It was great to be back in Placencia and to be diving with the Splash Dive Family during the 2011 holiday season. I arrived on Christmas Day, and despite it being a holiday here in Canada, I was warmly greeted at the airport by Patty who informed me that there was a boat out diving that day! I guess the reef never rests, so neither should the divers who visit it. It was wonderful to see the new Dive Center building getting better and better, with full dive retail items for sale, air/nitrox available on site and even lovely breakfast treats to greet the divers in the morning. The attention Patty and her staff show to all the customers, whether they are divers, snorkelers, or heading out on a land tour is fantastic! I have been diving in Placencia for many years now, and it is great to see Splash just getting better and better.
The diving was excellent, as always, and this trip I got to see a 15 foot Manta Ray! Manta rays are very rare in Belize, and many of the Divemasters in Placencia have never seen one in thier careers. But that is what makes diving in Belize so wonderful--you never, ever know what surprises you will see underwater! Along with the manta, I also got to see a hammerhead shark, heaps of turtles, nurse sharks, squid and all the hundreds of regulars of the reef (and my favourites, the trunk fish :-)).
During my time down there this Christmas, I did a day trip to the Blue Hole with Splash, and we were the first to arrive and had the whole site to ourselves--what a treat! The Blue Hole was full of reef and bull sharks, and there is nothing like looking up from the depths and seeing these amazing creatures in silhouette. Amazing way to start the day!
I am already preparing my trip down in April or May 2012 to dive with the Whale Sharks again! And we can't forget all the dolphins and other sharks that come to visit when the whale sharks make thier appearance!
Thanks Patty, Prince, Warren, Lennox, Dean, Brian, Mark, Max and everyone else for making my visit as warm and wonderful as always :-)
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Splash Testimonials
I cannot say enough good about Splash in Placencia, Belize. First of all, when I made a reservation for a refresher course from my home in the States, I got prompt, accurate, helpful information. In our emails, I mentioned that I'm a writer who does detective fiction and one of Splash's owners, Ralph Capeling, promptly set up a dinner that included a writer friend of his. I had a lovely evening during said dinner and Ralph refused to let me pay my share even though he was doing me a favor!
I'm a beginner, so the other owner, Patty Ramirez, set me up with my own instructor and dive master, Pablo. Pablo picked me up on time on dive day in a new air conditioned van. Then he took me to a local doctor for a quick exam (blood pressure, heart, breathing, medical history) because I'm a senior and Patty is incredibly safety-minded. When we got to the dive center I was suprised to see the nicest, most modern and convenient set-up I've ever seen in all the Caribbean; and that includes the American Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, St. Martin, Martinique, Turks and Caicos, and Bonaire.
Pablo took me through some preliminary safety training and then we boarded the Princess Taia, a gorgeous dive boat, I think a 60' Newton. The skipper gave a a safely rundown regarding the boat and introduced the whole Splash crew.
During my refresher course and dives, Pablo took incredibly good care of me. No amount of praise is excessive. I got scared a couple of times and he just grabbed me securely by the BC and calmed me down with the look in his eyes and with soothing hand gestures. I never had to surface, mainly because I had developped such trust in him.
On Ranguana Caye, Splash employees cooked us a delicious BBQ chicken lunch with watermelon for dessert. We rested a bit then went out out for our afternoon dive. I saw lots of marine life, though was dismayed to see that the reef didn't look as healthy as it did 25 years ago, which was when I first dived Belize. Less colorful and fewer fish. But thanks to Pablo and Placencia I still had a lovely time.
There's a lot out there about unsafe diving practices in Belize. Splash is a HUGE counterpoint. The care, professionalism, constant attention to safety, and first rate equipment could not have been better. Did I tell you they have fresh water showers on the Princess Taia?
So for friendly, fun, safe, professional diving, CHOOSE SPLASH PLACENCIA! And no, I'm not on Patty's payroll!
The Princess Taia crew served us more delicious watermelon on the trip home and Patricia was waiting for us with juice and cookies.
