White Sands Dive Shop's Students get Equipment free for life!

Equipment Rental Free for Life!

All Students that get certified using White Sands Dive Shop are not charged for rental equipment for life!

This includes E-Learners and all certification levels. We're not kidding!

We are a BTB Gold Tour Operator

We are a BTB Gold Tour Operator and will be offering, along with our normal service, private charters, and private guides to accommodate customers. SCUBA lessons will be offered to be performed on location in the pools of resorts, hotels, and guest houses that are also BTB Gold Standard with no additional charge.

https://www.facebook.com/whitesandsdiveshop/

Newest E-Learners in the World!

Become a Certified Diver
e-Learning to dive online is a hot new program by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. 
 About the program, PADI Staff Instructor Elbert Greer said,” In my twenty years of experience certifying tourists for SCUBA Diving in Belize I’ve learned that the difficult part is not getting my students to jump into the warm, clear Caribbean water with a tank on their back, It’s getting them to read and study the manual or sit and watch a DVD in the classroom while they are distracted by being on vacation near that warm, clear Caribbean water. Instructors call this book work and study part of the course Knowledge Development, and it’s the hardest part of my job.
With this new Knowledge Development online, student divers will have done this part of the course at home with me guiding then through as an instructor, wasting no time after arriving before they get to the warm, clear Caribbean part. E-Learning is not a short cut. In many ways, it’s more thorough. Computer-based learning can result in increased retention and a stronger grasp of the subject matter because many elements - like audio, video, quizzes, and interaction - are combined to support learning.
Completing knowledge development online is different from using the open water book. The online knowledge development portion of the course is an enhanced version. What differs is that in addition to text and video content, the online version incorporates audio presentations, graphics, and animations that clarify information as well as interactive assessments with me, your virtual instructor.
Student divers sign up for the course online at www.scubalessonsbelize.com . Once a diver signs up, I receive an email notification that a new student diver has enrolled in the course. From that point, I can interact with the student diver by phone, email or chats - depending upon individual preferences. This allows me to answer any student diver questions, provide local diving information, discuss dive equipment, or whatever the student needs to feel comfortable, confident, and prepared for their Belize diving experiences.
As student divers move through each section of the course, they show that they are meeting learning objectives by answering Quick Quiz questions throughout the section or the Knowledge Review at the end. To reinforce learning, the system provides the correct answer and further explanation or review. When they are ready, student divers take the quiz for that section and again receive prescriptive feedback for any questions they answer incorrectly. This way, student divers are required to achieve 100 percent mastery of the subject matter prior to moving on to the next section.
Student divers are linked to interactive tutorials and online versions of the RDP (those tables that tell you how deep and how long you can dive). I track the student diver progress and help them along the way as necessary. Students have access to an online version of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual for reference during and after training.
After Student divers have successfully completed all online knowledge development segments they receive a PADI eLearning record, that’s a document that states the independent study portion of the course is complete and my job is suddenly a whole lot easier.
Do I sound excited? Just imagine what you will feel like with that E-Learning record in your hand looking out at the reef from under a coconut tree on Ambergris.

Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm
CLICK HERE  The elearners completion is based on students affiliating with White Sands Dive Shop at sign up. Students not affiliated may have an additional cost.

 White Sands Dive Shop is a Licensed Gold Standard Tour Operator, a raised the standard of health and safety protocols.

 Gold Standard Certification has been achieved to provide you with a safe and healthy vacation!

Belize Weather for November

Belize Weather for November

November temperatures in Belize are some of the lowest and most variable of the year, but the monthly average is still an enjoyable 76°F (24°C), with common daytime highs of 82°F (28°C) and evening lows of 73°F (23°C).  While this heralds in winter for the people of Belize visitors coming from northern climes find it quite warm and sunny.

Mexico Rocks Area

This Green Turtle in grazing in only 15 feet or water! Mexico Rocks is quickly becoming our favorite site for students first dive.

