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Dive Review of Hotel Cantelmar in
Mexico (Western)/La Paz

Hotel Cantelmar, Dec, 2006,

by Edward Leibowitz, NJ, USA . Report 3117.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments I read the Undercurrent article about this resort last year.In the article you said that in Deecember this area gets high winds, You were absolutely correct. It was not a great month to dive the Sea of Cortez. I ewanted to go earlier, but was affraid I'd get caught in hurricane season which seems to go into November in Baja.
I signed up for a five day three dive/day package. For my stay, this would be a total of 15 dives. Unfortunately, due to wind conditions, I virtually skipped two days of diving.
When the day is bad for diving, it is up to the divemaster or resort to cancel the diving. In this case the resort will refund the money for the lost day of diving. If however, you decide on your own that you don't want to dive on a particular day due to high wind and poor visibility and the resort offers to take you diving, you will get no refund if you don't do the dives.
In addition to everything else, I had several problems while diving.
On my first dive, I was wearing a 7-MM wetsuit and separate hood. My Mares diving mask was leaking badly and I was underweighted. For these reasons, I never completed the first dive.
On another dive to the wreck of the Fan Ming, i had trouble getting down without a downline and had to abort this dive. There was current and the sea was rough and our group had drifted about 100 feet from the boat.
On the second day I was there, the spotter plane spotted nineteen whale sharks. The group I was with snorkled and I got very close to the mouth of a fifteen foot whale shark. I think you might do just as well seeing the whale sharks on the boat as you do snorkeling. The seas were very rough on this day and I got very seasick.
Both Antonio and Marco were very willing to assist you with putting on and taking off your gear, if requested. Since I usually go on dive trips in May, I don't need a hood. I thought the hood was geeting in the way of the mask and causing it to leak. Antonio, the divemaster tested my mask and found out it was leaking on the lower right hand side. I was veryb greatful to him for discovering this problem.
The best restaurant I ate in was the pricey Bisnmark. They do not take credit cards. The Chinese restaurant accross the street from Scotia Bank was also very good and economical.
I'm uncertain if I'd return to dive Baja again.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Tahiti, Palau, Yap, Bonaire, Tortola, Cozumel, Fiji]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 60-70°F / 16-21°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 5-20 Ft/ 2-6 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Depth Limits & Time
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks > 2
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 2 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments Don't do underewater photography
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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.

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