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

A HUGE thank you for our wonderful visit in villa 1208. Our week couldn't have been better! The weather has been picture perfect and with 6 of us- 4 being Senior girls on Spring Break- The villa's floor plan was just right for us. This is our 4th visit to Cabo and plan to be back in July. So YES, we feel right at home here, so perhaps villa 1208 may be our "home away from home" in July!!! Villa 1208 is beautiful and we could not ask for anymore ! (Excellent taste) We appreciate you Bob for all of your help. the staff also at Estancia has been wonderful. Pamela, Amy, Gracie- Tulsa Alexandra, Katey, Belotah-Dallas Texas

My wife and I could not have asked for a more beautiful villa to spend our 10 year anniversary at than in Bob and Sue's Villa 1208 at the Villa La Estancia! Every detail about their villa was phenomenal!! We enjoyed cooking meals in the kitchen and eating them outside in the warm August breezes. Their housekeeper, Yvonne, ws very nice and did a great job of cleaning things and keeping everything tidy. We loved hanging out at the pool every day and got to "ride out" our first tropical storm, Julio. I already told my wife that I could see us coming back to Villa 1208 every year!!! Thanks again! Todd and Nanette Seattle, WA

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 thoroughly enjoyed our first trip to Cabo. The accommodations were exceptional--loved 1707--view was breathtaking from the balcony. Did not really realize the topography of the area--were very surprised by the mountain, desert, and sea views. Loved our panga ride around Lands End. My husband and I had the king bedroom and bath and were very comfortable. The main living area was awesome except for the fact that the dishwasher was broken--discovered it by a wet kitchen floor when we arrived. We called maintenance and they came immediately, but the dishwasher was not useable. It ended up not being a problem because of the every other day maid service--she washed the dishes for us. The couple we were with had the second bedroom and I think they were just a little disappointed after seeing our accommodations with the king bedroom and bath. Tried some of your recommendations for restaurants and absolutely loved Salvatore's--great food at great prices. Asked the concierge for a recommendation for an authentic Mexican restaurant with reasonable prices and found Maria Coronas to be an excellent choice. Spent Valentine's dinner at Ruth's Chris (our favorite American dining spot) and were not disappointed as usual--food and service there is always replicated. Spent a lot of time at the beach bars (The Office, Billygans, and Mango Beach Deck)--great Cabo atmosphere. Also liked shopping in the marina area. We feel that the $7 cab ride to the mall area was well worth the expense--walking the streets with occasional sidewalks was scary at times. Thanks for allowing us to use your condo--overall our first experience in Cabo was very memorable. Sincerely, Beth M

Beth Mason, Covington Indiana

We had a great visit to Cabo and loved staying at Arco. The little touches like the free bottle of wine and basket of food in the room along with nightly tastings brought to us from the restaurant and little spa gifts left on our bed were unexpected and made it even more special. We had a great time and would love to go back soon! Thanks so much and please keep my e-mail in case you have any future specials!

Lisa B.

Thank you so much for such an easy and worry free vacation on such short notice. The villa was beautiful and very comfortable. The additional amenities (USA phoneline & internet access with computer) kept us very accessible to all of our work responsibilities. Transportation was also effortless and ran exactly as planned. We had such a wonderful time and would have liked to stayed longer. The only thing we wish we could have organized in advance is grocery shopping and to have the groceries in the villa when we arrived. Thanks again, Shelley

Shelly , Denver

We had a great trip. Yes, we did the timeshare analysis. We were told it would be 90 minutes. It lasted over 3 hours. Way too strong a sell that really turned us off. They introduced us to 6 separate individuals. Each one with a stronger sell. The last woman basically insulted us by telling us that we must just want to overpay for all future vacations. Once we got out of the timeshare meeting nightmare we had a great time. The resort was beautiful and airport transfers worked out great!

John B., New Jersey

The accommodations and the resort were very nice. Also, the staff members were very helpful. All was well when we arrived, and we were given a room which had a great view. We'd like to thank you for making the entire rental process so easy for us! It was great to be able to make all the arrangements via e-mail, and not be tied up on numerous phone calls. And all the Cabo information you provided was much appreciated... we went to several of the restaurants you recommended -- every one we ate at was excellent! I've already recommended you to several friends. We were very satisfied!ed!

Steve and Danonne Smith, Portland Oregon

We just got back from Cabo -- wanted to let you know we had a WONDERFUL time. The place was everything you said it would be, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I want to thank you both for being so professional and handling everything very thoroughly. There's always a nagging bit of doubt whenever you go over the Internet -- the 'will I really have a place to stay' thought-but it was PERFECT!

Darrin and Michele M, Poway California

The entire process from start (gathering info) to finish (booking) was easy and painless. I sent Bob several emails with questions and he got back to me quickly and with more details than I had expected. I travel a lot and continue to be impressed with Bob's outstanding professionalism and follow-up. Thanks you for all your efforts and going beyond the call of duty - You are a credit to all you encounter. Service:10 - best Value:9 - outstanding Attractiveness:10 - best Overall Rating:10 - best

Stacey, Bay Area California