Dive Review of SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING/ANDREA LYNN in
Mexico (Western)

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SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING/ANDREA LYNN, Sep, 2008, by TOM LOPATIN, NJ, UNITED STATES ( Reviewer 5 reports). Report 4456.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	FLEW FROM NEWARK TO SAN DIEGO THE DAY BEFORE THE 5-DAY TRIP STARTED. SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING STAFF, LED BY PAUL "DOC" ANES MET ALL GUESTS AT RAMADA INN LTD., 5 MINUTES FROM THE AIRPORT. THE BUS RIDE TO ENSENADA MEXICO, ON THE NW BAHA OF MEXICO TOOK ABOUT 2 HOURS, WHERE WE BOARDED THE ANDREA LYNN, A 130 FOOT LIVEABOARD. IT WAS THEN OFF TO GUADALUPE ISLAND, A 20 HOUR, SOMEWHAT CHOPPY CROSSING (TAKE MEDICATION IF YOU'RE SEA SICK PRONE). WE ARRIVED AT THE ISLAND AT AROUND 10:00AM THE NEXT MORNING AND THE THREE CAGES WERE LOWERED INTO THE WATER. THE GUESTS WERE ABOUT HALF AND HALF, CERTIFIED VS. UNCERTIFIED. TWO CAGES WERE SECURED TO THE STERN AND THE THIRD WAS KEPT ATTACHED TO THE BOOM ON THE STARBOARD STERN, ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE OTHER TWO. THIS CAGE HAD DUMP VALVES THAT ALLOWED IT TO BE LOWERED ABOUT 20 FEET AND WAS LIMITED TO CERTIFIED DIVERS. ALL CAGES HAD HOOKA AIR LINES DIRECT FROM THE BOAT, WITH THE SUBMERSIBLE CAGE HAVING BACK-UP SCUBA SYSTEMS IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT A SHARK WOULD BITE THROUGH OR ENTANGLE ITSELF IN THE LINES. THERE WWERE I8 GUESTS AND WE WERE DIVIDED INTO "A" AND "B" GROUPS, ALTERNATING FOR I HOUR EACH IN AND OUT OF THE CAGES, WHICH HELD UP TO 4 DIVERS EACH. THE ACTION WAS SLOW THE FIRST COUPLE ROTATIONS OF THE FIRST DAY, BUT AFTER SOME CHUMMING THE BIG BOYS (AND GIRLS) STARTED TO COME IN. I ONLY GOT SKUNKED (NO SHARKS) ONCE, ON THE FIRST DAY AND THE LAST HOUR, FROM 5 TO 6PM. IT WAS NON-STOP ACTION THE OTHER TWO DAYS, WITH 15 FOOT 3000 LBS ANIMALS GOING AFTER THE BAIT, (UP TO FOUR AT ONE TIME), WHICH WAS TIED TO 30 FOOT LINES WITH FLOATS. I SPENT 15 HOURS IN THE CAGES...YOU COULD DOUBLE UP BACK-TO-BACK CAGE TIME WHEN SOMEONE FROM THE OTHER GROUP OPTED OUT FOR AN HOUR. THESE ANIMALS ARE SPECTACULAR AND IF WANT TO SEE THEM UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL...THIS IS THE TRIP TO TAKE. AN ADDED BONUS WAS THAT MARTY SNYDERMAN, THE WORLD RENOWNED UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER WAS ON BOARD...A FRIENDLY EXTREMELY HELPFUL EXPERT THAT CAN COUNSEL YOUR PHOTO SKILLS AND CRITIQUE YOUR SHOTS. DOC AND HIS CREW WERE ALL GREAT PEOPLE AND HE HAS THE OPERATION DOWN TO A SCIENCE. THE MEXICAN CREW FROM THE BOAT WERE ALSO SUPERB, WITH FRANKY, THE BAR TENDER A FUNNY AND SUPER FRIENDLY CHAP (OPEN BAR ON THE BOAT). THE BEST TIME TO GO IS IN THE EARLY PART OF THE SEASON, WHICH RUNS FROM LATE AUGUST TO EARLY DECEMBER...SEAS GET ROUGHER/COLDER AND FEWER SHARKS (BUT POTENTIALLY LARGER FEMALES AS I UNDERSTAND). GUADALUPE ISLAND AND SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING IS THE WAY TO GO FOR GREAT WHITES IF YOU'RE FROM THE STATES...A WHOLE LOT CLOSER THAN SOUTH AFRICA!
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	ALMOST EVERYWHERE
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas
Water Temp	68-70°F / 20-21°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	30-100 Ft/ 9-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	CAGE DIVING IN 1 HOUR SESSIONS
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	BRING YOUR CAMERAS AND VIDEO....GREAT WHITE ACTION!!

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Dive Review of SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING/ANDREA LYNN in Mexico (Western)

SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING/ANDREA LYNN, Sep, 2008,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of SAN DIEGO SHARK DIVING/ANDREA LYNN in
Mexico (Western)