need advice for Cabo Pulmo

[terapnstn]

Hi all,
My husband and I are planning a 5-8 day dive trip to Cabo Pulmo in early December. I have been in contact with Baja Bungalows and Pappagallo's as possible accomodations. I've read great reviews of the former, but haven't been able to find folks who've stayed at the latter, though both have been very responsive by email. Also, any advice on dive shops? We will be renting all the gear. Any other advice would also be welcome. Thanks!!! Reisa

 

[Gottschalk]

I've stayed 12 days at the Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort (cabopulmo.com), they also have a Dive Center.

I enjoyed my stay very much, the diving was spectacular, and the dive center was very decent.

Richardo, the manager, really knows what he's doing. Their gear is solid, but it's rental gear - I rather lugg my own stuff around.

My 66-year old dad did his first-ever dives there, and they were excellent preparing him and guiding him and a few of my friends through that experience. I can really recommend them.

 

[terapnstn]

Thanks Gottschalk.

 

[Dave C]

Reisa, Cabo Pulmo is a great place for diving/snorkeling, but please be aware that it is a very windy, exposed place in the winter months. This can shut down water activities. Even in November I've seen it pretty windy. Cabo Pulmo is the easternmost point of Baja, and any north winds that blow down the Sea of Cortez hammer it. The area around Cabo San Lucas is sheltered from the north winds, so it is more dependable for diving in the months of Dec-Mar. In my opinion, a dedicated dive vacation to Cabo Pulmo in Dec. would be risky.

I stayed at the Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort in late March-early April this year and loved it. Here is a report I wrote in TripAdvisor:
Great spot for nature lovers - Review of Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort, Cabo Pulmo, Mexico - TripAdvisor

It's funny, I see some of the reviews after mine apparently didn't like the place. To each their own. They must be totally different people than me. Cabo Pulmo is a remote, rugged place, and is best suited for someone who likes solitude and nature.

 

[terapnstn]

Hi Dave,
Thanks so much for the advice. We are very much into remote, solitude and nature. Virtually everything I've read about Cabo San Lucas makes me want to steer clear. Would you just recommend going to Cabo Pulmo at a different time of year? Thanks!

 

[Dave C]

Hi Dave,
Thanks so much for the advice. We are very much into remote, solitude and nature. Virtually everything I've read about Cabo San Lucas makes me want to steer clear. Would you just recommend going to Cabo Pulmo at a different time of year? Thanks!

Unfortunately, I think the best months for diving are April-Oct. I say unfortunate, because if you live in a northern area, I'm sure you'd rather take a tropical dive vacation during the winter and enjoy spring and summer at home. May and June may be the best months for Cabo Pulmo because the water has warmed up, the winds have stopped, it is before hurricane season, and the air temps are not quite as hot as later. I think Sept. and Oct. may be good too, as long as there are no hurricanes. I'm not sure which months are considered best for visibility. I was pretty happy with the week I stayed around April 1. There were two days that were a little windy, and the rest were calm. The windy days weren't really bad, and I think the dive boats may have still gone out. I was originally planning to go in early March, but a co-worker who owns a house in Cabo Pulmo convinced me to go as late as I could to reduce the chance of winds. I think this turned out to be good advice. Hopefully some other people on this board will give their opinions, too.

It sounds like you are the type of people would love Cabo Pulmo as long as the winds were not a problem. If I were you, I'd plan to go some time.

By the way, here are some Cabo Pulmo pictures I took (there are some San Jose del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas pictures mixed in because I also went there for a week).
Underwater (snorkeling):Baja California Mexico underwater 2009 Photo Gallery by Dave_Clausen at pbase.com
Above water: Baja California Mexico 2009 above water Photo Gallery by Dave_Clausen at pbase.com

 

[terapnstn]

Right on, Dave, thanks for the advice. I think we'll try to reschedule the trip for April. Really appreciate the advice. Spectacular photos, by the way. Your snorkeling photos are better than most divers' photos. We are SO going there!

 

[Dave C]

Right on, Dave, thanks for the advice. I think we'll try to reschedule the trip for April. Really appreciate the advice. Spectacular photos, by the way. Your snorkeling photos are better than most divers' photos. We are SO going there!

Thanks for your comment on my photos. One other thing I forgot to mention is that I recommend renting a car from Dominic at the Cabo airport. I heard about him because many people recommended him on the TripAdvisor Cabo San Lucas forum. You can find a contact for him if you do a search there. I later found out after I got home from my vacation that technically, Dominic is only rental agency that "allows" you to drive to Cabo Pulmo. If you tell one of the standard car rentals that you are going to Cabo Pulmo, they may not rent you a car or may say that your insurance is void (at least, this is what some people posted on the forum). At any rate, if you rent from a company like Avis, I wouldn't mention that you are going to Cabo Pulmo. There were plenty of rental vehicles at Cabo Pulmo (how else are you going to get there?), so many people apparently were "ignoring the rules". If you spend some time on the TripAdvisor forum searching for "Cabo Pulmo", you can find some useful information for your trip.

In April there should be a lot of mobulas around Cabo Pulmo. Some divers told me that it was fantastic to dive with hundreds of these ray-like animals swooping around them; it was the highlight of their trip. In summer, the mobulas migrate away.

Send me a PM if you want any other info.

 

[jwhite83]

Hello,
i own a fractional ownership in Cabo San Lucas for Nov 16-24. Last year was my first year staying at the resort. I went diving in the immediate area and it was great. (i am a beginner with 20 dives). I wanted to try a different dive spot this year and my local dives shop here in northern CA recommended Cabo Pulmo. However reading your post above I am now concerned about the wind. So I have 2 questions: if I do go to Pulmo is there a dive shop in Cabo San Lucas who does trips to Pulmo (as I wont have a rental car)? Second if not Cabo Pulmo where would you suggest as an alternate spot? Thanks

 

[Dave C]

Hello,
i own a fractional ownership in Cabo San Lucas for Nov 16-24. Last year was my first year staying at the resort. I went diving in the immediate area and it was great. (i am a beginner with 20 dives). I wanted to try a different dive spot this year and my local dives shop here in northern CA recommended Cabo Pulmo. However reading your post above I am now concerned about the wind. So I have 2 questions: if I do go to Pulmo is there a dive shop in Cabo San Lucas who does trips to Pulmo (as I wont have a rental car)? Second if not Cabo Pulmo where would you suggest as an alternate spot? Thanks

Many dive shop in CSL do day trips to Cabo Pulmo. They might also have a better idea of what the particular dive conditions at Cabo Pulmo may be on a day-to-day basis. If you do a search for Cabo Pulmo on this board, I'm sure you will find some info about day trips to Cabo Pulmo. It will be at least a couple of hours drive each way from CSL to Cabo Pulmo, so be prepared for a long day.