The state of the diving tourism industry in Belize

[peterbj7]

You don't need a TG licence to own a dive shop. You don't even need a work permit to own it, just to work in it. You do however need a BTB Operator's Licence, and each of your boat captains needs a Captain's licence for the class of boat he drives.

I have dived many times with most dive shops in the area, and I do think most of the above criticisms do apply to many of those. Not all and not all of the time. My problem is that there's no effective regulatory framework to prevent them. But a huge problem lies in getting people to recognise that there are issues that need addressing, even with highly regarded operators. One demonstrated by the emotions surfacing in this thread.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

The only comment that I made regarding "Third World" was in regards to a questions about differing requirements for professional designations from PADI. I am sorry you took that personally. Is "developing world" a better term? Anyway, how does a Canadian get a license to own a dive shop? Are you a minority owner or were you somehow grandfathered? I was under the maybe incorrect assumption that that a majority owner needed a Tour Guide License. I am glad to hear that you run a clean operation. I do not believe that your shop is the norm especially as compared to the AC shops.

Yes, a Canadian can own a dive shop (a building with some stuff inside and some boats parked around the place) but to get a Tour Guide License the requirement is Belizean majority ownership and we have that at Splash Dive Center Ltd.
I have only dived with one AC shop and while that one is small, they were competent, followed the standards and I never felt that they were not fully professional. I would not hesitate to dive with them again.
Almost all of my dives have been in developing countries and all the operators I have dived with have been professional. There have been operators down this way that have gone out of business and one that BTB put out of business, so I am not claiming all is 100%, but I believe the main tour operators here in Placencia are competent and try to follow standards.
Regards
Ralph

 

[Hank49]

From a completely North American point of view, there is some truth in what the OP is stating. I've lived outside the US in three developing counties for the last 26 years and at first, I was a bit shocked at how things get....or don't get done. It is hard to operate a boat here compared to Florida.
I was heading out Sunday and both my Yamaha 40s were sputtering and conking out. I went back home and took down the filters and drained the carb float bowls. They were full of rusty looking water. And I found out two of my friend's boats had the same problem. Watery gas is a big problem here in Belize. So I cleaned it out, went diving and came home. Went and replaced my Racors and I'm good for another couple months.
But that's half the fun. This ain't Kansas but I wouldn't trade it. If you want the safety and regulations of the US, then stay there and dive. But me....I'm going to the Philippines next month to spend a week on a wood and bamboo banka tied together with fishing line, 100 miles out to Tubbataha reef. S**t could happen....but adventure is what it's all about.

 

[slenderff]

peterbj7 i do not think that anyone is saying that diving in Belize and specifically San Pedro is perfect. i have been to Belize several times both diving and just visiting and i do not accept that all operators attitude is one of carelessness and protectionism. There are improvements that can always be made but the operations that i have dived with have been saftey and guest orientated.
It seems to me that by a blanket statement as AWMIII posts goes no way to addressing issues. it is too easy to bad mouth a whole industry and i cannot agree with him. After all what qualifications does he have to speak about ALL dive shops. Like i have said in the previous posts i would rather he name these rotten operators or stop using the forum to spout "facts" which he refuses to back up.

 

[AWMIII]

From a completely North American point of view, there is some truth in what the OP is stating. I've lived outside the US in three developing counties for the last 26 years and at first, I was a bit shocked at how things get....or don't get done. It is hard to operate a boat here compared to Florida.
I was heading out Sunday and both my Yamaha 40s were sputtering and conking out. I went back home and took down the filters and drained the carb float bowls. They were full of rusty looking water. And I found out two of my friend's boats had the same problem. Watery gas is a big problem here in Belize. So I cleaned it out, went diving and came home. Went and replaced my Racors and I'm good for another couple months.
But that's half the fun. This ain't Kansas but I wouldn't trade it. If you want the safety and regulations of the US, then stay there and dive. But me....I'm going to the Philippines next month to spend a week on a wood and bamboo banka tied together with fishing line, 100 miles out to Tubbataha reef. S**t could happen....but adventure is what it's all about.

Sad thing is watery gas is probably more of a problem in the US now that there is ethanol is almost all gasoline. I am responsible for6 or 8 outboards and none of them run correctly on a consistant basis. I don't know if it is just the fuel. I think the new EPA regs which make the carbs almost unadjustable have made outboards unreliable. EFI is just too fussy. A little dirty gas and an engine here just won't run at all. I guess they pollute less that way.

