Ideas for Diving Cabo san Lucas?

[MtnDiver]

Look forward to how your diving goes in Cabo, since I'll be there the 1st week of Oct. and staying at the Westin.
Have fun!

I'll be sure to file a full report when I return.

 

[WaterWayne]

...About 2 hrs drive from Cabo is Cabo Pulmo marine park...There are 2 or 3 dive outfitters at Cabo Pulmo, or you can arrange a trip from Cabo (where you'll get arranged van transportation + lunch/snacks)

I used Baja Dive...They have one boat that can hold 6 divers...

I highly recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to Scuba Diving Baja California.

Thank you! Great info! I'll be staying in Cabo San Lucas in the first week of September, looking to dive Cabo Pulmo in particular and off the cattle boat routes in general. Here are 3 questions:
(1) Does anyone have experience with Cabo Pulmo Divers (Castro family)? They were highly recommended to me by a Mexican Tourism Bureau guest speaker here in Dallas. They seem to rely for information and reservations on a U.S.-based property mgt person who doesn't do email well. This individual claims there are no phone lines in Cabo Pulmo?
(2) Would it be better to arrange through one of the C.S.L. shops for dives up the east coast, or take my chances in driving up there myself to deal with the locals? (Spanish-fluent, "ain't skeered" )
(3) Is it worthwhile/feasible to cross the Sea of Cortez to dive San Carlos, on the mainland?

TIA!

 

[hdtran]

Wayne,

I believe that all the outfits from Cabo which do trips to Cabo Pulmo use one of the Cabo Pulmo outfitters.

I think you're fine just driving up there & being yourself. You won't get lunch, drinks, or transportation, though.

I have had no exp. w/ CPD. All of the locals are very friendly & cooperative with each other (e.g. if shop (a) is out of large suits, they just walk down to shop (b) & borrow one...). I would expect all the 3 outfitters in Cabo Pulmo (Cabo Pulmo Divers, Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort, and Pepe's) to be good.

Very few services in Cabo Pulmo itself. It's very remote.

San Carlos is quite far away from Cabo. It's at least one flight away. Driving or ferry is probably not practical.

I think you wrote something about shore diving. When we were there (snorkeling), we couldn't find the optimal places to go on our own. I'm sure you can shore dive, but if you go on a boat, the DM will make sure you hit the highlights

Can't wait until next year when we go back to Cabo!

 

[WaterWayne]

Available from the front page, left menu, of this operator's website is a list of 23 individual dive sites, north to south along the East Cape, with descriptions including depths and conditions. They are all drift dives. The operator is Vista Sea Sports, located in Buena Vista, which is about halfway between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas (65 miles from each.) This outfit's rates range from $100-$140 for two-tank excursions in super-pangas (six divers max.), plus the 10% IVA tax. That seems high to me, especially without lunch ("cooler with ice provided.") Anyway, I hope this helps others as much as I continue to be helped on this board in planning my 04-11 Sep. trip.

 

[WaterWayne]

...San Carlos is quite far away from Cabo. It's at least one flight away. Driving or ferry is probably not practical...

hd, you and Colonel Chuck (in a related SB thread) are both quite right about the impracticality of trying to enjoy both sides of the Sea of Cortez in a single trip, as I've recently discovered. For the record, there is a ferry that crosses the Sea, from Sta Rosalia to Guaymas (next to San Carlos.) It's a eight-hour, overnight crossing twice a week. I've read a couple of trip reports that indicated it's not a fun cruise, and those people were in their own RV's. Could be worse - the same ferry company also runs an 18-hour ferry trip from La Paz to Mazatlan. The only good news is that they're promising a high-speed catamaran on the Guaymas-Sta Rosalia run "in 2004."

--Wayne

 

[hdtran]

Wayne,

Check out www.bajawild.com. I didn't use them myself, but our hotel's activities desk seemed to have a deal with them (so they can't be that bad ) They pick you up from your hotel (on the corridor near San Jose) & take you either to Bahia Chileno, Santa Maria, CSL itself, or Cabo Pulmo.

The other outfit which looked attractive to us (again, didn't use) was Cabo Expeditions. They run on zodiac boats, so definitely personal attention.

Hy

 

[dlndavid]

Thanks Wayne,
Good link to dive site descriptions.
David

 

[WaterWayne]

I will be going to Cabo in september...Any ideas or suggestions?

Justin, and/or MtnDiver, and/or anyone , would y'all like to buddy on a night dive in the week of Sep 4-11? Anegada, with the Sand Falls, is a Corridor-area dive that's recommended for night diving. My only dive reservations up to now during that week are in Cabo Pulmo, for two days of two-tank trips Sep 6-7 with Pepe's Dive Shop. For that, I'll be driving from CSL (Fiesta Americana) and staying the night. Miguel from that shop advised that a night dive "possible, call to discuss with Pepe when you arrive."

--Wayne

 

[JustinW]

Justin, and/or MtnDiver, and/or anyone , would y'all like to buddy on a night dive in the week of Sep 4-11? Anegada, with the Sand Falls, is a Corridor-area dive that's recommended for night diving. My only dive reservations up to now during that week are in Cabo Pulmo, for two days of two-tank trips Sep 6-7 with Pepe's Dive Shop. For that, I'll be driving from CSL (Fiesta Americana) and staying the night. Miguel from that shop advised that a night dive "possible, call to discuss with Pepe when you arrive."

--Wayne

thats a definate possibility, i think thats the week i will be there, have to check my schedule again.

 

[MtnDiver]

Justin, and/or MtnDiver, and/or anyone , would y'all like to buddy on a night dive in the week of Sep 4-11? Anegada, with the Sand Falls, is a Corridor-area dive that's recommended for night diving. My only dive reservations up to now during that week are in Cabo Pulmo, for two days of two-tank trips Sep 6-7 with Pepe's Dive Shop. For that, I'll be driving from CSL (Fiesta Americana) and staying the night. Miguel from that shop advised that a night dive "possible, call to discuss with Pepe when you arrive."

--Wayne

I'm just a n00b, just got my cert last month, so a night dive to the sand falls (over 100') is pretty much out of the question. Thanks for the invite though.

We're doing local dives on the 3rd and Cabo Pulmo on the 4th with Underwater Diversions. We're only in CSL from the 1st through the 6th.