Long overdue trip report -- Placencia in June
Normally I post trip reports right away while the details are still fresh in my mind. My only excuse this time is I've been really busy since I returned, including moving my office, selling our old house and buying a new one, dealing with our daughter's wedding and our son's move to Colorado and, well, life. In any case, here's my report on my trip to Placencia.
June is the perfect time to get away from Portland. Summer doesn't really start here until early July, sometimes not even then, so a June trip is a great way to avoid the last of the cruddy weather and hopefully come home to sunshine and warmer temperatures. The downside is this is the beginning of the raingy season in Belize, but the upside is prices are usually a little cheaper and the crowds are smaller. Plus, I have found the weather there in June to be quite good with warm days tempered by ocean breezes and the occasional super cool thunderstorms at night. It almost never rains during the day after around 9 o'clock.
This was my fourth trip to Belize in the last five years and the second straight year I went to Placencia, last time for two weeks but this time for three. My wife didn't come since we had so many things going on at home, so I was on my own this time.
I split up the trip by diving the first and third week and driving around the country during the week in the middle. I dove with Splash Dive Center again, a ScubaBoard advertiser, owned and operated by Patty Ramirez and Ralph Capeling, who occasionally posts on this board. One of the advantages to using the same dive operator is that you already know the staff, for the most part, and they already know you. There were a couple of new dive guides, both instructors, and over the course of my time there I got to know them very well.
Splash used to be located right at the tip of the village on the beach but opened up a new dive shop just outside the village right before I went last time. The new shop still looks great, probably the nicest dive shop I've ever seen anywhere. The dock was being resurfaced while I was there this time. They have three dive boats but were in the middle of getting a brand spanking new 42-foot Newton, which unfortunately didn't arrive before it was time for me to go.
Much has been written on this board lately about supposed unsafe diving practices by Belize dive ops, and by Belize I mean Ambergris Caye. This is absolutely not the case with Splash. On every outing the boat crew would give a general safety briefing and point out the radio, life jackets and oxygen. On every dive the dive master would give a dive briefing on what to expect on the dive, what to expect from him or her and what was expected of you. No one was allowed to go into deco, skip a safety stop or commit any other safety violations. I brought my own gear, but from what I saw of Splash's rental gear it appeared to be in good shape. The weather was always closely monitored at the shop, and there was a day or two where we either didn't go or started late due to the possibility of bad weather.
The typical dive boat would have four to six snorkelers and two to six divers. We would usually leave around 8:30 or 9 in the morning, ride out about an hour to one of the many cayes in the area, drop off the snorkelers and lunch, then go do the first tank somewhere in the area. Dives were usually 60 to 70 feet, sometimes more if we saw something really interesting, and would go about an hour. Temperature was consistently in the low 80's. Viz would range from very good to ok, sometimes on the same dive. After the first tank, it was back on the boat and back to the caye for lunch, usually freshly grilled chicken, potatoes, salad and watermelon. Hang out for a while, then out on the boat for the second tank. Afterwards, it was back to the caye to pick up the snorkelers and head back to the shop. We'd usually arrive around 3, beat but happy.
I chased Whale Sharks for a day without success. Not a big surprise since June is the least likely month of the "season" to see them but still disappointing. Chasing WSs is not a lot of fun, frankly. You spend the entire day on the boat. It's a long boat ride out, then you have to wait your turn to enter the park at Gladden Spit. Once there, you descend to about 70 feet and go like hell, stopping every now and then to do a Kumbaya group circle in hopes of attracting them with your bubbles. After a while, you give up and go like hell again until your air is low and then up you go. If you're lucky, you'll see a lot of fish, probably some sharks and maybe some dolphins. Then you leave the park so others can come give it a go. There are no nearby cayes so you have to have lunch and the SI on the boat before heading back in to try it again. I suppose if I ever actually saw a WS I'd feel differently but otherwise it's a lot of work without much payoff. Having said that, I'm sure I'll do it again.
