The state of the diving tourism industry in Belize

[AWMIII]

The Tour Guide License requirement is Belize is not improving the safety and quality of diving there. It may have improved the quality of tours such as cave tubing nad ruin touring, but it is hurting the dive industry. The certification agancies have clear requirements to maintain the quality of their brand. In Belize, another requirement is added, a Belize Tour Guide License. The only real additional requirement that the license requires that is not required byt PADI, SDI, NAUI, ect is being a native Belizian. In other premier dive destinations, the professional diving community is internation and some what itinerant. The constant movement of professionals around the work helps to homogenize the standards and practices around the world. In Belize this is not the case. Practices that would be considered outrageous anywhere else are standard operating proceedure in Belize. I think this can continue because there is not exchange of professionals with the outside world. There is however an exchange of professionals within Belize. The Tourguide License was probably originally intended to make all of the various tours factual and safer. The net affect in the diving industry is quite the opposite.

I would like to agree that we will not name names in the this thread. I do not feel it is necessary as all of the operators seem to practice the same basic shabby safety practices.

Universal issues:
Deco
Extremely agressive profiles on reptitive dives
Not evaluating divers credentials/experience
Shabby rental equipment
Questionable training practices
Boat safety
Total disregard for the value of buddies
Gas management
Handling marine life
Chumming

Please list your experiences from Belize, but do not name shops. All of the shops are at fault to some extent. I really think that the source of this line of thinking is that the DMs and Instructors from Belize rarely dive in other parts of the world. What happens in Belize stays in Belize. A quarterly meeting with a rep from PADI is not going to address this issue.

For the record, I will continue to dive in Belize. I just wish that divers would have an understanding of how self relient tourist divers in Belize need to be. The shops will pretend like they are taking care of you, but in reality, your safety is up to you. It is my hope that the Native requirement of the Belize Tourism License be dropped in favor of making the industry safer and potentially more successful.

 

[Downing]

I would like to agree that we will not name names in the this thread. I do not feel it is necessary as all of the operators seem to practice the same basic shabby safety practices.

I won't agree not to name names because I can personally attest to two dive operations that don't engage in any of your listed "Universal issues," so I don't think it's fair or accurate of you to accuse all Belizean dive operators of engaging in "shabby safety practices."

Those two operations are Turneffe Island Resort on the atoll and Splash Dive Center in Placencia. I dived with TIR for three weeks over two vacations and with Splash for two weeks last summer and will dive with them again for three weeks in June. Not once did I witness any of the issues you've described.

There may very well be issues with other operators, but you're flat out wrong to accuse all of them. And if you're not willing to name names, then what's the point?

And as far as dropping the native requirement for dive guides, I'll pass. Belizeans need every job they can get, and I prefer to interact with as many of them as possible when I'm down there. I've probably had as many as 8 or 10 different guides over the course of around 100 dives there, and all of them were excellent. I enjoyed their company just as much above the surface as I did below.

 

[electrix]

Maybe it is to create jobs for the locals instead of a foreigner?

 

[AWMIII]

Maybe it is to create jobs for the locals instead of a foreigner?

Most certainly it is to create local jobs. I really think that the diving economy as a whole is being impacted negatively by the requirement. I think this requirement limits the choices available to the business owners. I do not dislike the local. I don't think most of them even know what they are doing is inappropriate. I don't think native status was a an original requirement of the license. It was added at a later date. I have personal experience with 5 operators. Some of them are thought to be the best in town. I have personally witnessed several other operations actions.

The snorkeling death at Hol Chan last week was totally avoidable. Granted, it was probably not a credentialed diving professional that lead the tour, but the carefree additude prevails. We can be almost certain that it was a licensed Belize Tour Guide. My wife witnessed a snorkeller several days later being towed around on a life ring by a guide at the same spot. Obviously, the person that needs a life ring is not a strong swimmer. The guide's shop is mear feet from where the bodies were offloaded in plain daylight with garbage bags over their heads. My point is that nothing changes.

