Got some vacation time before I head out for work in April for about a year give or take. Anybody have any insider info on Belize? Looking for something a little different. How is the diving there?
Where to go Coz or Belize
Started by
okamiotoko
, Mar 04 2006 01:18 PM
6 replies to this topic
#1
okamiotoko
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Posted 04 March 2006 - 01:18 PM
"The sea is my life, it is in my blood, heart and soul, and you can take me out of the sea but you can never take the sea out of me"
#2
ScubaPunk
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Posted 04 March 2006 - 01:32 PM
From what I hear, Coz still needs some time to repair itself from the Hurricane damage. I am hoping to go to Belize this year myself. Peterbj7 is our Belize expert, send him a PM.
#3
mantarraya
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Posted 04 March 2006 - 01:39 PM
I'm not wild about the diving around Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. I prefer to stay somewhere further south, such as Tobacco Caye (very cheap), Southwater Caye (pricier), or even better, one of the Glover's Atoll resorts. The advantage of TC and SW Cayes are they are right on the reef, so you can shore-dive to your heart's content, and the boat ride is only 5 minutes max to most of the dive sites. Boat times are much longer from Ambergris and Caye Caulker, and it is often rough. Glover's Atoll, of course, is all reef, and offers spectacular diving, no doubt about it. The Glover's resorts are pretty pricy, except for the very rustic one (Glover's Atoll Resort) where you can camp, rent a palapa shack, or stay in a dorm for cheap [but the people that run it can really piss some people off - I haven't had trouble with them, but other have]. The accommodations are extremely rustic, but I don't mind them, and the diving is great. Nightlife is pretty much confined to the one or two bars run by the resorts, but we always have a good time, as the Belizeans that run most of these resort bars are so nice.Got some vacation time before I head out for work in April for about a year give or take. Anybody have any insider info on Belize? Looking for something a little different. How is the diving there?
Placencia is another option, as there are lots of shops, but again, you've got the boat ride issue. No see-ums are also bad in Placencia and parts of Glovers as there are lots of mangroves (the bugs breed in the roots).
My favorite dive operator is Second Nature Divers (run by a Brit Martin and his wife Janelle) out of Hopkins. They use Tobacco Caye as their base for diving the reef that is in that area. They also run camping/diving trips to Glovers.
Edited by lgrahamtx, 06 March 2006 - 08:05 AM.
Back after a long absence - whew, too busy at work!
#4
waterphoto
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Posted 04 March 2006 - 07:53 PM
Avoid Blackbird Caye at all costs. It was the worst experience I have ever had. From the poor treatment at the resort, to the divemaster who insisted on 20 minutes dive times (he said the boat captain gets mad if the dives go too long), to the lack of sea life...it was a complete disappointment.
#5
captsteve
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Posted 04 March 2006 - 08:12 PM
cozumel is pretty tore up....... how about honduras? ive always wanted to go there.......
#6
mantarraya
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Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:49 AM
Honduras is very nice, but definitely must take spray for no-see-ums as they have lots of mangroves in which they breed. Diving is similar to Belize.cozumel is pretty tore up....... how about honduras? ive always wanted to go there.......
Back after a long absence - whew, too busy at work!
#7
Desert_Diver
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Posted 06 March 2006 - 01:08 AM
Avoid Blackbird Caye at all costs. It was the worst experience I have ever had. From the poor treatment at the resort, to the divemaster who insisted on 20 minutes dive times (he said the boat captain gets mad if the dives go too long), to the lack of sea life...it was a complete disappointment.
Jeez, that's the kind of thing you need to spread around! Lots! I'd never dive with a crowd that only allowed me to suck just 800psi off a tank before hitting the turn point! What did they put you down with, pony bottles??? (furiuosly typing into my 'notes to self' log about Blackbird Caye) They must not need the tourism there, 'cos when word gets around they sure won't have any DIVERS.
I loved Bonaire, but the skeeters there ate me alive. They used 100% DEET for a spice, for all I could tell. Ya gotta enjoy shore diving, though, or stay at one of the southern 'all inclusive' resorts like the Flamingo? that do a lot of boat dives. The night life was slim to none, but the locals were wonderful. Some of my all-time best UW photos were at Bonaire 'cos I wasn't rushed. Side note: I *do* like shore dives. Right now is a great time for anywhere in the Caribbean 'cos the risk of hurricanes or tropical storms is near zero.
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