Scuba Options At Cruise Ship Ports Of Call

[Tim McDonough]

My wife and I will be taking an 18 day cruise (on HAL's ms Statendam) through
the Panama Canal (FLL to SAN). We are both scuba divers and on past cruises,
have found several potrts of call that have offered 2 tank certified dives.
Looking at HAL's information for booking shore excursions they currently only
list a dive trip option in Cabo San Lucas. Poking about on the 'net I found
a number of dive shops in many of the ports we will be visting, so I'm
posting to see if there are other divers reading this, that could comment or
recommend any of these (or suggest which to avoid) or those who might have
experience with trying to make a non-ship shore execursion for scuba diving
work at any or all of these ports (given the hours we will be in each port).

* Half Moon Cay, Bahamas [8:00am to 4:00pm]
Nothing...

* Mayaguez, Puerto Rico [7:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.diveshop-pr.com/>
<http://www.monaaquatics.com/index.html>

* Santa Marta, Columbia [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.poseidondivecenter.com/>
<http://www.buceovidamarina.com/home_big.html>
<http://www.tiendadebuceoelrodadero.com/index.html>
<http://www.aquantisdivecenter.com/home.html>
<http://www.oceanoscuba.com.co/main.htm>
<http://www.tayronadivecenter.com/>

* San Blas Islands, Panama [11:00am to 6:00pm]
<http://www.corallodge.com/panama_scuba_diving.php>
Several other sites say scuba isn't allowed in the islands!

* Puerto Chiapas, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
Nothing...

* Huatulco, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.hurricanedivers.com/>

* Acapulco, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.scubadivingacapulco.com/>
<http://www.underwateracapulco.com/main_eng.html>
<http://www.swissdivers.com/LID-en/di.../175/Home.html>

* Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.carloscuba.com/>
<http://www.ixtapaaquaparadise.com/>
<http://www.zihuatanejodivecenter.com/>

* Mazatlan, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.mazatlantours.org/mazatlan-scuba-diving.htm>

* Cabo San Lucas, Mexico [7:00am to 3:00pm]
<http://www.caboscuba.com/>
<http://www.amigosdelmar.com/>
<http://www.aventurasazul.com/>
<http://www.eaglediver.com/>
<http://www.bajadivecharter.com/>

I appreciate any/all feedback on this topic!

-Tim

[Greg Mossman]

Post by Tim McDonough
* Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
  <http://www.zihuatanejodivecenter.com/>
* Cabo San Lucas, Mexico [7:00am to 3:00pm]
  <http://www.amigosdelmar.com/>

I've dove with these operators.

Zihuatenejo was back in 1999, right after I got certified (and before
Janna was officially certified - she was still in the process of
making her o/w dives). Besides letting her dive to 80' as an
uncertified diver, I recall the DM handed us a puffed up puffer,
something I didn't think anything of back then but which would horrify
me now. On the other hand, the female DM we dove with another day
dove in just a bikini bottom and wetsuit top and I was very impressed
by her.

Amigos del Mar was better, we liked our DM and not only because he had
a silver tooth, but Cabo diving doesn't offer the water clarity you
get in much of the Caribbean and even the Mexican Pacific Coast
because of the clash between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
Still, a dive at Land's End (El Arco) is neat just to say you dove
there. The vaunted "sand falls" really weren't very exciting, but
there's an interesting mix of fish around the pinnacle and a bunch of
large local nudibranchs. Sea lions too, if you're lucky. We
weren't. IIRC, the cruise ship pier is right near the dock where
Amigos departs from, so as long as you're one of the first off the
ship, you shouldn't have any problem making a 2-tank dive and
returning in time to spend some money at one of the overpriced tourist
traps in town.

