Puerto Vallarta dive op recommendations

[StuartT]

I know this is the Cozumel forum but the other Mexico forum seems very quiet. So any recommendations for ops in Puerto Vallarta. prefer very, very, slow pace taking pictures. Any feedback would be great. Going in a month. Book ahead??? or when there???
Thanks
Stuart

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Stuart,

Some years ago the owner of a big hotel in Ixtapa (Fontan) asked me to open a dive shop there, sort of an Aldora West. The offer was very lucrative but the quality of diving was not worthy of an Aldora name no matter what we did for gear and services.

I went there, tried the diving and found it to be somewhat even less wonderful than Cabo—basically the Wrong Coast of Mexico. If going to Puerto Vallarta my suggestion is that you just go into town and buy blankets, sombreros or other inventory for you next garage sale!

Seriously, the water on the west coast is much colder with less visibility, and far less fish than you will find anywhere near Cozumel. Maybe Golf, or Parasailing, but don't waste a bunch of your money on diving. In addition, I can swear to you the level of safety is MUCH lower than you will find the worst shop in Cozumel.

That is just my opinion but I have been around a bit.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS The one good thing about that area is that the big puffer fish abound and that they are not shy and I have no idea why. You may get some great shots of them and you won't need macro.

 

[Fu]

All diving is different where ever you go. The west coast is not the same as the east but is still worth the experience. Try PV Diving. Alex has a great boat and while its not Coz its still water.....best wishes

 

[ggunn]

I know this is the Cozumel forum but the other Mexico forum seems very quiet. So any recommendations for ops in Puerto Vallarta. prefer very, very, slow pace taking pictures. Any feedback would be great. Going in a month. Book ahead??? or when there???
Thanks
Stuart

My recommendation is to go fishing. ;^)

Seriously, that's where the big marlin and tuna are, and just about everyone I know who has dived over there has told me that they were underwhelmed by the diving.

 

[frontiernurse]

I did my very first open water dives at the Marietas Islands and I will always treasure that experience. That was only 2 years ago, and I was so inspired that I've done 70 dives since then (in other locations). I dove with Stephane who runs a very small, intimate, fun operation out of Sayulita which is an hour north of PV. Sayulita Diving School - Scuba Diving - Diving School - Whale Watching | Sayulita Entourage When I was there it was just his one boat that left from the small port at Punta de Mita. And it was basically just me and Stephane and the captain, and maybe one other guest. Although Sayulita/Mita is north of PV, it is much closer boat ride to the Marietas than from PV itself. I didn't dive anywhere else in PV but my understanding is that the Marietas are the best dive location in the PV area. We saw whales from the boat and could hear them under the water, the vis was great, there were some neat swim throughs, lots of eels and fishies. But again, that was my first dive and you know how thrilling and euphoric your first always is. First dive that is. Of course. The first time I dove with Sayulita Entourage I was staying in Sayulita and Stephane picked me up and dropped me off at my house. I dove again with him once when staying in PV. I took a cab up to Mita ($40) and he drove me all the way back to my hotel afterwards! (He had some business in Bucerias, so I couldn't say he would do that for everyone.) The point is, he is super nice, knows the islands really well, is quite accomodating, and if you're going to dive near PV the Marietas are probably your best bet. TMI?

 

[bcaderunr]

Hi Stuart:

I second all the above. With that said, in 2006 I dove one afternoon with: Pacific SCUBA

They are on the coastal 2-lane on the east side roughly 1/2 mile south of the Marina -- where we boarded the boat. Nothing fancy, but they got us out and back to the Los Arcos dive site (which is about the only place anyone dives in PVA). During the surface interval we had fresh cerviche' that the captain had caught during our first dive. It was a laid-back operation, but they were very accomodating and it ended up being two safe, somewhat entertaining, but unremarkable dives. I know that there are sites that are further out and require a significantly longer boat ride, but we just opted for the 1-day quickie.

It's worth a look, but I wouldn't spend a week diving there. By the way, if you go to PVA, be sure and visit the Cemetery above town. Muy interesante' !!!

 

[Mossman]

We were on a cruise right after Thanksgiving, finally gave PV diving a shot. A 2-tank at Los Arcos with Chico's. We crossed the street to a dinghy waiting on the beach which took us out to the boat moored just offshore, then a long ride out to the site since they were only using one of the two engines. Water was already cold, low-70s IIRC, and very murky. So murky, in fact, that eels were free swimming everywhere. Also, I spotted several nudibranchs. Decent conditions I suppose if "muck diving" is your thing, and the dives were cheap, but it's hardly the warm clear water of the Caribbean. Supposedly the offshore pinnacles have better viz and the chance to see pelagics (makes sense, since Los Arcos is inside a large bay that collects the runoff, and likely the sewage outflow, of a city of 300,000), but that's an all-day trip for 2 dives and didn't fit with our cruise ship schedule. It's too bad, since PV has plenty of nice resorts and restaurants and nightlife, ranking higher in all that than Cozumel in my opinion, but with the diving so lousy I don't see any reason to make it a destination.

