Going to Puerto Vallarta

[Div3r]

I am wondering if anyone has any good ideas of where to go for a shark dive? also my fiance wants to dive for the first time with me there, so what would be a good dive for her and i together? thanks

[ItsBruce]

I don't know about sharks. But for a first dive, I'd go with Villarta Adventures. It is somewhat of a cattle boat, but they consistently have good DMs and the whole thing is a very good time. They generally go out to an island off the coast, called "Marietas Islands" and do two dives there. I've gone with this operation 4 different times over the last 3 years and expect to go again in late December. The dives are not too challenging and there is lots to see.

[La Ovejita Negra]

There aren't any sharks in the bay - if you want a chance to see sharks, you can go to Corbetena - but that's really far and there's no guarantee. If you are looking for an opp that uses shark cages, etc... there isn't one here.

The best dive op in town is PV Scuba (Puerto Vallarta Scuba Diving and Specialty Diving School: PVSCUBA (http://www.pvscuba.com)). I've been diving with nearly every shop here and Alex is the best because he doesn't cut corners. I hear constant complaints about faulty equipment from Vallarta Adventures and Chico's, bad divers/DM ratios, no head counts on the cattle boats, etc...

[maremd50]

Div3r -
I recently returned from Puerto Vallarta from my very first dive trip!!! (I am officially hooked - my husband is contemplating divorce, since this doesn't interest him and I am already trying to plan another dive trip. Any counseling advice is welcome. Yes - My name is Nancy and I am a dive addict.)

Anyway, it is my understanding that sharks are not found in Banderas Bay due to the whale and dolphin populations - I guess they keep the sharks out. It was a little early for the whale season, but one day we saw at least 4 of them. Very cool! And many dolphins.

But for your wife and her first dive adventure, I can't recommend Pacific Scuba enough! They are NOT the cattle boat type of operation, which I was able to witness out there. Pacific Scuba has small numbers of divers on the boat with a ratio of divemasters to newbies that gave me much comfort, especially considering that it was my first open water dives. They were friendly, very knowledgable, patient, spoke very good English, knew how to have a lot of fun / joking, etc.. but when it came time to dive they stuck to what I had learned was the "right" way. They clearly went over what to anticipate at the site, (how deep, type of bottom, special things to look for, etc) and filled us in on the wildlife both above and below the surface. We reviewed hand signals, which were much more extensive than just the safety type in the PADI book, and included signals for different types of sea creatures. I always felt safe and secure in their hands. I learned so much more than I ever anticipated! Emilio, the capitan, didn't speak very good english, but the others were great. I didn't get to practice my spanish much cuz they were so good. I dove with Armando, Alex and Paul, my instructor, with whom I spent most of my time. (He's obviously very good at what he does, and sexy too!) I dove at Marietas Island (my favorite - made famous by Jacque Cousteau, home of the blue-footed booby birds), Majahuitas, and Los Arcos. I spent four of my six days in PV with Pacific Scuba and I will use them again when I return. Which I will, as I did not see a manta, which was a disappointment. Guess I can't expect that Pacific Scuba could control that, tho! I did see trumpet fish, sever types of eels, one a Moray that was at least 4 ft long, different types of stingrays, angelfish of various sorts, puffer fish, a lobster, crab, urchins, and lots of things I don't know what they were.....It was SOOOOO COOL!!!!!! Since I was doing the referral and some extra dives, they were willing to work with me a bit on price, so I felt the cost was quite fair. Lunch was sandwiches, and they were accommodating in trying to bring food that people enjoyed. If you were diving with them a couple days, they would bring in whatever type of sandwich and drinks you wanted. The food was simple but good. When we saw the whales and dolphins, they were good about stopping the boat so we could all get a good look and watch to our hearts desire! I never felt that we were rushed, which in hindsight is sort of surprising - after all, they spend day after day doing this and they have families and life away from work too. There was an attitude of "this is your dive trip and we're here to accommodate" All in all, I have no doubt that you would be pleased to dive with Pacific Scuba, which is located conveniently in the Hotel Zone -easy to find and for me, was just 100 yds from my hotel. I think there is a second location too, but you'd have to research on their website. They are responsive in trip planning, either through email or with a phone number in both Mexico and here in the states. I know they dive at sites that would not be appropriate for your wife, but the guys were willing to take people on the boat that just hung out when their spouse went under, if they weren't interested in diving. Anyway, have a GREAT trip - and No, this isn't a Pacific Scuba ad. I was just very impressed, esp when I saw what some of the other dive companies were offering. Happy Diving!

