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Notes from Belize
Sandy
beaches and mild sea breezes greeted Jeff and Sherry Essmann this past
October when they arrived on
Ambergris Caye, Belize. They graciously agreed to lead a group of
divers to explore this divers paradise.
The
group stayed at Ramon's Village Resort and enjoyed 5 days of diving and free
day to explore the topside. Belize offers a wide variety of diving-
its "tongue and groove" topography underwater creates hills and valleys to
explore. There is a slight current to gently ease you along the reef.
The boat follows the group's bubbles and picks you up at the end of the dive.
After a
day in the sun, its nice to kick back, enjoy a meal at one of the local
eateries. You won't find a MacDonald's on this island, but you won't
miss it.
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Travel Tips con't
Dive
accident plans like the one offered through DAN (Divers Alert Network) are
supplementary policies with the basic purpose of helping to manage medical
emergencies that may not be covered by your regular health insurance.
While most dive accidents aren’t serious, even a minor injury can be
expensive. Many standard medical policies exclude diving-related
accidents, particularly recompression chamber
treatments, which could leave you with a huge expense. The DAN programs
offer a variety of levels of protection. By comparing them carefully, you
will be able to choose a plan that fits you and your families needs.
Adventure Scuba has brochures for providers available at the shop or
links to the providers’ websites are available on the Adventure Scuba
website at
http://www.divemontana.com/links_locker.htm.
Equipment Coverage
I can speak from experience when I tell you
about the green feeling you get when you look through a camera view finder
and see it flash, then go black. Water and electronics don’t mix-
especially salt water. Flooded equipment is a fact of life- we take
precautions, but sometimes the dive gods just want to make life
interesting. Insuring your cameras and dive computers can make that green
feeling pass sooner. Your homeowners policy may cover the loss, but there
are specific policies available to cover flooding, etc. DAN sponsors a plan
that will cover water damage as well as stolen equipment and accidental
damage. This link is also available on our website.
Passport Rules
In bygone days, we were able to travel to
Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean with nothing more than proof of
citizenship- a driver’s license and birth certificate. Those days are
gone. As of January 1, 2007, if you are going to those countries by air or
sea, you will now be required to have a US Passport. The good news is that
you will find that traveling with a passport is much more convenient- less
paperwork to carry and it’s good for 10 years. Double check your passport’s
expiration date early in the planning process. Many destination countries
require that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date
you enter the country.
To obtain a passport for the first time, you
need to go in person to one of 7,000 passport acceptance facilities located
throughout the United States with two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S.
citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s
license. In Billings, you can apply for your passport at the main post
office, located at 841 S. 26th Street. You can download the
application from the US State Department Website located at
http://travel.state.gov/. Passport applications take about 6 weeks to
process- so don’t procrastinate!
As you can see, a little planning ahead of
time can help you deal with some of the unexpected adventures in dive
travel. Now brush up on those dive skills, get the gear tuned up and you're
ready for a trip of a life time that your co-workers will get tired of
hearing about! |
