Ashmai
Registered
My wife and I are from Arizona and recently were PADI certified on the coast of California (Catalina Island). Our first experiences with "open water" were in 7mm full wet suits with hoodies on! Let me tell you, diving in warm waters it such a different experience.
After we got our certs, I wanted to plan something fairly quick as to not lose any of the knowledge I just recently acquired. So I got together with a few good friends (left the wife at home with the kids, I'm terrible...) and headed to Ambergris Caye, Belize for a week.
I had only had 6 dives under my belt (3 for my Open Water course on Catalina Island, and 3 more the day after off a boat) and did dives 7 through 18 in Belize. I went spear fishing, night diving, and had the trip of a life time... 11 of 12 dives were considered "deep dives", as the depth was below 80 feet for small portions. I didn't do the Blue Hole because A) my lack of experience, and b) it was 6 hours in a boat I didn't want to waste when I had great diving 10 minutes off our beach.
Without boring everyone with pages of information, I will say the most amazing dive was the night dive. Where in 30 feet of water we all turned our lights off (there were 4 of us, and 2 dive masters) and the dive master had us "half circle" around a light he stuck in the sand pointing up. We sat there for 10 minutes watching. It started off with tiny little "things" (not up on my underwater animal names...) swarming around the lights base. Similar to a porch light at midnight, with little bugs flying all around its source. After about 3 minutes, slightly bigger fish started swarming, then bigger fish, etc. Until after 10 minutes it looked like a dance from little mermaid Disney flick... The very top being huge silver fish, all the way down to the the lights source where they were just black dots swimming around frantically. It was absolutely amazing. Ton's of rays on the bottom, and those green eel's that look like they belong in a horror film. What an amazing night. Even the boat ride out, was breath taking. Sorry wifey for not taking you
I'll make it up to you soon!
Spear fishing was great fun as well, we caught a bunch of lobster, fish (I believe they were called dog snapper if I recall), cleaned them and cooked them right on the beach over some coconut rice. Great times.
Amazing time, thought I would toss some pictures up for those new to diving.
Off the dock, just arrived.
These seemed to be all over, just feet off the shoreline.
Getting ready to get in the warm water
About 80 - 100 feet, heading up after coming out of a small series of swimthru's.
Nasty thing!
Swim-thu, about 100 feet.
Thats a good boy!
Talk about a good seat on the plane...
Love this picture, safety stop! Gotta follow those rules!
I found Jesus in Belize! No... really... In 40 feet of water!
Jumping Jacks
Found this on the island and had to get a quick picture. (very quick)
Hope it isn't too many pictures. I have the whole album and higher res ones posted here if anyone cares to see them a bit more high res
Belize Scuba 09'
Great times, will most certainly dive Belize again. What a wonderful place.
After we got our certs, I wanted to plan something fairly quick as to not lose any of the knowledge I just recently acquired. So I got together with a few good friends (left the wife at home with the kids, I'm terrible...) and headed to Ambergris Caye, Belize for a week.
I had only had 6 dives under my belt (3 for my Open Water course on Catalina Island, and 3 more the day after off a boat) and did dives 7 through 18 in Belize. I went spear fishing, night diving, and had the trip of a life time... 11 of 12 dives were considered "deep dives", as the depth was below 80 feet for small portions. I didn't do the Blue Hole because A) my lack of experience, and b) it was 6 hours in a boat I didn't want to waste when I had great diving 10 minutes off our beach.
Without boring everyone with pages of information, I will say the most amazing dive was the night dive. Where in 30 feet of water we all turned our lights off (there were 4 of us, and 2 dive masters) and the dive master had us "half circle" around a light he stuck in the sand pointing up. We sat there for 10 minutes watching. It started off with tiny little "things" (not up on my underwater animal names...) swarming around the lights base. Similar to a porch light at midnight, with little bugs flying all around its source. After about 3 minutes, slightly bigger fish started swarming, then bigger fish, etc. Until after 10 minutes it looked like a dance from little mermaid Disney flick... The very top being huge silver fish, all the way down to the the lights source where they were just black dots swimming around frantically. It was absolutely amazing. Ton's of rays on the bottom, and those green eel's that look like they belong in a horror film. What an amazing night. Even the boat ride out, was breath taking. Sorry wifey for not taking you
I'll make it up to you soon!Spear fishing was great fun as well, we caught a bunch of lobster, fish (I believe they were called dog snapper if I recall), cleaned them and cooked them right on the beach over some coconut rice. Great times.
Amazing time, thought I would toss some pictures up for those new to diving.
Off the dock, just arrived.
These seemed to be all over, just feet off the shoreline.
Getting ready to get in the warm water
About 80 - 100 feet, heading up after coming out of a small series of swimthru's.
Nasty thing!
Swim-thu, about 100 feet.
Thats a good boy!
Talk about a good seat on the plane...
Love this picture, safety stop! Gotta follow those rules!
I found Jesus in Belize! No... really... In 40 feet of water!
Jumping Jacks
Found this on the island and had to get a quick picture. (very quick)
Hope it isn't too many pictures. I have the whole album and higher res ones posted here if anyone cares to see them a bit more high res
Belize Scuba 09'
Great times, will most certainly dive Belize again. What a wonderful place.
