pacific mexico

"Mindy Ketchum" <minni@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:uffXe.339769$_o.277753@attbi_s71...
> Can anyone tell me about diving in Los Cabos or Ixtapa

Los Cabos: 20-30' viz, chillier water on the Pacific side, sea lions, some
tropicals. Worth doing once to say you've done it once. Much better to go
up the gulf to Cabo Pulmo or La Paz or further.

Ixtapa (actually Zihuatenejo): better viz and a bit warmer than Los Cabos.
Tropicals, but only small stuff as it's overfished. Still, I'm not sure
it's even worth doing once and it's certainly no "diving destination".

Greg Mossman wrote:
> "Mindy Ketchum" <minni@mchsi.com> wrote in message
> news:uffXe.339769$_o.277753@attbi_s71...
> > Can anyone tell me about diving in Los Cabos or Ixtapa

My follow-up to that a couple of days ago somehow got lost in google.
Didn't bother to repost. This was basically what I said to the Q:

*> Yes, some "anyone" can. I even know who that "anyone" will
*> show in this thread. That prediction would have realized today.

>
> Los Cabos: 20-30' viz, chillier water on the Pacific side, sea lions, some
> tropicals. Worth doing once to say you've done it once. Much better to go
> up the gulf to Cabo Pulmo or La Paz or further.
>
> Ixtapa (actually Zihuatenejo): better viz and a bit warmer than Los Cabos.
> Tropicals, but only small stuff as it's overfished. Still, I'm not sure
> it's even worth doing once and it's certainly no "diving destination".

It's not worth even saying "Been there. Done that."

It would have been "Been there, many times. NOT done any diving" for
me.

My line was indirect:

*> I've been to each at least twice this year. Never got wet.
*> Never got wet there on previous occasions either.

-- Bob.

Mindy Ketchum wrote:
> Can anyone tell me about diving in Los Cabos or Ixtapa

Do you do Pacific diving in general? If not, don't expect tropical.
But there are places from San Diego on down to Los Cabos on both sides
that have some remarkable stuff.

"Whistler" <whiNstOler@sSan.rPr.cAomM> wrote in message
news:9t4Ye.866$EA4.665@tornado.socal.rr.com...
> Mindy Ketchum wrote:
>> Can anyone tell me about diving in Los Cabos or Ixtapa
>
> Do you do Pacific diving in general? If not, don't expect tropical.

Why wouldn't one expect tropical in Los Cabos or Ixtapa?

Greg Mossman wrote:
>>
>>Do you do Pacific diving in general? If not, don't expect tropical.
>
>
> Why wouldn't one expect tropical in Los Cabos or Ixtapa?

Perhaps I should have said, ``Don't expect Caribbean temperatures and
visibility.''

In article <11j1rsvd9l2pr3d@corp.supernews.com>, "Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> writes:
>"Whistler" <whiNstOler@sSan.rPr.cAomM> wrote in message
>news:9t4Ye.866$EA4.665@tornado.socal.rr.com...
>> Mindy Ketchum wrote:
>>> Can anyone tell me about diving in Los Cabos or Ixtapa
>>
>> Do you do Pacific diving in general? If not, don't expect tropical.
>
>Why wouldn't one expect tropical in Los Cabos or Ixtapa?

The prevailing ocean currents are from the north, bringing considerably
colder water than you would find at the same lattitude in the Caribbean,
Gulf of Mexico, or US east coast. Inquire in advance regarding the
water temps and bring the correct exposure protection.

--
Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
(hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

"Whistler" <whiNstOler@sSan.rPr.cAomM> wrote in message
news:Bf6Ye.12002$Gh.11101@tornado.socal.rr.com...

>> Why wouldn't one expect tropical in Los Cabos or Ixtapa?
>
> Perhaps I should have said, ``Don't expect Caribbean temperatures and
> visibility.''

OK, but for the sake of argument, I'll still argue. The water is plenty
warm on the Sea of Cortez side of Los Cabos (toward San Jose del Cabo), and
temps further up the Sea exceed the Caribbean's in summer, reaching to 90
degrees at times. Viz can also be stunning in the Sea, though admittedly
not the 100'+ that you can find in some spots in the Caribbean. Of course
there are plenty of spots in the Caribbean where viz sucks much of the time.

As for Ixtapa, the water does approximate Caribbean temperatures. The viz
is lower, but not terrible, and certainly better than what I've experienced
off Ambergris Caye (sorry chilly!), Grand Cayman, and Puerto Rico (cough).

Perhaps you should have said "Don't expect Caribbean coral". I wouldn't
have argued with that. Even at Cabo Pulmo, which is rumored to be a coral
reef, the coral sucks in comparison to anything but the cruise-ship battered
reefs off 7 Mile Beach. Still, rocks can be pretty too. Look how many
people dive in caves where there's nothing but rocks.

The most memorable thing about diving in Ixtapa was the DM on one dive. She
had an extraordinarily cute figure and I positioned myself right behind her
the entire time. I have no idea if we saw any marine life.

