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Posted By: pkate98 Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 03:12 AM
I have heard a lot about snorkeling trips, shark-ray alley, cave tubing and the ruins. But what I would like to know is what are the best diving sites? I have read on the AC website and have found a couple that seem interesting. These are: Pillar corals, Long Caye @ Lighthouse, and Cypress Gardens. For those of you who have been to these destinations, what is your report on them?
Posted By: trina Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 04:14 AM
Longcaye@Lighthouse reef and Blue Hole were the best in my experience. A long day,(about 2 hrs. out there each way from San Pedro) but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. The health of the coral and reef, the variety and colors of fish, the sheer amount of flora and fauna; I wouldn't have missed it for the world. :p
Posted By: pkate98 Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 05:41 AM
Hot deep did you go in the Blue Hole? I am nervous about going deeper than 60ft.
Posted By: toad Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 06:12 AM
the hole rocks....i would'nt want to do it everytime, but it was bad to the bone...huge animals lurking down there....maybe even the lochness on vacation....

lighthouse caye was okay, but there are many dives around it that are probably better.....

i would find a small boat operation next time, but only because i am impatient, which is why i go on vacation...but, the big boats have better accomodations.....

i was disappointed to find the preserve island littered even the though the booby birds did'nt mind....

Belize kicks ass

peacetoad
Posted By: toad Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 06:15 AM
the hole rocks....i would'nt want to do it everytime, but it was bad to the bone...huge animals lurking down there....maybe even the lochness on vacation....

lighthouse caye was okay, but there are many dives around it that are probably better.....

i would find a small boat operation next time, but only because i am impatient, which is why i go on vacation...but, the big boats have better accomodations.....and you can hang out up by the capitan and watch the storms roll across the abyss

i was disappointed to find the preserve island littered even the though the booby birds did'nt mind....

Belize kicks ass

peacetoad
Posted By: trina Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 06:57 AM
Oops ,sorry, I though you said snorkeling. I read your post again, and see you asked about diving...sorry. "Never mind" wink
Posted By: seashell Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/19/02 10:29 AM
pkate, maybe you aren't ready for the Blue Hole day trip. Don't worry about it. There's always next time. (the Blue Hole dive is 130')

Most of the dives off shore San Pedro are 60-80'. You will find that you won't be nervous about 80' for long. And if your holiday goes well doing the good sites off of San Pedro (Pillar Coral, Cypress, Mexico Rocks, Victoria Tunnels, etc.) maybe you'll decide to go out to Turneffe for a day trip before you go home.
Posted By: pkate98 Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/20/02 02:48 AM
Yikes 130 ft! Yes, I'm not really an experienced diver quite yet - but would love to try the hole when I'm ready. Some of the others sound pretty good to me. 80ft doesn't bother me.
Posted By: chevin Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/20/02 06:42 AM
I've heard that Blue Hole does not have that much marine life. Is that the case? If so what IS the attraction?
Posted By: seashell Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/20/02 09:41 AM
The geological history, the history of discovery, diving a site made famous by Jacque Cousteau, the sharks . . . eek wink

For me, it's kind of spiritual. Each time I do it, I see more. Last time I was in the Hole, I found some small chambers in the wall that actually had some little fish in them. I got a better look at the mossy stuff growing on the wall. I wasn't as terrified by the sharks in the Hole. At the safety stop, we were cruised by a bunch of sharks and a large one got within spitting distance of one of my buddies and I. I came out of the water screaming . . . "Again, Again! I want to do it AGAIN!!" smile

That said, some other people are bored by it. Go figure.
Posted By: Axeman Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/22/02 01:38 AM
If you want to Dive Blue Hole, try this,...dive the close sites just outside the reef for the first two days...most bring you to 100'. Thats 6 dives in two days...then take the overnight trip to Blue Hole..you will love it...I did it two years ago. I was alittle rusty the first day, by the second I felt comfortable at depth. Blue Hole was a major head rush, kinda like climbing Mount Fuji in Japan.
The dives on the way to and from Blue Hole were unreal.
Here's the link to my trip....
//www.ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/article9.html
Posted By: CAPTAIN bigzeke Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/22/02 05:33 PM
Best dive I did so far was The Elbow! Going to do the Blue Hole with my son in May. I dived with Amigos, but they did not have a bathroom on boat. Can anyone tell me who goes out there wtih a potty? I was dying to pee on the trip back and it was torture!
Thanks
Posted By: seashell Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/23/02 06:30 AM
Zeke, the new 48'cruiser that Amigo's has does their Blue Hole trip and not only does it have a head, it quite comfortable. smile
Posted By: ScubaLdy Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/23/02 06:53 AM
PK
Congratulations. It sounds like you know your limitations. You don't need to make a decision to do or not to do the Blue Hole until you have been in Belize for a few days.
As has been said before, dive the reef for a few days and you and your dive master can evaluate your readiness for advanced diving. Some of us are not interested in the Blue Hole. You might decide that a trip to Turneff would suit your needs. It is a little closer and a little less money. As with Lighthouse, it is an all day trip with 3 tank dives. I love going there. laugh

I would recommend Hustlers as they do reef and atoll diving. If you do multiple days diving with them they will give you a discount. Billy Leslie is the dive operations manager and one of the best dive masters on the island.

When are you going?

Harriette
Posted By: seashell Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/23/02 09:23 AM
I believe that most of the operators that go to the Atolls as well as local diving will offer a discount for blocks of dives and then the later trip out to the Atolls.
Posted By: pkate98 Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/26/02 04:19 AM
ScubaLDY:
We will be going Jan.13-20. I am very excited and am ready to dive. What I am interested in seeing are sea-life like coral and colorful fish. I know that I have to take a trip over to shark-ray alley one day.
Posted By: seashell Re: Which are great Dive sites? - 11/26/02 08:56 AM
pka8, Cypress is one of my favorites for corals and little fishies. I also really like Pillar for the pillar corals of course, they are like castles down there.
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