The diving - Belize Trip Report - April 2001 - page 2
The
Boat
There were a total of 20 divers on the Wave Dancer from all around the US and
Canada. We had 5 Doctors, a Dentist and several Nurses aboard, so there
was no lack of good stories and dark humor. We boarded the boat Saturday
afternoon, spent the night at the dock, and motored out to Turneffe Caye on
Sunday morning for our first dive on the Sayonara.
The Dive deck is laid out very well. There was plenty of room, and a
huge camera table, which I really liked (being the Newbie Photographer on the
trip). The Crew is great. There are normally 2 of the deck crew
available to assist you on/off the dive platform, and to wrap a warm towel
around you after your warm water shower on deck. As soon as you pull your
first stage off of your cylinder, they refill it so that it's ready for your
next dive.
Sharon (the cook) was marvelous! The meals were wonderful, and we both
gained weight despite all of the diving due to the great food. Captain
Paul (and his side kick Andrea) were really good to everyone. Paul kept
everyone well informed about what was going on at all times, and Andrea spoiled
us all rotten!
The
Dives
After the 2 morning dives on Turneffe Caye on Sunday morning, we spent the
rest of the week out by Long Caye or Half Moon Caye near Lighthouse Reef.
The crossing was pretty bouncy, but the diving was great.
We completed 21 dives during the week ( dive log ). I only managed to do all 5 dives
once, and skipped at least one dive on the rest of the days. Most of our
dives averaged about 1 hour of bottom time, with depths ranging from 80 -
35'. We spent the entire week diving Nitrox, but the Membrane system was
only putting out about 29%. I was a bit nervous about the risk of DCS with
so many repetitive dives, but the profiles are shallow, and we kept our
computers well into the Green Zone all week, and finished the last half of every
dive on top of the reef, like a long, extended safety stop.
The only dive we did on Air was the Great Blue Hole ( 140' for 31 minutes, 9
minutes at max depth). Several people had their computers go into mandatory deco in the
Hole. The Blue Hole was also the only "guided dive" of the
trip. The rest of the time, we were left to our own devices after very
thorough Dive Briefings. Navigation was really easy, with the boat usually
parked right over a wall that ran either North-South or East West.
Liveaboard Diving
We had a lot of misconceptions about liveaboard diving before we went, and I
thought I'd share some of our impressions upon returning. We thought we'd
be on boat full of "hard core, dive-every-dive" divers, which was not
the case (maybe on the Aggressor boat?). I don't think anyone on the
boat actually did all 5 dives every day (although the Scientists might
have). Most people did 3 or 4 dives a day, and took some time off for
relaxing.
We
took way too many clothes with us. We spent the entire week barefoot, and
really only needed a couple of T-shirts and swim trunks. We often wore our
robes to meals. We also took too many books with us. Neither of us
actually even put a dent in a single book. There is plenty to do, and I
never did manage to lay out in the sun or read a book. I think Janet did
once. There were slide-shows, etc. going on every night (although we were
often too tired to attend).
The crew really makes the week on the boat great. They were upbeat and
enthusiastic all week. As soon as you hit the boat after diving, they were
there helping with your gear, draping that wonderful warm towel around your
shoulders, and putting that Hot Chocolate with Baileys in your hand after every
night dive! They were also very helpful with Underwater Photography
advice, so much so that my novice attempts went from awful to some really great
shots in just a few days. Kudos to a great crew!!
My
Next Trip
I think the only changes I would make would be to take less stuff with me (we
had too much luggage), and to spend a few more days exploring Belize. We
had one day before the boat, and one day after, but I think spending a few extra
days after the boat would be better. Then you won't be nervous about
flying as you can off-gas for a couple of days. (BTW those are Scorpion Fish in
the picture)
We did spend Friday Afternoon just hanging out with the crew and drinking
Beer, which was actually one of the best parts of the trip. It gave us an
opportunity to really get to know everyone (including the Captains of the other
boats) in a purely social setting. They even had a band up on the Sun Deck
for a party that evening!
I'm not sure where we'll go next, but it is likely to be on a Peter
Hughes liveaboard. Maybe to Palau to catch up with Paul and Andrea
again, or perhaps to the Galapagos, who knows, maybe we'll see you there!
DSAO
Boydski
