to liveaboard or not?

[potato cod]

Mr. Cod and I will be going to Belize for a week next January and are trying to decide between doing a liveaboard or a land-based operator. We've got exactly 1 week (Sat-Sat), so our dates work with a liveaboard if we choose that route. From reading prior posts here, it sounds like for land-based operators that the atolls are the way to go for the best diving if we choose that route. Here are a few questions:


1. We want to maximize our diving, but really, 5 dives a day for 5 days sounds exhausting. I know we don't have to do that many dives, and likely wouldn't, but then, there's not much to do on the boat if you're not diving. I've done a 3-day liveaboard and it was a blast, but I worry that being on a boat for longer may seem restrictive. A walk on the beach is a nice counterpoint after being on a boat all day...

On the other hand, I worry that we might not get to dive quite as much as we'd like with a land-based operator. So, one question is, are there land-based that offer >2 dives/day? I.e., can you choose either a morning 2-tank dive, or afternoon 2-tank dive, or both, for 4 dives/day? Or at least 3 dives/day?

2. It sounds like there's really no shore diving, but from land can you snorkel mangroves, etc?

3. Is it logistically possible to pop over to the mainland to see ruins, etc. if there's a day that's too windy to dive?

4. If not, would we be more likely to find a sheltered dive spot if we were on a liveaboard? Or are there enough sheltered spots along the atolls that it makes no difference if we're on a big liveaboard or a smaller land-based boat? We've had to cancel a few days of diving on each of our last two dive trips due to wind, and would like to avoid that happening if at all possible.

5. Favorite operators?

Thanks!
Potato Cod

 

[diversteve]

We also were looking at (and almost booked) Belize this spring. A last minute discount on a LOB to T&C changed our plans. But I did a lot of research. One surprising thing was that the Liveaboards don't go south to dive with whale sharks in spring - ever. One of their reps even thought this was a good idea when I asked.

The other thing I found was that a lot of the Atoll dive resorts listed big additional charges for the epic dives - Blue Hole, Elbow, Glovers, Gladden Spit - depending on their proximity. Most were in the $175-250 range per trip. Some of them only offer either 2-3 local dives/day or the trip as options. Even when the trip might be in the afternoon, you couldn't morning dive locally due to the logistics/timing.

In the end we were going to stay in Placencia and whale shark dive with one of the local operators. Trying to keep the Belize costs around $2k per person we found a couple of nice AI resorts in that area with dive pkgs. through one of 3 local diveops. Downside of Placencia is that there is zero shore diving there from what everyone said - it's too nice a beach area. I did find a couple of snorkeling areas - one in town and one a little south. Some of the jungle/river/cave tours are also accessible from that area as all day trips. The three diveops mostly seemed to indicate that two morning dives would be about all that was possible due to travel times to the reef. Most of the AI resorts I found limited diving to 2-3 dives max also. I never found anyone we could use for 4dives/day outside of the LOB's.

Surprisingly at a couple of the near Atoll resorts, there's no shore diving either - it appears from pictures to be too flat.

We were probably going to book with Splash Divers in Placencia based on feedback from their rep here and reviews.

hth,

 

[DeputyDan]

Mr. Cod and I will be going to Belize for a week next January and are trying to decide between doing a liveaboard or a land-based operator. We've got exactly 1 week (Sat-Sat), so our dates work with a liveaboard if we choose that route. From reading prior posts here, it sounds like for land-based operators that the atolls are the way to go for the best diving if we choose that route. Here are a few questions:


1. We want to maximize our diving, but really, 5 dives a day for 5 days sounds exhausting. I know we don't have to do that many dives, and likely wouldn't, but then, there's not much to do on the boat if you're not diving. I've done a 3-day liveaboard and it was a blast, but I worry that being on a boat for longer may seem restrictive. A walk on the beach is a nice counterpoint after being on a boat all day...

On the other hand, I worry that we might not get to dive quite as much as we'd like with a land-based operator. So, one question is, are there land-based that offer >2 dives/day? I.e., can you choose either a morning 2-tank dive, or afternoon 2-tank dive, or both, for 4 dives/day? Or at least 3 dives/day?

2. It sounds like there's really no shore diving, but from land can you snorkel mangroves, etc?

3. Is it logistically possible to pop over to the mainland to see ruins, etc. if there's a day that's too windy to dive?

4. If not, would we be more likely to find a sheltered dive spot if we were on a liveaboard? Or are there enough sheltered spots along the atolls that it makes no difference if we're on a big liveaboard or a smaller land-based boat? We've had to cancel a few days of diving on each of our last two dive trips due to wind, and would like to avoid that happening if at all possible.

5. Favorite operators?

Thanks!
Potato Cod

If #1 on your list is really #1 then a liveaboard is your only option

 

[Gaz]

If #1 on your list is really #1 then a liveaboard is your only option

DITTO Liveaboard way to go

 

[peterbj7]

I don't think Belize is ideal territory for a liveaboard. It isn't big enough and there isn't enough variety in the diving. Certainly if all you want to do is dive, dive, dive then that way you would get to do the most dives, but you've already suggested you might find that too much. Personally I'd be bored out of my mind and I love liveaboards. Factor in that from a liveaboard you can't view whale sharks and (apparently) pay a high premium for certain high profile dives and it seems to me no contest. I think your best bet would be to stay at one of the atoll-based island retreats, where you could easily make 3 or 4 dives a day in the best areas. Probably one of the larger ones where there would be other things to do when you didn't want to dive. Staying at any of the mainland or northern caye venues would mean restricted diving on the atolls but almost unlimited cheap diving on the barrier reef. But that option would also allow you to make the occasional inland trip to see some of the Mayan ruins, what many people come to Belize for anyway.

