cabo vs. cozumel

[jc60625]

hey guys... new member here, very cool board!

Just looking for some input on where to go for a week's diving in late June. My wife and i are recently certified (summer of '05) and did a week of diving in Belize in December of '05. On our last diving day, we did the Blue Hole and went down to 150' which represents our deepest dive to date, albeit an easy one.

We've narrowed it down to either Cabo or Coz for our June trip... i think Coz will be a lot like belize and obviously a great choice. I'm also interested in the possiblity of seeing something big in the water in Cabo... however, i hear June is a little early in the year for Cabo.

appreciate any recommendations.

Thanks!

-John

 

[renpirate]

I think that Cozumel wins hands down as far as diving, which is why it is a top dive destination. The diving in Cabo is okay, the sand falls are kinda neat, but not a place I would return to for diving. However, there is a lot more night life in Cabo if that interests you. Cabo Wabo is owned by Sammy Haggar and is a great place to party. Beware of the timeshare banditos, they are very aggressive, you can usally spot them by their battle cry, "hey honeymooners!"

I am not sure what you mean by seeing something big. In Cozumel you can see spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, baracuda, Eels, turtles, and the occasional bigger shark.

 

[WicketsMom]

I would have to pick Cozumel over Cabo for diving as well. I've done both, but we did Cabo in November when the water was a little too cold for my preference. We did rent a car while we were there and had a great time exploring between Cabo and La Paz (we split a week between the two cities). We were disappointed in the diving in LaPaz. They had been seeing whale sharks the week we were there, and the hammerheads were schooling as well. A north wind had come in while we were there and we found out (about an hour into our boat trip) that we wouldn't make it to see the hammerheads or to the sealion colony, but instead we did a couple of wreck dives where there was very little to see.

We had a fun time since we went with no schedule and just did some exploring, but I wasn't that impressed with the diving at LaPaz or Cabo. Cozumel on the other hand is always great! We saw several eagle rays and nurse sharks on our last trip there over Thanksgiving.

 

[jc60625]

Thanks for the advice guys... i really do appreciate it.

Andy, when i said "something big" i was referring to whale sharks, whales, hammerheads, mantas, etc. That seems to be the advertising material the sea of cortez has going for it...

Don't mean to sound spoiled but i think on one dive alone in belize i was in the water with about 20 nurse sharks

I like all the reports i've read about the frequency of eagle rays and turtles in Cozumel though, i think that's probably going to win out... but i'll definitely be in the sea of cortez before too long.

thanks again.

 

[renpirate]

Okay whale sharks count as big. I can definitely see the attraction there.

There is no reason to be ashamed of spoiling yourself

Have fun where ever you go.

 

[pablovi]

The Best diving in Baja is in La Paz, the diving is great if the conditions permit, I've only been to Loreto, but I've seen huge schools(?) of Hammerhead sharks, Giant Mantas, dolphins every day while traveling on the boat and off course Lot's of sealions. But this is not a place for reef diving, there is no living coral reefs here, excpet for Cabo Pulmo. But this is a great site for watching big fishes and mamals, but there is no gurantee of seeing those animals, and the places were you go to see them have nothing more of interest, so if you miss them you will be dissapointed.

Having said that, Cozumel is very busy with divers, so if you like solitude while diving you know were to go.

http://www.clubcantamar.com/english/resort/index.html

this site is for the Cantamar Resort in La Paz, where you can see photos of the diving site near there.

 

[vel525]

Welcome. I'm from Chicago too!
Anyway, I went to Cozumel last year and went to Cabo the year prior. I think it depends on what you're looking for. If you're just looking for a dive vacation then Cozumel is better than Cabo because Cabo itself does not have great diving and the water was pretty chilly when we were there in July. However, there is some amazing diving further up the Sea of Cortez. I dove Cabo Pulmo and although it was a full day trip it was totally worth it. Water was warmer, tons of fish, rays, and we even saw a hammerhead. So if you're considering Cabo vs. Cozumel (like your title) then I would also agree with others and say Cozumel. But if you are willing to take an adventure up the Sea of Cortez, then I would say it's a harder choice. Good luck.

 

[scubabum2]

Thought I might chime in here as I've been twice to CSL and one to Coz in the last year. Just some generalizations.

The Baja - if you're OK with colder temps and less viz, go to the Baja. The upside of those negatives is cold attracts plankton and plankton attracts big critters. I went to CSL both August & November of last year, when the water had warmed up enough not to attract the big stuff, but to be a comfortable temperature, because I hate cold water. We still had plenty of underwater life.

Coz is much warmer water period, but I will say that the shallower dives have been affected by Wilma. Lots of sand on the reefs, but still a lot of fish life. The sand isn't as noticeable below 60 ft. If you've never been there, you'll never know that the reefs were negatively affected (well, duh .

In the Baja, there is coral growing on rocks, but in the Caribbean there is much more coral on coral formations. If you're into huge coral fortresses, go to Coz. Regardless, you will see a entiorely different slate of fish in either place other than the puffer types - porcupinefish, ballonfish & the such.

CSL is a big party. If you want something quieter, check into staying at Cabo Pulmo, just a bit north. Its quiet and has just about everything that CSL has underwater.

Dat be my 2 cents. Good luck planning your vacation.

 

[werfooters]

I'm heading to Cabo in the middle of June and would like some recommendation on good dive operators. I'm a scuba instructor and want to experience the best Cabo has to offer.
Also would like to find some fun places to eat and drink after diving.
Thanks.

 

[hdtran]

I'm heading to Cabo in the middle of June and would like some recommendation on good dive operators. I'm a scuba instructor and want to experience the best Cabo has to offer.
Also would like to find some fun places to eat and drink after diving.
Thanks.

I'll let you search for others' recommendations for dive ops. In my opinion anyway, most ops are good. Try to avoid diving when the cruise ships are in town I've personally experienced both Baja Dive & Land's End Divers; both nice outfits. The Amigos Del Mar boat has a somewhat easier reentry platform than the other boats in town, but in general, seas are very calm, so it's never an issue handing up your fins, then, weight belt (and or pouches), or the other way around (weights, then fins), then, BCD, then, climbing the ladder.

For food (I've posted this many times ) the best desserts by far, west of the Mississippi, are to be had at Sea Queen. The restaurant food is forgettable, but the pastry chef is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Chef Pablo, if memory serves me right. Sea Queen is near the corner of Marina Blvd & Ave Cabo San Lucas, very close to the former Plaza Las Glorias & the Marina.

The best Huachinango Entero (whole fried red snapper) is at the Fish House, upstairs at the sculpture of the ballerina. Again, off of Marina Blvd; near FPLG (former PLG...) I'd avoid the lobsters myself. The mojo de ajo (garlic butter sauce) that they make is outstanding, and the fish is good too :05:

Solomon's Landing (on the Marina, just in front of Land's End Divers) got a sushi chef; he's excellent. I like the "put your own toppings on the fish tacos" at Solomon's Landing.

If you're more into the partying & drinking, I'm told that Giggling Marlin, Squid Roe, & Cabo Wabo (owned by Sammy Hagar) are the spots to be seen.

Have a great time!