Dive shops in Ambergris Caye

[ScubaERDoc]

Do you mean you won't be bringing your laptop, or your dive computer? I hope not the latter! There are internet cafes around which will enable you to get your www fix if you need it.

True that. First full day in AC and at Carribean Connection internet cafe right now getting my fix. Just finished by first 2 dives with Reef Adventures and am very happy with it. Full report to follow after my trip. Dove with air as we were really shallow but will go to nitrox tomorrow. Was told that they do not have an analyzer but most shops here dont since there is only one source of 32% blends here on the island

 

[AWMIII]

Where did you dive shallow? Hol Chan?

 

[ScubaERDoc]

Hol Chan was the shallow dive today. So shallow that it probably could be enjoyed as well with snorkel. But that was fine as the rays and sharks were abundant. Also did a site I think called Pillars (?) not sure on the name. Went about 78 feet. No current, comfortable and easy dive. Visibility could have been better though. Overall a perfect day for my newly certified girlfriend.

 

[AWMIII]

Go with them to Amigos to get the Nitrox if they do not have an analyzer. Amigos does have one. Don't dive nitrox that you haven't verified.

 

[peterbj7]

Hol Chan was the shallow dive today. So shallow that it probably could be enjoyed as well with snorkel. But that was fine as the rays and sharks were abundant. Also did a site I think called Pillars (?) not sure on the name. Went about 78 feet. No current, comfortable and easy dive. Visibility could have been better though. Overall a perfect day for my newly certified girlfriend.

It's Pillar Corals, and I like diving it as the second dive in the afternoon, when it's getting quite gloomy down there. That's when the big sharks come out to play. On one dive there I saw seven different species of shark, including two hammerheads which were quite interested in the two of us. Hammerheads don't worry me, but when there's a tiger around, as there was that dive, I try to keep an eye on it. Needless to say I didn't have a camera!

---------- Post added at 06:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:19 PM ----------

Go with them to Amigos to get the Nitrox if they do not have an analyzer. Amigos does have one. Don't dive nitrox that you haven't verified.

I agree with that in principle, though there may be practical difficulties. The method Amigos use to produce nitrox though can only produce 32%, so long as the sensors are working properly (and they'd know very quickly if they weren't). It does make me feel uncomfortable if I can't analyse the nitrox I'm using, though. Another useful question to ask is whether your dive op contributes to the local recompression chamber and is up to date with those contributions. Makes an enormous financial difference if for some reason you need treatment.

 

[islanddream]

True that. First full day in AC and at Carribean Connection internet cafe right now getting my fix. Just finished by first 2 dives with Reef Adventures and am very happy with it. Full report to follow after my trip. Dove with air as we were really shallow but will go to nitrox tomorrow. Was told that they do not have an analyzer but most shops here dont since there is only one source of 32% blends here on the island

I can't wait to hear your report about the diving and Reef Adventures since that's the shop I'm thinking about using in July. Is there really a Cap'n Ron? Inquiring minds want to know :blinking:!

 

[ScubaERDoc]

It's Pillar Corals, and I like diving it as the second dive in the afternoon, when it's getting quite gloomy down there.

Yes gloomy (in a good way) was a perfect description for that dive. Beautiful deep blue colors today. The DM was also spearing lionfish so it had a life and death feel to it.

It sounds like unless I pick up the EAN from amigos (since I don't YET have own analyzer) I will need to trust the blend. I know this goes against training. But I won't appeoach the air no-deco limits and won't go near 90 feet with it. Why dive with it then? Well I guess I really believe I feel better with it(novice that I am)

Reef adventures does contribute to the chamber fund. We signed paperwork stating our intentions to contribute but haven completed it yet as we are not sure how many tanks we will dive total this trip

---------- Post added at 07:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------

Also I got the most pricey DAN insurance so we should be fine. And my medical insurance told me over the phone that international dive injuries should be covered


Islanddream. Apparently Ron is the name for one of the owners. He may be the US based one

 

[Allen Raphael]

My wife and I are 13 days away from our second visit to AC and will be diving with Chuck and Robbie's again. We dove in Roatan in February and got our advanced open water and Nitrox while there since we ended up doing 2-3 dives almost every day there! Our DM there was ADAMANT about analyzing our EAN since it is really the only way you can properly plan your dive and deco requirements...they had no less than 3-4 analyzers there. Looks like we'll be going with Amigos for our Atoll excursions to Lighthouse and maybe Turneffe if enough folks turn up with interest in going there. So as I understand it, Nitrox is a 10 dollar "upgrade" but is it really worthwhile other than for the second or third dive of the day? We are also new to Nitrox but fortunately just did our course so it's fresh in our little brains...and my wife is a stickler for sticking to the dive plans.

