AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Resort Course Dive at Ramon's

Hi everyone. I have a trip scheduled in May to AC, first time. The posts have been very helpful but have a question on diving. My boyfriend and I who actually live in a resort town in FL want to take the Resort Course for basic scuba diving. Anyone have any input on that?

To follow up with my original message, we boat every weekend during season on the Gulf of Mexico and probably won't have the desire to actually get dive certified. If we do decide to go that route at some point we'd chalk up the $185 from the Resort Course as a fun time in AC.

I have been to Ac several times, I REALLY recommend doing the resort dive course, with AMIGOS DEL MAR, they are excellent.... they are not far from Ramons and will pick you up at your doc. I think it is amigosdive.com , or you can find them on this website.

My son did all of his diving with Ambergris Divers and had a great experience. He's 16 and they really looked after him and made him feel welcome. We went on a family snorkelling trip with them as well and can't say enough about thier staff and professionality! Enjoy!!!

My brother-in-law took a resort course in AC a few years back. Did the coursework during the following year and got certified in AC on the next trip. I went along on all of his resort course dives and we had a ball. Dove Hol Chan a few times, and Mexico Rocks. The resort course qualifies you for shallow dives with an instructor present. If you are snorkelers and have the itch to see things a bit closer (it's a whole different world down there, and you can see what the critters look like eye to eye instead of just the top) a resort course is the first step to deciding if you want to get certified. AC, in my opinion, is the perfect place to do it. Hol Chan is probably the prettiest shallow dive I have ever experienced, lots of structure and the quantity of wildlife of all different kinds is exceptional. You can see huge groupers, eels, nurse sharks, turtles, rays and a whole range of the brightly colored reef residents. The depth is about 20-30 feet, so if you get nervous (the dive instructor is keeping a good eye on you to gauge your comfort level) sunshine is a few flips away. If you are comfortable in the water, a resort course could be the experience of a lifetime. Typically, you do the course, and then any subsequent dives with the instructor during your trip is a lot cheaper, so if you get the bug it won't break you.

You guys are the best!

My $.02, if you are willing to pay that kind of $ for a resort course and you boat on the gulf, my not spend a little more and get a real cert? it isn't that much more than what a resort course costs, plus it will make the diving much more enjoyable because you will be able to work out all your kinks ahead of time, you'll relax more because you'll know what you are doing, and therfore see more on the dive. BTW the Gulf is a great place to dive. go to www.scubadiving.com and ask the same question and see the answers, plus they will be able to recommend a good dive shop close to your home

I second that, sluggo. I believe there are also supposed to be depth restrictions to a resort course, is that not so?

Yes, there are depth restrictions, logically so. Certification is an option, especially if you live on some decent water and their scheduled classes can be worked into your schedule. It might also be suggested that anyone considering cert or even a resort dive be checked out medically to see if they have any odd conditions that may impact their ability to dive. My son-in-law did his certification dives off Cancun a few years ago and had a big problem with nausea after the dives. Compounded by his last dive to 90 feet (not supposed to go that deep at this point, but in Mexico, if they can get away with it and save the price of running him out for another shallow dive the next day, they will do it). Turns out he had an inner ear problem and was told that dive, or any subsequent dives, could kill him. He is a certified non-diver.

Lots of people will do a resort course on AC, Ramon's included. But as Sluggo says, if you're going to want to dive again it's much better to do a certification course. If you go the PADI route, and most people do, there are two levels - Open Water the full version, with 4 dives in the course, and Scuba Diver the restricted version, with 2 dives. Either way you can do all the class and pool work back home, leaving just 2 or 1 half days respectively to do your dives once you get here. The first two dives shouldn't be below 40' with 3&4 not below 60'. Consider doing dive 4 on Nitrox and then making the small extra step to nitrox certification - well worth it for a number of reasons.

The problem Bobber relates is rare. Most people can dive perfectly safely, but see your family doctor if you have any concerns, or know there is anything wrong with you. Most conditions don't preclude diving, but knowledge is always better than ignorance.