Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Cabo Pulmo Sports Center in
Mexico (Western)/Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo Sports Center: "A few Hiccups But Worth The Trip", Nov, 2018,

by Paul Barrett, NM, US (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 9 Helpful votes). Report 10683 has 1 Helpful vote.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations N/A Food N/A
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Realizing the fish stocks were depleted and fishermen could no longer rely on it those same fisherman led the effort to designate the area a National Marine in 1995. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the oldest of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America, and the northernmost reef in the eastern pacific.

We flew from Tijuana to La Paz on Volaris Airlines. In La Paz we spent a day snorkeling with whale sharks then drove two rental cars to Cabo Pulmo. In Cabo Pulmo two days were spent diving with Cabo Pulmo Sports Center.

Beware of Volaris Airlines! Although the flight was less expensive than flying from an American airport the customer service was atrocious. I had a small dive tool stolen from my checked luggage and the airline’s response was to blame me for securing it in an outside pocket where their employees could steal it! (Toiletry items in the same pocket were not stolen and it was zippered when it left our hands and when we received it at the La Paz Airport.) Another of our party purchased her ticket but at the last minute had to cancel because she is caring for her 97 year old mother who took ill. Rather than try to accommodate her with a refund or at least credit for a future flight she was told she would need to pay $150 to change her flight which she than would need to take within a year and she had to decide before the flight departed in four hours!

There are a couple of things to be aware of with respect to Cabo Pulmo. The town caters to tourists, particularly divers but it still has a way to go in developing its infrastructure. It is primarily off the grid some most electricity is solar power and batteries. Air conditioning is non-existent, not a problem for much of the year but from May through August the heat can be oppressive. Even with the solar batteries our power cut out near 4:00 am.

Also there are only three or four restaurants in town and none take credit cards. There is also no ATM so be sure to take lots of peso notes when visiting.

As for the diving it was very worthwhile, if limited. On the reef, the fish life was quite abundant with large schools of yellowfin, grunts, and others. The coral seemed healthy with lots of small wrasses and other fishes. Garden eels were common in the sand flats. One of the big attractions is now that the populations of schooling fish have rebounded, large predators have returned. In particular the area is known for bull sharks. The Dive Masters know where to find them and will schedule dives to ensure you’ll have encounters, or at least ensure you have an opportunity for encounters. At one site, six or seven bull sharks circled our group as we kneeled in a sand flat. These sharks are obviously accustomed to divers and never seemed to be a threat.

The area is well regulated and only two boats are allowed at a site at any given time. Dive sites are limited to a dozen or so. Therefore two to three days is sufficient to see the diversity available. Furthermore, each boat can only carry six divers plus the Dive Master and Captain. As a result, if you have a group larger than six some of you will be split up and put on separate boats.

Our Dive Master, David Castro was very good and safety conscious. His father was one of the people responsible for the creation of the Marine Park and he justifiably takes pride in the area and what has been accomplished. He has spent his life in the area and is familiar with the history of all the sites.

Once your gear is loaded on the boat it stays onboard for the duration of your trip. At the end of the trip your equipment is rinsed and hung out to dry. We left early in the morning so I went over and grabbed my BC from the drying rack. That is when I realized that when disassembling my second air they damaged the connection. I was able to repair it myself but dive operators should be able to handle equipment without damaging it. This was a minor hiccup during our trip.
Websites Cabo Pulmo Sports Center   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Bonaire, Caymans, Cozumel, Honduras, Truk, Sipidan
Closest Airport La Paz Getting There Parked in San Diego, took the Cross Boarder Express walkway to the Tijuana Airport. Flew to La P{az, then rented cars.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50-80 Ft/ 15-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified]
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? no

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters N/A Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments [None]
Was this report helpful to you?
Report currently has 1 Helpful vote
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 432 dive reviews of Mexico (Western) and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that like to scuba dive. Let us plan your trip to view great white sharks & giant mantas in Western Mexico.

Want to assemble your own collection of Mexico (Western) reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.12 seconds