Which dive shop in Placencia? Sea Horse or Splash?

[lemon]

Hey Guys,

Was planning a trip to Placencia for some whale shark diving at gladden spit and was trying to figure out who to dive with. Any suggestions?

Any idea which shop runs the larger, more comfortable boats? I understand it is about 2 hours out to gladden spit so a bigger boat might be good.

Any opinions would be great.

Thanks,
Lemon

 

[peterbj7]

Seahorse have a large boat in preparation - don't know whether it's finished yet. They also have an excellent reputation.

 

[Avadon Divers]

Hi Lemon,

I was trying to reply to a series of questions you had on a previous post. Could find it so here's the answers I hope you were looking for.

Regarding diving near Placencia that is other than whale shark diving, there is actually some outstanding diving accessible from Placencia. Laughing Bird Caye (45 mins away) is not really a good example of the fine southern barrier reef diving available from Placencia. The Southwater Caye Marine Reserve (75 mins away) is just about the same distance from Placencia that Gladden Spit is (where you go for whale shark). There are so many sites in this Reserve, you'd need to spend at least 2 weeks doing 3-tank dives everyday to cover it all.

Glovers Reef Atoll (the 3rd Belizean atoll) is also accessible from Placencia. Great diving there too with lots of sites to choose from. The boat ride is a little further (1 hr & 30 mins), but is a location that is routinely done from Placencia. There is also the Sapodilla Caye Range (75 mins) to the south. The north side of this range offers some awesome wall diving during the months of Feb to May.

Unfortunately, Placencia is further away from the barrier reef than many other mainland locations. What you ought to do is find an operator who has a large comfortable boat. Seahorse is a good choice as they are very experienced in servicing whale shark divers. Without you saying exactly what you heard about them, I can't comment on that. Operators with larger boats (and there aren't many - Robert's Grove, Seahorse, and me - Avadon Divers 46ft Newton Dive Special - have the only boats that are over 40ft) will likely be using these boats during the whale shark full moon periods. It all depends on the dates you intend to travel. April 6 - 15 is the whale shark full moon period this year. Perhaps you have not booked yet and can manage to find a booking that straddles these dates. That way you are in Placencia for some days that are not during this period, and you can appreciate diving to some of the sites I was mentioning previously, and doing whale shark diving. There is a distinct possiblility that you can find a dive shop who is sending out dives to these other sites during the whale shark full moon period also. Contact me about that.

As far as a place to stay, Katie Valk is a wealth of knowledge about Belize and can organize you with the exact accommodations requirements you may have. info@belize-trips.com

Let me know if I can assist you with any other questions about Belize.

Anne-Marie
Avadon Divers
Placencia, Belize

 

[peterbj7]

If your reason for going there is diving, with and without whale sharks, then also consider Thatch Caye. A private island close to the reef, so no long daily boat journeys, and an easy ride down inside the reef to Gladden Spit to see the whale sharks.

 

[h2oSkier]

Hey Guys,

Was planning a trip to Placencia for some whale shark diving at gladden spit and was trying to figure out who to dive with. Any suggestions?

Any idea which shop runs the larger, more comfortable boats? I understand it is about 2 hours out to gladden spit so a bigger boat might be good.

Any opinions would be great.

Thanks,
Lemon

Lemon, I haven't had the opportunity to dive with Anne-Marie at her new shop, Avadon Divers. However, I had the pleasure of a experiencing a liveaboard cruise where she led the onboard crew. I was extremely impressed with her professionalism and attention to detail throughout the week. I have no doubt that she's running a tight ship and first class operation.

I'd also add that the Newton 46' is a fantastic dive boat. There are several operators here in South Florida and the Upper Keys running this boat and it's hands-down my favorite dive platform in its class.

Best of luck with your travels, Dave.

 

[Scared Silly]

Lemon, we dove with Sea Horse a couple of years ago. They were okay. We felt their divemasters were very heavy handed. To the point that we had a little discussion with the owner. I get a little testy when the divemaster says "I am the guide and you are not to dive without me." or chews my wife and I for hanging out 10 feet under the water waiting fo rthe ladder to clear - he wanted us on top bobbing in 5-6 waves. I found that the boats they used a PITA when you got more than 6 divers. Not enough no room to move around without stepping over cylinders. At one point to get my gear on I threw my rig in water.

I guess if we were to go back we would try one of the other dive ops.

Now the one place I can very highly recommend is staying at the Trade Winds run by Janet Leslie. trdewndpla@btl.net She has nice little cabanas on the water. Easy walking distance to town and everything else. They are simple clean cabanas that come with a small frig. Perfect for our style of dive trip. Especially sitting in a beach chair by the water eating breakfast.

 

[lemon]

Hey everyone, thanks for the input! I sincerely appreciate it. I don't mind strict DMs as long as their strictness is reasonable and with safety in mind. That being said, I don't feel as though I need to be kept on a tight leash. Most of the feedback i've heard on sea horse has been positive, so i'm hopeful that it will be a good shop to dive with. Of course, i'll definitely post a report after the trip.

Avadon divers, thanks for the info! I've never heard of you before, but judging from your site, it looks like you have a nice operation with nice boats. Would love to do some diving with you. Will be in touch. Cheers, Lemon