[Dillon Pyron]

Post by Greg Mossman

Post by Tim McDonough
* Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
  <http://www.zihuatanejodivecenter.com/>
* Cabo San Lucas, Mexico [7:00am to 3:00pm]
  <http://www.amigosdelmar.com/>

I've dove with these operators.
Zihuatenejo was back in 1999, right after I got certified (and before
Janna was officially certified - she was still in the process of
making her o/w dives). Besides letting her dive to 80' as an
uncertified diver, I recall the DM handed us a puffed up puffer,
something I didn't think anything of back then but which would horrify
me now. On the other hand, the female DM we dove with another day
dove in just a bikini bottom and wetsuit top and I was very impressed
by her.

Of course, Janna didn't know to slide the weights all the way to the
buckle and hold the open end, so the thunk probably wasn't too bad.

Post by Greg Mossman
Amigos del Mar was better, we liked our DM and not only because he had
a silver tooth, but Cabo diving doesn't offer the water clarity you
get in much of the Caribbean and even the Mexican Pacific Coast
because of the clash between the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez.
Still, a dive at Land's End (El Arco) is neat just to say you dove
there. The vaunted "sand falls" really weren't very exciting, but
there's an interesting mix of fish around the pinnacle and a bunch of
large local nudibranchs. Sea lions too, if you're lucky. We
weren't. IIRC, the cruise ship pier is right near the dock where
Amigos departs from, so as long as you're one of the first off the
ship, you shouldn't have any problem making a 2-tank dive and
returning in time to spend some money at one of the overpriced tourist
traps in town.

[Greg Mossman]

Post by Dillon Pyron

Post by Greg Mossman
Zihuatenejo was back in 1999, right after I got certified (and before
Janna was officially certified - she was still in the process of
making her o/w dives).  Besides letting her dive to 80' as an
uncertified diver, I recall the DM handed us a puffed up puffer,
something I didn't think anything of back then but which would horrify
me now.  On the other hand, the female DM we dove with another day
dove in just a bikini bottom and wetsuit top and I was very impressed
by her.

Of course, Janna didn't know to slide the weights all the way to the
buckle and hold the open end, so the thunk probably wasn't too bad.

Like I said, she was even more inexperienced than me at the time.
When you have zero dives under your belt, you're far more fascinated
by the fish and distracted by your gauges to notice your SO ogling
another diver. Nowadays she's much more experienced, so I have to be
much more careful with my ogling!

[Rosalie B.]

Post by Tim McDonough
My wife and I will be taking an 18 day cruise (on HAL's ms Statendam) through
the Panama Canal (FLL to SAN). We are both scuba divers and on past cruises,
have found several potrts of call that have offered 2 tank certified dives.
Looking at HAL's information for booking shore excursions they currently only
list a dive trip option in Cabo San Lucas. Poking about on the 'net I found
a number of dive shops in many of the ports we will be visting, so I'm
posting to see if there are other divers reading this, that could comment or
recommend any of these (or suggest which to avoid) or those who might have
experience with trying to make a non-ship shore execursion for scuba diving
work at any or all of these ports (given the hours we will be in each port).
* Half Moon Cay, Bahamas [8:00am to 4:00pm]
Nothing...

Half Moon Cay is really Little San Salvador, and no one lives there -
they just come in for the day. It's an artificial place like Disney.

Post by Tim McDonough
* Santa Marta, Columbia [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.poseidondivecenter.com/>
<http://www.buceovidamarina.com/home_big.html>
<http://www.tiendadebuceoelrodadero.com/index.html>
<http://www.aquantisdivecenter.com/home.html>
<http://www.oceanoscuba.com.co/main.htm>
<http://www.tayronadivecenter.com/>

We were in Santa Marta, but I didn't take a tour or anything. My BIL
advised me not to go ashore, but I did anyway and asked the tourist
office on the end of the pier to find a taxi driver for me to drive me
around for an hour. I heard that there was a little fishing village
to visit kind of around the corner, but getting there and back within
the time might be a problem.

Post by Tim McDonough
* San Blas Islands, Panama [11:00am to 6:00pm]
<http://www.corallodge.com/panama_scuba_diving.php>
Several other sites say scuba isn't allowed in the islands!