Mexico Rocks

Mexico Rocks is a shallow patch reef complex located off the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, in the Belizean Barrier Reef. The site consists of approximately 100 Holocene patch reefs, clustered on a ridge of Pleistocene limestone, and is composed predominantly of boulder corals (Montastraea annularis). The reef has accumulated in shallow (about 2.5 to 5 meters) water over the last 420 years. The Montastraea annularis patch corals that dominate here are unique to Ambergris Caye's northern lagoon and a rare occurrence in Belize. The site was recommended for designation as a marine preserve in 1978, and is still under consideration.  It is seen as an important addition to the caye's ecotourism attractions, being a popular snorkeling destination. The area is known for conch, banded shrimp, arrow crab, flounders, stingray, yellow tail snappers, and an assortment of butterfly fish and angelfish.

Yesterdays Dive

Ambergris Cayes water temperature for divers

Ambergris Cayes water temperature for divers
Today’s water temperature is 82F. or 27.7 Degrees Celsius
Celsius to Fahrenheit
Step 1. Multiply the Celsius temperature by 1.8.
Step 2. Add 32. An example:
• 30ºC = (30 x 1.8) + 32 = 86ºF
Fahrenheit to Celsius
Step 1. Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature.
Step 2. Divide by 1.8. An example:
• 74ºF = (74 - 32) / 1.8 = 23ºC
The dry season runs from March through May. The most predictably good weather for diving is from April through June, when the winds are normally light. Hurricanes hit Belize an average of once every six years. During winter months (mainly December, January, and February), Belize is also subject to northerners that blow down and disrupt diving for several days. Water temperature may dip as low as the 70s in the winter and reach as high as 85° in the summer.
Click Here For Update

PADI Enriched Air Diver Course/NITROX

PADI Enriched Air Diver Course/NITROX

 The Academic Part -The Enriched Air Diver/NITROX course online includes all the knowledge development requirements for the course.

You need to be a certified diver, at least 12 years old and fit for diving to be certified as a PADI Enriched Air Diver

After enrolling online with PADI's eLearning® system you will have online access to interactive presentations that include videos, audio, graphics and reading. Short quizzes let you gauge your progress, review and correct anything you might happen to miss. The PADI Enriched Air Diver Course online will take approximately 3 hours to complete. This portion of the course is paid direct to PADI online at sign up. Cost vary according to where on the planet you live.

The sign up link https://apps.padi.com/scuba-diving/elearning/?irra=21026

 Once you finish the eLearning portion of the course, White Sands Dive Shop is notified that you have completed it and that you are ready for the practical phase of the program.

The practical part-  Prior to certification as a PADI Enriched Air Diver, you will have a Practical Application session with one of our instructors at White Sands Dive Shop. 

Prepare Yourself to Dive the Great Blue Hole

 Become a PADI Advanced Diver. PADI’s eLearning option – to get started immediately. The web-based system lets you learn about seven of the most popular Adventures Dives – including the required Deep and Underwater Navigation Adventure Dives, plus Boat, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist. You study at your own pace through an easy to use, interactive program. You also have access to an online version of the Adventures in Diving manual and can complete sections for other Adventure Dives as directed by your PADI Instructor.

CLICK HERE Our prices are based on persons affilating with White Sands Dive Shop at sign up  Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm

ReActivate Your Certification Online with White Sands Dive Shop.

ReActivate Your Certification Online with White Sands Dive Shop.

Haven’t been diving lately and want a quick scuba refresher? The ReActivate program is the perfect way to update your dive skills and knowledge from the PADI Open Water Diver Course before jumping back into the water. Whether you want a few reminders or need to go over the basics, ReActivate is personalized for you: You conveniently review scuba concepts on your tablet, mobile device or computer, then go diving with a PADI Professional at White Sands. It’s quick and easy, and a good way to get ready for your diving vacation. The best part is, divers who complete both the knowledge and in-water skill refresher receives a replacement certification card with a ReActivated date on it.
Any PADI certified diver who wants a refresher or pre-travel update should ReActivate. White Sands Dive Shop appreciates seeing a recent ReActivate date on your certification card because it means you’re ready to dive in.