Before I started my first week of diving, Ralph, Patty and I went to Punta Gorda to attend a Mass at what has to be the prettiest church in all of Belize. I'm not much of a churchgoer, but I always enjoy going to church in a different country. This time the service was in English, which makes it a lot easier to follow along, lol. Afterwards, we drove into the Toledo District and hiked into the jungle to go swimming in Blue Creek Cave. Ralph and Patty wanted to check it out before they started offering it as one of their tours so they could adequately describe to anyone interested. We stopped in Blue Creek Village and met up with a guide. The trail up the creek started out easily enough but soon we were clambering over boulders and balancing on rocks. Hard enough to make it interesting but not so rugged as to scare off the average hiker. Once we reached the mouth of the cave, we stripped down to our bathing suits, put on headlamps and swam inside. There's an underground waterfall about 100 yards upstream. We made it to the waterfall, then floated back down.
During my week in the middle, I rented a pickup truck and drove all over the country, with an eye towards buying some property but also just to check out the interior. One day, I went up the Coast Hwy to visit Hank (Hank49 on this board) at his shrimp farm. He gave me a tour and an everlasting appreciation for shrimp. Afterwards, I continued up the Southern Hwy to Gales Point in hopes of spotting a manatee but was told the water was too murky due to runoff from the nightly rains. I visited Spanish Lookout, a Mennonite settlement that looks like a typical small town in the heart of the US, to talk to a builder about buying a pre-fab house. It was getting dark so I decided to stay the night at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, which I highly recommend if you go to SI. I took a dip in the Blue Hole, the small one off the Hummingbird Highway. I spent two days and a night in Punta Gorda, looking at land and a few houses. Somewhere in all of that I visited the Garifuna village of Hopkins to check out Hamanasi, a dive resort that gets very high marks here and elsewhere. I was a little surprised to see that Hamanasi is right next to a rather large development of condos but the landscaping gives it a very private feel. Nice place. And I spent a morning walking around the Lubaantum ruins, discovery site of the famous "crystal skull." I also went zip lining at a new place just off the Southern Hwy near Hopkins. Can't say I enjoyed it, though, as it turns out I have quite the fear of stepping off a perfectly good ledge way up a tree. I managed to make it through all the zips but it will be a cold day in.. well, you know. As much as I enjoyed soaking up the vibe that is the interior of Belize, by the end of that week I was glad to return the truck to Barefoot and get back to diving.
I had three different dive guides over the course of my two weeks of diving. Lennox, whom I already knew from the year before, and new (to me) Nedia and Mark. All three were excellent, once I broke them of the practice of pointing out Lion Fish, which are unfortunately plentiful. I prefer to go very slowly and just observe the action, and all three were willing to let me do that. On one dive, it was just Lennox and me and we probably covered less than 50 feet in an hour. We were laughing afterwards as we were passed by two different groups of divers while we were down there. I dived with Nedia only a couple of times since she was the designated "Discover Scuba" instructor and often was busy with that. Her students always raved about her afterwards. I dived almost exclusively with Mark my second week. He and I really hit it off. One of the advantages of diving with the same guide(s) over time is that you settle into a routine with each other. Each had his or her way of doing things plus I have my preferences and once these things meshed everything went very smoothly.
I have nothing but good things to say about Splash. Patty and Ralph do a wonderful job of running the place, and over the course of four weeks total of diving with them I've seen a lot of satisfied divers come and go. There was a large group from Idaho diving with them my first week and they raved about Patty at their farewell dinner. In the interests of full disclosure I should say that over the course of my two visits there we've become pretty good friends. But I think that anyone who spent time with them would agree that they are two of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet, and they really do care about keeping standards high and making their guests happy.
In case you can't tell, I love Belize, warts and all and there are plenty of warts. I hope to retire there someday, probably in the PG area where the dirt is cheapest. Placencia is a great jumping off point for both diving and checking out the mainland. I still have a few things on my bucket list to see, like ATM and Caracol, saved for next year.
I'll post some photos of the trip later. I posted a lot of photos of Splash and Placencia last year so this time I'll post photos of the interior.
