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Dive Review of Cabo Pulmo Watersports/Playa del Sol in
Mexico (Western)/Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo Watersports/Playa del Sol, Nov, 2011,

by Douglas Hansen, CA, US (Contributor Contributor 15 reports). Report 6323.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 4 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 4 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments The diving at Cabo Pulmo is very nice. We had huge swirling schools of jacks and other fish. There were immense groupers hanging about. We saw golden groupers every dive. Eels and rays were common. There had been bull sharks in the area, but we didn't see any. The dive sites are at most 15 minutes away from the boat launching point. Boats are launched by pushing them into the water with 4-wheel drive pickups, and are hauled out by pulling them out with the same pickups. There is no anchoring allowed in the marine park, so all dives are drift or live boat dives. There were no ladders to get back on the boat; you hand up your gear, and then you belly flop over the side. If you can't get yourself in the boat, the guide and the driver will drag you in. Surface intervals between dives are spent drifting.

We elected to stay in Los Barriles and make the one hour commute (each way) by car to Cabo Pulmo. Most of the electricity in Cabo Pulmo is generated by solar panels, so air conditioning is generally not available. The Playa del Sol hotel in Los Barriles has a beautiful setting and large rooms. The hotel is a little worn, but clean and feels more personal than the neighboring Palmas de Cortez. Our room was literally steps from the beach. Meals were included, but, except for breakfast and lunch, you did not get to choose your meal.
Websites Cabo Pulmo Watersports   Playa del Sol

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving California, British Columbia, Bonaire, Curacao, Cayman Islands, Fiji,
Palau, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Florida, Hawaii
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, dry Seas choppy
Water Temp 82-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-60 Ft/ 12-18 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Must dive with guide (marine park regulations), no gloves, no knives.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles 1 or 2 Whales None
Corals 2 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 1 stars
UW Photo Comments Boats are small and have no rinse tanks or place to securely hold cameras. No dedicated rinse tanks for cameras at the dive shop.
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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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