OCTOBER WEATHER IN BELIZE

High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect.

Even in winter the temperature in Belize rarely falls below 60°F (16°C), while throughout summer the mercury sits at around 86°F (30°C). Humidity is also fairly consistent at around 85 percent.

With temperatures so consistent year round, Belize has two, rather than four seasons– the wet and the dry.

During October temperatures in Belize begin to change as drier winds from the west replace the easterly sea breezes. October temperatures range from 86°F (30°C) highs to average lows of 78°F (26°C). Overall average temperature for October is still a pleasant 82°F (28°C).

Belize Weather for June

Belize Weather for June

High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect.

Even in winter the temperature in Belize rarely falls below 60°F (16°C), while throughout summer the mercury sits at around 86°F (30°C). Humidity is also fairly consistent at around 85 percent.

With temperatures so consistent year round, Belize has two, rather than four seasons– the wet and the dry.
June through December marks Belize’s wet season, when parts of the country receive up to 150 inches of rain and the heavy, sometimes wild storms associated with the Caribbean occur, usually in the late afternoons. The most frequent rainfall usually occurs in June or early July and is punctuated by a break in late July or August known as the "little dry."

This is another warm month, with June temperatures in Belize averaging 86°F (30°C) to 82°F (28°C). However, fresh easterly breezes off the Caribbean Sea and more frequent short afternoon showers moderate the temperatures and make June a generally pleasant month.

Belize Weather for May

Belize Weather for May

May temperatures in Belize climb to an average high of 87°F (31°C) and fall to around 79°F (26°C), with an overall monthly average of 82°F (28°C). If there is rain, it will most likely be in the morning, with the occasional thunderstorm at night.
High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect.

Belize Weather for April

Belize Weather for April

April in Belize brings rising temperatures and the welcome “Iguana Rains”, the brief, cooling showers appearing up and down along the coast. Expect average highs of 85°F (29°C) and lows of 76°F (24°C) with an overall monthly average of about 80°F (27°C).High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect. April has less rainfall than the rest of the year, and when rain does come it is usually in mild, short bursts.
Even in winter the temperature in Belize rarely falls below 60°F (16°C), while throughout summer the mercury sits at around 86°F (30°C). Humidity is also fairly consistent at around 85 percent.
If you’re a weather geek here is a good link for you.
 http://sanpedroweather.com/Posted by PADI Staff Instructor Elbert Greer

https://scubalessonsbelize.blogspot.com/2012/10/november-weather-on-ambergris-caye.html

March Weather in Belize

March

High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect.

With temperatures so consistent year round, Belize has two, rather than four seasons– the wet and the dry.

Belize’s dry season, falling between February and May, has significantly lower rainfall than the rest of the year, and when rain does come it is usually in mild, short bursts.

March weather in Belize is as pleasant as February’s.  Right in the middle of the dry season, the day and nights are clear and uninterrupted by rain. Belize temperatures for March fall between 83°F (28°C) during the day and 74°F (23°C) at night.  

Belize Weather for January

Belize Weather for January
January in Belize features mild temperatures and varying amounts of rainfall. This is the beginning of the dry season - not too dry and not yet wet, and is a very popular month for visitors both inland and on the coast.

January temperatures in Belize range from an average monthly low of 70°F (21°C) to a high of 80°F (27°C).

Elearning Prices

e-Learning to dive on line is a hot new program by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

I've discovered that the price maybe a little different according to what country you live in.
Completing knowledge development online is different from using the open water book. The online knowledge development portion of the course is an enhanced version. What differs is that in addition to text and video content, the online version incorporates audio presentations, graphics and animations that clarify information as well as interactive assessments with me, your virtual instructor.

 Click Here Our prices are based on persons affiliating with White Sands Dive Shop at sign up

  Email elbertgreer@fastmail.fm Email  elbertgreer@fastmail.fm