Best Belize dive locations for the beginner?

[Gaz]

In June you should be ok diving Ambergris Caye as the sea conditions should be fairly calm however Ambergris caye is on the windward side and during the months of Feb through April the winds can make the diving very challenging for new divers.

The swells can reach 8ft plus and getting in and out of the boat can be challenging for a new diver additionally new divers tend to get seasick although the time to get to divesite is minimal it can be uncomfortable.

With regards to Hol chan again this can be a challenging site for a beginner as normally it can have a very strong current normally heading out to sea and this even for an experienced diver can be a challenge. Even if you hit it a neap tide it can still have a strong current depending on how windy it is and how much water has been thrown over the reef, at neap tide is the only chance this wate has to funnel back out through the cut.

If you catch it without a current or on the turn its a beautiful dive with abundant sea life.

June should be ok for your wife and while it will not be flat calm such as Bonaire it will make your wife a better diver for diving Ambergris Caye.

Dive Safe

Gaz Cooper

 

[scoop46]

Thanks to all who have written to this thread. All of the planning has been done for weeks now. Packing has started. We depart this weekend for our first time in Belize, specifically AC. Can't wait.

Three quick questions. 1) Is there any need to pack slacks? For other destinations like Cozumel, Bonaire, Palau and Little Cayman, I've always gone with shorts, sandals, tees & for "dressy" occasions, a Hawaiian style shirt. Will that work on AC? 2) What has the water temperature been lately. I want to know if a skin is enough or should I pack the shorty. As I've gotten older, I've noticed that I get chilled more easily than I used to. 3) Are there any small sailboats for rent on AC, e.g. hobie or sunfish? We might like to do that on our pre-departure day.

Thanks in advance.

Scoop

 

[peterbj7]

No need for slacks or anything warm - shorts & tee-shirt for the guys, maybe the same or a cute dress for the gals.

I dive with a skin all the time. Water a few days ago was 85f.

Visit Caribbean Villas, a mile and a half south of town. They have an unpowered watersports center on the beach, with the sorts of things you want. Don't leave it until the end of your trip, though. CV does a mean Sunday barbecue.

Where are you staying and who diving with?

We've had a few days of iffy weather. I'd be wary of paying up-front for a dive package, and I'd make sure you have good travel insurance. Plus dive insurance, of course.

 

[scoop46]

Thanks Peter. We're diving with Aqua Dives. Unfortunately we've already paid for a 4 day dive package. Hopefully we'll be able to get in at least four days of diving during our eight day visit. I believe we're staying at the Seabreeze Hotel. I've never bought travel or dive insurance before...how would it help me?

 

[peterbj7]

You should have no problem getting four days of diving in.

Dive insurance covers the cost of treatment and associated costs if you have an actual or suspected diving accident. I'm thinking primarily of DCS but there are lots of other possibilities - a bad jellyfish sting, for example. Go to the DAN Americas website and buy their cover. Assuming they haven't changed it recently (I haven't checked) they have several levels of cover, the most expensive of which costs just $100/year. That's a day or two's diving. That level also gives you non-diving trauma cover, so eg. if you get hit by a golf cart or fall off your hotel balcony your medical costs are covered. Chronic conditions aren't covered by any short-term insurance.

I wouldn't dream of going on a diving holiday without dive insurance. A few years ago I had an extended family diving with me, and only one member (the father) didn't have dive insurance, and he refused to buy it. He did something stupid on a dive and ended up in the (recompression) chamber with confirmed DCS. He had to have several treatments over a week, and until he was cleared couldn't fly. His family decided to stay with him. Their booked time in the hotel came to an end and they had to move to another. All their tickets had to be changed for later dates, at very considerable cost. And of course the chamber & doctors had to be paid for. As he didn't have cover he had to pay for it all, and the cost was over $30k! All for declining to pay about $60 for the middle cover. And remember, that's for a whole year.

When I was running my dive center I strongly recommended all divers to have insurance, and I refused to take out technical divers who didn't have it. Other operators have similar policies.

As to trip insurance, suppose the weather is bad the whole time you're here and you get to do nothing except huddle in bars. Unlikely, but possible. If you have decent trip insurance you'll get compensation for that and for missing your diving. Suppose, as we are now in hurricane season, that one suddenly appears and you have to be evacuated, leaving all your baggage behind because it won't fit in the evacuation aircraft. You could be in for some large bills on top of losing your holiday.

Get insurance, both types. It doesn't cost a lot and it can be well worth it.

 

[cyberdyver]

I wouldn't dream of going on a diving holiday without dive insurance.

I would also suggest you check if your operator has hull and liability insurance(not cheap) and their DMs have liability insurance(not cheap) as well, especially at Ambergris and the record some operators have over there. Sometimes "budget" is not necessarily the best option. Oh my. I can see a cascade of rebuttal already.

Cyberdyver
The Black Sheep

 

[Plantasia]

The swells can reach 8ft plus and getting in and out of the boat can be challenging for a new diver additionally new divers tend to get seasick although the time to get to divesite is minimal it can be uncomfortable.

I am a new diver and I got REALLY sick at Hol Chan, not just from seasickness, but that compounded it. Prior to that however, it was a really beautiful, fairly easy dive - saw an eagle ray, turtles and plenty of groupers. It's a beautiful site, and despite getting sick I can't wait to try it again with a little more experience under my belt.

 

[peterbj7]

To get seasick inside Hol Chan the weather must have been appalling! Definitely a day for the bar.

Cyberdiver makes a good point. Hull insurance has no direct relevance to you as a diver, but the operator should by law have liability cover. Some don't. DM/Instructor insurance isn't required in Belize and I'm not clear what benefit it would have for you. Belize is not a litigious country and most people have extreme difficulty getting a civil claim through the courts.

Best is to stand back and look at the operator, his boats and staff, and ask yourself if you feel comfortable going out with them.

 

[DeputyDan]

I consider trip insurance to be optional and dependent on your risk assessment/tolerance.

I think you are just dumb not to have dive insurance.

If you take a hit it's gonna be 30 g's