We did three dives in Cabo on that trip, and I did a week of diving there several years ago. Conditions are far better. We actually had excellent viz on 2 of our 3 dives, water was warm, and I saw my first ever jeweled moray. The sand falls are worth a dive, and it's cool to do Land's End where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. I also found the conditions in Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo to be much better than PV when I dove there about 10 years ago.

However, for truly excellent diving on the West Coast, you need to be a bit further into the Sea of Cortez. La Paz has great diving, though rides to the dive sites can be long and recent reports I've heard complain about overfishing. Also, the Sea of Cortez drops into the 60s or colder in the winter/spring, and that's no fun for a warm water diver.

If you don't mind the colder water, and you can find a boat that still makes trips there, the San Benito Islands are similar to the California Channel Islands but warmer, clearer, and tons more sea life. We did a week on the Horizon, 24 hours each way, but we had the islands to ourselves when we were there as it's otherwise just a seasonal lobster fishery on one island, abandoned in the summer off-season. Unfortunately, now that the white shark dives at nearby Guadalupe have stolen the show, I don't know that any boats do the San Benitos anymore.

Probably the best West Coast of Mexico diving is found in the Socorro Islands (aka Islas Revillagigedos or something like that), a couple hundred miles or so off the coast. Haven't been there yet, so can't speak personally to it. Obviously that's liveaboard-only.

 

[islanddream]

We got certified in PV in 2000 with Chico's Dive Shop. We were pleased with the service and the professionalism of the staff. However, since diving in the Caribbean (mainly COZ) I'm pretty sure we'll never go back to PV. The water is much colder than the Caribbean, there's not as much to see, and it is a long boat ride to some of the sites. I'm a wimp....I like warm water!

islanddream

 

[StuartT]

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far. Very much appreciate it. IMO much more valuable from divers than the dive shops trying to sell their trips. Keep it coming. Thanks again.
Stuart

 

[sabrosa379]

Hi Stuart,

I was certified in January of this year in Puerto Vallarta, and have just completed my 12th dive, so I'm still relatively new to both the sport and the area. As I have nothing to compare it to, it's hard to say if it completely sucks or if it just has its moments. I have found the visibility to be both poor and excellent, but the excellent visibility will come with a price in temperature. The thermoclines are trippy. The temperature just shoots down at about 50-60 feet; we were down to 60 degrees on one dive with no hoods or gloves -- BRRRR. But then you can clearly see the pinnacles and canyons, and the deep blue abyss below -- that's pretty cool. A 7mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves is just about perfect for this time of year.

As far as marine life goes, on my certification dives I saw (and held, guilty and gleefully at the prompting of the instructor) an octopus, a seahorse, a pufferfish, some kind of spider crab, a sea urchin, a sea cucumber, and a starfish, and there were plenty of angelfish, parrotfish, pufferfish, and other little tropical fishies toward the surface. It took a few more dives to see green sea turtles, round rays, eagle rays, garden eels, giant moray eels, nudibranchs, stonefish (no touchy!), some anemones, little corals, bioluminescent plankton, and massive underwater rock formations, big as buildings. I have definitely been on a couple disappointing dives as far as the sights go, but for me, any diving is great diving...practice makes perfect!

I would highly recommend you check out Banderas SCUBA Republic, located in Emiliano Zapata, or Old Town, or the Romantic Zone, whatever you know it by. Cesar Ortega is the owner and instructor/dive master of this outfit, and the man knows his stuff. In addition to his warm, friendly attitude and obvious love for diving, he really knows the area dive sites. He can tell you whatever you want to know about a particular dive site, and tailor the trip to your interests. He's been in PV for 8 years, so his knowledge of the entire bay is pretty extensive. He does certifications through at least dive master, if you were so inclined. His tours depart from Mismaloya, about 25 mins south of PV, so you get to see a little bit of the south side of the bay, which offers an excellent ocean view for the entire way. On Cesar's dive was my first sighting of sea turtles and rays.

PV Sea Dive is also a good shop. The owners are 2 ladies from England, and they are both an absolute pleasure to dive with. Very casual and friendly, but thorough where it matters. The cool thing about PV Sea Dive is that their boat leaves from the Marina, so on the way to and back from the dive site they are always on the lookout for whales migrating through, so you get a bonus whale watching tour on your dive trip! Both times I've been with PV Sea Dive we've seen humpback mothers and calves, at one time coming within 10-15 feet of the mother when she surfaced suddenly near us -- AMAZING. If they know whales are there, they'll take you there. Really nice touch to the experience.

Personally, I recommend you dive with them both.

Since you're going in a month, the water will be a bit warmer, the tourist season will have simmered down, and you'll have no trouble booking a dive on the spot. They will be happy to see a diver for sure! They may even have discounted rates for low season. I've heard that it's a whole different ballgame out there when the water is warmer. Regardless, if you love to dive, then there's no reason not to give PV a shot.

Have a great trip!