Need info Cabo San Lucas and Baja region

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chablis

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Quebec city, Canada
Hi all,
I am planning a diving trip for August or September. One destination that came in my mind is Cabo San Luca. After reading different things about the destination (including on scubaboard), my toughts are mitigate. Some people does'nt seem to have enjoy the dive at all and some are more than happy. The dive operators are talking about a top dive destination (of course, they want to sell their product). I know diving in that region varies a lot depending of the time of the year and it can explain that difference of opinion.

Some dive operators offers excursion in Gordo banks and Cabo Pulmo. Are these excursions worth the time and the price?

So, whats the real story? is Cabo San Luca a top dive destination or should I go elsewhere in that region (ie: La Paz)?


Thanks in sadvance,


Chablis
 
I dove in La Paz over Christmas/New Year 2007. The diving is not bad. The best dive was diving with the sea lions. Getting to the sites were rough rides. Overall, not bad but I would not go out of my way to go there again. The boat was not configured for diving. You had to crawl up the tiny two step ladder, walk around the outboard motors, then walk over every else's gear before you could sit. Also, my credit card number was stolen and used for a variety of things in La Paz, so be careful. If you can afford it, go to Belize.:wink:
 
I dove in Cabo March 2010 and did some nice diving there. The lands end dive with the sea lions and going from sea of Cortez into Pacific was great. The time of year I was there I could not go to Cabo pulmo.
 
I love the Sea of Cortez. It's where I do my "backyard diving." I have dived in Cabo Pulmo, Cabo San Lucas, San Carlos and Himalaya Bay. Everything totally depends on what you are interested in and what you are looking for.
Baja is adventure diving. If you prefer colorful coral reefs and white sandy beaches, Baja is probably not for you. Pampering and easy conditions elsewhere.

In a nutshell:

Sea of Cortez is no coral sea. BUT it's one of the biodiversity hotspots on the planet. Few other oceans rival it in terms of endemic species (species that only occur in that particular ocean).

The underwater topography of Cabo San Lucas is spectacular. One of the few, if not the only place in the world to see sandfalls (google it). Some people might find them very lame, I find them awesome.

Dove Gordo Banks in winter, didn't see squat. Most expensive deep dive I've ever done to see fish and an - admittedly very large - sting ray. I hear that Gordo Banks can be fantastic, if you see sharks, but I would never dive it again unless I knew 100% sure they're there. Don't rely on the dive shops - they will sell you the trip no matter what.

The spectacular Cabo San Lucas underwater canyon starts right at the beach. It eventually goes all the way to the deep sea and plummets thousands of feet relatively close to shore. Again, I love this kind of stuff, others couldn't care less.

Cabo Pulmo: Fantastic diversity and density of marine life, because it's a marine protection area. Unfortunately, the Sea of Cortez is heavily overfished, so MPA's are the way to go. Cabo San Lucas is also an MPA.

Personally, I find Cabo San Lucas one big atrocity. The only reason for me to go is the diving. Again, personal preference is key. The place is noisy, party non-stop and expensive compared to the rest of Baja. Totally americanized, almost no Mexican atmosphere left. One big row of strip malls and tourist traps. San Jose del Cabo, on the other hand, only 35 km east of Cabo San Lucas, is a nice old Mexican town with lots of colonial flair and great bars and restaurants, minus the obnoxiousness of Cabo.

which is why I fled to Cabo Pulmo as soon as I got off the boat in Cabo San Lucas. Cabo Pulmo has no electricity and no cell phone signal. A couple of restaurants, three dive shops. That's it. For accommodations, I always pitch a tent right on the dunes at the beach. Price: zero dollars.

Cabo Pulmo is famous because some say it's the only coral reef in Western North America. That is not quite true, as there are two or three more, e.g. one in Panama, but for all practical purposes, it's cool. Diving there is fairly shallow, but again, the density and variety of marine life is simply stunning. Where else do you see a school of 60 parrot fish, each two to three feet long, grazing the rocks?

South of Cabo Pulmo, there is a bay with an underwater canyon similar the one in Cabo San Lucas, except hardly nobody knows about it. I googled it, nothing. Shops go there very rarely. I took a sea kayak to that bay and searched for the canyon. Found it and had a spectacular dive. It's deep, though, and no support, so you have to know what you're doing. PM me if you would like to know more.

If you're there in the right season, you can dive with hammerheads in El Bajo Seamount out of La Paz. Haven't done that one though, because I was never there in the right season. I snorkeled with whale sharks in La Paz, though, and that was a memory that will always stay with me. Highly recommended. (They don't let you scuba with them for conservation reasons, which is great).

If you are interested in more details, feel free to send me a PM.
 
