Booked- Belize early July (diving question)

[Vin]

Booked 11 nights.


I have heard that though AC is a great middle ground for diving, fun, and mainland activities, the local diving is pretty blown out - And, the real fun starts out at Turneff, Light House and Elbow etc...

Can somebody detail. Has anybody on the board dove Nassau' s North and I think its the South side where SC is. We were flipped a trip to the Atlantis a few years back and went down for a few days. I wet out with a few local shops (looking for a deal) and essentially dove the frigging ferry lanes. Cheap diving, clear water and DEAD coral and garbage in the h20.

The South East with SC, was comercial but took you out to see some sharks and the walls were solid. decent coral fish etc.

That is my best example of diving all blown out.


Where is the best local diving? what area? North up near Mexico or south off CC?

Or skip the local and bang out the 3 tank runs which seem to take you to the outer reef?

Thoughts?

 

[RussR]

I just returned from Caye Caulker for a 7 day trip - 5 days diving. I did 3 days local diving (Hol Chan, Caye Chapel and St. Georges) and two trips (Blue Hole and Turneffe).

The local dives, while not bad, could not compare to those on the outer atolls. The diving was AMAZING on the outer reef areas, and everyone I spoke to on the boat felt pretty much the same. I can say that of the few places I have been the diving in Belize was probably the best.

When I go back I would do a few days on Caye Caulker and a few days staying on Turneffe or half moon caye or a few days on a liveaboard.

 

[Vin]

thanks

 

[tarheeldiver]

I just returned from Caye Caulker for a 7 day trip - 5 days diving. I did 3 days local diving (Hol Chan, Caye Chapel and St. Georges) and two trips (Blue Hole and Turneffe).

The local dives, while not bad, could not compare to those on the outer atolls. The diving was AMAZING on the outer reef areas, and everyone I spoke to on the boat felt pretty much the same. I can say that of the few places I have been the diving in Belize was probably the best.

When I go back I would do a few days on Caye Caulker and a few days staying on Turneffe or half moon caye or a few days on a liveaboard.

RussR,
I'm leaving for Caye Caulker next Monday I'll be staying at Iguana reef Inn and diving with Frenchies do you have any recommendations on diving and food or anything else?
greg

 

[RussR]

RussR,
I'm leaving for Caye Caulker next Monday I'll be staying at Iguana reef Inn and diving with Frenchies do you have any recommendations on diving and food or anything else?
greg

I recommend doing the longer three tank dive days as many as you can afford. Do the blue hole trip (once) and do the Turneffe trips. Also book the dives early with Frenchies as they fill up.

as far as food I only had one meal that wasn't so hot. You can eat relatively cheaply at many restaurants. Habaneros was delicious but a little pricey. Wish Willy's is quite an experience (get there early before all the good food is gone). Franns gril right where the beach road meets front street was cheap and good.

Have a great time! We did

 

[dashark]

Definately opt for the longer outer reef trips. The Turneffe Elbow is awesome. The best diving we did in Belize. The diving off of Amberguis is pretty barren. Not a lot of fish either. kind of boring. We also dove the souther barrier reef. Only slightly better.
we also heard great things about lighthouse reef.
All of these dives can be accessed from AC. San Pedro is a great place to stay. Lots of topside stuff. Great food. The long boat ride to Turneffe was beautiful.
enjoy!

 

[peterbj7]

The local diving from AC is variable and can be very good, though for some reason we've recently had a lot of murk. I think the barrier reef is intrinsically more interesting than the walls on the atolls, though the coral isn't as good and you probably won't see as much big wildlife. Some people don't realise that the barrier reef drops to great depths, in shelves, so deep ocean creatures are pretty well as likely here as at the atolls. The only spot that's likely to be better is the eastern side of Lighthouse which is pretty close to the edge of the continental shelf, but it's rarely dived (I believe it's regarded as too rough, though when I've seen it it looked calm enough - it's probably just an excuse for saving a bit of fuel).

One of the best dives I know here is Half Moon Caye wall on Lighthouse Atoll, dive 2 on a standard Blue Hole day trip.

I haven't dived Glover's though I really want to (it's pretty inaccessible from AC). I hear stories that it's "very good", but until now I haven't known what that meant. A friend who does maybe 400-500 dives with my shop every year just spent a week on the Nekton that dives Belize, much of it at Glover's, and reports that the wall diving there is quite inferior to Lighthouse (which surprised me) but that the shallower diving is pristine and akin to diving over a country garden (which didn't).

If you dive AC you certainly aren't drawing the short straw. Local diving from CC is markedly inferior and most CC operators go elsewhere, meaning longer boat trips. CC is better for diving the two northern atolls though (Lighthouse and Turneffe) because it's substantially nearer so the trips are quicker and cheaper.

 

[Ecologic Divers]

Peter, maybe the "Freind" who does 400-500 dives with you a year did'nt like diving with somebody other than Protech.
Just kidding!

 

[peterbj7]

Actually Steve, he's dived with several operators here including yours, as well as with operators in other parts of Belize. He just seems to come back to us. But (and this comment is intended for other readers) people get to know an operator and its staff and feel comfortable returning to them. You inherited some regulars from me, people who liked diving with the individual staff who moved from me to you, and by now probably have some new ones. I know people who return year after year and always dive with the same divemaster, following him/her around from shop to shop. I wasn't helped over the past year by the general air of decrepitude surrounding the premises at the Belize Yacht Club that I've recently and very gladly largely vacated, and I know I lost some old regulars to that. You'll know about that - you benefited. But onwards and upwards! (though as we're talking about diving perhaps that should be "downwards").

 

[Vin]

Great feedback.

Who on the island has the best rates for the Lighthouse and Turneffe?


vin