Is Nekton Belize - single newbie Diver - am I crazy

[craigdoc]

I am looking at the nekton out of Belize for mid February. I am a new Diver with 11 dives under the belt and would be going as a single diver. There is no way that I would even contemplate diving alone.

I think that I could learn a lot on the Nekton but dont want to be unsafe and also dont want to feel the oddman out without a buddy. I know that as a single diver that they will pair you up with someone else but is the combination of bieng a newbie and a single diver just too much.

Also I get the impression that when the dive floor is open you can come andgo as you please so clearly there is no DM following/guiding/aiding those that are lesss experienced. Is that a recipe for disaster for a newbie

Thanks

Craig

 

[Darnold9999]

The diving itself is pretty easy and it would surprise me if you couldn't handle it. You would get better really quickly and I have found that mostly people on the Nekton are pretty accommodating.

However it might be a bit too soon. Hard to say, and it will depend on who else is on the boat.

I will be going on the Nekton Belize as a single diver at the end of December. If you were to end up on the same trip I would be happy to dive with you for a few dives - however also might not want to babysit you if you ended up needing it either. This is a moderatly expensive holiday - don't want to play DM while someone learns to dive for a week.

Most people that do this cruise have a few more dives than 11 - not becuase it is too much for you, but because you really have to want to dive to do this trip. Pretty much all anyone does is dive, sleep, eat. So at 11 dives not that many people have decided that they want to spend a week doing nothing but diving for a week.

If you decide to to go I would - first try to find someone else at your level to come along. Failing that dive a whole lot between now and then. Failing that be prepared to dive with a number of different buddies and the crew rather than expect a single person to dive with you the whole week.

Having said that worst case is that you can always dive with the crew, perhaps take a course or two from them. Depending on how full the boat is they are usually pretty happy to dive with a guest. Even happier if they are getting paid for a course I suspect.

 

[smokey braden]

craigdoc,
welcome to this board.
congratulations on becoming a cert. diver and picking one of the best locations in the entire carribean.
the nekton is programed to accomodate every level of divers.
you will not be the first novice to go out on her.
you have the opportunity to have more than just one or two dive buddies.
i would take advantage of this fact and learn from a wide choice of divers.
you will find that most good divers do not mind showing a novice some good tips.
go, have a good time, upon your safe return please post a trip report here so everyone else can read the good time you had and the education that you recieved.
regards,

 

[DiveMaven]

Belize is a great choice for a newbie diver, and the Nekton is always a great choice for a liveaboard IMO. We were there last December, and although we aren't newbies, we found the diving could be as easy or as challenging as we wanted.

The only caution I would give you is that if you're going to dive the walls, you're going to want to really watch your depth and buoyancy control. Most of the walls were deep and with the viz being often 100+ feet, it would be easy to go deeper than you wanted.

Typical dive profile for us was to go to the wall, drop down to our predecided depth, cruise along the wall slowling ascending to our turn around pressure, come back on top of the reef, and burn the rest of our tanks right under the boat on the reef. Next dive would go the opposite way on the wall, but repeat the same procedure. Navigation was truely this easy, which was cool...we never got lost or couldn't find the boat immediately.

Go for it, you won't regret it for a second!!

 

[Footslogger]

I am looking at the nekton out of Belize for mid February. I am a new Diver with 11 dives under the belt and would be going as a single diver. There is no way that I would even contemplate diving alone.

I think that I could learn a lot on the Nekton but dont want to be unsafe and also dont want to feel the oddman out without a buddy. I know that as a single diver that they will pair you up with someone else but is the combination of bieng a newbie and a single diver just too much.

Also I get the impression that when the dive floor is open you can come andgo as you please so clearly there is no DM following/guiding/aiding those that are lesss experienced. Is that a recipe for disaster for a newbie

===============================================

Having been on 5 Nekton cruises (2 of them in Belize) I think it will be perfect for you. Plenty of opportunity to test your skills and gain experience. No ...the DM's won't follow you around, unless you ask them to. Nice thing about Belize is that you can work on your buoyancy on the walls and then spend time on top of the reefs in the shallower water.

Once they give the dive briefing the "pool is open" so to speak and you are free to dive (within safe limits) until they get ready to move the boat, which is usually during meal time.

Have a ball !!

'Slogger

 

[DiveMaven]

I forgot to mention that you won't be a single diver for long on a Nekton boat. There are usually other unbuddied divers, and if you prefer, you can ask one of the DM's to dive with you for as many dives as you want.

 

[jasondcrawford]

Any suggestions as to which Belize itinerary to do, or is there any difference? Nekton seems to rotate between the central and south.

 

[utdivermatt]

Now and feb is a long time too... plenty of time to dive locally. Not sure what you have, but diving weekends you can rack up some dives pretty quick, and get more comfortable with everything

 

[DiveMaven]

Any suggestions as to which Belize itinerary to do, or is there any difference? Nekton seems to rotate between the central and south.

I've only done the central itinerary and when we go back, we'll do the southern just to mix it up. However, I've heard that the only real difference between the two itineraries is that on the southern you have a better chance of seeing whale sharks, which would be cool.

I'd really recommend that you give the Nekton folks a call or fire them an e-mail with all your questions. The office people are the best group of folks I've ever dealt with and will answer every question you have, and more.

 

[jasondcrawford]

I took your advice and called them. They said the big difference (and really only difference) is that on the Southern itenerary they try to get down to Lighthouse reef (or something like that), but if the weather isn't cooporating, they just go ahead and do the central itinerary.