Last week, I personally witnessed a ~30ft dive boat from a well known value operator from San Pedro that was unable to start either of the engines and was drifting uncontrollably onto the reef into the breaking waves. The boat captain refused to speak with the crew from our boat and was intent on attempting to start an engine using the strap from a life jacket. Several times the crew from our boat asked him what they could od to help. Did he need a jump start ect. Finally, a dm from our boat grabbed his fins swam over to the boat, got up on the bow, and heaved his bow line to our boat so that we could tow him off. He was 25 yards from the large surf which would have destroyed the boat and maybe cost the captain his life. I later asked our crew why he would not talk to them. They explained that he was very high. I was also told that he didn't anchor because he had no anchor. His divers were in the water God knows where and the boat was nearly lost in the surf during their dive.

I watched diver after diver go into deco and violate their obligation last week. Almost everyday there was at least one offender on the second dive. One day there were several out of 10 divers. We dove profiles that took constant attention to avoid a deco obligations. About half the divers were without computers. I asked one if he had planned his dive, he didn't know what I meant.

I spoke with the DM at the bar several days later and asked him how he stayed out of deco. He explained that he leaves his computer set to EAN32 so that he doesn't get locked out. He is a chamber ride waiting to happen. I was within 1 minute of deco on several dives and dove much more conservatively than he or most of his divers did.No requirement other than an openwater cert is needed. In fact, when I have been, C cards were not even checked.

I witnessed two DM wrestling 80ft under water towards the end of a dive last week. They thought it was fun. One DM told me that one of the others is famous for going OOA at depth while leading dives.

Everyone knows that the normal Blue Hole dive is a mandatory deco dive. They announce that it is planned 8 minutes at 130ft. Most of the people end up at about 145.

While the operation at Turneffe Island Resort and Splash Diving in Placencia may be good operators right now, they get their DMs from the same pool. They also represent two very small operators who take only a small percentage of the divers who visit Belize diving. They also are further from the chamber so maybe they are more careful?

My local shop outside Philadelphia will not go back to Belize because they had similar problems with a very well known operator in San Pedro. They have not been back in probably 10 years because of it. I am sure that there are other people and groups that have made the same decision. All you need to do is look at all of the closed dive shops, abandoned resorts, and for sale signs to know that the diving economy there is really hurting.

Is it true that PADI has different standards for third world DMs? I have heard, but have been unable to confirm that they do not get the same emphasis on dive theory.

There are plenty of non natives working in other industries. I really think some outside influence would help the economy more than the protectivist rules help it.

 

[flots am]

I would like to agree that we will not name names in the this thread. I do not feel it is necessary as all of the operators seem to practice the same basic shabby safety practices.

. . .

Please list your experiences from Belize, but do not name shops. All of the shops are at fault to some extent. I really think that the source of this line of thinking is that the DMs and Instructors from Belize rarely dive in other parts of the world. What happens in Belize stays in Belize. A quarterly meeting with a rep from PADI is not going to address this issue.

That's a pretty wide brush you're painting the Belize dive ops with.

I've dived with Hugh Parkey maybe a half-dozen times over the past few years, and found them to do an excellent job, running a dive op that would be regarded as first-class anywhere in the world.

I haven't used the others, so I have no idea how they're doing.

flots.

 

[slenderff]

I am afraid that what you are saying is simply not true of all dive operators in Belize. There are bad instructors/DM in any location as there are equally good ones. Sure there is room for improvement but to paint all with the same brush is at best wrong and at worst just plain stupid and arrogant. If you witnessed these practices why did you not take them up with the manager or owner? If what you said about the boat captain is true then that is scandalous, BUT if you do not have the balls to name names then do not cast aspersions on other operators just by association. If care about the dive industry and saftey do us all a favour and come clean about these unscrupulous operators or else keep quiet.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

While the operation at Turneffe Island Resort and Splash Diving in Placencia may be good operators right now, they get their DMs from the same pool. They also represent two very small operators who take only a small percentage of the divers who visit Belize diving. They also are further from the chamber so maybe they are more careful?

