Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Small groups for local two tank dive trips on North Ambergris Caye


We pick up at your Hotels dock!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Discover Scuba Diving The PADI way ( Resort Course)


The Jacksons dove The Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve Today after a rehearsal in the Pool. The Jacksons get credit with PADI through the Discover SCUBA Diving program for their first dive towards PADI Certification.

Monday, October 12, 2009

E-Learning, For The Beginner or Advanced, The hottest new way to learn to dive ever!

E-Learning to dive on line 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 a 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 . 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 what ever 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 easer.
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.”

Sunday, October 11, 2009

PADI Dive Shop in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize.


We are a full service 5 Star PADI Dive Shop located on the beach at Las Terrazas/Journeys End Resort in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize. Offering a daily SCUBA diving service to San Pedro and Ambergris Caye.

Monday, October 5, 2009

San Pedros Newest SCUBA Instructor

Thursday, September 17, 2009

AWARE Kids


I think the photo says it all

Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Azure Vase Sponge on Ambergris caye


The Azure Vase Sponge, Callyspongia plicifera, is one of the most colorful sponges in the world.
The photo is by one of our divers today Mike Butzback.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

White Sands Dive Shop installs more mooring buoys at the reef.


SAN PEDRO SUN
Emeliano Rivero, Samuel Lin and Juan Carlos Montejo pictured above installed new and repaired old buoys at the reef in front of Las Terrazas and Journeys End Resorts. Juan Carlos said,” The season is starting and the tourists are coming, we need to protect our reef.”

Friday, August 21, 2009

FACEBOOK


">WHITE SANDS DIVE SHOP FACEBOOK

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Great Blue Hole



The Great Blue Hole in Belize
Approximately 45 miles from Ambergris Caye, the almost perfectly circular Blue Hole is more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and some 400 feet (123 meters) deep. The hole is the opening to what was a dry cave system during the Ice Age. When the ice melted and the sea level rose, the caves were flooded, creating what is now a magnet for intrepid divers. Today the Blue Hole is famed for its sponges, barracuda, corals, angelfish—and a school of sharks often seen patrolling the hole’s edge.
White Sands Dive Shop uses 'Papa Changa' for the Blue Hole Trip because of the professionalism of its crew and ya wana be on the largest boat in town for the open ocean crossing to the Blue Hole.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

New Nitrox online


PADI Enriched Air Diver Course
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course online includes all the knowledge development requirements for the course. You'll also have unlimited access to the PADI Enriched Air Diver manual online for reference after you have completed the course.
After enrolling, PADI's eLearning system presents you with interactive presentations that include videos, audio, graphics and reading. Short quizzes let you gauge your progress, and review and correct anything you might happen to miss. This lets you move through the program efficiently and at your own pace.
What else is required to complete the course?
Prior to certification as a PADI Enriched Air Diver, you must complete a Practical Application session and either two enriched air training dives or predive simulations, with a PADI Enriched Air Specialty Instructor. Contact your PADI Dive Center or Resort to schedule these sessions.
The PADI Enriched Air Diver course online is $195 US nonrefundable. The fee covers the knowledge development training as well as unlimited access to the PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual online. Your PADI Dive Center or Resort will charge an additional fee for participation in the Practical Application session and enriched air training dives, or predive simulations. Contact your PADI Dive Center or Resort regarding these additional costs.
How long do you have to complete the eLearning course?
The eLearning course will be available for one year from the time of course registration.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Samuel Lin Newiest Assistant Instructor In the World

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Free Student insurance with Divers Alert Network

We sign up students with this program as they enroll and it is truly free. No request for credit card numbers, no gimicks DAN will contact you about being a paid member after your certified.
Its a good thing that we are glad to have and never use.
DAN EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
DAN 24 Hr. Emergency 001-919-684-8111
DAN Travel Assist: 001-202-296-9620
DAN Member services 001-919-684-2948 Ext. 333
San Pedro Recompression Chamber 226 2851

Monday, May 18, 2009

Our Boats



Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Entire White Sands Staff Does the PADI Deep Diving Specialty Course

The purpose of the PADI Deep Diver Speciality Course is to familiarize divers with the skills, procedures, techniques, problems, and hazards of diving between the depths of 18 meters and 40 meters. The Staff learned the correct use of Delayed Surface Marker Buoys, free water ascents and mandatory safety stops.
They where instructed for the planning and organizing of Deep Dives, Deep Diving Activities, Depth Limits, Specific Equipment Requirements, Deep Diving Techniques, Nitrogen Narcosis, Decompression Sickness, Travelling to Altitude after Diving, Recreational Dive Planner Review, Emergency Equipment Considerations, post dive procedures and the practical applications.
Tatoos are opitional :-)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

lukas is eleven and just about to take the final exam. He looks determined and confident :-)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Kids Night Snorkel at Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The New Dive Shop at the end of a good day

Friday, March 27, 2009

This is Jr the PADI Instructor demonstrateing how to swim if you lose your mask

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Dive Sites for White Sands Dive Shop


click on map for larger view