Cabo San Lucas Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

What to expect

The Sea of Cortez is home to the largest variety of marine life in the world. The unique location at the tip of the Baja Peninsula brings together sea life from both the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez. The warm waters, great weather, and preserved habitat make this the worlds largest playground for fish and other sea creatures.

When you visit Cabo San Lucas, do not pass up the opportunity to be face to face with the most spectacular marine life. You can get up close and personal with the giant Pacific manta rays, sea turtles, schools of tropical fish, tuna, playful seals, a white tip shark, or much more. There are dive locations that accommodate everyone from the first time divers to advanced divers looking for some unique sightings like underwater caves and open water dives.

Scuba diving in Cabo San Lucas is a safe and fun adventure for the entire family. Los Cabos scuba diving companies are a great value for an experience that you will remember forever. Create lasting memories with your family under the Sea of Cortez and see why Baja California is such a popular scuba diving destination.

Average Prices

If you are a beginner diver, you will need some sort of certification before you jump in the Sea of Cortez. Every single Los Cabos scuba diving operator will offer a “Discover Scuba Diving Resort” course. The prices for this basic 3 hour course range from $86-$115 and will certify you for the duration of your stay, but you only will be able to dive near shore and up to 40 feet in depth. Unfortunately, this course only gives you a temporary certification that cannot be used for Scuba Diving anywhere else or any other time.

Full open water certification is a bit pricier, but you will be rewarded with a permanent certification that will save you time and money everywhere in the world when you want to go scuba diving. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to scuba dive, Cabo San Lucas is the perfect place to start. All service operators will offer a full PADI Open Water certification couse. Prices range from a $300 entry level 2 day PADI open water course to a 4 day certification for $450.

Once you have PADI certification, Scuba Diving in Cabo San Lucas is a great value considering the low cost and spectacular marine life. With a certification, you can go on a two tank dive for around $75, an expedition out to the famous Cabo Pulmo dive spot for $150-$235, or even a one tank night dive for as low as $50. You can mix and match different packages, multiple day diving, or even advanced certifications to make the most of your trip to Baja. Most companies will offer equipment rental for $20/day (such as a B.C.D., regulator, wet suit, fins, mask and snorkel).

Popular Scuba Diving Sites

East Cape

Cabo Pulmo: Hands down the most famous diving spot in all of Los Cabos and one of the best in the world. Cabo Pulmo is home to the only living coral reef on the west coast of North America. The coral reef area is protected by the Mexican government and over the past 20 years has flourished and become home to a vibrant sea life. Thanks to strict conservation measures, Cabo Pulmo is still available today for scuba divers to enjoy. If you love scuba diving, do not miss your chance to see this beautiful marine sanctuary up close.
Gordo Banks: This spot may not have the beautiful living coral reef like Cabo Pulmo, but it is home to schools of some spectacular species. The location iis only for advanced divers only because the depth is at about 110’ to 130’ and can have strong currents. But if you make it down below, you will have plenty of sea life to watch. From schooling hammerheads, game fish, and jacks to the bull sharks, manta rays, and giant whale shark, you will be diving alongside some amazing creatures.

The Corridor

Chileno Reef: Just off the coast of the tourist corridor of Cabo San Lucas, the Chileno reef is a 40’ to 80’ dive great for beginners and snorkelers. The reef stretches from Chileno beach for one half of a mile out to sea and is filled with tropical life like starfish, flower urchins, eels, and even an occasional sea manta, sea bass, sea turtle, and nurse sharks.
Santa Maria: 20’-60’ depth dive with great reef and corals. The colorful dive is perfect for photos so bring your underwater camera. This is a great beginner to intermediate dive that delivers amazing sights and tons of sea life.
Blowhole: This is another great diving spot in the corridor area that is home to a huge rock covered in gorgonians. The site occasionally has bat rays, eagle rays, grouper fish, and even a few manta and whale sharks have been spotted. The location gets its name from a nearby blowhole onshore.