Is it true that PADI has different standards for third world DMs? I have heard, but have been unable to confirm that they do not get the same emphasis on dive theory.

There are plenty of non natives working in other industries. I really think some outside influence would help the economy more than the protectivist rules help it.

I am co-owner of Splash Dive Center in Placencia Belize. I am a Canadian citizen and a PADI staff instructor. My partner is a PADI course director. We have 3 dive boats and a fourth on order and we have the only scuba retail store in the southern half of Belize. Most of our instructors and dive masters are Belizean citizens and all are legal Belize residents and licenced tour guides, most are also licenced whale shark guides and all are PADI professionals. We have a regular crew that is very good and get rave reviews from customers. We bring in dive masters from other parts of Belize for peak season such as whale sharks and pair them with our crew (we seldom have less than 2 dms/instructors on a boat and normally limit the number of divers per boat to 12). Our crew follow the standards. From time to time, we QC by putting a "secret customer" on a trip to confirm standards are being followed and we discipline anyone who does not. You could argue that the extra crew we bring in are not following standards based on their own style, but only do so because they follow the example of our dive masters/instructors but the important thing is - they follow the standards when they work with us or they are gone.

PADI has the same standards all over the world. PADI does not lower the standards in the "third world". The theory exam is the same. The pass mark is the same.

When you talk about "third world", I hope you have noticed that use of scuba gear for lobster fishing is unlawful here. I am not sure if you are claiming to be "first world", but if you are, maybe you should look at your environmental standards. You didn't say where the dive who did not know what a dive plan came from. I hope not from Belize and I guess you hope not from your part of the world.


Regards
Ralph

 

[peterbj7]

I agree with what AWMIII has said about Tour Guide issues, and with much of what he says about general diving/snorkelling standards. I ran a technical dive shop in Belize for a number of years and my lowest dive qualification is as a PADI Staff Instructor. I have many concerns about what I see going on around me, and so do some of the expat resort and dive shop owners. I don't think it's as black as he has painted, but there are considerable issues that need addressing. It is my view that the requirement to work with visitors in/on the water in Belize a person should be legally entitled to work in Belize, and should have taken and passed the TG course as it pertains to water issues. Knowing what types of cats are found in the mountains is interesting but not necessary to guide or teach divers or snorkellers. I think requiring TGs to be Belizean citizens is irrelevant to the fundamantal requirement, however desirable it may appear to be for job protection. I further think that as well as a TG qualification a guide for snorkelling or diving should be a DM or Instructor with a recognised international organisation, as only that will impose relevant standards and ensure the guides have the necessary leadership skills. Mostly in Belize that would mean PADI, but it could also be NAUI, SSI SDI, etc. And the TG association should change into a proactive organisation, offering guidance and training on an ongoing basis as circumstances dictate. The recent tragedy involving snorkellers at Hol Chan should be a wake-up call, as that incident appears to have been totally avoidable and should not have happened. Several key lessons are there to be learned and have in fact been addressed here and on other fora by others. Sadly here in Belize there has been a resounding silence from the key body that should do something about it, the Tour Guide Association, matched by total silence from their masters in government, the Belize Tourism Board.

It may be that standards are higher "down south" than they are up here on the northern cayes, but I am equally aware of things that have gone wrong down there over the years. And the rules, or absence of them, that apply in the north of Belize are the same as those that pertain in the south.

I don't want to give people the impression that diving is dangerous up here and they shouldn't come. Nor I believe does AWMIII. But it is too dependant on individual visitors looking after themselves, and having the local knowledge so to do.

As to not naming names I also will not, though I am aware of considerable differences in competence and professionalism. My reason is that I want to see the regulatory framework changed rather than individuals pilloried.

 

[AWMIII]

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.

 

[slenderff]

You are becoming obnoxiuos, while you have some valid points you also have little understanding of what you speak of. All "shops in AC" are definitely not how you describe.
Again man up and name names, do not hide behind huge generalizations.