Shallow water dives in Belize? Where?

[jbmooney]

Hello all -

My family and I are considering a diving vacation this coming spring, and Belize is on the list of places that we'd like to visit at some point (I've heard the diving is spectacular). We have a couple of limitations, though, and I hope someone can help me answer the following questions (I'm awaiting the arrival of a Lonely Planet dive guide just bought from Amazon, but the opinion of the ScubaBoard group would be very welcome as well):

Our daughter (who is 11) will be with us. Are there enough shallow depth dive sites to occupy a junior diver (limited to 40' depths) for a week of diving in one location? If so, where is best?

Also, some of our party will not be certified when we go down there, and very well may want to take an open water course while on the vacation, and some of the rest of us may want to do refreshers or additional training. Is there a place that would also make that possible?

We'd rather not spend a fortune, but we'd like a fairly nice place to stay, and my elderly Mom will be with us (and not diving, I think), so some shoreside activities & entertainments would also be nice, if possible.

I've never been to Belize, so I have no idea about whether it's possible to meet all these requirements in one place there. What say you? Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations you can give me!

 

[pir8]

San Pedro did not have shore diving at all when I was there in Oct

 

[jbmooney]

pir8, thanks for the reply, and I'm sorry, I must have had a brain fade.

I meant shallow water dives - I'm perfectly happy (in fact, would prefer) to go on a boat for day dives, I just don't think it would make sense for us to go aboard the Nekton or some other liveaboard (too many different agendas and ages).

Does that change your answer any?

 

[Doc]

Several times, I have chosen the Belize Nekton (as you mentioned above) and I certainly understand why it would not fit your needs. I do this liveaboad thing because the reef diving is always a fair boat ride away from your resort.

What I did learn: You can elect to dive off of the wall and deep, or you can do what we are always "accused of"... making shore landings and going very shallow.

The beauty of Belize is the shallow reef structures that promulgate a nursery setting of the many macro critters... that's why you come to Belize. Go slowly, follow a good DM, carry a flashlight (and I suggest a magnifying glass), and be ready for a show.

About a 40' depth limit... you going to have to assume that you are her buddy, unless you hire a private DM- that's the only way to guarantee it. The DM is going to be with the divers that have-ta-gotta go to 90fsw. This, unfortunately is what most people need to do to keep their TBT to 50 minutes. :doh: DM's kinda like shorter length dives because they get home earlier. When we do the 1:20 shallow dives, we over-tip.

I wouldn't give you a nickel for anything printed in Lonely Planet that has anything to do with SCUBA diving beyond the pespective of a day-tripper from a cruise ship. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The writers seem to be very casual divers.

Try this until the loal experts chime in: "shallow diving" belize scuba - Google Search

 

[jbmooney]

...I wouldn't give you a nickel for anything printed in Lonely Planet that has anything to do with SCUBA diving...

Oops.:yourkiddingme: And now I have three of them coming (including one for Roatan!:wallywink) Where were you yesterday?

Interesting point about the nature of dive trips where one dives with others with other agendas. I'm looking forward to doing some of that sort of stuff too, I guess, but not with my daughter (at least, not yet). Working along the shallows sounds great, but I sort of doubt that I'm familiar enough with the sights or the area myself to feel like I'd be getting my daughter the best look that "the nursery" deserves. Maybe arranging for a private DM would be worth it, but how to find one?

Try this until the loal experts chime in: "shallow diving" belize scuba - Google Search

Good idea, and I'd tried something quite like that. So far (from that link and what I found myself earlier), as cool as Belize looks, it looks as though it may not be best for this trip (a more dedicated diving program, for more evenly matched skill levels, looks like it might be in order). I'll be interested to hear from the local experts, as you say.

Many thanks for the reply, Doc.

 

[mohave_steve]

When we were down in March & dove with Amigos del Mar they had 1 &2 tank dives on the nearby reef that were 25-40' on a regular basis. I dove the local reef 3 times as well as the better known sites. Hol Chan, Blue Hole, Aquarium etc... They were all fantastic.
Come to think of it Hol Chan was shallow.
Have Fun!!!!!!!

 

[pir8]

pir8, thanks for the reply, and I'm sorry, I must have had a brain fade.

I meant shallow water dives - I'm perfectly happy (in fact, would prefer) to go on a boat for day dives, I just don't think it would make sense for us to go aboard the Nekton or some other liveaboard (too many different agendas and ages).