[tslane888]

I'm in PV right now and diving with Pacific Scuba. This is my third vacation diving with them -- they have always been great, and work hard to accommodate new and experienced divers. Paul and Alex were our DMs last week -- both are true professionals.

[maremd50]

tslane888 -

Oh I am so jealous!! Wish I was there! If you get this, tell Paul and Alex HI from Nancy in Wisconsin. And tell Paul to check his email! Have a great time - (like I need to tell you that!)

[Div3r]

Leslie from Puerto vallarta divers messaged me and it sounds like i will be going that route. I am going to try to dive Majahuitas. Too bad i will only be able to get in 2 dives, only cause the people that are going with me arent certified and they are afraid of diving. I tried to tell them that they would love it but they are content in sticking with snorkeling. oh well as long as my fiance is interested im ok with that. thanks for all the replies!!

[pvscuba]

Hi,

Like it has been said, we don't have sharks in the bay. We do have a place called "Anegados" just outside the bay where there's a small cave where we often find nurse sharks.

There are several locations appropriate for beginners: Los Arcos, Majahuitas, Marietas, Colomitos, etc, and any of them are nice for experienced divers as well.

Since your fiancee is diving for the first time, she'll need a pool lesson before hitting the open water. We offer the pool lessons in a 10-ft-deep scuba training pool (the only one in PV) so you can get the real diving feeling and actually learn to equalize in confined water before going to the ocean.

Thanks to La Ovejita Negra for her kind words! We do strive to offer the best possible service.

Alex from PVScuba

[diverdowndh]

I'm curious... what is the viz? I was in PV about 6 years ago in February and the viz was terrible. I should have known, with the whales wintering there, that means plankton. I used Chico's Dive Shop, they were really good but everyone got lost on every dive because the viz was so bad. We went out to the Marietta's because the viz was supposed to be better but it wasn't. I loved PV, and would love to actually dive it (don't call what I did diving), so what time of the year is good and what is the usual viz?

[pvscuba]

the whales and the plankton are still here...
generally speaking, the plankton stays within 30 ft of the surface, so we do deeper dives to get better viz. Call us crazy, but we still thoroughly enjoy our dives even if the viz is not so hot. We just concentrate in what we do see: nudibranches, sting rays, puffers, and hundreds of other species as well as some incredible topography such as the wall at Devil's Canyon in Los Arcos National Underwater Park.

[diverdowndh]

It sounds great, I think I'll have to plan another trip down there. I absolutely loved PV, the beaches were incredible. I must have just been down at a bad time for the plankton, but good for the whales and other plankton feeders so I'll have to live with it! I dove Los Arcos but the viz was so poor we all got lost and really didn't get to see much. The plankton really can muck up the water...

[leslieinpv]

the water is wonderful in the summer time. nice and warm with good vis.

[alam555]

great advice all, just what I needed to make up my mind on going to Mexico (for the first time). I have been all over the world, but having recently moved to the west coast, am finally considering diving in mexico. I have read and heard a lot about food poisoning and stuff. I have two young boys and non diver wife. So am looking for recommendations for places to stay. There seems to be no shortage of deals on packages from Vancouve area to PV. Too many.

can someone provide feedback on any favorite resorts with beach and kids club, with access to dive shop. I am assuming that the places mentioned will pick up from the popular resort.

thanks

[rossandmaureen]

First let me echo many of the things said by Maremd50 in her response. Pacific Divers is a good dive operator and I used them in May of this year as well as Local Divers who I felt were outstanding as they are a smaller dive operator who seem willing to go the extra mile. The best diving in Puerto Vallarta tends to be on the outside of Banderas and it is not just the plankton that causes limited visibility. Eight rivers flow into that Bay and, over many years of diving the area, I have never found vis such as you would find on the Caribbean side. That being said, there are some great dive sites such as Isla Marietas, Majahuitas and El Morro, all of which are further out. You will also find the water colder than in the Caribbean and I needed a full suit rather than the shorty that normally is sufficient. (I am used to very cold water at home but use a dry suit here). I have never been a fan of diving at Los Arcos because it tends to be overused and beaten up quite a bit. Its major advantage is that it is close to town.

