FAQs

Weather

The climate in Belize is tropical with a rainy season (May to November) and a dry season (February to May). The rainy season in southern Belize is characterized by rain at night and clearing during the day. This link provides detailed historical monthly averages.

Seawater surface temperature ranges from a low of 28 degrees Celsius/81 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to a high of 30 degrees/86 degrees in late summer.

Air temperature ranges from lows of 22 degrees Celsius/71 degrees Fahrenheit in winter highs of 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.

Flying After diving

We recommend waiting 24 hours after diving before boarding an international flight. DAN recommendation is less conservative:

1. After a single no-decompression dive a minimum pre-flight surface interval of 12 hours is suggested.
2. After multiple no-decompression dives per day or multiple days of diving a minimum pre-flight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested.

Accommodation

There is lots of accommodation in and around Placencia. I suggest you stay in the village for good access to the restaurants and bars. We provide complimentary pickup/drop off along the main road in the village but charge US$ 10.00 per person for pickup/drop off round trip up the Placencia Peninsula. When looking at accommodation, note that some say Placencia but are located up the Placencia Peninsula.

This link lists most of the accommodation.

Driving directions

We are between mile 22 and mile 23 on the Placencia road. Coming from the north, after you pass the big jog around the Placencia airstrip, you will pass a smaller jog around Turtle Inn, and you are almost here. You will see a condo complex with blue roofs and a high white fence on the left and a marina with boats on the right. We are in that marina. Turn to the right after the Splash scuba tank sign. On Google Maps, our address is Splash Dive Centre, 2287 Placencia Peninsula Road, Placencia 00000, Placencia, Belize.

Coming from the south of the village center pass Atlantic Bank on your right, the distinctive Pyramid House Wine shop on the left Chill Point on the right get ready to turn left just before the condo complex with blue roofs and a high white fence into the marina.

Best Diving and Snorkeling Sites

Silk Cayes Marine Reserve and Laughing Bird Caye National Park are the two favored destinations for diver/snorkeler groups and families. Silk, in particular, is popular because of the snorkel excursion on the way back where you are almost certain of close encounters with rays, sharks and huge turtles. Laughing Bird Caye is a great destination for beachcombers who prefer to stay dry. Laughing Bird Caye is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Glover’s Reef, one of 4 atolls in the Caribbean and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, arguably has the best diving in Belize with more than 20 dive sites with spectacular coral formations and an abundance of marine life including rays, turtles, sharks, eels, lots and lots of reef fish as well as pelagic fish. Due to the longer boat ride, Glover’s is a three-tank dive trip. We only take snorkelers to Glover’s when the weather is such that we are certain that the dive boat will be able to comfortably make the crossing from the Belize Barrier Reef to Glover’s Atoll. In case of questionable weather, we will target Glover’s as the destination, with the fall back of going to South Water Caye depending on the boat captain’s evaluation of the sea state when the boat arrives at the cut to cross the barrier reef near South Water Caye. If the boat captain concludes that the sea state is too rough to do the crossing, then the group dives at South Water Caye. Unfortunately, there is not good snorkeling from shore at South Water Caye, so we are unwilling to take snorkelers when weather conditions are not ideal. We can take a conditional booking to Glover’s giving you the option to snorkel Silk Cayes or Pompon Caye if the weather is not cooperating.

South Water Caye Marine Reserve has tons of dive sites, very interesting underwater terrain and features a double wall. You are almost certain of encounters with flocks of eagle rays at South Water Caye and at Grand Channel. Grand Channel features a major cut in the Belize Barrier Reef.

Pompion Cayes is a very good destination for lionfish hunting as it is a private island thus less visited than other close by destinations on the Belize Barrier Reef near Placencia.

Boat Departure and Return Times