Beach dive in Cabo?

[jbobst]

We will be heading to Cabo in May, and on my last trip to Cabo, I tried to simply rent some scuba gear (tanks, weights, etc) for a beach dive at Lover's Beach (the calm side). The guy at the scuba shop thought I was crazy and refused to rent gear to me (I am certified btw). I have been to other places in Mexico and beach diving hasn't really been an issue that I can ever remember. I don't know if he just wanted to to sell me a boat trip or not, although he told me he didn't have any boats going out that fit our port schedule that day. I understand that Lover's beach gets pretty busy with the little ponga boats dropping people off and such, but they send people snorkeling there all the time (more risk in my opinion of hitting a boat when you are on top of the water), and I was going there fairly early in the morning, and we were the first one's on the beach. The previous trip (before I tried to rent the scuba gear) we actually swam (snorkeled) from Lover's beach over to the arch. It didn't seem that big of a deal, but of course the area by the arch can get busy as the day goes on, and the surge there can be severe. I just wanted to do a simple, close to the shore beach dive over at Lover's beach. I have been there three times, and it just doesn't seem like there would be anything wrong with that...as long as you stay to one side or the other. Anyone else had success doing a beach dive there and just renting the basic tank and weights?

 

Thanks.

[Scubabum]

I've never just rented gear and done a beach dive, but I have dove Santa Maria and that would be a great beach dive. It may be difficult to rent just gear and not dive with a company, maybe try Amigos del Mar, I usually dive with them and they say they will rent just dive gear. You would need to then ask a water taxi to take you out to Lover's Beach and then get one to take you back. Probably cost you $8 out $8 back in and $20 to rent tanks/weights. And yes you would really have to watch for jetskiis, pangas and fishing or diving boats overhead, they really don't watch for snorkelers or for divers. I think that over by Pelican Rock is the best area to try diving because that is where the dive boats usually sit and they holler at boats and jetskiis that go through that area too fast.

[Scubabum]

Also rent or bring a dive float to mark that there are divers down.