On the other hand, the most memorable thing about diving in Cabo Pulmo was a
fellow diver who the DM had put in charge. Apparently she was living out
there, doing her DM training, and the real DM complained he was too cold. I
do remember that she went too fast, getting to the end of the reef while we
still had half our air, so she doubled back and had us swim against the
current. On the next dive, we rebelliously did our own thing and she, and
her mom who was down there visiting her, ended up following us. That's not
the memorable part. What was memorable is that she had the most astonishing
female body hair. Being half-Guatemalan (her mother was Caucasian
American), her hair was thick and black. It also covered almost every inch
of her exposed skin and she was wearing a skimpy bikini. All up and down
her arms and legs, including a really thick patch covering her inner thighs
and extending above the bikini strap to about halfway up her torso. Lots of
hair under the arms too. I couldn't keep my eyes off her either.

Greg Mossman wrote:
> "Whistler" <whiNstOler@sSan.rPr.cAomM> wrote in message
> news:Bf6Ye.12002$Gh.11101@tornado.socal.rr.com...
>
>
>>>Why wouldn't one expect tropical in Los Cabos or Ixtapa?
>>
>>Perhaps I should have said, ``Don't expect Caribbean temperatures and
>>visibility.''
>
>
> OK, but for the sake of argument, I'll still argue.

I'm shocked.

> Perhaps you should have said "Don't expect Caribbean coral".

Fair enough. All my info on Cabo is hearsay anyway. I've been to Mulege'.

My point is, I got the impression the original poster has not dove the
Pacific. I gather that a lot of people get turned off by the diving at
Los Cabos because ``it's not the Caribbean.'' But that don't mean it
can't be great. One gray whale and it's worth the trip...

> I wouldn't
> have argued with that.

Sure you would have.

> Even at Cabo Pulmo, which is rumored to be a coral
> reef, the coral sucks in comparison to anything but the cruise-ship battered
> reefs off 7 Mile Beach. Still, rocks can be pretty too. Look how many
> people dive in caves where there's nothing but rocks.

In many ways, I prefer them as I generally prefer the Pacific
environment. Diving the Sea of Cortez from Mulege' was cold, though,
even in June, and not your typical clear water setup. Though the dive
operator did say we came the wrong week.

>
> The most memorable thing about diving in Ixtapa was the DM on one dive. She
> had an extraordinarily cute figure and I positioned myself right behind her
> the entire time. I have no idea if we saw any marine life.

Unh hunh.

"Whistler" <whiNstOler@sSan.rPr.cAomM> wrote in message
news:2JfYe.12033$Gh.6330@tornado.socal.rr.com...

> Fair enough. All my info on Cabo is hearsay anyway. I've been to
> Mulege'.

I've been meaning to make a road trip down there someday. Some old hippie
friends of my mom have some land out at Punta Chivato and have invited me
several times. Now that Alaska Airlines has a flight from LAX to Loreto,
I'd probably hop on that instead and save about 24 hours of driving each
way.

> My point is, I got the impression the original poster has not dove the
> Pacific. I gather that a lot of people get turned off by the diving at
> Los Cabos because ``it's not the Caribbean.'' But that don't mean it
> can't be great. One gray whale and it's worth the trip...

I enjoyed it for a couple days. The Caribbean really needs to get itself
some sea lions. I find them more fun than whales, though I confess I've
never dove with a whale before. Unlike further up the Pacific coast, you
have a fair selection of tropicals, though nowhere near the variety that
you'd find further up the Sea side. At Land's End you can definitely feel
the difference between the Pacific and the Sea waters, as dramatic as any
thermocline, simply by swimming around to the other side of one of the big
rocks.

I have few lousy shots up at
http://users.adelphia.net/~gmossman/Cabo/cabo_frame.htm .

> Sure you would have.

No I wouldn't.

> In many ways, I prefer them as I generally prefer the Pacific
> environment. Diving the Sea of Cortez from Mulege' was cold, though, even
> in June, and not your typical clear water setup. Though the dive operator
> did say we came the wrong week.

One nice thing about rocks is that you can touch them. Coral reefs, for the
most part, make a diver keep his hands hands idle. I end up feeling like
I'm playing soccer and I've always hated soccer. That's the main reason I
bought a camera. With rock diving, you can get up close and personal, able
to hold oneself in place for as long as one wants regardless of the current
or surge, without having to fin spastically or cause too much damage. The
DM in Cabo was much more interactive than your average Caribbean DM, though
we finally stopped playing with him after he violently yanked an octopus out
of her lair. Later that day I had tacos de pulpo. I guess it's all
relative.

Greg Mossman wrote:
>
> I have few lousy shots up at
> http://users.adelphia.net/~gmossman/Cabo/cabo_frame.htm .
>


real pretty and the fx on the tech are neat too

mk5000

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brasserie is overflowing character - anc characters. It serves basic
but consistently good fare, and the staff and patrons are really fun,
especially at brunch on a sunny weekend"--Duncan Quinn