Another pax told me that we could arrange for someone to take us
diving from a dugout canoe but I don't think I would do it personally.
Especially since the toilets are like old lighthouse toilets

Post by Tim McDonough
I appreciate any/all feedback on this topic!
-Tim

[Dillon Pyron]

Post by Tim McDonough
My wife and I will be taking an 18 day cruise (on HAL's ms Statendam) through
the Panama Canal (FLL to SAN). We are both scuba divers and on past cruises,
have found several potrts of call that have offered 2 tank certified dives.
Looking at HAL's information for booking shore excursions they currently only
list a dive trip option in Cabo San Lucas. Poking about on the 'net I found
a number of dive shops in many of the ports we will be visting, so I'm
posting to see if there are other divers reading this, that could comment or
recommend any of these (or suggest which to avoid) or those who might have
experience with trying to make a non-ship shore execursion for scuba diving
work at any or all of these ports (given the hours we will be in each port).
* Half Moon Cay, Bahamas [8:00am to 4:00pm]
Nothing...

HAL operated. If they say no, then no

Post by Tim McDonough
* Mayaguez, Puerto Rico [7:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.diveshop-pr.com/>
<http://www.monaaquatics.com/index.html>

From what I understand, the diving is okay to better than okay around
there. No personal experience with either of those operators. Try
rec.scuba.locations. Oooops :-) (that's the sound of your chain
being yanked)

Post by Tim McDonough
* Santa Marta, Columbia [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.poseidondivecenter.com/>
<http://www.buceovidamarina.com/home_big.html>

Probably the best of them.

Post by Tim McDonough
<http://www.tiendadebuceoelrodadero.com/index.html>
<http://www.aquantisdivecenter.com/home.html>
<http://www.oceanoscuba.com.co/main.htm>
<http://www.tayronadivecenter.com/>

How experienced are you as a diver? Would you feel comfortable going
out with just a couple of people and maybe a dive master who points
out stuff and doesn't look after you, or do you need to be led?
Aquantis Dive Center and Ocean Scuba are both cattleboats, the others
can be if you're not careful.

Post by Tim McDonough
* San Blas Islands, Panama [11:00am to 6:00pm]
<http://www.corallodge.com/panama_scuba_diving.php>
Several other sites say scuba isn't allowed in the islands!

My understanding is that it can be silty.

Post by Tim McDonough
* Puerto Chiapas, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
Nothing...
* Huatulco, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.hurricanedivers.com/>

Unless you have really solid reservations with them (and enough divers
to make it worth the trip), they leave around 0730. And you know what
"8:00 am" arrival means.

Post by Tim McDonough
* Acapulco, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.scubadivingacapulco.com/>
<http://www.underwateracapulco.com/main_eng.html>
<http://www.swissdivers.com/LID-en/di.../175/Home.html>
* Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.carloscuba.com/>
<http://www.ixtapaaquaparadise.com/>
<http://www.zihuatanejodivecenter.com/>
* Mazatlan, Mexico [8:00am to 5:00pm]
<http://www.mazatlantours.org/mazatlan-scuba-diving.htm>

No comments on the above

Post by Tim McDonough
* Cabo San Lucas, Mexico [7:00am to 3:00pm]
<http://www.caboscuba.com/>
<http://www.amigosdelmar.com/>
<http://www.aventurasazul.com/>
<http://www.eaglediver.com/>
<http://www.bajadivecharter.com/>

The best diving takes too long to get too.

Post by Tim McDonough
I appreciate any/all feedback on this topic!
-Tim

[Greg Mossman]

Post by Dillon Pyron

Post by Tim McDonough
* Mayaguez, Puerto Rico [7:00am to 5:00pm]
 <http://www.diveshop-pr.com/>
 <http://www.monaaquatics.com/index.html>

From what I understand, the diving is okay to better than okay around
there.  No personal experience with either of those operators.  Try
rec.scuba.locations.   Oooops    :-)  (that's the sound of your chain
being yanked)

It's on the west coast, so it's gotta be a lot better than the east
coast crap near San Juan and El Yunque. On the east coast, Fajardo
was miserable and Humacao not much better, but the water should be
much clearer on the west side.