Last edited by Downing; September 19th, 2012 at 09:13 PM.
My wife and I visited Placencia in early January with the intent to dive. We were told about Splash dive shop by a friend and decided to follow the recommendation. We couldn't be happier about that decision. We were scheduled to dive on Thursday but that morning we were told that nobody would be going out and we would have to go on Friday. We arrived at the shop on Friday morning, after a shuttle picked us up, and were greeted at the front door of Splash HQ by Ms. Patricia Ramirez. The crew were very professional, the lunch was delicious and the dives were great. Ms. Patti greeted us again as we returned to the dock after diving and arranged a shuttle to take us to a water taxi(which we would've missed without the shuttle!). I can't say enough about the customer service and professionalism of Ms. Patti and her staff.
Wow, I can not say enough about Patty and her staff. I was totally apprehensive about diving, but they walked me through everything. Patty knew just what sort of instructor I needed, and was very flexible and patient. Patty arranged everything for our trip--dives, lodging, transportation, land tours- which took all the stress and uncertainty out of traveling. We were treated like more than costumers or even valued clients- I felt like we had new friends by the end of our trip. Fantastic! Glover's Reef is AMAZING. I chickened out and snorkled the first day, but I got to finish my open water certification there on my last day, and it was an experience I will always treasure. i can't wait to get back in the water with Splash!
Recently, My fiancé, Catherine , and I returned to Belize for a dive vacation. This was my third trip to Belize and second trip to the lovely, unspoiled village of Placencia. On this occasion, our dive itinerary, flight connections, and guest house were all arranged in advance by the owner of Spash Dive center, Patricia Ramirez. The entire trip was, in a word, phenomenal. Splash, has three excellent twin engine boats with a fourth on the way which provide outstanding access to the barrier reef under all weather conditions. The dives at Glover's reef atoll were the best I've experienced in 15 years of diving from Mexico, Central America and the Mediterranean. Pristine reefs, huge sponges, healthy coral and fantastic numbers and varieties of reef fish, turtles, shark, moray eels and rays are the norm at the Splash dive sites. The dive masters and instructors are very friendly, highly experienced and knowledgeable of the local marine fauna. Catherine completed her open water certification at Splash. Given her apprehensions, I can truthfully say her instructors, Bryon and Needia, are perhaps the most patient professional instructors one could train under! I intend to complete my Dive master certification at Splash in the near future. I would highly recommend Splash dive center over all others in Placencia and Placencia itself as the best dive destination in Belize.
Had an amazing time diving with Splash over Thanksgiving break. They're staff is very professional and skilled. If you are looking to become dive certified or simply want to dive in the most beautiful coral reefs in the world you should choose Splash. To become dive certified the staff are extremely experienced and knowledgeable in tailoring a program to fit your needs whether it is scaling back or adding additional practice to master dive skills.
What makes Splash different is they that they are staffed with locals. They know all the best dive spots and at what times of the day to explore those spots. They also know the best islands to have lunch and kick back between dives.
I work for Liccardo Travel in Saratoga CA. I lead groups of divers to different destinations. I have been hearing about diving with the Whale-Sharks for awhile and I finally took the initiative of doing it. I took a group of Divers to Placencia Belize last May and I couldn't find a better tour operator than Splash! They were fantastic !! Very professional and friendly. They made us feel at home. Their professionalism started at the airport when they picked us up all the way to the end when they dropped us back at the airport.
My job is to make sure to find a credible professional company for our diving trips. It's very important to me that my clients are safe, comfortable and that they have a good time. Splash made sure that all the above was met. "Thank you Splash for making my life a lot easier". I can't wait to see all of you again next year.
Emilia Casserly
www.Yourtravelgoddess.com
Liccardo Travel.
I thoroughly enjoyed diving with Splash for two weeks in June, 2011.
The original shop is in the village, right on the beach. But the owners, Patty and Ralph, recently opened a beautiful new shop, just north of the village, to better accommodate their clients and boats. They provide a driver who will pick up and drop off the divers and snorkelers at their respective hotels, so transportation's hassle free. 
