Baja Diving

[KathyV]

Hi, I am writing to ask for advice on Baja diving, my husband and I trying to decide on a dive vacation in late October early November and we are thinking of the Sea of Cortez, the only Mexican diving we have ever done has been in Cozumel.

What are your opinions regarding Cabo San Lucas, Cabo San Jose, La Paz, Loretto and other sites in western Mexico? Any recommendations for dive operations, hotels, livaboards, car rental? What can we expect the diving to be like, temperature, currents, animal life, shore diving, gear storage, transportation, all-inclusives versus separate arrangements, etc.?

To give you an idea of our level of expertise, we are both certified sport divers (we've been diving for over 20 years) but we are mostly middle-aged, warm water, vacation divers. We've done several livaboards and have done most of our diving in the Caribbean and Bahamas, but we have also dived in Hawaii and the Red Sea. We don't care about luxurious accomodations and nightlife but we do like clean, comfortable accomodations with air conditioning. Bonaire is probably our favorite dive location. We have done dingy diving but I have a bad back and I find larger boats with a ladder easier to manage (but I don't really care for packed cattle boats, either. I guess I want it all!)

Any suggestions regarding Baja? Our budget is not unlimited and we have to figure in airfare from Chicago. This is our big dive trip for the year and your advice and expertise is greatly appreciated, thanks so much, Kathy

 

[kelpmermaid]

To the Mexico sub-forum for North America to get a better response.

I have been to both Loreto and La Paz. Late summer-early fall are supposed to be optimal for both. La Paz is a decent sized city, but if you do day boats you won't see much of it as dive sites are further out. There are liveaboards to consider, too, that might fit your boat requirements of of La Paz. Loreto is a small town, extremely low key, with dive sites close in, but diving is out of smaller boats.

Hi, I am writing to ask for advice on Baja diving, my husband and I trying to decide on a dive vacation in late October early November and we are thinking of the Sea of Cortez, the only Mexican diving we have ever done has been in Cozumel.

What are your opinions regarding Cabo San Lucas, Cabo San Jose, La Paz, Loretto and other sites in western Mexico? Any recommendations for dive operations, hotels, livaboards, car rental? What can we expect the diving to be like, temperature, currents, animal life, shore diving, gear storage, transportation, all-inclusives versus separate arrangements, etc.?

To give you an idea of our level of expertise, we are both certified sport divers (we've been diving for over 20 years) but we are mostly middle-aged, warm water, vacation divers. We've done several livaboards and have done most of our diving in the Caribbean and Bahamas, but we have also dived in Hawaii and the Red Sea. We don't care about luxurious accomodations and nightlife but we do like clean, comfortable accomodations with air conditioning. Bonaire is probably our favorite dive location. We have done dingy diving but I have a bad back and I find larger boats with a ladder easier to manage (but I don't really care for packed cattle boats, either. I guess I want it all!)

Any suggestions regarding Baja? Our budget is not unlimited and we have to figure in airfare from Chicago. This is our big dive trip for the year and your advice and expertise is greatly appreciated, thanks so much, Kathy

 

[dlndavid]

Not much in SJdC, mostly knick knack shopping, very quaint. CSL, plenty of hotels to stay at, close to the dive shops, lots of activity. Between SJdC & CSL is the hotel zone. This is where most of the nice resorts are, we stay at the Westin Regina and love it. We rent a car to get around, it's about a 30 minute drive for me to the dive shop. Some pretty good diving to be had, not carribean, but still nice.
My Cabo Trip Report

 

[headhunter]

Thread moved to the Mexico forum from Central and South America forum for better visibility and discussion.

Christian

 

[purgos]

Kathy, I was in Cabo last Oct. had a great time with the folks at AMIGOS DEL MAR.
They were great and very friendly. My wife and I (she not into diving yet, almost)are going back Oct. 25 hope you enjoy it. only 38 more days till Cabo
Rod

 

[dlndavid]

I win, only 35 days to go.

 

[chuck e]

Hi, I am writing to ask for advice on Baja diving, my husband and I trying to decide on a dive vacation in late October early November and we are thinking of the Sea of Cortez, the only Mexican diving we have ever done has been in Cozumel.

What are your opinions regarding Cabo San Lucas, Cabo San Jose, La Paz, Loretto and other sites in western Mexico? Any recommendations for dive operations, hotels, livaboards, car rental? What can we expect the diving to be like, temperature, currents, animal life, shore diving, gear storage, transportation, all-inclusives versus separate arrangements, etc.?

To give you an idea of our level of expertise, we are both certified sport divers (we've been diving for over 20 years) but we are mostly middle-aged, warm water, vacation divers. We've done several livaboards and have done most of our diving in the Caribbean and Bahamas, but we have also dived in Hawaii and the Red Sea. We don't care about luxurious accomodations and nightlife but we do like clean, comfortable accomodations with air conditioning. Bonaire is probably our favorite dive location. We have done dingy diving but I have a bad back and I find larger boats with a ladder easier to manage (but I don't really care for packed cattle boats, either. I guess I want it all!)

Any suggestions regarding Baja? Our budget is not unlimited and we have to figure in airfare from Chicago. This is our big dive trip for the year and your advice and expertise is greatly appreciated, thanks so much, Kathy

We just returned from a week in san jose del cabo. We dove 1 day each in CSL with Amigos del Mar and with Tio Watersports, 1 day with Aquatica (picked us up at a beach between CSL and SJD), and 1 day in Cabo Pulma run by Tio which uses Cabo Pulma Divers at the site. I can honestly say Cabo diving would come in a distant last compared to all the places you mentioned above unless you see whalesharks, schools of mantas, hammerheads, etc. that others have posted about. Obviously, we didn't. We did see a lot of puffers, scorpionfish, jacks, and sea lions on the rocks, but not in the water. Water temp was 80, 40-50' viz, but occasional cold water thermoclines were encountered at depth. Mild currents at times but strong surge. Amigos is the only op we used to leave from a dock in a large boat and provide an exit ladder. They limit to 12 divers so there is plenty of room. The other ops use small boats, Tio launches from a beach in front of their dive shop, but does have a small ladder to assist exits. The other boats were an adventure, particlurly cabo pulma, which was actually 8 divers crammed into a row boat with a 75hp motor to make the smallest cattle boat I've ever been on. We still have the bruises! Also, the major industry in cabo is timeshares. A cheap, weekly car rental online will end up costing over $200 once you add on the insurance, taxes, etc. but you will most likely encounter a timeshare guy who will reimburse you big $$$ if you attend his presentation. We spent a week in Coz in April and there's no comparison. Good luck!

 

[Nay]

Sea of Cortez ROCKS!!!!! I did La Paz in August and it is the most amazing diving I could ever have imagined. Go there, dive with Club Cantamar.
Seriously, best diving ever.

 

[Mark Goodchild]

Here is some general overview information on Baja.

http://www.zerovisibility.co.uk/BajaCalifornia%20feature.htm

Hope it helps!

 

[WaterWayne]

Thank you, Mark! That's the sort of comprehensive information that makes Scubaboard so valuable, and makes it so much easier for us to research. I liked the cautions about thermoclines, too. Good on ya. I do have one minor quibble, though: The article says "La Paz is the most popular resort destination in Baja California." Shouldn't that be Cabo San Lucas, in terms of resort establishments?

--Wayne