Today's News for White Sands Dive Shop at Las Terrazas San Pedro Ambergris Caye Belize

Discover Scuba Diving The PADI way ( Resort Course)

2009-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2009-06-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

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.”

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

2009-06-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Samuel Lin Newiest Assistant Instructor In the World

2009-05-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Free Student insurance with Divers Alert Network

2009-05-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

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

Our Boats

2009-05-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Entire White Sands Staff Does the PADI Deep Diving Specialty Course

2009-05-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

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 :-)

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

2009-04-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Kids Night Snorkel at Hol Chan Marine Reserve

2009-04-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

The New Dive Shop at the end of a good day

2009-03-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Dive Sites for White Sands Dive Shop

2009-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

click on map for larger view

PADI Dive Shop in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize.

2009-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

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.

White Sands Dive Shop adds Ana Caliz to its Staff

2009-02-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

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

Free Divers Alert Network Insurance for Student Divers

2009-02-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

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' :-).

Sea Turtle at Hol Chan Marine Reserve

2009-02-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

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 :-)

Lena Restrepo goes digital

2009-01-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Project AWARE ECO

2009-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

White Sands Dive Shop in cooperation with The Project AWARE Foundation’s Go ECO – Explore, 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

Two Newest Advanced SCUBA Divers in the World

2008-12-23T10:59:00.001-08:00

Giant Loggerhead Turtle

2008-12-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

Wow
One of our divers took this today on the 9:00 dive.
An ancient Loggerhead Turtle we call Godzilla. 'He' (for those of you who don't know turtle anatomy) visits once and a while and doesn't seem to mind divers present.
Female Sea Turtles have very small, almost unnoticeable tails :-)

White Sands Dive Shops newest edition Juan Carlos Montejo

2008-10-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Juan Carlos is a Master Boat Captain, PADI Divemaster and Licensed Tour Guide. He brings with him years of experience in Ambergris's waters, He is known locally as 'The Chosen One' for his ability to calm rough seas.

The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course: Continue to develop your dive skills and experience even more of the underwater world.

2008-09-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

The online version of the PADI Adventures in Diving program will include knowledge development for the two required topics – the Deep and Underwater Navigation Dives – along with five of the most popular elective dives. These include Night Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck Diver, Boat Diver and Underwater Naturalist. As with the PADI Open Water Diver course, the entire PADI Adventures in Diving manual will be available online to divers enrolled in the course. Experience real adventure and be one step closer to Master Scuba Diver – the ultimate non-professional certification in recreational diving. You must be a PADI Open Water Diver before participating in any inwater training.

Advanced Course On Line

All equipment needed is free at White Sands Dive Shop for students who have taken the PADI Advanced Course on line.

Email elbertgreer@yahoo.com

Lena Restrepo working towards her PADI Master SCUBA Diver

2008-08-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Lena is at White Sands Dive Shop this week working towards her Master SCUBA Diver certification. MSD is the highest nonprofessional rating in the PADI system; it is a diver certification that denotes superior achievement.
Go Lena!

2008-06-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Great Blue Hole

2008-05-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

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.