Near Cabo San Lucas

Pelican Rock - Sand Falls: One of the most popular diving spots for beginners is only 5 minutes from the Cabo Marina. The spot is out by Land’s End, alongside the rocky walls that are home to an abundance of sea fans, goat fish, puffers, eels, and parrotfish. The diving spot starts at only 20 foot depth, so people who opted to do the basic discover scuba course are allowed to dive here with some great views of life under the sea. For more advanced divers with PADI certification, you can dive down to 90 feet where the famous underwater sand waterfalls are. The sand is literally falling into the deep valley below and is a great site for photographers.
Neptune’s Finger (La Larga): Another great dive spot near Land’s End is Neptune’s Finger, perfect for intermediate to advanced divers. The dive goes from 25-130 feet in depth along a rock wall. You will see plenty of gorgonians and sea fans along with large schools of barracuda, tropicals, and an occasional tuna, shark, or manta ray. At the lower depths, you will also find another sandfall.
Land’s End (La Punta): This is one of the most unique dive spots in the world because you get to dive in the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean during the same dive. The depths range from 20 to 90 feet and there is an abundance of sea life at this spot. You will see turtles, large sea bass, sea lions, gamefish, octopus, tropical fish, and even whale sharks and mantas. The site is generally for advanced divers only because of the strong currents.
North Wall (Las Cuevas): The North Wall is another great dive spot for beginners who have taken the resort course but also offers depths up to 130 feet for more experienced divers.The shallow waters have a reef that is provides amazing sites easily accessible by beginners and snorkelers.

Scuba Diving Providers in Cabo San Lucas

Amigos Del Mar: https://www.amigosdelmar.com/
Andromeda Divers: https://www.scubadivecabo.com
Baja Dive: https://www.scubadivingcabosanlucas.net/
*Cabo Adventures: https://www.cabo-adventures.com/tours/scuba
Cabo Sailing Dive Charters: https://www.cabosailing.com/sail-and-scuba/dive-charters/
Cabo San Lucas Tours: https://www.cabosanlucastours.net/Scuba-Diving.htm
Cabo Scuba Dive: https://caboscubadive.com/
Dive Cabo San Lucas: https://www.divecabosanlucas.com/
Eagle Divers: https://www.eaglediver.com/
Land’s End Divers: https://www.mexonline.com/landsend.htm
*Los Cabos Deep Blue: https://cabodeepblue.com/
Manta Scuba Diving: https://www.caboscuba.com/
Oceanus Los Cabos: https://www.oceanusloscabos.com.mx
Scuba Dive Cabo San Lucas: https://www.scubadivecabosanlucas.com/
*Sunshine Dive & Charter: https://www.divecabo.com/
*Tio Sports: https://www.tiosports.com/

*Top rated and reviewed service providers

F.A.Q.

