SCUBA vendors on Mex Riviera and Sea of Cortez

[underseahunter]

Hello there fellow SCUBA divers and SCUBA diving enthusiasts.

 

I am searching for information on the best VENDORS and DIVE spots on the mexican riviera for the following ports of call:

Topolobampo, Mexico

La Paz, Mexico (Pichilingue)

Mazatlan, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

 

With particular emphasis on the Topolobampo and La Paz DIVE sites.

I understand that the cruise lines offer VERY LITTLE in the way of SCUBA diving, in fact NONE at these two locations. We are booked on the NCL Sun. Calling any SCUBA Divers familiar and experienced with SCUBA DIVING on this itenerary.

 

Vendors and skill level information is needed asap. We would like to see some big critters. Not just coral and fish that fit in a tank. BIG schools of pelagics.

 

please respond,

 

C

[tootsiescurly]

Hello there fellow SCUBA divers and SCUBA diving enthusiasts.

 

I am searching for information on the best VENDORS and DIVE spots on the mexican riviera for the following ports of call:

Topolobampo, Mexico

La Paz, Mexico (Pichilingue)

Mazatlan, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

 

With particular emphasis on the Topolobampo and La Paz DIVE sites.

I understand that the cruise lines offer VERY LITTLE in the way of SCUBA diving, in fact NONE at these two locations. We are booked on the NCL Sun. Calling any SCUBA Divers familiar and experienced with SCUBA DIVING on this itenerary.

 

Vendors and skill level information is needed asap. We would like to see some big critters. Not just coral and fish that fit in a tank. BIG schools of pelagics.

 

please respond,

 

C

 

La Paz contact the Cortez Club or Fun Baja. There are many sites close to the ship. Los Elotes is fun to dive with the sea lions and their is a very nice wreck dive very close also.

 

No diving in Mazatlan. Diving in Puerto Vallarta is not very good. Contact Sunshine Dive Charter in Cabo. Lars is very good and will tailor the dives to your level and wants. Avoid Manta in Cabo. They are not very accomodating.

[underseahunter]

Thank you for your quick reply "tootsiescurly,"

When you said that there is no diving in mazatlan, did you mean that the VIZ is bad, or that there are no shore excursions? Do the same two assumptions apply to puerto vallarta? Monsoon month degradation of viz and no excursions. I have seen that there are trips to the nearby offshore islands seem cool? What month did you dive these locales?

 

Here in south Florida the dive charters will always exaggerate the viz to keep the boats full. When they would say the viz is eighty feet... I would reply, "Eighty foot viz is not defined as "forty feet in each direction."

 

No one seems to know about Topolobampo. IDK

 

Thanks again,

C

[tootsiescurly]

Thank you for your quick reply "tootsiescurly,"

When you said that there is no diving in mazatlan, did you mean that the VIZ is bad, or that there are no shore excursions? Do the same two assumptions apply to puerto vallarta? Monsoon month degradation of viz and no excursions. I have seen that there are trips to the nearby offshore islands seem cool? What month did you dive these locales?

 

Here in south Florida the dive charters will always exaggerate the viz to keep the boats full. When they would say the viz is eighty feet... I would reply, "Eighty foot viz is not defined as "forty feet in each direction."

 

No one seems to know about Topolobampo. IDK

 

Thanks again,

C

There are no dive shops in Mazatlan. Don't know why. We dove in Puerto Vallarta. The diving was not very good. Pretty much the consensus from everyone.

 

We have many dives in the Sea of Cortez. We normally dive May - Nov. The best viz we have ever had is 60 ft. Most of the time it is around 25-30 ft. The diving is very different than the Caribbean. It is more about marine mammals. There is very little coral. The young sea lions are very friendly which can make the diving fun. We see many marine mammals on the trip to the dive sites but very rarely do we see them when we dive, with the exception of the sea lions. There are many pretty fish.

 

I do not know if you can reach the dive sites with the pelagics when on a cruise ship. The hammerheads, mantas, etc. are a longer boat ride.

[underseahunter]

Here are the SCUBA Diving vendors I found and used on the Mexican Riviera.

 

Club cantamar in LaPaz / Pichellinge

Vallarta Adventuras in Puerto Vallarta

Eagle Divers in Cabo San Lucas

Aqua Sports Center in Mazatlan

 

I will comment about them and the dives later.