 

[martinbelize]

On San Pedro you will have the Chance to do 4 Dives a Day (2 in the Morning, 2 in the Afternoon) and every few Days a fifth Nightdive...

Trips to Blue Hole will be offered as well...

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Responses in the text

1. We want to maximize our diving, but really, 5 dives a day for 5 days sounds exhausting. I know we don't have to do that many dives, and likely wouldn't, but then, there's not much to do on the boat if you're not diving. I've done a 3-day liveaboard and it was a blast, but I worry that being on a boat for longer may seem restrictive. A walk on the beach is a nice counterpoint after being on a boat all day...

Placencia has the best beaches in Belize – about 16 miles of mostly unbroken beach, much of it deserted if you want some privacy and there is a very nice beach right in front of the village.

On the other hand, I worry that we might not get to dive quite as much as we'd like with a land-based operator. So, one question is, are there land-based that offer >2 dives/day? I.e., can you choose either a morning 2-tank dive, or afternoon 2-tank dive, or both, for 4 dives/day? Or at least 3 dives/day?

Most dive operators in Placencia do 2 and 3 tank dives. For 2 tank dives, the norm is to leave around 09:00 am for the 30 to 45 minute boat ride to one of the cayes for the first dive. During the surface interval we usually do a Belizean style lunch or barbecue on a picture card perfect caye and then do the second dive. For 3 tank dives we travel further afield leaving at about 08:00 am and the boat ride is over an hour to the dive sites.

2. It sounds like there's really no shore diving, but from land can you snorkel mangroves, etc?

Yes, you can snorkel around the mangroves at Placencia (usually best to rent a kayak for this or hire a guide).

3. Is it logistically possible to pop over to the mainland to see ruins, etc. if there's a day that's too windy to dive? Forty percent of Belize is protected by parks and reserves and the majority of these are in the southern half of Belize (so about 75% of southern Belize is protected). Monkey River is about half an hour away by a fun boat ride through the mangroves and then you go up river where you see crocodiles, huge iguanas, turtles and lots and lots of birds in pristine rain forest. Your licensed guide takes you for a hike into the rainforest to look for howler monkeys and to check out the flora and fauna. Another favourite is Cockscomb Preserve which has the highest concentration of big cats in the world (although you are unlikely to see them during the day). Cockscomb is a great place for hiking in the rain forest with a guide or on your own.
The nearest Mayan ruins are about one and a half hours away and we typically visit one of them plus a cave but can tailor your trip to do whatever you want. The ruins up in Cayo are about 3 hours away and we usually visit the inland Blue Hole National Park on the way.

Placencia is known as the caye you can drive to – has the ambience of a caye but is on the mainland.

4. If not, would we be more likely to find a sheltered dive spot if we were on a liveaboard? Or are there enough sheltered spots along the atolls that it makes no difference if we're on a big liveaboard or a smaller land-based boat? We've had to cancel a few days of diving on each of our last two dive trips due to wind, and would like to avoid that happening if at all possible.

A major advantage of Placencia is the availability of inland tours for bad weather days.

5. Favorite operators? My favourite is Splash Dive Center, but then again, you would expect that to be the case as I am co-owner of the company. Our website is down right now as we are in the process of upgrading it but you can contact Patricia Ramirez at splashbelize@yahoo.com. We have three custom dive boats, as state of the art air compressor for which we have the PADI certificates to confirm air quality, lots of very new BCDs and regulators and very good staff. We are also very community minded supporting Placencia community by running Splash Kids club where we teach local kids who cannot afford diving lessons to learn for free and have certified about 50 kids to date, plus sponsor and personally clean a mooring buoy at Laughing Bird National Park and world heritage site, provided about $25 000 to the Placencia Medical clinic to buy equipment, support a number of Rotary Club projects, Project Aware, organized cleanup at Laughing Bird Caye for Earth Day, etc, etc so that when you dive with Splash, you are helping the community.

 

[martinbelize]

Here you can do 1 in the morning, or two, or one in the morning and one in the afternoon, or two in the afternoon, or two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Feel Free

The Boat rides don't take so long. normally around 10 minutes depends which kind of the reef you will dive.

 

[potato cod]

hmmm, that brings up a couple of questions. How does the diving in Ambergris/San Pedro rate compared to the atolls? I got the impression that the more impressive dive spots were out on the atolls rather than the barrier reef. Our first priority really is the diving and all else is a nice, but distant second, and we don't want to compromise on the diving.

Ralph, are 3-tank dives offered every day, or just on some days? Only 2 dives/day is too few for us.

Also, whale sharks aren't really around Belize in January, are they? If they're not around, no need to factor them into the equation (but if they ARE, they would obviously be great to see).

Any opinions of Turneffe Flats vs. Turneffe Resort?

Also for liveaboards (if we go that route--it's basically the same price for more diving), any reason to spend $800 more pp for the Aggressor than Sun Dancer?

 

[peterbj7]

Are both liveaboards now offered in Belize?

The diving is generally regarded as better on the atolls, but that's not the whole story. The barrier reef off the northern cayes has spur-and-groove coral formations that i have never seen anywhere else in the world, and to me they are intrinsically very interesting. In the Southwater Caye Marine Reserve, where you're more likely to dive if you stay in Placencia or Hopkins, the reef doesn't have these formations, and in fact provides wall diving more like the atolls. At the atolls themselves all diving is wall diving (apart from the Blue Hole, of course) and is a good example of the genre. But it's not unique and such diving can be found in many parts of the world. IMO the best course is to include diving in all these areas, plus of course whale shark viewing dives at Gladden Spit, but that's not possible in a week. You have to choose.