Looking for best place to get certified

[gmp]

Hello,

My friend and I are going to Belize in January 2013 and we're looking to get Open Water Certified when we're down there. I've been researching what our best options are and wanted some advice. We want to find a safe place with a reasonable price. Hoping to get away from any resort-type locations.

So far I've heard good things about these places:
Little Daddy's Dive Shop on Ambergris Caye
Chuck and Robbies on Ambergris Caye
Splash Dive Centre in Placencia

Can anyone please give me some further advice/guidance?

Any and all tips are appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[sbroh]

My friends and I went and dove with Chuck and Robbie's in May. We had a great time, and we are all newbie divers. I've only heard good things about the certification dives and process with them as well.

It is definitely not a resort location. Also, every single employee that we interacted with was great, and all the divers there that we dove with/ did SI's with were really great too. If you have specific questions about them, let me know and I'll try to answer.

 

[Downing]

I can't speak to Little Daddy's or Chuck and Robbies since I haven't dived with either of them, but I have dived with Splash twice over two years for a total of five weeks so I know that operation very well. In fact, I just published a trip report a few weeks ago covering my trip to Placencia last June (see Long overdue trip report--Placencia in June.)

Both times at Splash there were a fair number of people involved in all stages of the certification process, from brand new first time in the water divers to those finishing up their open water dives via a referral and all points in between. For the first timers, Splash uses owner/operator Ralph and Pattie's pool behind their house before heading out to the cayes to do the dives in relatively shallow water. There are three or four instructors on hand who double as dive guides when they're not instructing. The classes all looked to be pretty small, ranging from one individual student who was learning how to dive while she was working a summer intern job at a banana plant, to a newly married couple on their honeymoon to a family of four. I don't think I ever saw a class bigger than four. I took several advanced classes my first time at Splash and there were never more than two divers in mine and once there was just me and the instructor.

You can go as big or small as you want in Placencia. The high rollers stay at Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn, which is just up the road or Chabil Mar right across the street. At the other extreme, there are what appeared to be youth hostel type accommodations down in the village. Lots of choices in between. Personally, I liked the cabanas at Dianni's Guest House for $40 a night in the low season. The rooms there were even cheaper, but I like a cabana. For another $10 per night, you can get a cabana with a view of the beach right around the corner.

Perhaps the others do it too, but Pattie can help with selecting accomodations and reserving flights to and from Belize City. They'll even pick you up and drop you off at the airport as well as where ever you decide to stay. And as I noted in my trip report, Placencia is a wonderful jumping off point if you're interested in seeing jungle, ruins, and other above water stuff.

Belize is a great place to learn to dive. Warm water, good visibility and calm seas all make for pretty easy diving.

 

[nutbar]

I suggest you look into Scuba School Belize in San Pedro. My husband and I dove with them when we were on Ambergris a couple weeks ago and were very impressed with their professionalism and focus on safety. I didn't have occasion to ask about/be exposed to their teaching facilities or style; but, based on what we saw and experienced, I would definitely recommend adding them to your list for consideration.
I don't have experience with Little Daddy's or Chuck and Robbies. We did dive with Splash and were less impressed with them than expected, given the positive experiences of others on this forum.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hello,

My friend and I are going to Belize in January 2013 and we're looking to get Open Water Certified when we're down there. I've been researching what our best options are and wanted some advice. We want to find a safe place with a reasonable price. Hoping to get away from any resort-type locations.

So far I've heard good things about these places:
Little Daddy's Dive Shop on Ambergris Caye
Chuck and Robbies on Ambergris Caye
Splash Dive Centre in Placencia

Can anyone please give me some further advice/guidance?

Any and all tips are appreciated.

Thanks!

You won't be disappointed if you go with Chuck and Robbie. Robbie's great!

 

[Paulmal]

I would recommend getting certified at home before you go on vacation if possible. The reason is two fold one you get to dive more on your trip and getting certified near home allows you to get comfortable with conditions near you so you are comfortable diving at home which will lead to you diving more overall.

 

[tracydr]

Except, depending on where they are in Canada, their diving season may be all but over. Don't think ice diving is really for OW training classes.

 

[Wolfie]

I would recommend getting certified at home before you go on vacation if possible. The reason is two fold one you get to dive more on your trip and getting certified near home allows you to get comfortable with conditions near you so you are comfortable diving at home which will lead to you diving more overall.

although the local diving may be over, I would suggest finding a good local shop for class work and pool dives. Then do the referral dives on vacation. IMHO vacations are too short to waste in a classroom.

 

[Caxy Diver]

I am not sure who is Little Daddy or where they are located.
My recommendation is Scuba School Belize or Chuck and Robbies. on Ambergris they are the only ones i would suggest.
The advantage to SSB is they are recognized as a proper school in Belize and they are also a PADI dive center. I know they teach "by the book" and will not short cut the class.
Have fun

 

[Downing]

although the local diving may be over, I would suggest finding a good local shop for class work and pool dives. Then do the referral dives on vacation. IMHO vacations are too short to waste in a classroom.

Absolutely agree. The less time stuck with your ears between a book or splashing about a pool the better when you're on vacation.