The Belize Academy of Diving is a PADI International Resort based 6 miles north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. It is set in beautiful surroundings by the Caribbean Sea, only 5-minutes from the barrier reef that runs along the full length of the country and beyond. Our motto is `promoting reef awareness through education`, but whether you are continuing your dive training or just enjoying the world class diving that Belize has to offer, we aim to deliver the best service and highest safety standards on the island. Belize is a major eco-tourism attraction with the second largest barrier reef in the world, three coral atolls and the Blue Hole, first explored by Jacques Cousteau in 1970. It has really excellent waters for snorkeling and scuba diving. It also has pristine rain forests, majestic Mayan temples, and is the home of one of the rarest of the big cats, the jaguar. Ambergris Caye is the largest of the country`s cayes and with the barrier reef only minutes away, is an ideal location to base your vacation. Expand your knowledge of the underwater world at our dive school where we run the full range of PADI courses from Discover Scuba Diver to Assistant Instructor. If you prefer not to dive, then come snorkeling with us instead! Don`t be put off by the seriousness of our scholastic name. We chose it mainly so that we could be known as BAD for short! Whether training or not, we aim to ensure that your diving holiday with us is anything but. We offer daily diving and snorkeling trips to the local reef as well as full day outings to the offshore atolls. Visit Lighthouse Reef and dive the famous Blue Hole. Since we are a PADI resort, you can be assured of the quality of our services as we have to adhere to their stringent standards. All our instructors and divemasters are PADI certified and insured. Our purpose built dive boats are equipped with radio, life jackets, comprehensive first-aid kit and oxygen. We have a full range of high quality, well-maintained rental equipment, including dive computers and underwater cameras. We specialize in providing dive training and tours to the local barrier reef for guests staying at hotels based north of San Pedro. All of which offer beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea and barrier reef. Travel to Belize and come diving with us and we`ll do all we can to ensure that you take away memories of the great times you had, the good friends you made, and of course the truly world class diving experiences you shared. We offer the following courses: •Discover Scuba Diving •Scuba Review •Scuba Diver •Open Water Diver •Open Water Referral •Adventure Diver •Advanced Open Water •Emergency First Response •Rescue Diver •Specialty Courses •Master Scuba Diver •Divemaster •Assistant Instructor Open Water Diver (4 days - theory, skills, 4 dives): Get your `PADI`, the most popular dive qualification in the world. This course covers theory, skills development in the pool and 4 open water dives with skills practice and time to explore the underwater world under the supervision of your instructor. You receive a PADI certification entitling you to dive to a maximum depth of 18m/60 feet when accompanied by another diver of equal or higher certification.

Belize`s barrier reef, which is second in size only to Australia`s Great Barrier Reef, runs for 185 miles along the full length of the country and beyond. Belize also has three of the five coral atolls in the Caribbean. Along the barrier reef off Ambergris Caye, there are at least 35 dive sites that have been buoyed to protect the coral from anchor damage. The local reef is mostly made up of spur and groove coral formations, with deep canyons running down to around 100ft (30m) and lots of swim-throughs. Abundant soft coral and masses of reef fish greet the diver. Larger life such as groupers, barracuda, spotted eagle rays and turtles often make an appearance and nurse sharks can be seen resting in the canyons and overhangs. To experience some of the best diving in Belize and the world, a trip to one of the offshore atolls is a must. Visit the Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef for a truly memorable day out. If you don`t dive, then we offer a selection of snorkel trips. Our center is right by Mexico Rocks, one of the best snorkel sites on the island. Join us on a visit to Shark Ray Alley in Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Local Dive Trips: These are just a few of the many sites that we have to choose from. Mexico Rocks Canyons Max Depth 90ft (27m) Closest to our dive center and great for your first dive outside the reef. The dive starts down one of the canyons, then runs alongside before turning back up to finish over the coral gardens. Check the overhangs for lobster. We usually see barracuda and often turtles as well. Playa Blanca Max Depth 90ft (27m) Descend along the canyon pass the pinnacles towards a sandy