The Splash staff was a blast. They were all very professional and appropriately safety conscious while at the same time making sure everyone was having a good time. Perfect.
Splash currently has three boats, all in excellent condition. They're working on getting a fourth one for overnight trips to the Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye and the Turneffe Atoll.
I brought my own gear, but from what I saw the rental gear was also in excellent condition.
A typical dive day starts around 9:30 in the morning. The ride out to the reef takes about an hour. Typically, the snorkelers and their guide are dropped off on one of the numerous cayes, then the divers are taken to a nearby site. After the first dive, we would return to the caye for the surface interval and lunch, usually bbq chicken, rice, beans (cooked over the grill and absolutely delicious) and juice. Then the divers would dive at a second site in the area, swing back by the caye to pick up the snorkelers and head home. We would usually arrive back around 3:30 in the afternoon.
You just haven't lived until you've had lunch on an otherwise deserted Belizean island.
In addition to the "regular" diving, I took a few PADI courses: Rescue, Naturalist, Fish ID, Deep and Whale Shark. We did four Whale Shark dives but sadly didn't see any--all the more reason to return! In any case, the level of instruction was excellent.
Splash also arranged for a one day trip to the Cayo District for me. I spent the day checking out the countryside and clambering around on the Xunantunich ruins. Well worth the trip.
I highly recommend Splash to anyone considering visiting Placencia and look forward to diving with them again in the future.
The Splash Dive Shop in Placencia Belize has it all. From the first time I walked into the shop, I was made to feel special. The staff is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable.
My main interest is SCUBA diving. However the party I was with had children (5 and 8 years old) and four other adults (from 39 to 72 years old). Splash was able to accommodate everyone. 
For the diver, Splash provided a variety of diving locations and techniques, Looking for Whale Sharks, drifting along a wall, skimming a reef, night diving, 45 to 60 foot dives, and deep dives. The dive staff are PADI certified and can provide for the needs of everyone from the first time diver to the experienced dive master. I know this because while I was there, one lady was certified as a PADI open water diver, one man completed his PADI Dive Master certification, and two Dive Masters stated that our dives were some of the best dives they had ever been on.
OK, so not everyone dives. The snorkeling is just as varied and equally as impressive. The 8 year old enjoyed snorkeling as much as the 72 year old. One of our group switch back and forth from snorkeling to diving and was impressed with both.
Need a break from swimming? The Splash Dive Shop has that covered too! They offer a broad selection of inland tours. My group went into the jungle on the Monkey River tour to talk to the monkeys and we saw a whole lot more. We also went horseback riding and saw even more of beautiful Belize.
** I traveled to Belize with the intentions on diving with whale sharks - and thats exactly what I did**
Did 12 great dives with Splash in April and I don't really have any complaints. Patty - the manager - happily arranged everything from local airfare to scuba diving and even land tours.
Facilities & Gear all beyond expectations, and Staff are all very friendly - boat captains and dive masters highly knowledgeable & qualified. Great food on the boat.
Saw plenty of whale sharks in addition to a bunch of great reef dives and a stop at the blue hole (ask about the Grand Slam package if you want to cover a good amount of the Belize reefs in a short period of time).
I was recently in Placencia from March 8th to 17th and did a bunch of diving over that time as well as a Monkey River Jungle trip. The best operator is undoubtedly Splash Dive Center. They have the best and biggest boats for diving, as well as safety minded staff that want to ensure you get the most out of your dives. I noticed on several occasions that other operator boats would follow the Splash boats out to the dive locations. I think that this was mostly due to the other operators having smaller and older boats, which didn’t seem to handle the waves as well as the Splash boats. Patricia and her team really do whatever they can for their customers, and the dive sites were fantastic. We went on a Monkey River Jungle Tour as well. I have never been in the Jungle before and what an experience it was!! Howler Monkeys, bats, crocs, turtles, bats, and even an education on the various medicinal qualities of some of the Jungle plants. I wasn’t expecting the tour guide being so knowledgeable about everything we saw, but I guess I should ‘t be surprised as he grew up in the environment. Definitely also a must do while in the Placencia area.