Can I scuba dive in Cabo without any diving experience? Yes! Almost all of the Los Cabos scuba diving providers are certified and capable of providing everything from a basic education course for beginners to full deep water certification. Cabo San Lucas is a great place for your first scuba diving adventure.
Are sharks dangerous to swim around? The movie Jaws is just that, a movie. In real life, scuba diving around sharks is one of those most exciting experiences. These graceful creatures are some of the most misunderstood fish in the sea. The majority of sharks you will encounter are smaller and will likely remain far away from any scuba divers. It is highly improbably you will ever encounter a great white shark, especially since they do not live in the warm waters of Los Cabos. Your safety is a top concern in Cabo, and sharks are not a threat in the area.
Will I experience the “bends?” When you Scuba in Cabo, you are required to take at least a basic certification or education course. Preventing decompression sickness is as simple as following instructions and only descending or ascending slowly, usually stopping 15 feet before you surface for one last decompression. If you are just a beginner, you will probably not be diving deeper than 60 feet which is when “the bends” is usually an important factor to consider. Most divers have never experienced this and you probably won’t either.
When is the best time to go scuba diving in Cabo? The water starts to really warm up around July and stays warm, with good visibility, through January. During this time you can witness large schools of tuna, large marlin, and even whales who are migrating south.
Do I need my own gear? You do not need to bring any scuba diving gear with you to Cabo San Lucas unless you absolutely want to. There are multiple companies with high quality equipment available for rent, including wetsuits thick enough for the current water temperature.
Is it expensive to go scuba diving? The actual certification process can seem a little expensive, but once you are certified scuba diving is a fairly low cost sport. Renting equipment in the beginning is a great way to save money instead of trying to purchase all of the gear up front. If you compare the prices of scuba diving to another popular sport like fishing in Cabo San Lucas, you will see that you can Scuba dive for a much lower cost.
Is scuba diving dangerous? All adventure sports of some small risks, but scuba diving is one of the safest sports around. With a good certification course from a reputable instructor and new equipment, you should be able to have the time of your life without any risk of death or injury. Several decades ago when scuba diving was still a new sport, the technologically and knowledge was not advanced enough to protect everyone. Nowadays, many safety precautions are taken to insure you and your friends will have a safe experience.

Reviews

Hi Bob! Thank you for your business. We enjoyed stay at Villa del Arco. We refer you for our friends in San Diego, Seattle and Orange County. Thank you. Lev.

Lev , San Diego

Bob, I meant to contact you before this, but we've had some busy times since we got back. We were down there to celebrate our 25th anniversary, but this year is also my parents 50th and we were busy with that. We had an awesome experience. Everything went very smoothly. We loved the resort. The service was wonderful. Somewhere I had read a review that the concierge was only there to try to sell timeshares and not be helpful, but that was not the case at all for us. Julia was who we primarily dealt with and once we told her we weren't in the position or interested in buying right now due to children in college, she never pursued it, and was very helpful making local calls to confirm reservations we had. The others were also helpful when we had questions and never pushed us. Your advice was helpful especially getting through the timeshare pitches at the airport. We absolutely loved our time in Cabo and will definitely return and try to book through Destination Vacations!! Thank you so much. Sincerely, Lori

We had an amazing time in Cabo. Thank you for the recommendation for Del Arco.The penthouse fit our family of five's needs perfectly. We were close enough to all the restaurants and fun in downtown Cabo (about a $7 cab ride or 25 minute stroll down the beach) but far enough away to avoid the cruise ship scene and crowds. Having the breakfast included in our rental worked out great as they served until 12 pm, late enough for our teenagers to enjoy the full breakfast buffet each day. The snorkel trip included was perfect, we saw whales and enjoyed a day on the ocean. The snorkel spot was crowded but the kids enjoyed jumping off the rocks and the view of the arch was very nice. The airport transportation to and from the airport you arrange was perfect, even stopping at Costco on the way in for a 25 minute power shopping to stock up for the week. Our room was spacious, clean and a great view from the huge wrap around balcony including jacuzzi with an full ocean view to watch the sunsets. There were a few issue with jacuzzi and showers but maintenance showed up immediately to fix any issue. The spa at Del Arco is very nice and the massage rooms are wonderful. I've had many massages and the neck, back and shoulder massage I received was one of the best ever. Thank you for your help in planning this trip. We had a great time!

Karen Schultz, Atherton, CA

Bob, This is Sandy S. and we had a reservation at Villa La Estancia from July 16 & 20. I just want you to know how much I appreciate all the help and advice you gave me because our reservation and vacation was just fabulous. Our children, grandchildren, and best friends joined us on the trip because we were celebrating my husbands 60th birthday. We all were impressed with the facilities, location, and employees of the Villa La Estancia. Your room selection for us was perfect. We enjoyed the shade in the morning as we set on the balcony for hours and enjoyed the sunrise and view of the Sea of Cortez and Lands End. As we traveled around during our stay we all decided that our Villa was the best and we were so happy to be there. Check-out with our own separate room charges made the process so simple and fast. It really could not have been any more perfect! If we ever advise anyone traveling to Cabo, or vacation there again ourselves, I will definitely recommend you and Destination Cabo. Again, thanks for your help in making our vacation a fabulous one! Sandy

