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I live on San Pedro and have been a dive professional here for years. To stick to the facts, PADI were here for a few days after the incident and (I believe) spoke to all parties involved. At that stage there had been no police action, other than the initial arrest (and release). I believe...

Just seen this. Ye, I'm out of that business, and Chip's Belize Diving Services is the only possibility in Belize. If they can't help then you'll have to go elsewhere. Do remember that Protec in Playa del Carmen is a superb tech training centre, and they have other locations around the globe.

Precisely why I and most British divers (who tend to have many long deco stops) don't use those finger reels for an SMB. We use various types of ratchet reel - I use the AP Valves Buddy Reel, which I have found to be virtually faultless over more than 10 years. I do use finger reels, and other...

A lot depends on just how "super tight" your budget is. If you're staying on either Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) you'll spend an awful lot less if you go for local diving. And on either there is budget accommodation available. Anywhere else, mainland or atolls, will cost...

Sea Sports Belize or Belize Dive Connection. Take the trip offered by the cruise ship, even though it will be expensive.

Mind you, if you go to Turneffe you'd better like diving, because there's not much else to do there.

AFAIK this rumour is unfounded. The owner Richard Headrick abhores the consumption of alcohol as he is a "born again" Christian and that's apparently a tenet of their philosophy. However, he was advised that such a stance would damage his income so he's decided "reluctantly" to allow the sale...

Resort is open, with no nasty smells. Rebuilding of everything destroyed will take a couple of months or so.

Hamanasi have a good and well equipped dive centre, with their own instructors.

Weather at this time of year is variable depending what storms may be in the vicinity. At present it's calm and clear - ideal diving weather.

Ramones is already open again, with rebuilding of destroyed parts proceeding.

AWMIII is almost right - I used to be an active tech instructor here, with my own dive shop. Now I don't teach much - mainly specific "problems" such as yours. But he's right that the best way to do a deep dive like the BH is to build up to it. In the BH there's effectively no bottom, and to...

I don't think he's anywhere near Belize.

I'm not familiar with OSHA standards even though I was a PSD instructor, but in Britain the HSE is very demanding on training for any diving that qualifies as "commercial". Dealing with issues such as those described in this thread is very much part of that training. Too many non-commercial...

Please remember that all of the above applies only to diving and purchasing gear and fills in the USA. In other countries things operate quite differently. The word "liability" which seems to drive so much of what happens in the USA simply doesn't apply in many other places. Even in Britain...

If that works. I know from experience that many drysuits can't hold much excess air before it bubbles past the neck seal.

You'd be amazed how many people take me for one.

Money talks.

Many divers use heavy SS backplates which result in some of them being negatively buoyant at all times, requiring air in BC/wing to compensate. Bit of a problem when the need arises to ditch weight.

I would suggest that with your minimal level of experience you skip the Blue Hole, though if you make the standard day trip you'll find the two following dives superb (and themselves taxing your experience - they're walls with the bottom at several thousand feet). If you've managed to get...