Best time of year to dive in Puerto Vallarta?

[bethbsting]

What is the best time of year to dive in Puerto Vallarta area? We will be south of town at a resort for 7 days but have not picked a month to go yet. Any tips for first time visitors in Puerto Vallarta? Who are the best dive ops for divers with 25-30 dives and who hate cattle boats? Any other tips are welcomed (places to eat, things to see). What time of year is a 3 mm good? How are night dives there? Thanks!

 

[aquamann]

Summer months have the best vis. and Feb. the whales are in the bay which are cool to see and you can hear them singing while you are underwater. The diving there is just so so . Nothing like the Carribean or the Pacific NW. But if you are already there it beats shopping. Pacific Scuba near the airport run small fast boats the take only 6 to 8 divers. The Marrietas Islands are kind of a fun dive but I would skip Los Arcos.

 

[Rick Inman]

What is the best time of year to dive in Puerto Vallarta area? We will be south of town at a resort for 7 days but have not picked a month to go yet. Any tips for first time visitors in Puerto Vallarta? Who are the best dive ops for divers with 25-30 dives and who hate cattle boats? Any other tips are welcomed (places to eat, things to see). What time of year is a 3 mm good? How are night dives there? Thanks!

The best diving months are the worst weather months! Winter has the best weather and the worst diving, and the reverse with summer.
I went in July, (see my SB review: http://www.scubaboard.com/t31616-.html) just as the weather was getting hot and muggy, and the diving was great (for PV standards).
I recommend Pacific Scuba for non-cattle boat diving (www.pacificscuba.com.mx). Good people, very mom&pop-ish, good prices. Tell Arty I sent you and that I said he'd give you a discount! Avoid cattle boats like Chicos! If you do a ScubaBoard search on Pacific Scuba, you won't find anything but high recommendations.
As to the 3mm wet suit, it is fine, but leave it at home if you want. Pacific Scuba will include the right wet suit in the price of diving.
The night diving was great. Remember, PV is not a diving destination. But if you're there, is is a fine place to dive, IMO.
The best restaurant we found in PV (actually, a ways north of PV) was Dugarells (sp) in Bucearras (sp). The spelling's wrong, but the taxi drivers all know the place. Right on the beach in real Mexico with amazing food and prices. The picture below is my wife and I there.

 

[Stivo]

we went in october and it was awesome. we were back the next may and it was COLD and murky... best avoided in spring. if you go, the must do dives are chimo and el morro. lots of mantas, dolphins and bigger stuff.

 

[AmyJ]

Well, personally had a great time at the Mariettas Islands. Would go back in a heartbeat. And LOVE pacific Scuba... really great... once morning we all agreed we weren't in a rush to dive, since there were whales in the area... so we got a private whale sighting tour (with a small boat were able to get quite close).. and then still had a great day of diving!!! Highly recommend them.