Liveaboard vs daily dive trips & Cabo vs La Paz

[anubhav]

I'm planning to be in Cabo from the 9th to the 19th of October 2011. Looks like most liveaboards leave from La Paz to the Sea of Cortez and would have left by the time I arrive into La Paz. They are leaving on the 8th and will still have to make my way to La Paz from Cabo after I arrive.

So i have two questions for the experienced members here:

1. Is it really worth moving my dates so that I can go on a liveaboard to the Sea of Cortez or should I enjoy daily drive trips instead?

2. Is diving better from Cabo or from La Paz?


Thank you for your time. This will be my first time diving in Mexico. I have dived in Malaysia (sipadan, Payar), Hawaii, India, etc.

--Anubhav

 

[mstclaire]

I have also been diving a lot in places like sipidan etc.. and I can only really say that the sea of cortez is very different. Instead of big coral reef we have fantastic rock formations but the visibility is likely to be less than a lot of the Asian sites!!! La Paz has a wider range of different types of dive sites compared to the local Cabo sites but Cabo still offers a range of tours to see great creatures (hammerheads, sealions, devil rays etc..)and unique phenomenon ( like the sand falls).. The water is beautiful and warm here at the moment(mid 80s) and I would expect 30-60ft visibility.
Hope that helps..

Either way, have a great trip

 

[ocdiver1]

Hi...happen to be in Cabo right now diving...have dove here several times and have once in La Paz. I actually wasnt aware there were any liveaboards running right now...but unless you were doing a Socorro's trip (an incredible trip but they don't start up until late November), land based is still a good alternative for the area. I've actually combined La Paz and Cabo in the same dive trips, just taking a bus between the two. Here in Cabo there are a lot of good sites right in the bay and adjacent corridor. You can do day trips to Gordo Banks or Cabo Pulmo from here as well. Water temps are mid 80s and while this is supposed to be the time of year for the best visibility, it hasn't been that great since I've been here. Honestly, haven't seen as much as prior trips...supposed to be the season for big schools of rays but I haven't been lucky in that respect. They have been seeing lots of hammerheads at Gordo Banks but the day I went we got only a brief glimpse of a small school of 10. I've usually found a lot of nudibranchs in Cabo but not so much this trip...a few frogfish though. In general diving this part of the world is not going to compare to Asia, but different fish aof course and definitely worth a look. I've dove several times with Sunshine Dive in Cabo who I'd really recommend..they offer free nitrox, use of computer, and take photos while on your dives and give you a disc of them at the end which is nice.

In La Paz I've stayed and dove with Club Cantamar (I've also done their Socorros liveaboard) and I'd also really recommend them. There is a sea lion colony there as well and I'd say the diving overall is similar...although I've never been there for the right time of year for some of the more distance sites like El Bajo and Francisquito I think it's called where you have chances for lots of big pelagics, so I can't speak towards those.

 

[Baja Dive]

Hello from Cabo,We sent a group to cabo Pulmo Today and the weather was to bad to go out.That site is in the sea of Cortez as are the La Paz Dive Sites.
The good thing about Diving local Sites are that the Boat rides are just 10 Min.s from the Dock.There are 800 Species of tropical marine Life here from the tiny Sea Horse to the gentle Giant the Whale Shark.You can see Nudibranchs, Sea Turtles,Sea lions all on a 1/2 day trips this leaves the afternoons free for relaxing at the beach.
Check my Dive Reports from cabo San Lucas.
Good Diving
Dee