Blue Hole Trip and other dive places?

[Hostage]

I am going back to Belize for my sister's wedding, we dove a lot of different areas and to be honest the snorkeling seemed better than the diving. I liked shark and ray alley and Mexican rocks, both which were better for snorkeling than diving. My father and I dove ho chan, the tacklebox, as well as some other sites. I do have to say spearing the lion fish was the most fun when diving. There are a lot of pretty colors and fish when diving in the tropics, though I do seem to enjoy the shipwrecks we have up in the 1000 islands a little more. Are there any really fasinating places to dive there?

I also hear the Blue Hole is about a 2 hour boat ride. It sounds interesting and looks nice in photos, though I have heard people love it, while other say it is over rated.

Don't get me wrong I love Belize, the weather, the remoteness, snorkeling, and the people. Though I am a little partial to wreck diving.

-Hostage

 

[Darnold9999]

The trip to Half Moon Bay, and the Blue Hole will take you to the best diving in Belize IMHO. However, also IMHO, the best part of the three dive trip is the two dives not done at the Blue Hole. However if you didn't particularly enjoy diving off Ambergrise then the upgrade to the sites at Half Moon will likely be somewhat disappointing. More coral, more fish, but pretty much more of the same.

 

[chillyinCanada]

If the OP likes wreck diving, particularly dark and deep, will probably really enjoy the BH! Just thinking of the geologic and diving history of this site! Also, go and look at the video BDSC posted the other day on another thread. Fantastic and I can't wait to get back in there. The Halfmoon wall dive, generally the second dive of the day is sweet! Also, spending the lunch surface interval on Halfmoon Caye is equally sweet! Make sure to walk both sides of the island. Idyllic! Not too many better ways to spend a day of diving in Belize, IMNSHO.

 

[Wolfie]

Don't get me wrong I love [st. Anywhere], the weather, the remoteness, snorkeling, and the people. Though I am a little partial to wreck diving.

-Hostage

i hear you brother!
too bad I moved from Michigan to CT. I get neither here.

 

[Doubler]

The Blue Hole is overrated. Drop down hit thermocline about 50, gets dark. At about 90 ft. You see the beginning of a stalagtites. Countinue down to about 130 swim through stalagtites in dark cold murky water head up. Big whoop and not worth the money you will be charged.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

The Blue Hole is overrated. Drop down hit thermocline about 50, gets dark. At about 90 ft. You see the beginning of a stalagtites. Countinue down to about 130 swim through stalagtites in dark cold murky water head up. Big whoop and not worth the money you will be charged.

We prefer to dive the Blue Hole as an overnight trip out of Placencia - do three dives on the say there doing SIs on the way so that the boat ride does not seem so long and then dive the Blue Hole the next day before breakfast - no one else is there yet although sometimes one of the liveaboards is just arriving, so you get clear water/better viz and the sharks are there.
Regards
Ralph

 

[Downing]

I'm with chillyinCanada.

Having done the BH three times now, I think of it as just the first dive of a pretty great day. The two stops at Halfmoon Caye are the true highlight of the trip and are worth way more than the time and expense to get there.

 

[jlevine]

It took about three hours for us to get from San Pedro to the Blue Hole. We left San Pedro at 6 am and arrived at the Blue Hole around 9 am. I would say that the Blue Hole dive *by itself* is overrated, but that the Blue Hole trip *in its entirety* (three dives, lunch, and the stop at the Caye) was well worth the money. We had a great group on the boat and had lots of fun. The second and third dives were great. The lunch and the picnic were great. Would I recommend a trip to see *only* the Blue Hole? No. The whole day *in its entirety* was well worth it.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I wouldn't recommend a trip to see *only* the Blue Hole either. It is just one great part of a wonderful wonderful dive day.

Due to your previous post, I checked out Ecologics website and read up on their new boat. Looks good, like that it is smaller than Amigos and so doesn't carry as many divers. That said IIRC, Amigos boat only takes 2 1/2 hours. Yes, it is true there are usually 18+ divers on their boat, but they split up the divers for BH dive, taking the separate smaller groups down with different DMs for each group. Being in the first group gets you better viz, but being in the latest group generally gets you mark shark action. Amigos tries to ensure that they beat the other day boats to the BH. Have been in some exciting races from time to time.

 

[jlevine]

I agree with Chilly on all his points.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the shops do not necessarily go to the Blue Hole every day. I don't know about Amigos, but Ecologic puts a sign out on their dock that said something like "Blue Hold Thursday" and has a sign up sheet. They need a minimum number of divers to go because of the cost of fuel. So, if you really want to go to the BH on a certain day, you may want to check both shops. If one isn't going on the day you want, perhaps the other will. Or, if both aren't going on the day you want, they may be able to suggest an alternate day.