Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in
Belize

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Aggressor Fleet: "Aggressor IV Boat great; diving didn't live up to my expectations", May, 2017, by Ms Lynda Durfee, VA, US ( Top Contributor 49 reports with 24 Helpful votes). Report 9572 has 2 Helpful votes.
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I would guess that Belize is on every diver's bucket list, so when I got an email from the Aggressor Fleet in February announcing a 33% off deal for certain dates in early May, I jumped on it. I can't say anything bad about the boat (Aggressor IV), except for some AC problems (cabin temp was 85 at some times). They provide "fin to fin" service, putting your fins on for you on the dive platform and taking them off when you're on the ladder coming back. All cabins have twin beds (can be made up into a queen) and are located on the dive deck. Dive platform is about six or seven steps down from the dive deck. Nitrox $100 for the week. Food was terrific, with several meals highlighted with local dishes. All crew very friendly and helpful. Now about the diving. Only one DM in the water with 19 guests made it difficult to follow the guide, so most teams went off on their own and many (including me) found ourselves wandering on our own (but I'd guess the photographers were happy to do that). Most dives started with a short dive to the wall, then follow the DM long the wall in one direction, then up to the top of the reef. If you remembered that, and at least kept in sight of other divers, you could find your way back to the mooring. Blue hole dive was worth doing (would you go to Paris and not go to the top of the Eiffel tower?) but as others have reported, few fish, even on top of reef. No current on any of the dives I did. Having expectations of these area being on most top lists, I was disappointing at the amount of fish. I dive in Aruba every year (leaving on May 14th) and see more fish on my dives there than on this trip. Belize has groupers and tarpon which Aruba doesn't, but when I dive in Aruba, I can check off about 3/4 of the fish in my pocket reef guide. I saw only ONE green moray eel and one small spotted moray in 14 dives. Conditions were windy all week, and they had to cancel the last planned dive (2nd am dive on Friday at Turneffe reef) due to poor conditions. I only did 14 dives because I didn't want to risk getting injured on the ladder (has happened to me at least 3 times on previous trips) so I didn't do night dives, and often the first afternoon wasn't one I wanted to repeat on the next dive. Belize is two hours behind the US, so the 4:30 dive was was almost a twilight dive (diminishing visibility). Occasional evening rain, but sunny and hot the rest of the time with no bugs, except when we returned to port (small mosquitoes that you couldn't hear). Several dives which I didn't do had sea wasps and jelly fish. Maybe I'm just too picky, but at 1000+ dives in 9 1/2 years, I don't think I have to do every available dive on a liveaboard any more. Would I do this trip again? Not when I can do 14 dives in Aruba for $425 and stay in my timeshare. However, if you only have one chance to dive Belize, I would definitely recommend this boat. BTW, the boat now departs and returns from the cruise dock, so you can do Friday pm shore excursions. Pick up and return to airport is provided by bus (divers from both III & IV). I didn't venture off the boat because the view of the city on the ride from the airport wasn't at all appealing and I didn't need any more t-shirts or trinkets. Found the special hot sauces served on the boat at airport gift shops and also bought a bottle of Belize rum. Only ONE vendor selling hot food at the airport so plan ahead.
Websites	Aggressor Fleet
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over Caribbean, all Hawaiian islands, Fiji, Palau, Maldives.
Closest Airport	Belize City	Getting There	Easy connection from East Coast
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	83-85°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	75-90 Ft/ 23-27 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

Subscriber's Comments

By report author: Ms Lynda Durfee in VA, US at Jun 06, 2017 16:48 EST

Yesterday (June 5) I got an email from Larry Speaker of the Aggressor Fleet with a $250 voucher attached to compensate for poor air on our voyage. My cabin didn't have any problem (except AC first night), but I remember some others complained of fuel a smell in their cabins, apparently due to a fuel spill in the bilge. I'm reporting this because I've seen reports on other Aggressor Fleet boats with more serious problems and poor response from the fleet office. This voucher is good on any future reservation, including discounted weeks. Now where to go next!

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Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in Belize

Aggressor Fleet: "Aggressor IV Boat great; diving didn't live up to my expectations", May, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Aggressor Fleet in
Belize