Does that change your answer any?

All the dives I was on were strictly DM led cause they had the boat change moorings and were considerably deeper than 40ft. I'm not sure if they could find enough shallower dives for her and keep the other guests happy too.
I might recomend Grand Cayman for its shore diving capability.

 

[peterbj7]

The reef local to the northern cayes (Ambergris and Caulker) can be dived at any depth including very shallow. The permanent moorings are generally in around 40' or so anyway and your daughter (suitably accompanied - there must be a local dive guide present) could restrict her dives to those depths. Most of the diving interest on the reef is in deeper water, in the AOW range in fact so the dives won't be as interesting, but so long as there isn't too much surge she should enjoy herself.

There are several other areas inside the reef where she can have good shallow dives. Hol Chan is one, the Mexico Rocks area is another, and I also like the area just inside the reef near the Tuffy dive site.

Unless it's at a very busy time you should find no difficulty finding an operator who will take you out on suitable trips. If you want a guarantee you can usually charter a boat to do whatever you want. Typically this will cost the equivalent of four divers.

Overall though I should think she'd do better where there's suitable shore diving, and that won't be in Belize. Perhaps others can suggest suitable areas?

 

[Doc]

Now you got it from the man as above.

And now I have three <Lonely Planet Books> coming

They are certainly of some use. You won't understand how off-base the diving comments are until you've compared them to an island or two that you know intimately.

Interesting point about the nature of dive trips where one dives with others with other agendas.

It is much more common than most people understand. Any number of divers who might want certain profiles just remain quiet and "go along". Depth is always a big issue. Some divers need to log the depth and don't feel like they have gotten their money's worth unless they have probed the mysteries of the deep, other divers find solace and comfort in shallow profiles. Neither reason makes a lick of practical sense, but the "why" is not important. The magic bogey of this or that depth, whether 40' or 130' is the controlling issue. I have been considering these imaginary obstacles for 50 years and I still don't get it.

I'm looking forward to doing some of that sort of stuff too, I guess,

As above.... Look at what a specific location has to offer. When I am in the Maldives, I plan on dives of 80-110fsw. Same for the Red Sea. That's where the cool stuff is. At the same time, my dive buddies there rarely if ever tarry at 30fsw and they miss my favorite crtitters- the Sea Moths. Image of They're good with lemon and butter - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

In Blelize, it is the same shallow reef structure that is shared by Roatan and the Bay Islands. You do not go here to see the same old stuff that you see elsewhere in the Caribbean. That would be like going to Fisherman's Wharf and ordering steak. Good steak, but what's the house specialty here? Take a look: Doc_Adelman/2007 Roatan Bay Islands Honduras - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

but not with my daughter (at least, not yet). Working along the shallows sounds great, but I sort of doubt that I'm familiar enough with the sights or the area myself to feel like I'd be getting my daughter the best look that "the nursery" deserves.

The only way to become familiar is to do the process of telling a competent DM that the little, shallow stuff is just what you want. They can show you Toadfish, Pipefish, Sea Horses and more. In your dive career you will see plenty of 3' Cudas and Parrot Fish, but learning to find the cool little stuff- that's the trick.

How to do it? When the DM shows you a neat little fish, don't just stare at the fish. Look at it's behavior, look around it and study which environment it likes to be in. Watch how it moves, where it moves, where in the water column (depth) it is happy. Everybody goes ga-ga for Juvenile Drums. You can't find one [/I]if you are looking for one. If you look at their known environment, there are hundreds of them.

Maybe arranging for a private DM would be worth it, but how to find one?

Absolutely it is worth it. This is the only way she will enjoy the trip. Easy breazy to find one. Ask at the resort's dive op. Lots of DM's looking for work.

Belize sounds doable for what you want to pull off. Wherever you go, it's going to be a bit of a stretch.

 

[BigJimDiver]

Well Im 13 years old and i went on the Aqua Cat in the bahamas. It was excellent. I just got certified this trip, i did my class work where i live and i did my check out dives there. The crew is fantastic and funny, and the diving is great. The dives are mostly shallow except for one or 2 that i could not do, and it is a great place for families. they do shore excersions once a day except for the first and last day. You can skip a dive if u want and there are many fun things to do on the boat. also it is a cat so the boat doesnt sway and you shouldnt get sea sick.