Certification in Belize

[bennyscuba]

Hello All,

I'm going with my fiance to belize over x-mas (my second trip her first). She tried out diving last year in PDC and plans to do a referral class before we head down. I was curious about thoughts for dive ops for the check out dives. She is still not the most comfortable in the water so definitely want a place that will be patient, though she did great and loved it in PDC (Jason was a great instructor!)

It seems that Amigos del Mar gets the most press but how are they for classes? Good individual attention? Also they seem to be the most expensive.

I also recall reading some nice stuff about Patojo's - we initially were going to stay at the Tides (chose Banana Beach instead). Any thoughts on them or also ecological divers?

Also, it would be nice to do all of our diving with one place...I have no need to go back to the blue hole (definitely worth doing once) but would like to do a trip out Turneffe. Is ADM the only shop that goes out there? Who tends to give the best variety of day-to-day diving. I imagine x-mas is a zoo so I don't know if that's good or bad for getting on boats (more boats going out but also more people on them)...

Thanks as always,

bg

 

[Phenol]

Just saw your post as I was thinking of how nice it would be to go back to Belizealmtree::
My wife and I did our certification dives with Amigos, and have dove with them every time we return to San Pedro... so I can't really compare with other dive ops, but they were very pro and helpful every time. I'm always amazed that they remember what equipment belongs to which diver over a week of diving, and always get it right, however many clients they have. As for Turneffe, I think most dive ops in Ambergris have a day trip out to Turneffe, so Amigos is certainly not the only one. And Banana Beach is always a treat: good service, good food (love the breakfasts), and very decent rooms. That's where we've stayed every time, for those reasons.

Don't know if that helps...

 

[Thatch Caye Belize]

Thatch Caye does instruction, referrals, and certifications and has the shortest run to the Turneffe Elbow than any operation not based on the Turneffe atoll. They also do the Black Hole which is on the way out to Turneffe Elbow on the inside of the main barrier reef. It is just like the Blue Hole but shallower and much easier for beginners or people who just don't want to go down 130-140 feet.

 

[Ecologic Divers]

Banana beach is a nice clean resort. All the dive centers will pick you up from the dock near there hotel. As for a nice easy dive we would suggest to go to Hol Chan as he first dive here as it is max 30' deep and our marine reserve so she will see a great deal. Then i might suggest Tuffy as it starts out at 45'. Any site will be good for her after she get her feet wet. If she would like to put here gear on before the dive and swim around the end of our dock the also might make her more at ease in salt water.
Amigos Del Mar is a very good dive center.
Enjoy

 

[Yobubba]

lots of smiling faces

 

[Hank49]

I've been to Ecologic Divers in San Pedro. Nice outfit. The owner was pretty cool too and gave me a good deal on a boat rental. Nice, new gear in the shop. Friendly people.
Amigos is a good place too. I used to rent tanks there years ago.

 

[Quinncey]

I just got back from San Pedro today. I did the Blue Hole with Amigos del Mar. We went down to 144 feet and nobody even checked my certification card (or anyone else’s that I noticed). Sometime during the third dive the camera I left on the boat disappeared (I didn't notice until I got back to the room). There were some non-divers on the boat and I'm not saying the crew took my camera, but it ruined my first night so I moved down the beach to Chuck and Robbie's. I had so much fun diving with Robbie and Enrique for the rest of the week that I was glad I "lost" the camera. Chuck and Robbie's is not a fancy dive operator, but the clients are loyal and it felt like family (the good kind). The average group size was between 7-10 people with two dive masters. They took great care of my equipment and it was always set up perfectly. Robbie was very flexible with the dives that we did and they did everything they could to make sure each dive was as interesting as possible. They don't do the Blue Hole, but I mentioned I wanted to go to Turneffe so they asked everyone on the boat and we got enough people interested to go.

P.S. Favorite restaurants in San Pedro: Wild Mangos, Caliente and Carumba
Least favorite: Fido's

 

[dancatsue]

we always go with patojo at the tides. he certified my daughter, our friend this past trip and my son on the next. very individualized attention when we dive with them I am a very nervous diver and they take very good care of us.

 

[peterbj7]

I hear consistently good reports about Patojo's. Not many, as they aren't a "production line" operation, but what is said is (very) good. Ditto Chuck 'n Robbie's. The fundamental difference between them is that the latter is an independent dive operation that serves guests from all local hotels, whereas the former focusses solely on guests from their own hotel The Tides. But both are very good dive operations.

Your's is the first significantly negative thing I've heard about Amigos in a long time. They're generally regarded as setting the standard that others are measured by. As to the lost camera, are you being fair to them? I've had stuff left on my boats and later cleared up by staff, with the customer returning a few days later and expecting to find it where they left it!

Amigo's have just (this weekend) taken delivery of their new large boat for atoll trips, to replace the Pro-48 that sank so dramatically last year. Much bigger than even the Pro-48 and now the biggest day boat on the island. Once they've proven it and start using it regularly it should be a great attraction.

 

[Quinncey]

I heard great things about Amigos as well, but I just had a bad day with them. Like I said, I'm not accusing the crew of taking the camera. There were four other people on the boat that either didn't go in or got out of the water before me. It was in the zippered pocket of my jacket on the boat when I went in the water and when I put my jacket back on for the ride home, it was gone. I just didn't notice until I got back to my room and emptied the pockets. I checked with Amigos the next morning and it was not turned in.

As for not checking the certifications of divers before taking them down to 144 feet... That was a little surprising to me and the guy I sat next to. I had all my own gear so they may not have felt the need, but as an attorney who is always looking at worst case scenarios, I would not recommend assuming people are certified. As fo the crew, I did like Mike and he let me wear his jacket, but the other guys barely spoke.

My other complaint that I didn't mention before was that the swells were bad and my set-up with the tank came loose and rolled across the boat and a couple of tanks landed either on top or against it and they made me sit there and watch the tanks bounce on my BC, reg and computer for at least 10-15 minutes before they got up and secured it again. One guy was sitting right next to my stuff and didn't move. When I tried to get up, he told me to sit down. I try and treat my equipment well and that was painful to watch.

Overall, it was just not my day with Amigos. Other people on that same trip had a great time.