| So you are thinking of Scuba Diving Belize? That is all | | | | the Cayman Islands or Cozumel and find it a little |
| very well but just how and where in Belize are you | | | | beyond there comfort level. (Not recommended for |
| planning to Dive? | | | | people with any type of back problem.) |
| Belize is a diverse diving destination with multiple | | | | The boat crews do a great job, but if you are not |
| locations to Dive Belize each offering different types | | | | comfortable with choppy seas or get seasick, or |
| of diving. What I plan show you in this article, Scuba | | | | your not as fit as you should be maybe this diving is |
| Diving Belize, is how to plan your Scuba Diving | | | | not for you. |
| Vacation to suit not only your pocket book but also | | | | The best dive boats for diving in these waters are |
| your dive experience level. | | | | the ones that exit from the side and enters from the |
| Let us first talk about how NOT to Scuba Dive | | | | side, after owning more than 20 boats during my |
| Belize, and that is doing it by visiting on a cruise ship. | | | | dive operator days in Belize including side entry and |
| While many Scuba Divers visit Belize on cruise ships | | | | swim platform boats I can speak from experience |
| and understandably want to dive Belize, the problem | | | | when I say rear entry platforms are dangerous in |
| with that is the cruise ships dock in Belize City. | | | | these swells, if you can imagine being thrown around |
| Belize City has never been a top diving destination in | | | | as you try to de-kit with the rear of the boat |
| Belize it is mainly used as a base where all the Belize | | | | bouncing up 4-8ft its not only dangerous but |
| liveaboards use to dock and re supply for there next | | | | unnecessary keep the dive platforms for calm |
| trip. | | | | waters. |
| The waters around Belize City are a nice shade of | | | | On a positive note you will become a better diver for |
| chocolate due to the river mouths that empty into | | | | it and there will not be many other tropical places |
| the ocean there, if you dive from Belize City you | | | | that will challenge you like diving the Belize Barrier |
| have to travel about 45 minutes to an hour to get to | | | | Reef. Once you have dive the Belize Barrier Reef |
| the Belize Barrier Reef where the visibility is much | | | | from these locations most other tropical destinations |
| better, | | | | will be a walk in the park. |
| The dive sites that you will be able to dive from a | | | | The reason the majority of visiting Divers to Belize |
| cruise ship will NOT be the best dives in Belize and as | | | | tend to stay on these northern islands is they offer |
| long as you understand this then go ahead and dive, | | | | other things to do than diving such as Mayan ruin |
| my only problem is I read people saying oh yes I | | | | tours, Cave tubing trips, the islands have shops |
| dove Belize and was not impressed, once asked | | | | restaurants and nightclubs so all in all it's a nice |
| where did you dive, I am told oh we went on a | | | | mixture of things to do other than just diving. For |
| cruise ship and dove for a day. | | | | more information on Diving Ambergris Caye visit Dive |
| You absolutely cannot dive Belize in a day and | | | | Belize |
| especially not from a cruise ship, at best you will dive | | | | Scuba Diving Belize, Belize Atoll Diving |
| along the Barrier Reef close to Goffs Caye the sites | | | | An Atoll is a body of water surrounded by an outer |
| will be nice sites but certainly not the best diving | | | | reef system and Belize has 3 of the 4 located in the |
| Belize has to offer so by all means take a dive but | | | | Western Hemisphere, Turneffe Atoll, Lighthouse |
| plan a trip back to Belize for a week of the very | | | | Reef Atoll and Glovers Reef Atoll, the remaining one |
| best diving Belize has to offer. | | | | is Chinchorro Banks located south of Cancun in |
| Lets look at the different types of diving Belize has | | | | Mexico. |
| to offer | | | | The water tend to be very calm and generally even |
| Scuba Diving Belize, Belize Barrier Reef Diving | | | | in inclement weather a calm dive site can be found |
| Belize Barrier Reef diving is incorporates the following | | | | on the leeward side of the islands |
| areas starting in northern Belize starting with | | | | This is the very best diving Belize has to offer, |
| Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker,Caye Chapel, St | | | | although when you visit these Atolls there is nothing |
| Georges Caye gradually heading south. the further | | | | much else to do other than Dive, relax, and fish but if |
| south you go it is normally a longer boat ride out to | | | | you are a diveaholic then this is the place to Dive to |
| the Barrier Reef. | | | | give you the very best that Belize has to offer. |
| Diving Ambergris Caye and Diving Caye Caulker | | | | I forgot to mention you can do day trips to Turneffe |
| These islands are the most popular destinations for | | | | Atoll and Lighthouse Reef Atoll from Ambergris Caye |
| Scuba Diving Belize as they offer the visitor a nice | | | | and Caye Caulker so if you choose to dive there you |
| array of activities other than Scuba Diving however | | | | can still dive the best Belize has to offer. |
| both these destinations offer challenging diving. | | | | To Dive the Belize Atolls you have several choices |
| The Barrier reef which is the type of diving you will | | | | such as a land based operations like Lighthouse Reef |
| be doing from these islands can be quite challenging | | | | Resort or Turneffe Island lodge or one of the Live |
| for many divers. The Barrier Reef runs 175 miles the | | | | Aboard Dive Boats live the Belize Aggresor that |
| entire length of Belize, the reef actually comes right | | | | depart out of Belize City. |
| up to the surface and the waves crash over the | | | | Southern Diving Belize & Whale Shark Diving |
| reef as they head to the shore, what this means is | | | | Scuba Diving Belize in the south of the country has |
| the only way to get out to open sea is by | | | | become famous over the past few years with the |
| negotiating the breaks in the reef called Cuts, these | | | | discovery of migrating Whale Sharks that visit |
| are natural paths out to sea and deep enough for | | | | Gladden Split to coordinate with the Snapper |
| boats to pass through. | | | | spawning.. |
| Negotiating these cuts in all but calm weather can be | | | | This happens from March through June each year the |
| quite tricky for the boat captains and uncomfortable | | | | best time to dive is on the full moon where you will |
| for the divers on board. | | | | see these behemoths and thousands of Snappers |
| During the months of Dec through April you can | | | | spawning. |
| expect 5 to 8ft rollers to be coming through the | | | | The ride out to the reef takes about 1 hour form |
| cuts, the boat captains are very skillful at getting | | | | most of the mainland resorts from Hopkins down to |
| through however every now and again you go up | | | | Placencia.You can also access Glovers reef from the |
| and the boat comes down hard. | | | | southern resorts this is my favorite atoll. |
| Many divers are not prepared for this type of diving, | | | | Hope this small article gives you an insight on the |
| most expect flat calm seas like they experienced in | | | | different types of diving that Belize has to offer. |