Equipment and Education
Bring your own
Equipment to Belize, or rent it at a dive shop. Lightweight lycra
dive suits or nylon "skins" work fine. They keep
you warm on a night dive but for most dives, a swimsuit is adequate. If
you need more insulation 1/16 inch suits should be the most you should
need.
Belize offers various
levels of dive courses include discover scuba programs, refresher
courses, open water and advance open water courses. Certification is
available for PADI, NAUII and in some areas NITROX diving.
Don't leave home without your dive certification card if you have one.
Protected Areas
Much of Belize's
marine system, from north to
south, is
protected
with many falling under the category of World Heritage sites. This
means that these areas and their inhabitants cannot be destroyed or
harmed in any way. Care must be taken when on dives not to touch corals
or increase sedimentation onto them.
- Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve
- South Water Caye Marine Reserve
The Water Condtions
Visibility - Maximum visibility of 165 feet
or 50
meters. In case of storms the visibility reduced to 65 to 100 feet or
20 to 30 meters
Tides - Not usually a factor for dives
because
the range is small at 1 to 11/2 feet except in extreme conditions of
tropical storms.
Water Temperature - Water temperature
usually
remain constant around 70 to 75 degrees F. Higher temperatures are 80
degrees F.
Waves - Wave action minimal inside the reef or
on
the unexposed side of atolls.
Winds - Northeast wind can produce huge
swells
which can
make diving difficult on exposed shores in the north, but this is
usually steady at 5 to 15 knots.
Further reading
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