The problem that i have is that BTB has added additional requirements and regs above and beyond what is required to do the same jobs here in the states. It should make things safer. It seems to have had a negative effect. there is no way that you can say that the Belizian dive tourism industry is safer than in the US. Trying to protect the jobs for native born Belizians will have a long term negative affect. People talk about the Four Season's Eco resort as if that is something that is going to happen. Meanwhile, half of the vacation real estate in AC is for sale. People talk about the South beach project. People talk about the property for sale on the lagoon side up north of the cut. None of that will happen unless a few things are straightened out. I love the people of Belize. But, I think some outside influence woud help things out. FWIW, I have been in Belize 32 days in the last 12 months. I will probably be there another 20 days before the end of 2012. I am not making these observations after a one day cruise ship visit. I undertsand my opinions may not be popular. I am sure that anyone with more than a basic level of scuba education and a bunch of belize dives, can tell stories about diving in Belize. My real concern is for the people who have fewer than 10 dives who blindly follow a dm. Those same people are diving to 145 feet on their 5 or 6th dive ever, over a 450ft bottom 3hrs from any medical help. They are watching a Dm wrestle a moray without knowing that that same moray can remove a finger in a flash. They are doing the same with nurse sharks. They are getting into deco without even knowing it. This kind of stuff is not good in the long term. It is not good for Belize, and it is not good for Scuba. I think some diversity among the diving professionals would serve to increase safety.

 

[izzydiver]

I would venture to say that it would be a challenge to dive with all Belize ops in 32 days and make an educated assessment .

The problem does not seem to be the "bad practices of all" but more so the fact that someone was refused a tour guide license.

 

[Downing]

Hank, how can you wander off into a "bad gas" story? This thread had nothing to do with bad gas. Btw, I saw something on local tv about bad gas effecting boat motors in Oregon.

Be sure to make it back in time for me to come bug you.

To the OP: sounds to me like your Belize diving is limited to AC although it's hard to know for sure since you won't actually give specifics, only generalities for which you want to indict a whole nation. Slenderff's right. Man up and name names already or at least be more specific. Why is that so hard for you?

If it sucks so bad at AC, come dive with us at Splash in Placencia. Maybe you could even be a "secret customer."

 

[Hank49]

Hank, how can you wander off into a "bad gas" story? This thread had nothing to do with bad gas. Btw, I saw something on local tv about bad gas effecting boat motors in Oregon.

Be sure to make it back in time for me to come bug you.

To the OP: sounds to me like your Belize diving is limited to AC although it's hard to know for sure since you won't actually give specifics, only generalities for which you want to indict a whole nation. Slenderff's right. Man up and name names already or at least be more specific. Why is that so hard for you?

If it sucks so bad at AC, come dive with us at Splash in Placencia. Maybe you could even be a "secret customer."

The bad gas story was related to the OP's story of the guy who couldn't start the boat in AC and was drifting into the reef. "Bad gas" could well have been his problem. Of course, the guy was a bit of a dumb s**t for not having an anchor......

 

[peterbj7]

The problem does not seem to be the "bad practices of all" but more so the fact that someone was refused a tour guide license.

I was waiting for that, and it is factually incorrect. You obviously know who I am as I have never tried to hide my identity. Would you care to come out from behind your moniker and say who you are? And in fact whether you do actually live on AC, or whether you just used to? Actually, doesn't having multiple identities on Scubaboard break the rules of the site?

---------- Post added April 12th, 2012 at 09:59 AM ----------

In any case, my position is that although there are things wrong with the way diving is practised in Belize, or at any rate in the part I'm most familiar with, most of those problems are structural and institutional. I know no dive shops here that I wouldn't be happy to dive with. But then I have a lot of dives and know how to look after myself. It worries me deeply when I meet people at the Chamber who have been sent there by practices they didn't know at the time were defective. And I do think that not having the free movement of dive staff from other countries that is normal in most parts of the world is detrimental to Belize's diving. I also know of several dive professionals here who agree with that statement, though they're afraid to say so.

 

[Downing]

Hank, my bad. My only personal experience with bad gas is sometimes after eating Mexican food.

I undertsand my opinions may not be popular.

That's not the issue.

The issue is that you are anonymous, your allegations are unverifiable and you've extrapolated your alleged experience(s?) to blanket every single dive operator in an entire country. How can you expect to be taken seriously?

I have no doubt that there is at least some truth to what you are saying about at least some of the operators on Ambergris Caye, although it's a total crapshoot as to which ones did what. But that's about as far as it goes.