Belize Live-Aboard

In April 2007, I took my first "Live-Aboard" dive trip. Traveling with me were:

Jeff, a pilot for a major airline
Dave and Kary whose business takes them across the whole U.S.
Ray, a retired federal agent

We traveled down to Belize to dive onboard the MV Belize Aggressor III. What a trip! We had 27 scheduled dives including five night dives available to us. The five of us along with a dozen others visited:

"The Blue Hole"
Amberhead Reef
Triple Anchors
Que Brada
Half Moon Caye Wall
Tarpon Caves
Dos Cocos

The high point of the trip was the "Blue Hole." I set my personal deepest dive to date: 157 feet using a standard aluminum 80 and an aluminum 63 as a "Pony backup."

This trip made me understand why so many divers love the doing the "Live-Aboard." The fact that you only have to set your gear up once, no hassle to clean it each day, no traveling to dock to meet up with the boat, loading and unloading. The only possible downside is the limited "nightlife" that some divers enjoy when they go away to places like Cozumel, Nassau and South Florida.

Cave Tubing

One our last full day in Belize, Dave, Kary, Jeff and I went Cave Tubing at Jaguar Paw Resort. This was as wild a trip as diving, and anyone who has the chance should try it. During the 90-minute ride from the dock, the tour guide told us some history of Belize and the surrounding areas.

Once we got to Jaguar Paw, we changed into our wetsuits, picked up our inner tubes and took a nice short hike up the hill. During our walk, our guide pointed out the different types of trees, insects and other nature life around us. Once we got to the top, we got into our tube, turned on our flashlights and rode the gentle currents into the cave. The sounds of a distant watefall could be heard, and the water was nice, clear and cool. The 40-minute ride was a great way to end our trip.