Decide which certification agency you want to be certified with. The most recognized certification organizations are Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI). These global organizations all have certified dive operators that will certify in Ambergris Caye.
Choose a dive operator to complete your certification, including doing your confined water dives and open-water dives. Dive operators have to be certified with the specific organizations, so your choice of certification agency may narrow your choice of dive operators. Most dive operators, and in particular the larger operators or resort course operators, advertise that they offer certifications for multiple certification agencies. Some agencies, such as PADI, provide a rating system to help you gauge different levels of quality and expertise of the dive operator. PADI's top rating is called a 5-Star Dive Center.
Sign up for the appropriate beginner level scuba certification directly through the certification agency. Most dive operators will help you walk through the process of getting signed up. You can choose to do your coursework remotely and do a referral to the dive operator for the checkout dives, or you can do your coursework and checkout dives with the same operator. Because Belize is a vacation destination, the dive operators are familiar with the referral process and can help you through it. The cost of certification is governed by the agency, and it is typically around $350. The cost of the checkout dives is governed by the dive operator. If you do your coursework and checkout dives with the same operator, you may get a cheaper combined price. If you do your coursework remotely and do a referral to a dive operator, the costs of the beginner referrals in Ambergris Caye typically range from $300 to $400.
Complete the coursework portion of the certification, which takes about six hours. The coursework introduces you to the concepts and science of scuba diving, preparing you for the actual diving. All three organizations have online training courses that you can complete at home, or you can do live classroom coursework with the dive operator. Most dive operators in Ambergris Caye recommend doing your coursework online prior to arriving at Ambergris Caye, simply so you don't waste diving time sitting in the classroom.
Complete any required coursework review, confined water dives in a pool and open-water dives. Larger dive operators may have their own pools for doing the confined water dives. Dive operators schedule shallow checkout dives so they can assess your skills. A common place to do checkout dives in Ambergris Caye is the Hol Chan Marine Reservation.
