Must be Belizean with tour guide licence to teach own family for free in Belize?

[KeithG]

I told them this was my plan. I have done it numerous other places...Thailand, Phillippines...didn't even dawn on me it would be a problem. Oh well. Guess we will pay a Belizean instructor.

You bring up a good point here. They said that a DM would conduct the open water portion of the dives, and now you seem to be confirming that. Is it really that common for DM's to be conducting open water courses in Belize? That is a gross violation of standards of every certification agency I am aware of. Who's name will be on my niece's c-cards? I will be checking the teaching status of any Belizian teaching my family members.

I am confirming nothing, but I believe just about every country has basic employment eligibility laws (Green Card or H1B in the US? A big thick coat, huge boots and a very warm hat is required in Canada, snowshoes optional but often useful).

It is very common for "referral scuba certifications" to happen (wish I knew about this when I got certified). General concept is that you take the class room / initial pool stuff in the cold great white north, get your instructor to fill in some paper work, buy some plane tickets and then go someplace warm and pay more money to a local instructor do supervise your open water dives to complete your training and they send in the paperwork.

I am sure there are lots of cold water Instructors that fly south with their students and complete the supervision of open water dives. Are they breaking employment laws of the warm water country? Most likely...

 

[ReefHound]

I am sure there are lots of cold water Instructors that fly south with their students and complete the supervision of open water dives. Are they breaking employment laws of the warm water country? Most likely...

I don't think so if the business deal originates and concludes in the USA, all payments are made in the USA, and all parties are based in the USA. If you did a bit of work (answering emails, creating documents, etc.) in your hotel room for your USA employer, would you consider yourself in violation of taking away a job from a local?

 

[KeithG]

I don't think so if the business deal originates and concludes in the USA, all payments are made in the USA, and all parties are based in the USA. If you did a bit of work (answering emails, creating documents, etc.) in your hotel room for your USA employer, would you consider yourself in violation of taking away a job from a local?

Depends: Did you perform paid services in the country of question? It all depends upon the tax guys.

Answering work emails to a home country employer while on vacation is not criminal - it is just stupid - screw them. You are not doing work for a client in your current geographical location.

As an independent consultant if I stay at home in Canada, work through the internet and bill a US client I am totally okay. If I travel to their head office city, spend a month on site and then bill them...I am screwed. Depends upon where I sleep and where I charge.

Our current labour and tax laws are mired in physical presence issues of the past.

 

[_Ralph]

I think it's just a misunderstanding on both parts.

Belize requires a licensed tour guide for pretty much anything 'activity' wise within the country.

I don't believe the resort/dive op is saying that you can't teach the OW dives, but since you would essentially be your own group underwater (i.e. not following the provided DM on the charter), you would require your own DM to 'guide' you underwater while you conducted your course.

_R

 

[KeithG]

I think it's just a misunderstanding on both parts.

Belize requires a licensed tour guide for pretty much anything 'activity' wise within the country.

I don't believe the resort/dive op is saying that you can't teach the OW dives, but since you would essentially be your own group underwater (i.e. not following the provided DM on the charter), you would require your own DM to 'guide' you underwater while you conducted your course.

_R

This thread has introduced 2 very different topics:
- what do I need to do if I want to "work" in Belize
- what are Belize tourist association Scuba operator "rules"

Belize requires a DM for any "guided" dive by an accredited tour operator and sets a DM to diver limit. They have no rules for "unguided" dives. Or for divers. Divers can do anything they want.

The Belize diving tourist association (I forget their real name) has come up with a very good common sense set of rules as best practices for their diver operators. These are rules for dive operators that want to belong to the tourist association. These are not government regulations regarding divers.

Edit: added "scuba" to the operator rules above

 

[KeithG]

[

This thread has introduced 2 very different topics:
- what do I need to do if I want to "work" in Belize
- what are Belize tourist association operator rules

Belize requires a DM for any "guided" dive by an accredited tour operator and sets a DM to diver limit. They have no rules for "unguided" dives. Or for divers. Divers can do anything they want.

The Belize diving tourist association (I forget their real name) has come up with a very good common sense set of rules as best practices for their diver operators. These are rules for dive operators that want to belong to the tourist association. These are not government regulations regarding divers.

The file describing the Belize Standard Code Of Practice For Recreational Scuba Diving Services is readily available online:

http://tourism.gov.bz/?mdocs-file=1223&mdocs-url=false

 

[Joe Underwater]

I think it's just a misunderstanding on both parts.

Belize requires a licensed tour guide for pretty much anything 'activity' wise within the country.

I don't believe the resort/dive op is saying that you can't teach the OW dives, but since you would essentially be your own group underwater (i.e. not following the provided DM on the charter), you would require your own DM to 'guide' you underwater while you conducted your course.

_R

Well that is how I am going to interpret it. If I get flack I will go to the shop down the street.

Thanks all for the responses.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Well that is how I am going to interpret it. If I get flack I will go to the shop down the street.

Thanks all for the responses.

I've taught (biology) in Belize with study abroad groups many times. I think this is the correct interpretation. You as the instructor certify them, but a guide is nonetheless required. I think there the DM:Instructor ratio in Belize is pretty high, so their instructors already have plenty of work. DM's need the work.....

 

[Downing]

Well that is how I am going to interpret it. If I get flack I will go to the shop down the street.

Thanks all for the responses.

It would be nice to know what happened when he went down there. My guess is everything worked out just fine.