Taking a cruise with the family to Cabo. Have a 2 tank dive excursion scheduled that I beleive is done by cabo adventure. Anyone dive with them before ? I wanted to book my own but the boat schedule was very tight with a noon port departure.
Cabo cruise dive in two weeks
- Thread starter jmargo
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Be very careful about booking an off-cruise ship dive excursion with a noon ship departure. Most likely you will have to be back on the ship by 1130, and that is probably going to really be tight. If you chose to do that anyway, I would take my passport, credit cards, cash, and plan how to/be prepared to try to catch up to your ship. Then pray your spouse does not kick your ass if/when you can rejoin the ship.
Is your cruise on Royal Caribbean?
I've had official dive excursions cancelled by Royal Caribbean for multiple cruises I've taken (October 2021, June 2022), plus one for a cruise I'm scheduled to take January 2023. When I talked with a shore excursion person on the ship in June, she "unofficially" explained what's been happening. The official shore excursions are listed by the main shore excursion department based on what they've done in the past (pre-COVID). If they can't find an operator for the excursion, then they cancel the excursion before the cruise (but not before people have signed up for it). As of now, almost all of their dive excursions have been cancelled. She suggested that if I book a diving excursion with Royal Caribbean, expect that it will be cancelled before sailing and to book a backup. All of this was "off the record." I sent a message to the main Royal Caribbean shore excursions department after the October 2021 cancellation, but never got a response.
I'm simply posting this information as an FYI to those that like to book official diving shore excursions so that they're not left scrambling to find a private dive excursion last minute. I don't know if this is happening with other cruise lines since the return of cruising after COVID. I am well aware that these official diving excursions tend to be more expensive and you may find better operators on your own. There are pros and cons to booking on your own vs with the ship - which has been discussed elsewhere.
jonhall
Contributor
Sorry to hear about your diving excursion. Cabo Adventures most likely did not cancel the dive, but as @AdamRay indicated, the cruise line most likely did. Cabo Adventures is a big provider of all types of excursions. The first time we went to Cabo, we used them because we got 2 for 1 specials and the price couldn't be beat. I think they are open everyday, but may not do any dive trips on Sundays.
Assuming you will be in port in Cabo San Lucas (as opposed to San Jose del Cabo), the only place you would have time to dive is in the CSL bay - the few dive sites there are under 10 minutes to reach. I dove more recently with Dive Cabo which is right on the boardwalk as are a few other ops. From my research, and more so my observations, Dive Cabo, See Creatures, Manta Scuba, and Dive Ninjas all indicate on their websites that they go out at 8:00 AM, but we never got into the water for the first dive before 9:00 and I'd see the other ops out at the same time. Sorry to say, I don't see anyway, unfortunately, that you can fit diving in with a noon departure - unless you can find someone to do a 1 tank dive for you.
Here's a link to a thread where I posted a spreadsheet (post #1) I put together early this year. It has some basic info about dive ops in Cabo.
scubaboard.com
Assuming you will be in port in Cabo San Lucas (as opposed to San Jose del Cabo), the only place you would have time to dive is in the CSL bay - the few dive sites there are under 10 minutes to reach. I dove more recently with Dive Cabo which is right on the boardwalk as are a few other ops. From my research, and more so my observations, Dive Cabo, See Creatures, Manta Scuba, and Dive Ninjas all indicate on their websites that they go out at 8:00 AM, but we never got into the water for the first dive before 9:00 and I'd see the other ops out at the same time. Sorry to say, I don't see anyway, unfortunately, that you can fit diving in with a noon departure - unless you can find someone to do a 1 tank dive for you.
Here's a link to a thread where I posted a spreadsheet (post #1) I put together early this year. It has some basic info about dive ops in Cabo.
Cabo San Lucas Dive Ops
Sharing information I put together for a trip I'm taking in a couple of weeks. It is a chart of dive ops in CSL. It is definitely not all-inclusive, I'm sure, but what I could easily find. It is not as detailed or extensive as the chart I put together for Cozumel (post 75 has the latest...
Thanks for the replies.
The cruise is from Princess and I emailed Cabo adventure to get the story and was forwarded to their cruise sales manager and am waiting for a reply.
We arrive in port at noon on day 1 and had other excursions planned. I cancelled those and booked the afternoon dive with Dive Cabo. I double checked the cruise and we actually depart at 1300 on day 2 so I may try and book a second with them once I can verify we get back in time and when the last tender departs.
As far as wetsuits what is good for this time of year. Water temps seem very favorable but don't know if I can get away with my 2 mil shorty.
The cruise is from Princess and I emailed Cabo adventure to get the story and was forwarded to their cruise sales manager and am waiting for a reply.
We arrive in port at noon on day 1 and had other excursions planned. I cancelled those and booked the afternoon dive with Dive Cabo. I double checked the cruise and we actually depart at 1300 on day 2 so I may try and book a second with them once I can verify we get back in time and when the last tender departs.
As far as wetsuits what is good for this time of year. Water temps seem very favorable but don't know if I can get away with my 2 mil shorty.
jonhall
Contributor
You're there at a good time. Water temps 78 -82ºF plus - someone else should verify that. I dove there in January and my gauge was showing 68ºF on several dives! I rented a 5 ml from Dive Cabo (wore lavacore top underneath) - wetsuits were in good condition. Everyone is different but your 2 ml may be good for the number of dives you're doing - if it isn't warm enough rent a suit for day 2, if you go out. Not to burst your bubble but on every 2nd dive I did on a 2 tank dive, even in CSL bay, we weren't in the water until after 11:00 AM - making that 13:00 hr time may not be possible.
My wife and I are here now, diving with Manta Scuba.
@jonhall is accurate about water temps.
I dive a 5mm BARE Velocity, my wife dives a Henderson 3mm. We were comfortable on the four dives we did (first day Pelican Rock and Neptune’s Finger/second day on the corridor).
A lady diving with us on day two was in a shorty, but felt cold and had the dive guide get her a full during the SI between tanks two and three.
I will add a caution about trying to squeeze in the dives for your second day.
Manta Scuba is one of the most efficient dive ops I have experienced in my 35 years of diving, however they are also very accommodating.
We showed up on time each morning for our dives, but the boat never left on time while Manta waited for those who were not quite as responsible as we are.
On average I’d say that we left about 30 to 45 minutes late.
Can’t vouch for Dive Cabo, but personally I’d rather be on your big boat when it departs versus being on a dive boat that is running late.
@jonhall is accurate about water temps.
I dive a 5mm BARE Velocity, my wife dives a Henderson 3mm. We were comfortable on the four dives we did (first day Pelican Rock and Neptune’s Finger/second day on the corridor).
A lady diving with us on day two was in a shorty, but felt cold and had the dive guide get her a full during the SI between tanks two and three.
I will add a caution about trying to squeeze in the dives for your second day.
Manta Scuba is one of the most efficient dive ops I have experienced in my 35 years of diving, however they are also very accommodating.
We showed up on time each morning for our dives, but the boat never left on time while Manta waited for those who were not quite as responsible as we are.
On average I’d say that we left about 30 to 45 minutes late.
Can’t vouch for Dive Cabo, but personally I’d rather be on your big boat when it departs versus being on a dive boat that is running late.
jonhall
Contributor
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