The Waveyard, AZ?

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Jewls

Contributor
Messages
150
Reaction score
11
Location
Boulder, CO
# of dives
25 - 49
I've been doing a bit of searching for areas to dive in AZ and I ran across a site for the Waveyard in AZ. It mentions an area for diving with lots of underwater areas to explore. I've tried to do a few searches and sounds as if this project has been stalled due to financing. Does anyone know if the project is still underway or if the Waveyard is open?
 
Last I heard it's stalled. The latest thing was that the Cubs were in discussions with the city of Mesa to co-locate at a scaled-back version of Waveyard. That was some months before the Nov. elections in which Mesa voters had to fund it. I don't know the outcome. This is probably the most recent news I can find.

Mesa's tourism boss thinks Cubs, Waveyard would fit

I'm guessing you may want to make other plans than diving in Phoenix anytime soon...:D

It really wasn't going to be that great for divers anyway, shallow and chlorinated so nothing live to dive with.
 
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It sounds like it would be a fun place to try out, especially since I live in Colorado and don't really want to do any dry-suit /cold water diving in a Lake (Ocean, maybe). I think it would be fun to explore an underwater city, even if it is in chlorinated water. Heck all I get is a pool practice once a month in the winter...so I wouldn't mind. The aquarium here is too expensive for a 30 minute dive, so I'm trying to expand my options in these cold winter months.

On another note, I am looking for some warm water diving close to home. Is AZ not the place to look?
 
I've been doing a bit of searching for areas to dive in AZ and I ran across a site for the Waveyard in AZ. It mentions an area for diving with lots of underwater areas to explore. I've tried to do a few searches and sounds as if this project has been stalled due to financing. Does anyone know if the project is still underway or if the Waveyard is open?


Currently the Waveyard is still a patch of dirt. However, as one poster already mentioned, there is a tentative plan to revive a version of it along with a new Cubs spring training facility accross from Mesa Riverview at the 202 & Dobson Rd. Mesa voters approved the Cubs facility in November, so now it's time to wait and see what they come up with. But suffice it to say that if the underwater exploration piece makes it into the plans, there likely won't be any diving in Mesa for a couple years yet.
 
On another note, I am looking for some warm water diving close to home. Is AZ not the place to look?
Most (all?) of our lakes are Colorado River fed so none are ever warm - especially at depth.

The closest warm water diving is either Rocky Point/Puerto Penasco or farther south to San Carlos (near Guaymas) in Mexico. USAirways flies there regionally from Phoenix. There's actually a good highway from the border to San Carlos but the border crossing can be time consuming. It's about a 4hr. drive from the border.

San Carlos warms up mid-spring and stays warm till late October. In the summer it can reach almost 90'. I've dove there the last week of October in a t-shirt. But it was already cold below about 60'.

San Pedro is an island an hr+ (depends on the boat) ride away - where most people dive. There's a seal/sea lion rookery, Cortez Angelfish, Puffers, often Stingrays etc. It's more of a rocky substrate so not a lot of big coral or fans. Viz can be hit or miss, on one dive it was maybe 30', the next day I could see the boat from 60-70' away. In October, scalloped hammerheads congregate there in deeper water (80+) and migrate south. They're hard to find though - we tried...

Dive operators from Phoenix/Tucson run trips down there most of the year - there's about 4-5 dive operators in San Carlos and 1/2 dozen or more dive boats. Some links:

http://www.sancarlosmexico.com/diving.html
http://www.desertdivers.com/
El Mar Diving Center, San Carlos Mexico
Gary's Dive Shop - Scuba Diving, Sea of Cortez, San Carlos, Mexico

If you do go, all the dive boats leave from the same marina - the MarinaTerra hotel is located there - it's not as cheap as in town but convenient. And pretty nice, a couple of pools, nice grounds, several restaurants within walking distance. They have a beach club 5 mins. away for non-divers. Hotel Marinaterra - At the San Carlos Desert Bay

Rocky Point can be hit/miss on the viz due to being at the end of the Sea of Cortez - there's a large tidal exchange. And only one dive operator. I've never dove there. Rocky Point Dive - Puerto Penasco Dive: Sun N Fun Dive Center

How close are you to Bonneville SeaBase in Utah? It's warm all year afaik.
 
It sounds like it would be a fun place to try out, especially since I live in Colorado and don't really want to do any dry-suit /cold water diving in a Lake (Ocean, maybe). I think it would be fun to explore an underwater city, even if it is in chlorinated water. Heck all I get is a pool practice once a month in the winter...so I wouldn't mind. The aquarium here is too expensive for a 30 minute dive, so I'm trying to expand my options in these cold winter months.

On another note, I am looking for some warm water diving close to home. Is AZ not the place to look?

Not in the winter. However, in the summer, there is plenty to dive.

Arizona Dive Sites
 
Thanks everyone for your replies to my questions about Waveyard. It sounds promising that the Cubs will build a training center and a possibility for the water park. I hope they decide to include the scuba diving area, as it might be a good bet considering how many people dive in the SW and there aren’t too many choices for diving in the winter months.
DiverSteve – Thanks for sending me loads of info on San Carlos. I’ve been reading up a bit on the diving, operators, safety, etc about that area. This is something to consider, but my biggest concern is safety. I’ve traveled to the Playa Del Carmen and Akumal in Q. Roo (Yucatan Penninsula), and never experienced a problem. I think it might be best if I look at some AZ dive ops and consider a future trip with some experienced divers that know the San Carlos area.
 
Obviously you have to make your own call about the general safety of being in Mexico now but as far as diving safety I would highly recommend El Mar. They have what is probably the newest best maintained boat out of the dive shops in San Carlos. I have seen them with both groups of new divers and groups of more experianced divers. If you need help/supervision they will keep you safe but if you know what you are doing they just give you a site breifing, ask you to be back at the boat in an hour or so and help you into the water.

Gary's dive shop runs several boats but the ones I saw were converted fishing pangas. I have seen two other boats in the marina that looked more modern that were run by Ocean Adventures. My only experience on the water was with El Mar. The only thing to look out for is that if you need supervision during your dive or want to take a class you might want to check if any of the instructors from there store in Phoenix will be there. The locals are very good but it can be difficult to communicate if you don't know at least a little Spanish. Most of my conversations were half Spanish/ half English.
 
Are you sure they were Gary's? (although the standard joke is that Gary's has both old boats and old, slow boats)
We have seven specially designed 40' boats, two of them are very fast boats that can travel to Seal Island in about an hour, the Cortez Sun and the Cortez Explorer. In fact, the Explorer is the largest, most powerful and fastest charter boat in San Carlos.
I must have missed the Explorer...lol. We were on what looked like a converted 70's tour boat.

Piesquieta (El Mar's) is a nice boat, but its' a 36' Newton so slightly smaller than Gary's.
San Carlos Dive Boat Charter, San Carlos Mexico

Ocean Spirit (Desert Divers/Ocean Sports boat) is the biggest powered dive boat there.
Desert Divers is proud to be the only facility in Tucson to offer exclusive use of its own boat, the Ocean Spirit. Brand new in the summer of 2000, the Ocean Spirit allows us to access many of the fabulous dive sites in the Sea of Cortez attainable only by boat. The Ocean Spirit is a 46’ twin diesel powered vessel. She seats 36 divers and has an ample sun deck.
http://www.desertdivers.com/Dive_Boats.cfm

Although you're right about Piesquieta being the newest. IIRC they bought it a couple of years ago. Before that all El Mar diving was from pangas in the 20+ foot range.

Or these guys - I can't tell the age of their Cat: Home - Dive San Carlos
 

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