We had a great trip, accommodations were very nice. I think the only complaint I heard from a few of the gals on the trip was that it would be nice to have a full length mirror in their condo to check out their evening attire from head to toe. You know how girls are. Anyway, nothing but rave reviews, I would definitely recommend your company to anyone.

Aron M., Chicago, IL

We had a wonderful time, Villa Del Arco is an awesome place great for children, my 1 year old granddaughter loved the water fountain pool. The 1 & 2 bedroom suites were very nice and spacious, both had great balconies with an ocean view. I would highly recommend travelers try some of the restaurants you suggested, we did and were very pleased. Everything was perfect from the ground transportation to and from the airport along with Villa Del Arco, we could not have gotten a better deal. Thanks for all of your help Bob.

Lou M., Huntsville

The place was really so beautiful we loved it so much. Thanks for letting us stay in your villa we have created some memorable moments here thanks once again. We will sure come back again and ask for 1208 villa. The Carveys

Dear Bob and Sue, Just wanted to thank you for setting up the timeshare rental for us at Villa del Arco....and in particular for all the wonderful (and very useful) information that you sent us on Cabo. We tried several of the restaurants that you suggested and found them all to be pretty good. I think our favorite was the little place on the beach next to the resort - great breakfast, and also a very useful happy hour (7am to 7pm!!) with the best Margaritas on the beach. The timeshare unit (actually 2 units, 3104A and B I think) was huge, we were very pleased with it. Nice location, right next to the pool at the front, we could almost jump in the pool from our balcony... We did get hassled a little to attend presentations, but we have a fair amount of experience at this (we own a Marriott timeshare in Phuket) so no problems really. All in all, a great trip - our daughter loved it (the trip was for her 21st birthday), the weather was perfect, and the fishing was good!! Thanks again - and we will be sure to recommend you to anyone who is thinking of a timeshare or vacation in Cabo Kind Regards, Laurence and Te

We recently returned from our annual trip to Cabo and this year was the best of the four years we have visited Cabo. The two bedroom suite we rented at Villa La Estancia was very spacious, open viewed, and well decorated. Villa La Estancia is probably the most quiet and laid back of the three resorts located nearby. We also liked the restaurants that was located on the property. For the first time, we purchased the 3 day mini all inclusive package and that worked out very well. One of our more exciting adventures was a deep sea fishing trip that included eight guests with plenty of room to roam around on the charter. The charter company was Sol Mar and we were the only charter that was successful catching a Tuna, a Dolphin (Dorado), and yes, a Marlin. We had the Tuna and Dorado prepared for us that evening and was most delicious. The weather was perfect and actually much cooler than Texas. We could not have asked for a better vacation.

Mark Bauer, Dallas TX

You did it again. As you know we are frequent visitors to Los Cabos and the surrounding area. Since this was going to be a longer trip I felt I should give you a call for the best deal at our favorite Vill del Arco. Once again you did a great job! From the incredibly reliable service of transportation to and from the resort to the room itself, everything was perfect. Knowing a bit about the resort I was able to secure a top floor room near the penthouse for a small upgrade fee which due to your incredible rates made perfect sense. We also added the "All Inclusive" to our stay upon arrival and were very, very pleased with our decision, it really is all inclusive! Villa del Arco and really all the Villa properties are very well managed and the rooms are always very clean, not to mention the incredible staff. All the way from the groundskeepers to the management. We will be calling again soon because unlike other travel providers to Cabo you go above and beyond to make your clients stay, as easy and relaxing as possible. Can't thank you enough. Craig

Craig L., Farmington, NM