La Paz Photo Trip Questions

[denniscloutier]

So I'm getting into underwater photography. The guys at Underwater Photography Guide are putting on a trip next October to Club Cantamar in La Paz Mexico. It sounds like a great trip, but I'm looking for feedback from anyone who has:

-gone on a trip with Underwater Photography Guide
-dove in La Paz and/or stayed at Club Cantamar

So, how was it?

Thanks,

 

[boydski]

Hi Dennis,

I have been to La Paz, and it's not my favorite place to dive. I can think of many other locations that are better for underwater photography. However, a lot of people like it and return year after year, so it may work for you.

We did not use Club Cantamar during our trip, but did see their large, slow dive boats heading out to the dive sites as we were returning. We also saw them using a small plane to look for whale sharks.

 

[denniscloutier]

Scott:

Thanks for the info. The big appeal for us is that it is close (we're in Vancouver, B.C.) so the flights are cheap and easy and there is no time zone change (I think).

We've been to Coz a couple of times, but that current seems like a bit much when we're just trying to learn to use the camera.

Any thoughts for other locations?

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[Doubler]

Look at Belize. Great photo opportunities, I have been 3 times from Seattle and it is a easy connection through Houston to Belize City.

 

[boydski]

We've been to Coz a couple of times, but that current seems like a bit much when we're just trying to learn to use the camera.
Any thoughts for other locations?

Hi Dennis,

Unfortunately, the best photo opportunities usually come from dive sites with a lot of current. They get the big critters.

My favorite sites for photography are not cheap or really good for beginning photographers (i.e. Mexico Caves/Cenotes, the Galapagos, etc.). However, Doubler's recommendation on Belize reminded me that was where I started taking photos and it is a good place to learn.

Think about doing one of the live aboard dive operators down there. You'll get lots of dives in, so can take lots of photos. Be sure to download and review your photos every day and you'll see a vast improvement from day one to the last day of the trip.

 

[sbernard]

I went to La Paz and stayed at Cantamar...the diving was GREAT, the resort not so much. Too many starfish and eels to count, and they were ALL beautiful. Saw hammerheads and whalesharks, and dove with the sea lions about every day. Not because they made us, but because we all wanted too. Diving is 'different' than the Caribbean since there's not much in the way of coral, but it was just as beautiful.

Cantamar...the beds were like a mortuary slab, the food, well, it didn't kill us, and there's just not much to do if you're not diving. Fortunately, you'll dive or be on the boat about all day. Would I do it all again? Hell yeah!

 

[denniscloutier]

Thanks for the info.

Sea lions, whale sharks and hammerheads would be enough to make the trip for me!

Actually mortuary slab describes my taste in mattresses pretty well, shame about the food though. Based on Boydski's trip report it sounds like the food in town is good, so maybe this would be a time to ignore the all inclusive food in the hotel and go buy dinner somewhere else.

As far as other things to do in the resort, this trip includes a workshop every night and 4 dives/day, so we probably wouldn't have a lot of time to do anything but sleep anyways.

its looking like a tough call so far.

Thanks,

 

[scottfiji]

Hi Dennis,

I have been to La Paz, and it's not my favorite place to dive. I can think of many other locations that are better for underwater photography. However, a lot of people like it and return year after year, so it may work for you.

We did not use Club Cantamar during our trip, but did see their large, slow dive boats heading out to the dive sites as we were returning. We also saw them using a small plane to look for whale sharks.

I am running the La Paz workshop this coming fall, and I thought I would chime in.

When Todd Winner and I brought our group to La Paz last year, we did not have high expectations. we expected to run the workshop there once, and move it to a different location this year.

Let me tell you - we were blown away. The underwater photography ops were some of the best Todd and I had ever experienced. Everyone on the trip felt the same way, which is why we rebooked for this year. I could have instead chosen many other destinations around the world that would have cost more (and made more money), but the diving was so good for underwater photography we had to go back.

La Paz is highly seasonal, the photo ops will strongly depend on the time of year you go, who is picking the dive sites, and who the group leader is.

Here are a few of my shots from our workshop last year, in case people want to get an idea of the kind of photo ops there. It's all about the marine life in La Paz. There's lots of it, and it is approachable, two key things for the type of underwater photography I (but not everyone) likes to do.

Regarding the boats, everyone on our trip was happy they were on a large, comfortable medium speed boat. The people we saw in small boats got really beat up on the way to/from the dive sites and did not look happy. And we got to the dive sites not too long after the smaller boats (not after they finished their dives).

Scott

 

[BrewingDiver]

Sea lions, whale sharks and hammerheads would be enough to make the trip for me!

We went in Sep-07 and as I understand the viz and temps are best between Aug and Oct/Nov so you would be going the best time. We dove with CC but did not stay there. We were not impressed with the service overall but the diving is great.

I missed the mother of all sea lion photos when I had one literally put itself on my back, with it's chin on top of my head. I am the photographer so I handed my camera to my buddy who missed the shot due to not realizing there was shutter lag on the camera I used at the time. Los Islotes is the site and it is probably my favorite all-time site, which we visited 3 times in a week.

We did the whale shark snorkel twice but my photos of that are poor overall. Very difficult shooting due to size and speed of the animal. Do not bring a strobe for this one or you won't be able to keep up with it (from experience).

No hammerheads were found during our week, but I know sometimes they do. Still, as I said, the diving is great and I expect we will return. Food in LaPaz is wonderful.

There is a lot of info on this board if you search on Club Cantamar and LaPaz also.

 

[bug catcher]

We went a few years ago and flew into Cabo and took a Club Cantamar van to the resort. It was a long ride on a winding road. The resort was clean but nothing going on, they even had trouble making change. Behind Cantamar (and maybe your room) is a busy shipping port. Our room airconditionar drowned out the noise from the semi trucks. We went to town every day for eating and there wasn't even a convience store near by. The diving was good but who filled the nitrox tanks? We snorkled with 4 whale sharks but water was full of plankton so no pics. We went in Feb or March. Got nice pics of sea lions and a video of Jaw fish spitting out stones, a wreck and some coral. Saw 1 hammer head in the distance. They only had a limited number of tanks over 80cft like maybe 4 and we didn't get them on the deep hammerhead dive. Maybe there is more dive operators to choose from now. All in all it was good diving but I would thumbs down the resort.