Belize Scuba License: Where To Get Certified

Belize is a small Central American country with a population of approximately 400,000 people. It is bordered by Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. With over 400 islands, white sandy beaches, and the longest unbroken barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, it is a world-class scuba diving destination. The warm, rich, clear, and calm waters of Belize offer great conditions for beginners and exciting opportunities for more advanced divers.

There are several options for getting a scuba license in Belize. The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the world's most popular and widely recognized scuba course. It can be completed in as little as three days and certifies divers to rent equipment and dive up to depths of 60 feet (18m) anywhere in the world. The PADI Discover Scuba Diving course allows you to experience the basics of scuba diving and does not require prior scuba diving experience. The Open Water Referral Course is for those who have completed their confined water modules and written tests with a different instructor and need their open water certification dives. The PADI Scuba Diver Course can be completed in as little as two days and certifies divers to dive up to 40 feet (12m) under the supervision of a PADI Professional.

There are also options to complete the classroom and pool work through your local dive shop before arriving in Belize and then completing the open-water dives with a local operator. This ensures a smooth Belize dive experience and allows you to maximize your time in the country.

Some of the recommended dive shops and resorts in Belize include Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize, Belizean Dreams, Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort, and Belize Diving Adventures. These schools offer various courses, including the PADI Open Water Certification Course and the Discover Scuba Diving course. They also provide customized dive locations based on comfort levels and expectations.

PADI Open Water Certification

The PADI Open Water Diver course is the most popular scuba diving certification in the world, and getting it in Belize adds a whole new level of excitement. This course is designed for beginners, providing them with the knowledge and skills required to dive safely and independently in open water environments.

The course typically spans over 2-3 half-days, combining both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. You'll engage in independent theory studies, confined water training (usually in a pool), and open-water dives. The course is comprehensive and covers the fundamentals of scuba diving, including dive planning, equipment, dive tables, safety procedures, and the effects of pressure underwater.

In the confined water training, you'll practice essential scuba skills in a controlled environment, such as a swimming pool. This includes buoyancy control, mask clearing, and regulator retrieval. The open water dives are where you'll get to apply what you've learned and explore Belize's stunning marine environment. You'll typically undertake four to five open water dives, immersing yourself in the warm, clear waters and diverse marine life of the region.

Belize is renowned for its rich and diverse marine ecosystem. During your open water dives, you may encounter vibrant coral reefs, colourful tropical fish, majestic sea turtles, nurse sharks, rays, and many other marine species. The coral formations are particularly breathtaking, and you'll have the opportunity to explore popular sites in Ambergris Caye, such as Hol Chan.

Upon successful completion of the course, you'll receive the PADI Open Water Diver certification. This internationally recognised certification will allow you to dive up to 18 meters (60 feet) deep anywhere in the world. It's your passport to independently explore the underwater realm and create unforgettable memories.

Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize

We are a locally operated, professional dive training facility, offering an ongoing educational experience to all our divers, even on recreational dives. We pride ourselves on offering quality instruction and ensuring the safety of our guests. Our course sizes are limited to four students per instructor, allowing us to provide personalised attention to each guest. We are not a cattle boat company; we prefer to work with smaller groups of six to eight people.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver, we have something for you. We take divers out to explore the underwater world and see the wonderful marine life of Belize. We offer various dive packages to suit your preferences and budget.

Courses & Training

Diving & Tours

The Belize Reef is just a five-minute boat ride from our centre, with over 100 dive sites to choose from. You'll find the best diving in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, just a two-minute boat ride from our PADI dive centre. Explore the undersea world with our PADI-certified Dive Masters and Elite Instructors.

Packages

We offer numerous packages to provide you with the best savings. If you can't find the right package, you can build a custom package to suit your needs for your next diving adventure. We also offer free gear rental, a mini refresher for life, 10% off specialties, and free Nitrox.

Contact

To book your Belize dive adventure, please visit our website or contact us directly. We are located in San Pedro, Belize, and we look forward to diving with you!