 

[peterbj7]

If you're enthusiastic divers I'd think about getting your own analyser. I don't know whether Chuck & Robbies have analysers to use, but I do know that many shops here don't. When I had my tech center I had 3 or 4 analysers for customers to use, plus others for in-house use, but they work out quite expensive if they're not used much. I agree you should always analyse your nitrox, but with a continuous production system such as Amigos operate they can guarantee the mix so long as nothing's gone wrong in the production process or with the equipment. I used to bank 32% and 36% and I knew that those mixes were accurate. The only time that failed was when one of the in-system analysers started to fail, and the chap running the system knew immediately as he started to get different readings from two analysers that should have read the same.

I normally suggest people do the first dive on air, as typically here it may be getting a bit deep for 32%, and subsequent dives on nitrox (32%, being the only mix available here). If you customarily "push the limits" then you'll find you'll have to do the second dive on nitrox to avoid going well beyond no-deco limits, and if you're doing three dives it'll be absolutely essential. If you're trying to economise then I'd usually do the second dive on nitrox and revert to air for the third if necessary. On the BH day do both the second and third dives on nitrox. Even if you're not permitted enough dive time to approach the limits, you'll probably feel much fresher at the end of the day when it comes to going out for a meal.

If you're doing six days of diving and the first dive always on air, you're not talking about much extra cost for nitrox. Look at what the whole holiday is costing you and get it in perspective. Incidentally, most people here charge $10 plus sales tax, which makes it around $12 per tank.

As you're relatively new to this sport and are clearly enthusiastic, why not start measuring your gas consumption and relating it to your dive profile? Calculate your SAC several times during the week and see how they compare. Knowing a typical SAC for you is one of the most important factors as your diving advances.

I hope that as enthusiastic divers you have DAN dive insurance? I would always check where the closest recompression chamber is, how to contact it and how to get to it. And also check with them how they operate. I know those answers here in San Pedro, but if I were to go to say Roatan that would be the first thing I did, before I ever went diving. In general I'd check that whatever your dive operator should be doing to protect your interests they are actually doing. Chuck & Robbies are a good dive center and I'm sure they do things properly (ditto Amigos), but I know of two cases recently where people thought they were given added protection by their dive center contributing to the local chamber, only to find very much to their cost that the contributions hadn't actually been handed over and the added protection wasn't in place. Check with the chamber if in any doubt. Unfortunately this isn't monitored by the BTB or any other agency here.

 

[islanddream]

My wife and I are 13 days away from our second visit to AC and will be diving with Chuck and Robbie's again. We dove in Roatan in February and got our advanced open water and Nitrox while there since we ended up doing 2-3 dives almost every day there! Our DM there was ADAMANT about analyzing our EAN since it is really the only way you can properly plan your dive and deco requirements...they had no less than 3-4 analyzers there. Looks like we'll be going with Amigos for our Atoll excursions to Lighthouse and maybe Turneffe if enough folks turn up with interest in going there. So as I understand it, Nitrox is a 10 dollar "upgrade" but is it really worthwhile other than for the second or third dive of the day? We are also new to Nitrox but fortunately just did our course so it's fresh in our little brains...and my wife is a stickler for sticking to the dive plans.

On the Cozumel forum one of the guys that really is pro-tank anaylzing (DandyDon) has posted the following:

See: Carbon Monoxide tank risks and protections….


Great news for vacation divers who cannot talk themselves into buying a personal CO tank tester!
>> Rent one for a week or longer here <<
Now let's see more CO readings in your trip reports, ok...??

I don't know if they rent analyzers for Nitrox, but it's worth finding out. Plus, if you are diving on air, those tanks should be analyzed, too. Don has done us SB'ers a great service by getting the word out about divers being responsible for knowing if their tanks are safe.





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