Expensive???

[KathyV]

...Speaking of the Wave Dancer and Peter Hughes, on my last trip to Belize I tried to check out the harbor at Big Creek to see where the WD capsized in October, 2001. It's a very industrial area that's gated off just as you get to the harbor, so I wasn't able to see it. Seventeen divers, most if not all from the same dive club in Virginia, and three crew members drowned there in the worst recreational diving accident ever.

The Wave Dancer was such a terrible tragedy and much loss of life could have been avoided, see the Undercurrent report at the link below. We met Peter Hughes once at a dive show and he was very genial and pleasant, and we did one Dancer trip many years ago, the TCI Sea Dancer out of Provo and it was a great trip. But one thing I learned from that event was, if there is an option for getting off the boat when a bad storm threatens - I'm getting off the boat!

The Wave Dancer Tragedy: Undercurrent 04/2005

 

[Downing]

Another website to check out Wave Dancer Tragedy

This one was set up by a member of the scuba club. A lot of the info is really painful to read.

 

[Ayisha]

The WD incident was such a needless, horrible tragedy that could have been avoided like for the Aggressor right beside it. Not only were bad decisions made about sticking out the hurricane, but cheap materials that were not to spec caused it to break free and escalate the destruction. May they all rest in peace.

 

[jrl5549]

Dove in Placencia with Sea Horse it was an expensive trip. My GF and I enjoyed it a lot. I would love to go back to Belize, somewhere else. Can I get some more hotel suggestions in Caye Caulker?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Sorry, I should have included what I was looking at. Staying on Placencia and just doing standard diving looks like anywhere between 3-6 hundred $ a day for Mrs Flush and myself. I have zero problem paying for diving but off the top of my head it seems excessive in cost.
Again, this may be right in line but I was not expecting that.

It is only the price of diving that concerns you, am I correct?

As Downing pointed out, the dive sites are quite a bit farther away than at other locales within Belize. The price of fuel is outrageous in Belize. But it is also a matter of time.

If for example you were diving out of Ambergris Caye, you'd have your 2 tank morning dives done before 1 pm, if not earlier. That is not the case in Placencia. You'll want to keep that in mind if you are making plans with the non-divers on your dive days.

 

[lthomas132]

Dove in Placencia with Sea Horse it was an expensive trip. My GF and I enjoyed it a lot. I would love to go back to Belize, somewhere else. Can I get some more hotel suggestions in Caye Caulker? [/QUOTE

Besides some of the private condos through AirBnB, we thought the nicest was Seaside Cabanas (Seaside Cabanas Hotel | Home). We got the 2 bdrm. w/mini kitchen. One of the few places on Caye Corker (locals call it) with a pool. This last April Seaside was booked up so we settled for De Real Macaw (De Real Macaw: Condominium, Cabanas and Guest House on Caye Caulker, Belize), an eclectic little place down on the beachfront (sort of). Very basic rooms but do have AC. Many places don't have AC, so be sure and ask. There's lots of young backpackers so lots of cheap places. CC is a great little island, their motto is "Go Slow".

PS. Jessie, the owner, is Belizian but grew up in the states. She claims to have known fairly well Patty Hearst back in the 70's.