I have been to Belize several times before, but it just keeps getting better, and I am starting to realize how much the area has to offer.
I would highly recommend Placencia and Splash to have a fantastic vacation, and something to talk about for several years from now. Thanks Splash Team, I am already looking forward to the next time
Helmut Gutsche
I have been travelling to Placencia frequently for the last few years and have fallen in love with Splash. They have excursions full of fun people going out every day in their three new boats. Splash has taught me to dive- right from a nervous and excited beginner all the way through Dive Master and Master Diver. Soon I will learn Nitrox with them in their new dive centre. Splash's instructors are so patient that my son is a budding Rescue Diver and my daughter is a Padi Seal. Splash is definitely a family oriented company, making sure that everyone, regardless of age has a great time.
Splash also offers great adventures to other parts of Belize in their new, air conditioned van. There is a tour to Monkey River and I have explored the Jaguar Preserve and Mayan ruins with them. There are so many fantastic trips to go on, you will be hard pressed to decide which one you want to do first.
Patty is a great and welcoming hostess who will make sure you are perfectly comfortable and taken care of in every way possible. I’ve even gone out for dinner and evening entertainment with her and her crew. Everyone at Splash will make sure you have the most fun you can possibly have on holiday. You are not going to want to go home!
"PATTY IS A WONDERFUL HOST"
We met Patty at a travel show in Toronto and she made arrangements for my wife and I for a dive trip to Placencia to dive with the whale sharks, through her dive shop, Splash Dive. She also made arrangements for diving the Blue Hole in northern Belize. All the travel arrangements worked out great.
Although we had heard that the best dates to see the whale sharks were around the time of the full moon, Patty recommended that we wait a few days after the full moon. We were rewarded by seeing whale sharks on two of the three days we went diving. Other divers at our hotel had not seen any whale sharks diving on earlier days. Patty even lent me a BC (bouancy compensator) after my own developed a problem with the inflator button. The dive masters were very professional and we had a wonderful cooked BBQ lunch on a small caye on a reef dive. The dive shop van even came out to our hotel to drive us into Placencia village for sightseeing and shopping, We also had a great tour of the Mayan ruins at Xunantuich.
We were left with the impression that there was nothing that Patty wouldn't do for us for our complete satisfaction.
The staff at Splash Dive Shop are not only friendly, but knowledgeable about what they do. They made my first snorkleing adventure an amazing experience 
. I am someone who never had a desire to be underwater, but now I am pursuing my dive certification. Thank you Splash staff! 
Quiero comentar que mi experiencia fue sensasional, desde la planeación del viaje, el programa que se cumplió tal como se prometió, etc. Es una experiencia increible, aunque no pudimos ver tiburón ballena 
pero bueno, eso no dependía de Patricia y su equipo de trabajo.Les recomiendo programar este viaje vale la pena por el servicio, por el buceo, por la comida, en fin porque es un buen destino turístico y de buceo.
Martha Juliana
Bogotá - Colombia
I just recently returned from my visit to Placencia, Belize. My previous stay in Belize was primarily on Caye Caulker and other Cayes. This time I wanted to see more of the Belize interior. Thus while in Placencia Village I utilized the SPLASH DIVE SHOP for all my daily activities. Yes, they provide excellent, professional and enjoyable SCUBA dives but keep in mind that they do a whole lot more than that. Some of my most memorable being: the boat trip to Laughing Bird Caye for a day of snorkeling, scuba diving, and a BBQ dinner right on the island... our day trip to the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins... which included a great lunch in San Ignacio... also our trip to Jaguar Paw for a day of "Zip Lining" and "Cave Tubing", also which included a terrific lunch in the parks beautiful restaurant. I could go on and on about all the "little special efforts" that are provided by the Splash Dive crew. They are terrific folks and if you're down their way make sure you look them up. You too will be very glad you did.
