or you might want to rush back to Playa del Carmen, ferry over to Cozumel and spend a week there with the best diving in Mexico. Hard to choose.

 

[Hank49]

but do keep in mind that Belize is a dangerous country outside of the tourist areas. Locals from Ambergris Cay will not go to Belize City without a body guard. Take all cautions seriously and stay safe. It's also be a good idea to register your trip on the US State Dept site, just in case.

Most locals from San Pedro can't afford a body guard. Body guard? In Belize? Really?

 

[adimi24]

Thanks for the reply! Good info about the ears

I fly into the international airport near belize city but I'm going to get a taxi to a junction where I can get a local bus to Sarteneja, so I won't even be going to Belize City. I've been traveling alone around South America for 6 months anyway, I'm pretty smart about traveling now. After that I think it makes more sense to go up and get to Cancun. My parents may join me for that last week so budget won't be as much of a problem - Cozumel might be an option. Is that the best diving in Mexico/Belize? It'd probably take me a day or two to get to Playa del Carmen from Sarteneja in Belize and then would I go to Cozumel immediately or maybe I'd want to spend a few days at PdC for cenotes and then 3/4 days in Cozumel?

If I don't go to Cozumel, is there enough to do at Playa del Carmen for 6 days or should I hit some spots on my way up from Belize? Maybe I could do a cavern diving course and then just dive a bunch of cenotes and go home

I would really like to do a lot more reading but I am leaving tomorrow so don't really have time and am just trying to get some ideas from you scuba pros - sorry if my questions are so uneducated..

This free week that I have is the 3rd week of May btw, not sure if that affects the quality of diving in these different spots

 

[DandyDon]

Most locals from San Pedro can't afford a body guard. Body guard? In Belize? Really?

I guess it depends on whom you ask.

Thanks for the reply! Good info about the ears

I fly into the international airport near belize city but I'm going to get a taxi to a junction where I can get a local bus to Sarteneja, so I won't even be going to Belize City. I've been traveling alone around South America for 6 months anyway, I'm pretty smart about traveling now. After that I think it makes more sense to go up and get to Cancun. My parents may join me for that last week so budget won't be as much of a problem - Cozumel might be an option. Is that the best diving in Mexico/Belize? It'd probably take me a day or two to get to Playa del Carmen from Sarteneja in Belize and then would I go to Cozumel immediately or maybe I'd want to spend a few days at PdC for cenotes and then 3/4 days in Cozumel?

If I don't go to Cozumel, is there enough to do at Playa del Carmen for 6 days or should I hit some spots on my way up from Belize?

I would really like to do a lot more reading but I am leaving tomorrow so don't really have time and am just trying to get some ideas from you scuba pros - sorry if my questions are so uneducated..

This free week that I have is the 3rd week of May btw, not sure if that affects the quality of diving in these different spots

Coz is the best diving in Mexico. Belize has its own appeal, and the Cenotes are interesting. As I said, so many options. Just have to choose.

 

[adimi24]

Well, I have time to decide ( pretty much the whole 6 weeks i'm in Belize..) but right now I'm leaning towards Mexico to hit some cenotes and maybe Cozumel. I'll go back to Belize on another trip.

I'll probably post in here again in a couple weeks. Thanks for the help everyone

 

[DandyDon]

I have never heard of this adventure before. If you have internet there, it'd be great to get a running report, and/or a full report when you get back.