Avadon Divers first opened its doors on 1 Jan 2009.  Owner, Anne-Marie McNeil had a dream to have her own dive shop somewhere in the Caribbean or Central America from 2002 when she was still back in Jamaica managing water sports and diving for a large hotel on the North Coast there.  She did a lot of research on the internet for more than a year, and shared her thoughts with her brother Phillip.  He too was looking to come back to the Caribbean and back to working in diving as he had back in Jamaica years before. 

Friends invited her to join them on a trip to Belize.  Anne-Marie jumped at the opportunity as it was one of the areas she was focusing on as a possible destination to realize the dream.  As soon as she arrived, she knew that she was home.  Anne-Marie knew right away that Belize was her destiny.  She immediately planned a recon return trip to explore the south of Belize in Hopkins and Placencia in 2005.  During that trip she met friends whom assisted her with contacts to get a job aboard the Sun Dancer II (the Peter Hughes live-aboard dive boat) here in Belize.  She returned and convinced Phillip that this was the place they had to be.  She told him she was going to go ahead and get a job there, see the lay of the land and start planning where be a good location would be for them to eventually open a dive shop. 

After securing the job on the Sun Dancer II, Anne-Marie returned to Belize in 2006 to start her tour of duty aboard that vessel.  During her shore leave, she would come to Placencia, where she had rented an apartment.  After about 6 months of looking around and finding her feet here, she realized that Placencia would be the next big dive centre in Belize with the potential to be bigger than San Pedro.  In Jan of 2007, she began to plan and put the pieces together with Phillip to get a dive shop going here in Placencia.  Anne-Marie remained working on the Sun Dancer II until Nov of 2008 and continued to work on the project in her free time.  In Jan of 2008, Phillip pulled up roots in New York State and moved to Belize and Placencia to work on the project with her, and make a life here too.

The name Avadon Divers has a special meaning for Anne-Marie and Phillip. Ava is Phillip’s daughter’s name.  When she was born in June of 2008, and Phillip decided on her name, Anne-Marie tried to come up with a name that started with Ava.  She thought that the best way to end the name was with the ‘don’ of Poseidon, the god of the sea.

Avadon Divers have an outstanding core crew that consists of 2 key figures.  Jerome Williams is one.  As a PADI Master Instructor he has a lot of experience teaching.  He gained his experience working at a top notch dive operation in Hopkins, Hamanasi.  He then moved on to manage the dive operation at Turneffe Flats.  Avadon was lucky that he was available to join the team soon after opening.  He takes the role of Dive Manager and is the core to organizing the dives together with Anne-Marie, and managing other crew members and other elements of dive preparation, as well as covering equipment maintenance.  He also holds the role of second captain aboard the dive boat the Ava-Josette.  Jerome has a keen eye for attention to detail, and has excellent people relations skills that he uses well with both his team members and guests.

Miguel ‘Mike’ Herrera is another.  Mike started with Avadon early in their first year as a sales rep at their sidewalk kiosk.  In the middle of last year, he moved up to the main shop and works together with Anne-Marie on sales, administration and assists with dive organization.  Mike gained his experience at the Turtle Inn dive shop.  He has since expanded on his knowledge and skills in all areas including gaining his dive credentials up to Rescue Diver.  Mike is an excellent support team member that plays an integral role in keeping Avadon’s product up to standard.  His talents in sales and guest relations are outstanding.
  
Avadon Divers offer excursions for divers and snorkelers to multiple southern barrier reef areas and all three atolls.  They also offer dive instruction from Bubblemaker programs for children from 8 years old to basic Open Water Diver, and advanced courses up to Divemaster training and certification.  They work with other local suppliers for fishing trips, sailing, kayaking, and a variety of inland tours.

As owner/operators Phillip and Anne-Marie have a very hands-on method of management, and they try to ensure that either one or the other is present on each trip.  What keeps their clients coming back and sending referrals, is their attention to detail with the needs of all their guests from novice snorkelers to expert divers.  Everyone gets treated with the same friendly, caring service delivered by all the crew.  Avadon’s equipment, including thier 46-ft Newton Dive boat, is of the highest quality, and is continually and carefully maintained.  They provide signature services to pamper their guests throughout their day by serving a continental breakfast on board as they start their trips, fruit service after each dive and snorkel session, a hot lunch of Belizean-style cuisine, and a beach towel for their convenience.

Anne-Marie, Phillip and the crew at Avadon Divers are happy to be playing a part in helping to put Placencia in the spotlight as the premier Caribbean dive and vacation destination.