I thoroughly enjoyed my training for open water certification at the Splash Dive Shop in Belize, S.A. All the staff's #1 priority was safety, but they were so professional, I forgot they were keeping their eye's on all of the group the whole time. This allowed me to enjoy my new experience to the fullest.
Thanks for the life time memories.
Eric
Sullivan, MO
Patty thank you for a great time! I appreciate the professionalism and friendship that I experienced when I was there. I can't wait to come back and see you all in the future. I finally saw my "Moby Dick"- whale sharks. I saw 10 in a span of three days. Nothing is like them !!!
I can sum up my experience with the Splash Dive Team in one word..."Fantastic"!!!
Incredible Place, great people, and fantastic diving that I would recomend to anyone.
Helmut G
Just wanted to thank everyone who had a hand in making our trip a blast.( Nedia, Moses, Pablo, Prince, Kevin and the guy who took us on the monkey river tour.) Thanks to you all. I have never been on vacation where everyone was soooo nice. You made the trip worth while. I would recommend the Dive Shop to any and everyone. You have a great bunch of people working there. Thank you again.
Billie Jo and Tony Murray.
I spent March of 09'-September of 09' Diving with Splash Dive shop. My experience was great! I worked with Patty and progressed from an open water diver thru Divemaster during that time. I can speak for myself and everyone I met during that time in saying that Splash dive shop is the Premier dive operation in Placen...cia. the professional, and fun factors are off the charts. Patty is an amazing instructor and I give her credit for giving my all the knowledge and experience I needed to sucsessfully pass my PADI instructor exam. I just compleated the exam yesterday in Hawaii and without the great instruction from Patty I would not have been able to excell in the way I did. Thank you so much Patty for the help in realizing my goals. I hope to see you and the amazing whale sharks again soon.
Tyler N.
This past summer of 2010, my family and I took a trip to Belize. When we stayed in Placencia, my sisters, uncle and I wanted to get certified in Open Water Scuba Diving. We noticed the Splash Dive Shop, asked about their rates and schedule. As a 17-year-old student, I crave adventure, and Splash Dive Shop helped me to ...experience the wonders of the big blue ocean. They eagerly answered all of our questions and explained everything to us in great detail. With the territory of being a student, comes the worry that tags along with exams. The final exam was our last step to earning our certification; I was quite nervous for that test. However, Patty taught us so well that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. I only missed one question. I will forever recommend the Splash Dive Shop to everyone who will be in Belize and wants their Open Water Scuba Diving certificates. This experience was all around fantastic!
I went out with Patricia and her really professional and funny team and I had a really great and fantastic day. They take very good care for you and the stops for lunch on the island with the delicious food was excellent, the dives very really nice. I can definitly recommend these guys and will return for the whalesharks someday to go out with Patty and her team.
Best wishes for the splash dive crew!
Sandra
As the president of a children's charity ( www.bookbagsanta.com), I bring a group of 20 or more people to Placencia every year. Splash is the only shop that we deal with for all our dives and land trips. Patty and Ralph go out of their way to make sure that my people have a good Belize experience. Their staff of divers, guides, and cooks are outstanding and deserve the highest praise. Splash is a 5-star PADI shop and they just don't get any better than this (I'm a NAUI diver, so you know that it means something, coming from me...) !
I have had the pleasure of training and diving with Patty and the Splash Dive Crew for several years, and can honestly say this is one of the best dive operations I have had the pleasure of being involved with. Not only is the diving around Placencia consistently some of the best diving I have done (in my 26 years of diving), but the crew makes the big difference. Prince is one of the finest Divemasters going, with eagle eyes under the water and concern for safety at all times, and Randy, a regular dive Captain understands the needs of all his divers onboard. Add in the office regulars of Pablo and Max who make sure everyone and everything gets on board each day, and the whole operation is magic!
