Instant Reader Report
on Carey Dive Center aka Buceo Carey / Los Arcos Cabanas in
Mexico (Western) Pacific / La Paz on
2002/11
by
Peter Belden , CA, USA
Report Number 021226160832612

 Curacao, Grand Turk, Monterey CA, Moorea, Ixtapa, Coronados Island,
Cozumel, Belize, Maui, Little Cayman, Channel Islands, Vancouver BC 

Dive Conditions

[Unspecified]  

[None]  

Overall Rating

We dove in La Paz Thanksgiving weekend and were told that Nov 27 is a bit
late for the whale sharks.  We'd previously been told that the last week
of August is too early, so according to the Dive Masters at Carey Dive
Center the Whale shark season in La Paz is Sept/Oct.  This allegedly is
also the season for the giant mantas and the Hammerheads, although we saw
hammerheads on our previous trip the last week of August.  Sept/Oct is
also supposed to be insanely busy with divers.  The mantas we saw on this
trip were small 2-3 foot mobula mantas that we observed jumping from the
skiff but did not see while diving.  As always the very playful sea lions
at Los Islotes were a highlight of the trip and the would nip at divers
fins and even allow petting and even stroking their teeth, although I
believe it is best to look and not touch.  

Carey Dive center has an office conveniently located right in town and
their boat is only a 3 minutes drive away in the van which they use to
pick you up right at your hotel.  The small skiffs Carey used were faster
than the larger boat used by Baja Diving and Service.  Lunch is on an
isolated beach and we had the boat to ourselves.  Bring a hood for diving
and a wool hat for the boat in November because it's a bit cold.  This is
our second enjoyable dive trip with Carey Dive Center.  

We also dove one day with Baja Diving and Service and would recommend
Carey Dive Center over Baja Diving and Service.  First Baja Diving and
Service is about a 30 minute drive out of La Paz.  They come and pick you
up but the drive is a pain and a time sink.  Then when we arrived at the
boat they told us we'd have to wait an hour for them to set up the boat
before it departs.  Then they told us we were going to El Bajo even when I
had specifically pre-arranged in writing in advance that we would not go to
El Bajo because we wanted to try some new dive spots.  This argument
continued for about 30 mintues but then it because clear that the waves
wouldn't let us make it to El Bajo anyway.  

Los Arcos Cabanas was a nice place to stay, conveniently located in town
but not too noisy.  They appear to have almost no king/queen beds at all
and there is very little difference among the types of rooms within the
cabanas.  Breakfast is not included and the pool closes at 10pm.  I would
return to Los Arcos again.  

La Paz is a nice quiet destination with very low cost hotels and food. 
The dive sites are generally a 1 hour ride each way.  Go and enjoy La Paz
now beforee increased cruise ship traffic and general growth and
development ruin this nice out of the way spot.   

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