BFEIII
Registered
Does anyone have a view on diving in Nuevo/Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta
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KDAD
Contributor
From my log book. Dove two 2 tank dives there in August 2015 as a newer OW diver. Water temps 84 deg. No exposure suit. Vis 30 ft. Dove AL80s. I booked all dives through Chicos Dive Shop which was fine for Day 2. See below.
Day 1: Booked Mariettas trip through Chicos. Put on a very large Vallarta Adventures catamaran cattle boat. Most of the 100 people were snorkeling or just going for the boat ride. The 8 divers were met at the site by a small boat and we did our dives. The dives were ok but the trip was long due to the slow boat and extra activities on the boat such as the singing and dancing. It was fun but not a dedicated dive trip so beware if that is what not you are looking for. Dove Las Montanas and Los Peratas. 35 minute dives to 70 feet with 50 foot average. Decent reefs.
Day 2: Dove Los Arcos with Chicos on their smaller catamaran. 8 divers + 8 snorkelers. Four of the divers were doing OW and we're with an instructor so the remaining four dove with a DM. Vis 30 ft. 55 to 60 minute dives to 70 ft. Nice spot. Reefs with a wall.
Saw eagle ray, turtles, sea snakes, green moray, spotted moray, striped moray, octopus, and a bait ball.
There is very limited information on diving Nuevo/Puerto Vallarta here or elsewhere. The diving was nice although vis is not what can be found in the Caribbean or SE Asia although I dive NJ waters so 30 ft to me is just fine, especially when no exposure suit is needed. I would return if I had to (i.e., as part of a family vacation) but not as a dedicated dive trip. I would use Chicos if staying downtown or look into Vallarta Undersea if staying in Nuevo who I found walking around a marina my last day there. Dive packages at Chicos are a few dollars less.
Day 1: Booked Mariettas trip through Chicos. Put on a very large Vallarta Adventures catamaran cattle boat. Most of the 100 people were snorkeling or just going for the boat ride. The 8 divers were met at the site by a small boat and we did our dives. The dives were ok but the trip was long due to the slow boat and extra activities on the boat such as the singing and dancing. It was fun but not a dedicated dive trip so beware if that is what not you are looking for. Dove Las Montanas and Los Peratas. 35 minute dives to 70 feet with 50 foot average. Decent reefs.
Day 2: Dove Los Arcos with Chicos on their smaller catamaran. 8 divers + 8 snorkelers. Four of the divers were doing OW and we're with an instructor so the remaining four dove with a DM. Vis 30 ft. 55 to 60 minute dives to 70 ft. Nice spot. Reefs with a wall.
Saw eagle ray, turtles, sea snakes, green moray, spotted moray, striped moray, octopus, and a bait ball.
There is very limited information on diving Nuevo/Puerto Vallarta here or elsewhere. The diving was nice although vis is not what can be found in the Caribbean or SE Asia although I dive NJ waters so 30 ft to me is just fine, especially when no exposure suit is needed. I would return if I had to (i.e., as part of a family vacation) but not as a dedicated dive trip. I would use Chicos if staying downtown or look into Vallarta Undersea if staying in Nuevo who I found walking around a marina my last day there. Dive packages at Chicos are a few dollars less.
Did my AOW there some years ago. Not particularly good diving compared to the Caribbean, but at least you're blowing bubbles. I would not go there specifically to dive.
RichH
RichH
ScubaSteve858
Contributor
I would contact Marc with PV Ocean Tours for the best diving operation in puerto. You have to drive to Mismaloya which is about 40mins from the airport area. However once you realize that you would be doing the same commute via boat for over an hour, the drive is way better. mismaloya is only a 5-15 min ride to the popular spots. You do a beach launch in a panga style boat, no more than 4 divers! Despite being a small operation they were very professional and let you dive within your training. I had 60min of bottom time on every dive.
KDAD
Contributor
As @Aguablanco1 says diving there is not like the Caribbean. If you go there hoping for Caribbean diving conditions you will be disappointed. Set your expectations correctly and you will be happy.
@ScubaSteve858 Recommedation to drive instead of boating closer to the site is good for any trip, especially if it gets you on a panga. That's the problem with diving in pv, not enough good tips such as these on the boards. I tried to do that with my trip also.
My big complaint with the Vallarta Adventures trip was that I boarded a large mostly empty catamaran in Nuevo with a handful of other divers and then drove 45 minutes or so to PV to pick up the herd and then backtracked to the dive site. Return was the reverse so alot of time was spent motoring around. Now I love being on the water and did get to see pods of dolphins so it wasn't a total waste but I could have just as easily taken a panga and enjoyed the extra time sipping cocktails at my hotel (instead of the rum punch or whatever they served on the boat).
@BFEIII any more details of your trip or what you are looking for and maybe we can help some more.
@ScubaSteve858 Recommedation to drive instead of boating closer to the site is good for any trip, especially if it gets you on a panga. That's the problem with diving in pv, not enough good tips such as these on the boards. I tried to do that with my trip also.
My big complaint with the Vallarta Adventures trip was that I boarded a large mostly empty catamaran in Nuevo with a handful of other divers and then drove 45 minutes or so to PV to pick up the herd and then backtracked to the dive site. Return was the reverse so alot of time was spent motoring around. Now I love being on the water and did get to see pods of dolphins so it wasn't a total waste but I could have just as easily taken a panga and enjoyed the extra time sipping cocktails at my hotel (instead of the rum punch or whatever they served on the boat).
@BFEIII any more details of your trip or what you are looking for and maybe we can help some more.
Ongrade
Registered
I'll second what ScubaSteve said about Marc. He's a great dive master and runs a nice operation. There are some nice dives in PV, but it's dependent on the time of year. Like most sites along the east side of the pacific it gets the cold nutrient rich upwelling currents that cause plankton blooms. Winter and middle of summer are the best times for clear conditions. I've dove in 15-20' vis(late Feb-early June) and I've had 100'+ vis(July-January). It's not a "dive destination", but it is a great place to vacation with some of the best restaurants in Mexico and friendly people, there are also lots of things to do when not diving.
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