Cabo San Lucas for five days, dive report

[Chocoholic]

I just got back from a quick trip (5days) to Cabo San LUcas, Mexico from Feb 2 to Feb 6, 2009. I was only able tp dive for two days. The water temp was 72 to 73 degrees, I wore a 3mm shortie under a 3mm long wetsuit and a hood, I was warm enough. The DM (Donna) I dove with wore a 3mm and was freezing the whole time.
The visibilty was good for Cabo 4o to 50 feet. Four sea lions came down and played around for a couple minutes, close to us, fun to watch. I saw an orange seahorse it was about 8 inches long. Saw a diving bird (Cormorant), lots of puffers, moray eels, and a spotted eel, I also saw an eagle ray that flew around us for quite a while. There were lots of schooling jacks, baitfish and other fish, as well as the usual tropicals. Donna mentioned that she heard the whales a couple days ago, I had a hood on so didn't hear much other than boats overhead.
We stayed at Sol Mar on the Pacific side, it is an older resort but well kept. The Sol Mar is close to the cruise ship dock and the dock where they keep the dive boats. The food was good, my favourite restaurant was Mi Casa followed by Mamas for breakfast.

 

[masterof0]

I am actually heading to Cabo later this year and am interested in what dive shop(s) you used and what your thoughts are on them?

 

[Chocoholic]

I dove with Donna Juday of Baja Sur Tours she is on this board. I met up with her and had breakfast at Solomon's Landing (good food) and then we went out from there. She had plans to use a dive boat for the day but we ended up diving from the water taxi panga since the dive boat left without us. It was pretty easy to get back into the boat with the ladder the Captain put down for us, we handed our rigs up to the Captain and then went up the ladder (much easier than trying to board in full gear). I rented a BCD from Donna and it was well maintained.
She knew where the good stuff was, we saw a big orange seahorse, an eagle ray, a spotted eel, lots of puffers, eels, and tropicals. The sea lions came out to play on my second day of diving.
The first day of diving there were just three of us diving and the second day it was just me and Donna... really neat, a private tour. :luxhello:

 

[PNW Dive Girl]

How far to the dive sites?

 

[Chocoholic]

How far to the dive sites?

It is about a five minute (if that) boat ride to the dive sites. Most of the sites are right in the bay right there close to Lover's Beach and the Arch and the rocks around it. There are also several dive sites across the bay which is about a 20 minute ride out.

 

[tahoe1840]

Am heading there March 28, did you do any shore dives? Did you hear of anything? Planning to do a boat dive but would like to explore a little too.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like you got to see a nice variety of sealife.

Do you have an email for Donna?

PH

 

[suedownunder1]

Hello Divers I dive Cabo a lot. and when Im not Diving with Baja Dive they rent me tanks and weights.
Chilano Beach and Santa Maria Bay are about the best beach dives there. Good parking short and walks. i like chilano better theres shade and bathrooms.
if your going to boat Dive I like Baja Dive they have a big boat and have small groups.Donna also free lances there. Home

 

[Chocoholic]

Am heading there March 28, did you do any shore dives? Did you hear of anything? Planning to do a boat dive but would like to explore a little too.

I didn't do any shore dives as I didn't have a dive buddy. You could probably shore dive from Lover's Beach if you were careful of the boats and jetskiis around. I did the surface interval on Lover's Beach on my first dive day. You could reach Pelican Rock and Neptune's Finger dive sites easily from Lover's Beach. Santa Maria and Chileno are good beach dives too, I think that it was faster walking to Santa Maria from the parking lot but it was still a ways to walk with all your gear. You would have to rent the gear from in town as there aren't any dive ops on those beaches.

Donna Juday is DonnaCabo on this board, she posted her email a couple times, can't remember it right now.

 

[tahoe1840]

This is great information, I sure appreciate it...