Diving In (Puerto Vallarta)

[Todd Gray]

Just wanted to introduce myself and say hello. I've been level one certified (FII) for awhile now. Despite living in Puerto Vallarta where the water is warm and wonderful, I don't seem to get in the water near as much as I'd like to... Now why is that? Oh yea, it seems that most of the freedivers in Mexico are in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

Speaking of which, just had a great "get the fish back the water" session with Julien Borde down in Playa Del Carmen. Oh, those Cenotes are incredibly beautiful. Anyway, if you're down in the PV area or planning on coming down for a visit, hit me up. And if you're in the Quintana Roo region, please connect with me so that we can drop a line the next time I visit... Love that place!

 

[BatRay]

Welcome to Deeperblue! I've wanted to travel to PV for quite some time. How are the diving conditions there?

 

[Todd Gray]

Welcome to Deeperblue! I've wanted to travel to PV for quite some time. How are the diving conditions there?

Hello BatRay,

Diving conditions around Puerto Vallarta are warmer than the Santa Cruz, California region which was just over the hill from where I grew up. However the visibility is not all that much better. This is due to the many rivers which enter the ocean and drag in a bunch of silt. We usually travel out about 20-30 minutes by boat to get to the zone where things clear up a bit.

We're still on the Pacific side of the country, so visibility is still limited and the water is a bit of a hazy greenish-blue color. It does begin to clear up a bit around this time of year (the rain stops) so I'm hoping that things become a bit more blue and it will be easier to see all the beautiful marine life available in this region. I really need to make time this season to pop out to the Marietas Islands (one hour by boat) and see whether the water is really as crystal blue as the pictures!

Just the same, I'm told that I'm not supposed to be looking at all that when I'm dropping down the line anyway ;-)