Picking your hotel/resort might be based on who you choose to dive with. PV has grown to the extent that there are distinct areas that extend way out of town past the airport to Marina Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias and Punta Mita and you should check and see if your choosen dive operator will pick you up at your hotel. If they don't it adds to your cost (taxi fare) and your dive day with travel time. You can always hook up with the dive concession at your hotel but my experience with hotel based operators is that they tend to be cattle boats with severe time, air and depth limitations. I do believe you get a better dive experience with the dive operators not affiliated with hotels. We stayed out at the Allegro Occidental in Nuevo Vallarta and it was a fairly good property (although it doesn't compare to the Grand Occidentals in Cozumel or Xcaret) and enjoyed it and the very nice beaches. There did seem to be more than enough for children to do and they do have a kid's club. What I did find, however, was that very few dive ops from PV will pick you up and I did have to cab it to the marina until hooking up with Local Divers (I think that is the company) who picked me up just across the way from my hotel at the water taxi location. Regardless of where you end up you will find that the boat rides to the dive sites outside of the bay take quite a while due to the distance.

Enjoy the trip...the diving is very good to excellent. My last dive of the trip was to El Morro and there were enough moray eels in that location to open up a wallet store! Just kidding everyone....leave them alone for divers to see.

[68raggtop]

I don't know if you have already done this trip, but I will throw in my $.02. I have dove with Vallarata Adventures (3 different trips), Pacific Scuba (1 trip) and this past November, I dove with Valarta Adventures on one day and with Nacho from puertovallartadivers.com . This is the review I wrote
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/mexico/209797-great-dive-nacho-puerto-vallarta.html
I felt that all of them did good job, all have their strong points and areas for improvement. I think that on any given day, you could get a wonderful DM or a not so wonderful DM. When I dove with Nacho , I KNEW who the DM would be. Next time I go there, I will also know who the DM will be, Nacho or Leslie (leslieinpv)! :D

[The Chad]

I personally think you can't beat the Camino Real, now Dreams located just south of town, even further south is hotel Mismaloya. If your in Nuevo Vallarta the only place I've stayed was Marivale which was all-inclusive and nice if you never wanted to leave the resort

[dmhunt]

I recently return from a week in Puerto Vallarta where we had a fantastic time. I had the privilage of spending 3 days in the water with Leslie and Nacho, Local Divers, My Homepage

They went out of their way to make sure I had a great way to ensure I had a great time. I was lucky to have spent two of the three days with Leslie as a personal guide, and we saw all there was to see. Six fantastic dives although one of them was deffenitly challenging with very strong current but even then they made sure we were safe and still had a good dive.

As I'm a newer diver with less than 30 dives at the time and they had had some rough weather just previously, they took us to the spots that were appropriate and still had lots to see. We managed to spend our time enjoying the rays, eels, fish, snakes, dolphines, whales, I held an octopus, etc. It was a trip that I will never forget and I would recomend this team to anyone looking to get the most for their diving dollars in Puerto Vallarta.

To the sceptics, no it is not the Carribean, but I dive the waters off of Vancouver BC Canada and the visability was better than anything we usually get here, and there was tons to see and experience, and thats what its all about anyway, being in the water and enjoying the sights.

Thank you Leslie and Nacho for a trip I will not forget.

David Hunt

[adelman]

I would second the "Vallarta Adventures" as an operation to avoid. We dove with them about a year ago (DM: Sabastian Melani) and they were nothing but trouble. The first sign was he didn't want to take us to any divable site on the first day (the better sites were further away and require they burn more gas to get to them). We left some of our equipment with them (BCs and wetsuits) to clean and store, and it came back molested (my wife had two octo holders on her BC; they removed the "extra" one because they figured it didn't belong there; when asked, it was returned immediately). At the end of the trip, they ran our credit cards for more money than the prenegotiated price and it eventually took the concierge at the Four Seasons we were staying at to resolve the issue with the dive folks.

[Chocoholic]

I've only stayed a couple places and they were in Nuevo Vallarta. Grand Mayan Palace in Nuevo is awesome; mostly because of the lazy river pool and the wave pool. Since you have two kids they would love having a water park to play at all day. We also stayed at Paradise Village which has nice pools and a good beach to body board at. We stayed at Bahia del Sol too, which is a little timeshare, inexpensive condo with a nice pool and a good beach.
I've used Pacific Scuba and Twin Dolphins and would recommend both. I have also used Vallarta Adventures and would recommend them with one caveat.... know what you are getting into. Vallarta Adventures is a cattle boat with shortened dive times and just ok choices for dive sites BUT if you are taking your family it is fun to be on the same boat where they can snorkle and you can dive and then you can all hang out on a huge boat together. Their boat has a huge deck upstairs, two bathrooms and a little kitchen area as well as an entertainment staff.
I liked the diving in PV but it is a long boat ride to get to the sites, from PV Marina - Los Pienes pier it is 30 minutes to Los Arcos, 1 1/2 hours plus to Las Marietas and longer to El Morro so it is an all day affair. The vis was just ok but there were lots of fish. Not much for soft coral. Lots of puffers, eels and tropicals. In November I dove with just my bathingsuit and was fine, but since there can be jellyfish I would wear a full suit next time. ( in April I needed a 3mm with hood).
Have fun and let us know how it goes. Choco

