Puerto Vallarta dive op recommendations

[StuartT]

So I'm going to Puerto Vallarta for a week at the end of April and wondering if anyone has any dive ops they would recommend. Or ones to avoid.

Thanks
Stuart

 

[ocdiver1]

I've dove with Chico's and had a good experience...

 

[scubamarketing]

Chico's is the cattle-call operation with great real estate and lazy staff. PV Sea Dive is the new game in town with new everything. Banderas Scuba Republic is just out of the downtown strip but makes you feel like family, has great gear, an awesome owner/operator and is very flexible with scheduling and destinations. I did a trip a while back and visited all three and have friends who live there and dive with all three (not Chico's anymore, especially after they dropped an anchor on another diver in an area where anchors aren't even supposed to be used) and I'd give Banderas the #1 spot with PV Sea a close #2.

 

[janzend]

Hey Stuart, my daughter and I dove with PVSCUBA just after we were newly certified a year and a half ago. They are a small operation and took good care of us as newbies. I would use them again. If memory serves correct we were six divers and 4 snorkelers. They let the snorkelers do their thing and guided the six of us. We were positioned very close to the guide as we were the least experienced and the other more experienced people....well, I was pretty new so I paid attention to my daughter and the guide. Guide did a good job of explaining the dive plan, pointing out things out under water and had had picture books for the life we would and did see. All in all, a really good experience. I'll be at the club meeting next week if you have more questions.

 

[akirawut]

We used Vallarta Undersea while we were there for certification + dives. The most we ever had on the boat was about 7 divers, including us 3. All the staff were super friendly.

One day we chartered one of their boats and brought people out snorkelling as well as diving. They made us some great ceviche and served some frosty beers.

I can definitely recommend them!

 

[Darnold9999]

NOT Vallarta Adventures.

Dive with them was a waste of a day, and particularly poor diving. Went to an "advanced" site, mild current, heavy surge, 30 foot vis. They had 4 beginners on board and a couple of more experienced divers. Nice exposed reef with lots of fish and stuff to see, but the beginners were completely out of their depth - and as this was not the first dive with this guide he should have known this. Ended up as a 20 min dive to 60 feet. Beginners were out of gas.

We all "voted" to do an easier dive for the second dive. Dove a barren site with 10 - 15 foot vis and a guide that thought that we wanted to see as much of the topography as possible. Not a good dive.

Have not found the diving to be particularly great in PV - did not even take my camera last trip.