But the real pulse of the operation is the owner Patty Ramirez, who goes out of her way to make sure every diver has the best day diving. As a current dive instructor, Patty was my inspiration to take the leap to become a dive professional, as her enthusiasm, passion and professionalism all made me realize what it was to be in the industry. And this unwavering passion she shares with ALL her divers and her students. I recently hosted a dive trip to Placencia, and my guests were treated like royalty by Patty and her crew...the success of the trip was due to her attention to detail, her assistance with travel planning and her ability to be the most welcoming and charming host.
Splash now has three great boats, serves amazing food at lunch, has a selection of new rental gear and teaches a wide selection of PADI courses and specialties. You can also book many inland tours with Splash when you want to take a break from diving....but not sure why you would take a break from seeing turtles, moray eels, spotted eagle rays, squid, grouper, nurse sharks, porcupine fish, spotted drums...the list goes on!
And did I mention the Whale Sharks?! Only place in the world they can predict sightings each year--truly a sight every diver must see in thier lifetime. The season runs March to June, and you need to be there around full moons. It also takes a very experienced crew to locate the whale sharks once you are in the water, and that is where the Splash boat crew and divemasters excel...the other dive operations always follow Prince when he jumps in the water!
Amazing dive shop, amazing underwater creatures, and amazing location all make for a truly AMAZING dive holiday! I recommend this dive shop to anyone who might be thinking of a dive holiday in Belize.
Our Family have used Splash Dive Center on several occaisions during our visits to our new home away from home! The great value we receive and attention to detail have made Splash Dive Center our favourite and only place to take our recreation business in Placencia. I have taken my advanced dive instruction and our 2 sons have taken their open water instruction and have enjoyed their new sport immensely and we can't wait to get back and do it again. Patti and her entire staff have made every dive an adventure and lots of fun with many memories. Safety is also of utmost concern and it shows with all the staff and the care with which the dive equipment and boating fleet are maintained. I have dived with many outfits around the world and Splash Dive Center can hold its own with any of the best of them, and clearly outshines all the others!
I used splash dive shop to get certified with PADI. The course was given by Patty Ramirez, head instructor. This is the second dive experience that I did and she was made aware of that. This helped to do things at my speed and not go to fast and loose me. Also she does take her time in sensing how nervous you are and how much she can push you to do things in and how much help you will need. When we went out to do the open water dives the rest of the dive crew were very nice and easy to get along with. The dive master is very clear and explains everything prior to dropping in to the water. I strongly recommended that if you are in Belize, to give them a try. Next time I am in Belize I will continue my certification with them as they are greatly priced and they have great team including a beautiful place to dive.
Thank you to all from the shop! Have fun to new divers that will dive in the future with the shop.
FYI bring a camera as even out of the water you will see some amazing things!
I was reluctant to have my three teenage daughters get PADI certified while in Belize. But, because of the beautiful warm water (when compared to the harsh 40 degree water that I dive in Northern CA) and being affordable, I decided to let them take the class. I was immediately taken with owner, Patty Ramirez's, demeanor toward young students and how capable she presented herself. Her and her staff (Nidia, Brian, & Warren) were experts in their field, allowing me to feel more comfortable about our family's venture into new waters. Each of them added a personal touch to individually train each of my daughters in a manner that fostered a safe yet exciting learning environment. When difficulties arose during the open water portion of the class, due to a lack of experience by my 13 year old, the staff immediately solved the problem leaving her in a reassured/confident state. The four dives have left a fantastic impression on them as one of the top memorable experiences while traveling in Belize for a month. I highly recommend the Splash dive team to any parent that questions their honesty, safety and passion toward diving when considering training their kids in the PADI certified program for open water divers.
I have used Splash Dive Shop twice and have grown pretty close to the crew that I dove and interacted with. They offer excellent customer service and are very safety conscious. It's not all about business to these wonderful people; it's about showing you what Placencia (and Belize) can offer and making sure you have an absolute good time. Of course the reefs make me wish I can breathe underwater 24/7 :-).
To my new friends, great job and I'll be seeing you! To Splash clients and fellow divers, happy diving!
