Tuesday, June 23, 2009

SUMMER SPECIAL

White Sands Dive Shop

Summer Special

Save a bundle and purchase on line
3 days of two tank dive trips-$175. P/P


White Sands Dive Shop 501 226-2405

Thursday, June 11, 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.”

Monday, June 1, 2009

Sunitha and Girish head out for their last dive of the PADI Open Water Certification

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



Friday, May 15, 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.

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

Saturday, February 21, 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.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

White Sands Dive Shop adds Ana Caliz to its Staff


Ana comes to the dive shop with 10 years experience in managing dive operations in San Pedro. Shes a licensed Belizean Tour Guide and a welcome edition.
Ana's Email address is whitesandsdiveshop@yahoo.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Free Divers Alert Network Insurance for Student Divers


Important Information: Enrollment required to receive benefits

The Divers Alert Network (DAN) Student Membership Program (SMP) provides you up to $20,000 recompression treatment during "entry-level" student training. Coverage ends in six months or when you complete the last dive required for certification, which ever occurs first. If you are under age 18, you'll need your Parent's or Guardian's consent to enroll.
Your coverage begins at 12:01 AM on the date of your first required dive after your student information is received at DAN and ends in six months, or when you complete the last dive for certification, whichever occurs first.
Click here to join
The same click on button will get certified divers to the site as well.
White Sands Dive Shop highly recommends all divers sign up for the DAN insurance program. SCUBA Diving is a safe and fun sport and DAN makes it even better, 'Its a good thing' :-).

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Sea Turtle at Hol Chan Marine Reserve


Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley are daily trips for White Sands Dive Shop. Diving and Snorkeling trips departing at 9am and 2pm for this three hour tour seems to net sightings of Turtles, Sharks, Rays, Eels and almost every fish on the dance card.
IMHO Tourist visiting the island should be forced to go, The least expensive idem on the menu and the most fun :-)

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Lena Restrepo goes digital

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Project AWARE ECO

White Sands Dive Shop in cooperation with The Project AWARE Foundation’s Go ECOExplore, Conserve, Observe campaign has adopted a mile of Ambergris Cayes beach. The mile of beach begins at Las Terrazas/Journeys End Resort and extends Northward to Mata Grande.

White Sands Dive Shop Manager Emiliano Rivero commented.” The Beach will be patrolled and cleaned regularly of plastics and glass with an emphasis placed on not disturbing naturally occurring beach wash such as sea grasses and drift woods necessary for the prevention of erosion and biodiversity of the area. We are not just cleaning the beach we are protecting it. This barrier island beach is a part of the reef system and were going to treat it with the same respect we give the corals.”

AWARE ECO educates travelers about keeping natural areas pristine and encourages tour operators to implement environmentally responsible business practices.

Tourism is the world’s largest industry and travelers are increasingly concerned about

their destination’s environmental condition. San Pedros divers and industry leaders have a responsibility to preserve local resources they depend on every day.

Project AWARE ECO Operators Such as Ambergris’s White Sands Dive Shop provides customers with experiences that enhance visitor awareness.


http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa3/elbertgreer/flyfishandbeachclean.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa3/elbertgreer/before.jpg

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Two Newest Advanced SCUBA Divers in the World