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

Tahiti, Palau, Yap, Bonaire,Tortola, Cozumel,Fiji]

Dive Conditions

Depth Limits & Time  

Don't do underewater photography  

Overall Rating

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. 
  

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