Discover Scuba Diving

Where to Get Your Discover Scuba Diving Experience in Belize

Belize is a world-class scuba diving destination, known for its warm, rich, and clear waters. Here are some recommended places to get your Discover Scuba Diving experience in Belize:

• Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize: Located in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, this PADI 5-Star Resort Facility offers Discover Scuba Diving courses for beginners. They pride themselves on quality instruction and personalised attention, with small group sizes of 6 to 8 students.
• Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort: Hamanasi offers a one-day Discover Scuba Diving class, where you'll start with a short video introduction, followed by a pool lesson, and then a dive on the Belize Barrier Reef. They also offer PADI Open Water Certification courses for those who want to continue their scuba diving journey.
• Belizean Dreams: Here, you can take the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course, which includes both pool training and a one-tank dive on the reef with an instructor. This resort also offers other PADI courses, such as the Open Water Referral Course and the Refresher Course.
• Belize Diving Adventures: Based in San Pedro, they offer open water dives for those who have completed their classroom and confined water training elsewhere.
• Belize Magical Adventures: This small company in San Pedro provides 1-on-1 instructions to become PADI certified and customises dive locations based on your comfort level and expectations.

What to Expect During Your Discover Scuba Diving Experience

During your Discover Scuba Diving experience in Belize, you can expect to learn the basics of scuba diving, including how to use the equipment and how to breathe underwater. You'll also get to explore the vibrant marine life that Belize has to offer. Depending on your location, you may encounter eagle rays, turtles, colourful fish, lobsters, nurse sharks, and even dolphins!

So, if you're curious about scuba diving and want to try it out in Belize, Discover Scuba Diving is a great option. You'll get to experience the thrill of breathing underwater, explore the underwater world, and decide if you want to continue your scuba diving journey towards certification.

Open Water Referral Course

The Open Water Referral Course is a great option for those who want to complete their dive training in distinct segments. This course is offered by Belizean Dreams and Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize.

To enrol in this course, candidates must first complete all the theory and confined water dives with their local dive centre at home. This includes completing all the confined water modules and written tests with a different instructor. This is followed by executing the practical portion of the course in Belize, which involves four open water dives consisting of 2-two tank dives per day on the Southern Barrier Reef of Belize with a PADI dive instructor.

The Open Water Referral Course lasts a minimum of two days, and candidates must be 10 years or older with no adverse medical conditions to participate. It is important to bring your PADI course documentation, PADI pool work, and medical release form to the dive centre in Belize. If you have SSI or NAUI paperwork, there will be an additional per-person fee for completing a crossover exam and pool skills test.

The Open Water Referral Course allows you to gain your open water certification in a tropical ocean environment. Upon completion, you will be certified to rent equipment and dive with other certified divers up to depths of 60 feet (18 meters) at dive sites around the world.

In addition to the Open Water Referral Course, there are other scuba diving courses offered in Belize, such as the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course and the Open Water Dive Certification course. These courses provide an introduction to scuba diving and allow divers to explore the underwater world of Belize, which is known for its warm waters and diverse marine life.

Scuba Diving in Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is the main diving destination in Belize, and it's not hard to see why. The area offers divers the chance to explore the world's largest blue hole and the Belize Barrier Reef System, a 186-mile (300km) portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.

While the Blue Hole is only suitable for divers with advanced certification due to its depth, the Belize Barrier Reef is perfect for beginners. The reef is characterised by little to no current, bright coral, and excellent visibility, ensuring stress-free diving.

The top dive sites in Ambergris Caye include:

• Rocky Point Canyons, known for its tarpon hole and brilliant coral
• Robles Point, featuring unique canyon formations and an abundance of Nassau groupers, lobsters, and spider crabs
• Basil Jones Canyons, a shallow spur-and-groove reef site with a close proximity to the island, creating a natural refuge for marine life
• Punta Azul Canyons, where you can dive through canyon arches and see big eagle rays
• Pescador Canyons, where you can explore under the reef and swim through a long tunnel
• Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of the most popular dive sites in Belize, where you will encounter spotted eagle rays, large groupers, eels, spider crabs, lobster, and nurse sharks, to name a few
• Shark Ray Alley, noted as one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean, where you can pet nurse sharks and swim with friendly rays

There are several dive schools in Ambergris Caye that offer PADI courses for beginners and advanced divers. These schools provide the necessary training and certification to explore the underwater world of Belize. The schools also offer a range of packages to suit different preferences and budgets, ensuring that divers can make the most of their time in Ambergris Caye.

Frequently asked questions