CanBrit,

Interesting story, sorry your diving experience was sullied by the events on the boat. However, after reading your account of what happened, I have to ask:

1) What, exactly, did you expect the crew of the boat to do under the circumstances you described? It seems to me that they did everything in their power to make a priority out of insuring, to the best of ability, the safety of the passengers on the boat. What would you have done differently?

2) Along those same lines, you seem to be mostly upset at the loss of your gear. In am emergency situation, gear would be the LEAST of my concerns. Again, what would you have done differently?

3) You say your wife was distressed because she is not a strong swimmer (your words). If that is the case, why is she scuba diving in a unfamiliar place? Scuba diving, by it's very nature, is a very dangerous recreational activity. In fact, it is the MOST dangerous recreational activity one can partake in. Does she count on someone else to come to her rescue should she get into trouble on a dive? Being a diver myself, I know the physical demands of diving, and I am prepared to take care of myself should something bad happen to me.

4) Lastly, you are vacationing in a third-world country. A fantastic place, but third-world nontheless. When visiting such a place, it is my opinion that everyone should be able to look out for themselves, or, at least, not blame someone else when something goes wrong. It is kind of a risk / reward situation. Belize is a beautiful place with wonderful people. The trade off is that it does not have all of the amenities of your typical American vacation destination.

Maybe you folks should stick to San Diego or Hawaii - they are more likely to have the type of baby-sitting you seem to require while vacationing.