Peter Hughes -- Sun Dancer II: "Well run boat enjoying best of the Caribbean diving", May, 2015,by Dan Benson, OR, US (![]() |
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Accommodations | ![]() |
Food | ![]() |
Service and Attitude | ![]() |
Environmental Sensitivity | ![]() |
Dive Operation | ![]() |
Shore Diving | N/A |
Snorkeling | N/A | ||
Overall Rating |
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Value for $$ | ![]() |
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Beginners | ![]() |
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Advanced | ![]() |
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Comments |
The Sundancer II is now a part of the Aggressor fleet, and spends much of its time cruising the beautiful waters off Belize. The Belize Aggressor also plies these waters, and reports are that the SunDancer II is a little nicer boat than the Belize Aggressor. The Sundance II itself is average with average size cabins. But the diving is some of the best of the Caribbean. Belize has gone out of it's way to protect its natural resources, and it shows. Reefs are in excellent shape. However, it is still just the Caribbean! What sets this boat apart is the crew. They're really great. Rumors have it that this boat is the top rated boat amongst the Aggressor/Dancer fleet, and I would agree. It starts with the captain: Megan O'Meara. She's simply tops. She's full of energy, and anxious to make sure your dive week is the best that you can possibly experience. And she works HARD. She captains the boat, leads many dives, and functions as purser as well. Keep track of her career. She's on a meteoric path to the top of the world. There were 7 vegetarians on this trip, and the chef did a wonderful job at making tasty meals for us. (We've been on other liveaboards where the vegetarian fare was terrible!) The dive guides also deserve a shout-out. They treat you like adults. They were there to help, but certainly we could plan and execute our own dives. (With several thousand dives and a camera my dive buddy and I prefer to strike out on our own. Most always we got in a hour dive. There's only one negative to this agenda: it's still only the Caribbean! Move Megan and her crew to the Philippines and you'd have an unbeatable trip. |
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Websites | Peter Hughes -- Sun Dancer II | ||
Reporter and Travel |
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Dive Experience | Over 1000 dives | ||
Where else diving | Indonesia (5 times), Philippines, Red Sea, Hawaii, West Coast U.S., Bahamas, Cuba, Caymans, Bonaire, Curacao, | ||
Closest Airport | Belize City | Getting There | Houston to BZE (direct flights) |
Dive Conditions |
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Weather | sunny, dry | Seas | calm, no currents |
Water Temp | 82-83°F / 28-28°C | Wetsuit Thickness | 5 |
Water Visibility | 50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M | ||
Dive Policy |
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Dive own profile | yes | ||
Enforced diving restrictions | The bottom was always shallower than 100', so pretty hard to violate any restrictions! | ||
Liveaboard? | yes | Nitrox Available? | yes |
What I Saw |
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Sharks | Lots | Mantas | None |
Dolphins | None | Whale Sharks | None |
Turtles | > 2 | Whales | None |
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best): |
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Corals | ![]() |
Tropical Fish | ![]() |
Small Critters | ![]() |
Large Fish | ![]() |
Large Pelagics | ![]() |
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Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Subject Matter | ![]() |
Boat Facilities | ![]() |
Overall rating for UWP's | ![]() |
Shore Facilities | N/A |
UW Photo Comments |
There is a dearth of charging/changing/cleaning stations aboard for photographers. Stuff has to be spread out, and it wasn't uncommon for underwater lights to have to be charged in the lounge. (unattended charging was prohibited in the cabins) But U/W photographers are adaptable, and overall I have no complaints. |
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