[pvscuba]

If you're not looking for anything fancy and diving is a priority, the Howard Johnson Nautilus hotel is probably your best option. It's the only hotel in Puerto Vallarta that has it's own private dock with the dive boat right there, so no transportation expenses will be needed to go diving.
They offer both all-inclusive and european plan options.
please contact us if you need additional info.
Alex Vega from PVScuba

[spt29970]

I would second the "Vallarta Adventures" as an operation to avoid. We dove with them about a year ago (DM: Sabastian Melani) and they were nothing but trouble. The first sign was he didn't want to take us to any divable site on the first day (the better sites were further away and require they burn more gas to get to them). We left some of our equipment with them (BCs and wetsuits) to clean and store, and it came back molested (my wife had two octo holders on her BC; they removed the "extra" one because they figured it didn't belong there; when asked, it was returned immediately). At the end of the trip, they ran our credit cards for more money than the prenegotiated price and it eventually took the concierge at the Four Seasons we were staying at to resolve the issue with the dive folks.

I was on this trip too, and would like to add a couple of extra points. We were promised that we could dive Nitrox, but somehow the tanks never materialized. We told Sabastian that we needed a camera rinse tank, which he promised to provide, but all he had on board were a couple of bottles of drinking water to pour over the buttons. On one occasion, he left our group of four unattended in the water for 20 minutes. I don't need a nanny, but if you are paying for a DM, he should be in the water with you for the entire dive. Another thing that pissed me off was on the last day, when we had a couple of Mantas come up to us at El Morro, our idiot dive master scared them away by trying to "ride them." I really don't want the DM showing off by harassing the wildlife!

Add to this the overcharging of the credit cards, and I can definitely say that Sabastian was the worst dive master I have ever dealt with.

[pvscuba]

sorry to hear you guys had bad experiences with your Puerto Vallarta dives.
there are several shops in town that focus on diving only and operate smaller, more personalized trips.
Please look us up next time you come to town. We'll have your rinse tank on board and will provide the nitrox if that is your request.
regards
Alex from PVScuba

[Div3r]

Well guys i just got back and it was an awesome trip. I didnt get to go diving per say only because there was too much to do and not enough time to do it. I did however get to do snuba with my fiance, its kind of like diving but your limited to 20FT. it was ok we went to las marietas with the Geronimo whale watching tour. For sure i will go back and will spend the whole trip diving. I will def go with Leslie and Nacho, for you guys i am really sorry i didnt have time to get to you guys. the problem was i was with a big group and we had stuff to do, oh and the tequila had a little to do with it. We stayed at the Royal Decameron and i would def suggest this resort. its in Bucerias and they have the best food and entertainment for the price. The staff was amazing and they kept the drinks coming. All inclusive is the way to go. thanks for all the input!!!!!

[pylut]

The first time I went diving in PY three weeks ago I dove with Chico's Dive shop located on the Malecon. They were OK and the DM was good. I was the only one diving, the rest of the folks snorkeled. We went to Los Arcos on a pontoon type boat, about a 30 minute trip. I just returned from five day trip to PV and had the opportunity to dive on Monday. This time I dove with Alex Vega of PVScuba who I met through this forum. The cab ride from the Malecon was only about $8 and took 15 minutes. I realized I've stayed at the Westin across the street last year about this time, nice place. Alex had a better selection of wetsuits and his equipment looked newer and taken care of. I used a 7mm and hood with the water temp at 70 degrees and was comfortable. (I'm a weenie) That day they were diving Los Arcos but Alex said there are number of areas we could do that I may not have seen. With seven divers, Alex, another instructor and the Captain the ride from the Marina to Los Arcos was only 30 minutes (two 175hp motors). I liked the time they took briefing us about the dive, history and location. Alex uses steel tanks so I adjusted my weight accordingly. The first dive went great and the visibility wasn't bad. We had lunch, snacks and drinks (provided) while waiting to start the second dive. Dive two went great. On the way back we spotted whales jumping the distances so we stopped to watch for a while. Back at the marina Alex helped rinse my equipment and take care of the other clients. After all the equipment was taken care of Alex gave me a tour of the hotel and showed us the pool he does training in. We're coming back down for another five days on the 30th and two of the other pilots need to finish up some training. We're looking forward to diving with PVScuba again.