Warning: Bad Belize Dive Experience

[DevonDiver]

What reported statistics are you basing that on?

I'm not... hence the "?".

I've not heard of any great statistical anomalies for the area though..

Belize like many other tourist dive locations like it benefits from the lack of transparency and reporting of incidents.

True... but that's pretty general for most 'tropical' locations.

Is there a hyperbaric chamber on Belize now? Even if not, most visitors are from the USA.. and DCS incident would be reported via chamber in the USA.

... many of which are watching newbies being taken to 130-150ft plus and going OOA, sometimes divers even on their first open water dives.

That's exactly what I mentioned... unless you're alleging that these 'newbies' were somehow forcibly coerced to dive the Blue Hole (at gunpoint?), knowingly in contravention of every lesson they learn on Open Water training....???

Do you mean:

"Taken" - allowed to book themselves on a dive trip, in full understanding of the typical dive parameters for the Blue Hole.

or

"Taken" - Abducted from outside hotel by a criminal cartel and submerged to 130ft... only to be later retrieved by Liam Neeson.

 

[BDSC]

There are well managed and safe shops here.

We visited Belize a few years ago and stayed at Turneffe Island Resort. I found them to be a very safe dive operation and wouldn't hesitate to go back again or recommend them to a friend. We did go to the Blue Hole one day and we were given a dive brief on how the dive was to be conducted and the max depth we would be going to. They made sure they let folks know that if they didn't feel comfortable going to those depths, they didn't have to do the dive or could stay closer to the top of the hole and look around there. I think our max depth was about 140 ft. I didn't see anything we did as being "unsafe".

 

[ScubaSteve]

"Taken" - Abducted from outside hotel by a criminal cartel and submerged to 130ft... only to be later retrieved by Liam Neeson.

Can I be rescued by Jessica Alba instead?

 

[AWMIII]

Can I be rescued by Jessica Alba instead?

The piece that is being missed is that they do indeed lead you to those depths. This is NOT a dive where they says the pool is open get in. This is a highly structured strictly lead dive. Almost all diving in Belize is like that. A DM MUSt be in the wtare with you. Many of the reef dives are drift dives (picked up in a different place than dropped off) so staying with a group is mandatory in order to get a ride back.

MY experience with the BH was that my buddy could not equalize and we were forced to bail out at about 90ft because we had taken too long to get down. A DM made my buddy bail out. I followed my buddy even though the DM had been encouraginging me to go with the group. I was not ready to do a 130ft planned dive without a buddy. We had a surface swim to the next boat mooring after we surfaced. We accompanied a single diver on the swim. She had bailed out due to regulator problems. The DM did not surface with us for the swim.



The whole mandatory guiding thing is what makes the situation different than what most people think. I am used to being told when to be back. In Belize, they take you, and stay with you during the entire dive. Bailing early usually means the whole or a part of the group surfaces. When you talk to Dms down there, they seem to think that that is how the whole world dives. Tourists must be guided. Most seem unfamiliar with the concept of shore diving or letting the divers return on their own when they are ready. I am sure the live aboards must be a little more flexible, but I have never done that kind of diving. I am not sure that a person could even rent gear or tanks on Ambergris caye without signing up for a dive.


So you have a system that requires fully guided dives. Many people, including myself, have witnessed unsafe guiding. I know and underthand that I am the only one responsible for my profiles and safety. That seem to be rare amongst the tourists there. The way that the shops operate does not seem to remind people of this basic concept. That is why people keep complaining on here. The DMs act like the divers are all students, but do not adhear to the the additional responsibilities of the student instructor relationship. If that make sense?

 

[ScubaSteve]

I am not sure what your problem is with Jessica Alba

No DM led dive is a dive that the diver is not able to surface on their own unless attached by chain to the DM. What about when a diver finds themselves at 80' and uncomfortable? Who's fault is it when they follow the DM to 150' and then come back to SB and complain?

The piece that is being missed is that they do indeed lead you to those depths. This is NOT a dive where they says the pool is open get in. This is a highly structured strictly lead dive. Almost all diving in Belize is like that. A DM MUSt be in the wtare with you. Many of the reef dives are drift dives (picked up in a different place than dropped off) so staying with a group is mandatory in order to get a ride back.

