Trip Report Sea of Cortez-August 2023

[js1221]

Wow! I've never heard of a dive light being taxed. If I ever return for a dive trip in the Sea of Cortez, I will never fly to Cabo again. I'll fly into La Paz or Loreto.

Just curious, did they pay the tax with cash or credit card? My thought would be to dispute the charge to the credit card company as being a fraudulent charge with forced seizure of the passport until payment was made. I know you're not the U.S. and the laws are different, but it may be worth a try.

This really disgusts me about Mexico.

You can’t pay with cash or American Express. They did pay the charges but are not going to dispute them until after they’ve left Mexico. We all agree though, never through Cabo again.

 

[N8nbkk]

Well, two people from our group were victims of the airport extortion ploy. One diver was forced to pay $95 for a 15 year old SeaLife camera. Another had to pay $150 for a dive light. Both had their passports taken so they could not leave and were told they would not be returned until they paid. Asking to speak to a supervisor got a cursory “yes” but no supervisor ever came. The both finally paid out of frustration, which is the point of the whole thing.

Does it make a difference if your luggage doesn't look like a diving bag? I have a normal backpack and carry on that holds my camera, housing and strobes.

 

[Failed captcha]

I grew up in California, actually born and raised within a couple of miles of the border. I would often accompany my dad on road trips to various parts of Mexico and have extensively explored Baja. My dad is big in the Volkswagen scene and we'd go to big gatherings of classic Kombis and Vocheros, especially in La Paz. I know a lot of people there and I even lived there for a couple of years after I got out of the army.

The drive from San Diego to La Paz isn't that bad. Just start early morning, stay the night in Guererro Negro or Santa Rosalia or anywhere in between depending on how far you are comfortable driving in a day and you should be in La Paz by the end of the second day. That's even in a 62 Volkswagen bus so if you have something a little newer, you should be able to do it. Just be sure to eat and fill your tank in El Rosario. No gas stations for a while after El Rosario. There are several military check points on the way and it was never difficult for me to keep my weed hidden despite that they were looking for exactly that.

That's how I always did my diving down there. Cabo Pulmo takes some effort to get to but it's worth it. I saw tiger sharks and bull sharks there. La Paz is a comfortable place to stay with huge grocery stores and a lot of options for the best mariscos you can get anywhere. Lots of other food options too.

Thanks for the pics, don't give up on Baja, it's amazing.