I live in Cabo so my opinion is a bit biased perhaps but we do have some great diving. Within 5 minutes of the Marina you have sites like the old cannery where we have a great selection of macro life ( Nudibranchs, Frogfish, Scorpion Fish, Morays, Crabs Etc..) and then we have the underwater canyons which provide if nothing else the chance to see the sandfalls, some great underwater seascape and a good chance at some pelagics. If the seas arent too rough then you may also get the chance to dive with the sealions at Lands End too.

Gordo Banks is really drift diving with a good chance of seeing big schools of hammerheads, eagle rays etc... but it really can be hit and miss and you should be prepared for that when booking.

If you speak with a decent dive shop down here they should be able to give you some good advice for the time of year without just thinking of getting your money...In the end its better if you have a good time and return in the future.

I highly recommend Casey( casey@divenautilus.com ) from Nautilus Diving.. They specialize in Tech and Rebreather diving but they have always done a great job for me on recreational trips aswell.

In the end the diving here is not your typical coral reef diving and not to everyones taste, but it is well worth a try in my opinion
 
Hello, I am partial to cabo pulmo and la paz. I have a place just south of cabo pulmo so it is my local favorite. It is easy, shallow diving 45-70 ft. Decent vis, not crystal clear. There is just so much life there. You can swim into a school of fish and it totally surrounds you. Can't see up or down, just fish. Lots of eels, lobsters and some giant groupers. The groupers just hang out with you. Fish... not much coral. We have dove with all the shops and we really like Cabo Pulmo Water Sports the best. Henri and Pileu are great. It is worth it to stay out there, rustic but comfortable. All solar, at night you see more stars than you can imagine. Solar means no aircon and it will be hot. Most places have ceiling fans. If you stay in san jose it is about an hr drive. 1/2 on a dirt road. It is reasonable to stay in san jose and dive Cabo pulmo. That way Gorda Banks is also an option as it cabo san lucas. San Jose is quieter, not as much of a party as cabo san lucas. Still very developed though. You would need a car.

We also like La Paz. about 3 hrs north. The boatrides are long to most sites. You will see lots of big stuff if you are lucky. We have dove with schools of giant mantas. (5-10 ft away) Hammerheads, even saw a marling once. I thought that was cooler than the hammerhead. Lots of schools of fish. In the late summer and fall the whalesharks are in the bay. You snorkel with them. It you have a chance to go to Las Animas, it is worth the exra money and time. Maybe 2.5 hr boat ride. Incredible, varied life. La Paz is still very much mexican. Much less expensive than Cabo San Lucas. We have been out mostly with the Club Cantamar(if you stay at cantamar do not get the all inclusive package). I wish there were some smaller boat options. But the sites are mostly a way out and the Aguilars have treated us well. THe vis is ok. 50+ ft usually, can be currents, can be rough, lots and lots of fish. August and sept will be HOT. Lots of options for places to stay. Hope this helps.
 
Thank you all for the infos, its very helpfull.

The way I understand it, my girlfriend and I will enjoy it. We are drysuits divers in Quebec (Canada) so we are used of cold water, poor visibility and strong currents. We enjoy adventure diving. Our goal for that trip is to see lots of animals, especially big ones (rays, hammerheads, seals, whales etc).

Does anyone have ever dive with sunshine divers (Sunshine SCUBA Diving, Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Sea of Cortez). Their website is very inviting and They have very good reviews on trip advisor.

Keep posting advices, its really appreciated!!
 
Hello from cabo,We are Baja Dive. You are coming at the best time of year,Water will be in the low 80s. Vis around 100 feet.Abyssal is right about the Marine Life here its hard to go anywhere and see more different species of tropical marine Life.The time of year your coming is the best time to see big stuff Gordo Banks has,Hammerheads,Whale Sharks,big Tuna,Marlin,Mantas.We will check conditions and what has been seen there.If theres nothing there to see we will tell you.
We have been in Baja since 1989.We Dive on a big 35 foot boat and put a max of 5 Divers per Dive Master and make the groups according to experence level.Dive Masters all have 10 years experence or more.
We are located in the Wyndham Resort on the Marina.Was called the Tesoro until jan of this year.
www.scubadivingcabosanlucas.net
Thanks
Dee
 
I totally agree with AbyssalPlains. Skip Cabo and head straight for the East Cape region of Baja. It is still really undeveloped. An hour and a half out of Cabo you are in a different time and place. I find that part of Baja to be amazing. The diving at Pulmo is not the Caribbean for vis, and the big resorts are not there but the life in the water is wonderful. The other great thing about the area is it is never crowded with tourists. You will be one of just a few people diving on any given day. I have been dove there many times and cant wait to get back, one of my favorite places on the planet.
 
THanks for the advice. If I follow your plan and head to East Baja, I guess the best thing to do is land in San Jose Del Cabo and rent a car fronm there? Do you have any accomadations that you could suggest (read decent clean hotel with private bathroom).

I tought of Cabo San Luca in the first place because I woul'nt have to rent a car and it's not too far from the airport but I will consider any other options.

Again: someone dove with sunshine divers?



Thanks,

Chablis
 
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