MY experience with the BH was that my buddy could not equalize and we were forced to bail out at about 90ft because we had taken too long to get down. A DM made my buddy bail out. I followed my buddy even though the DM had been encouraginging me to go with the group. I was not ready to do a 130ft planned dive without a buddy. We had a surface swim to the next boat mooring after we surfaced. We accompanied a single diver on the swim. She had bailed out due to regulator problems. The DM did not surface with us for the swim.



The whole mandatory guiding thing is what makes the situation different than what most people think. I am used to being told when to be back. In Belize, they take you, and stay with you during the entire dive. Bailing early usually means the whole or a part of the group surfaces. When you talk to Dms down there, they seem to think that that is how the whole world dives. Tourists must be guided. Most seem unfamiliar with the concept of shore diving or letting the divers return on their own when they are ready. I am sure the live aboards must be a little more flexible, but I have never done that kind of diving. I am not sure that a person could even rent gear or tanks on Ambergris caye without signing up for a dive.


So you have a system that requires fully guided dives. Many people, including myself, have witnessed unsafe guiding. I know and underthand that I am the only one responsible for my profiles and safety. That seem to be rare amongst the tourists there. The way that the shops operate does not seem to remind people of this basic concept. That is why people keep complaining on here. The DMs act like the divers are all students, but do not adhear to the the additional responsibilities of the student instructor relationship. If that make sense?

 

[diversteve]

Is there a hyperbaric chamber on Belize now?

Belize Diving, Hyperbaric Chamber on Ambergris Caye, San Pedro

 

[Damselfish]

I've been on the Sun Dancer in Belize 3 times and the only dive where they insisted we be led was the BH. Other dives, they may have had someone in the water, don't recall, but you certainly didn't need to dive with them. (No way we wuld have gone back if we did.) As far as the BH, I think guiding the dive ironically made it less safe in a way - at least when we did it, a shallow dive around the edge of the hole or going partway down were not options they would allow. It was either go all the way down or don't dive. Which I thought was sort of stupid.

 

[peterbj7]

People have been lost there in the past, though AFAIK not for some years now. There's something about a deep hole that acts as a magnet to inexperienced divers. Then when they get a bit deep they get narced and it's all (about to be) over. For the BH it's essential to have guides supervising the dive.

By "inexperienced" I mean people without relevant inexperience. A PADI instructor was lost in the Blue Hole in Dahab when she thought she knew it all and was proved wrong.

 

[Mike]

That's exactly what I mentioned... unless you're alleging that these 'newbies' were somehow forcibly coerced to dive the Blue Hole (at gunpoint?), knowingly in contravention of every lesson they learn on Open Water training....???

Do you mean:

"Taken" - allowed to book themselves on a dive trip, in full understanding of the typical dive parameters for the Blue Hole.

or

"Taken" - Abducted from outside hotel by a criminal cartel and submerged to 130ft... only to be later retrieved by Liam Neeson.

A simple question - if you're a PADI professional dive master, are you within proper PADI procedures knowingly taking a diver beyond their training? For example would a PADI certified dive professional be following proper PADI procedures if you knowingly took a diver with only OW training and 4 previous dives to 152 feet?

Are there any repercussions if the PADI certified dive professional is in violation of PADI procedures?

 

[Damselfish]

People have been lost there in the past, though AFAIK not for some years now. There's something about a deep hole that acts as a magnet to inexperienced divers. Then when they get a bit deep they get narced and it's all (about to be) over. For the BH it's essential to have guides supervising the dive.

By "inexperienced" I mean people without relevant inexperience. A PADI instructor was lost in the Blue Hole in Dahab when she thought she knew it all and was proved wrong.

supervising, fine. But insisting on a less safe profile than some people actually want to do? If they're worried about people going too deep, then won't let people stay shallow, I see that as a bit of a contradiction. I still maintain, to have mostly experienced divers they've gotten to know for a few days, and not trust anyone to do a shallower dive, is stupid.