Question Joint scuba-snorkeling operators in Belize?

[Krabby Padi]

I will be visiting Belize (Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye) in late March with my wife and two kids (ages 8 and 3). I am the only diver in my family — the others are content to snorkel. (The kids are both good swimmers.)

Are there boat operators on either island that run combined scuba-snorkel tours, such that I can dive while my wife and kids snorkel?

Also, are there specific sites that are good for both diving and snorkeling?

 

[Krabby Padi]

Here's what I've learned on my own in case this info is helpful to others. From Caye Caulker, the only tours with scuba and snorkeling from the same boat are to the Blue Hole and Turneffe North. Both are full-day excursions that leave very early in the morning, so I don't think they're ideal for my young kids. I will probably dive on my own in the morning and/or at night, then join my family for a snorkeling-only tour in the afternoon.

From Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) there are joint scuba-snorkeling tours to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. At the first stop, divers dive and snorkelers snorkel in ~30 feet of water. At the second stop, everybody snorkels in ~8 feet of water. There are morning and afternoon departures and the whole trip takes about 3 hours. This seems like a great option for my family.

I would still be grateful for recommendations for specific dive operators on both islands and specific dive sites near Caye Caulker (within ~30 minutes boat ride). Because this is a family holiday first and foremost, I'd like to limit my time in transit to and from dive sites -- even if that means I may have to skip the "best" sites in the region.

 

[Rob9876]

From Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) there are joint scuba-snorkeling tours to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. At the first stop, divers dive and snorkelers snorkel in ~30 feet of water. At the second stop, everybody snorkels in ~8 feet of water. There are morning and afternoon departures and the whole trip takes about 3 hours. This seems like a great option for my family.

I would still be grateful for recommendations for specific dive operators on both islands and specific dive sites near Caye Caulker (within ~30 minutes boat ride). Because this is a family holiday first and foremost, I'd like to limit my time in transit to and from dive sites -- even if that means I may have to skip the "best" sites in the region.

@Krabby Padi Sorry to see you didn't get any responses here. I'm planning a trip to Ambergris Caye this September with me diving and my wife snorkeling -- who did you end up going with, and did you like them?

 

[Krabby Padi]

We visited Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye back in March. In the end we struggled to find good options for joint scuba-snorkeling tours. This is mainly because the best dive sites are outside the barrier reef while the best snorkeling sites are inside the reef. I ended up diving on my own, and then joining my wife and kids for dedicated snorkeling trips.

I dived with Black Durgon Dives (Tackle Box and Esmeralda) and Sunrise Scuba (Caye Caulker Channel night dive) on Caye Caulker, and with Amigos del Mar (Cypress Canyons and Mermaid's Lair) on Ambergris Caye. We did a private snorkeling tour with Black Durgon on Caye Caulker and a group snorkeling tour with Ambergris Divers on Ambergris Caye.

My experience was that the operators were all knowledgeable and competent. The big shops have bigger boats and nicer rental equipment than the small shops, but other than that the diving/snorkeling experiences were comparable. (For what it's worth: I don't consider myself a "high-maintenance" customer...) To be honest, the biggest variable was the skills (or lack thereof...) of the other divers/snorkelers. Many of the divers were inexperienced or out of practice and struggled with buoyancy, finning technique, etc. And on our group snorkeling trip I couldn't believe how many people kicked or stood on the coral, despite repeated instructions from the crew not to do so.

Happy to provide more info or answer more questions if I can be helpful.