We took a cruise on the Solmar V in the Sea of Cortez. We took the scenic route on the way down. We met a couple of other rec.scubans. Not the best dive trip ever, but better than not going diving.
America West Airlines, Solmar V
The boat left on a Friday afternoon so it wasn't going to be one of those nice Saturday to Saturday vacations we straight day workers love so much. So we made it a two week trip. We left the previous Saturday and toured Arizona for a few days. That in itself was wonderful, but, since this is a dive trip report, back to the dive trip.
America West Airlines is ok, nothing exceptionally good or bad.
This was my 15th liveaboard cruise. The Solmar V compared to other boats, is as good as any in many ways, and not quite as good in a couple of others.
The state rooms are small. At first this was bit of an attention getter, but, there were lots of nooks and crannies where we could stow stuff, and our bags went into a cargo hold, so the small rooms were not as significant as I thought they might be. The dining area had enough space, as did the sun decks. The dive deck had lots of space for most people. There were a few spots, mine for example, where there was a bulkhead in front of you. You had to twist a bit if someone was walking by.
The one thing I did not like about this boat was that there was no rental equipment on board. You could rent stuff in advance, but, if you had an equipment issue during your cruise, you would be screwed. This did not happen to anyone on our cruise, but, I've seen it happen before.
The meals are often great on liveaboards, and they were great on the Solmar V. Breakfasts were particularly nice because not only could each person have a hot dish or cereal, but each table got a platter of fresh fruit. Snacks were done differently on than the Aggressors/Dancers. On those boats, you get fresh brownies or cookies after the first morning dive and wings or something after the first afternoon dive. On the Solmar, the leftover fruits from breakfast were left out as a morning snack. In the afternoon, the snack started out with extra desserts from lunch, and then they brought out popcorn, peanuts, and chips. I liked the way the Solmar did snacks. Made it easier for me to maintain my girlish figure.
The dive operation was quite good. Sometimes we dove from the boat, sometimes we dove from pangas (big inflateables with tank racks and a ladder). Even when we dove from the boat, both pangas were in the water in case anyone got caught downcurrent. This happened to us once, and it was nice to have that panga to pick us up.
The Solmar website says this about the Sea of Cortez.
The SOLMAR V visits this area from mid-June to November. During this time the water is warm (76 - 84 F) and the visibility ranges from 60 - 100+ ft. The Sea of Cortez contains over 850 species of reef fish. Along with these huge schools of tropicals, game fish such as jacks, tuna, wahoo, marlin and others can be found. The Sea of Cortez is also home to many endemic species, such as the cortez angel and cortez damsel, found nowhere else in the world. We also encounter whale sharks, hammerheads, orcas, whales, dolphins, and of course our friendly sea lions. This area is mainly calm and the distance between dive destinations is not far. Although there are some advanced dives most of the diving is moderate. This is a great trip for those looking for a live-aboard experience in calm water with both big and small marine animal encounters.
On our trip, we saw sea lions, jacks, and some other fish. We also saw lots of green morays and pufferfish. No sharks, no orcas, no manta or eagle rays. The dives with sea lions were fantastic, the rest were mediocre. Our diving was probably affected by weather. A little less than a week before we left, Hurricane Ignacio hit the La Paz area. Our first dive site was quite murky. Also, the dive guides mentioned that hammerheads and manta rays were often sited before the storm. Also, we didn't dive on the last day of the trip. A low pressure area made the water too rough. While we might not have seen the Sea of Cortez at it's best, the Sea of Cortez we saw was below average in terms of tropical dive sites.
Having said that, I will also say that the Sea of Cortez has a lot of similarities to the Galapagos. The fish life is similar in both places. Both have Moorish Idols, King Angelfish, Mexican Grunts, and Guineafowl Pufferfish.
One thing that was quite nice was the warm water. For the most part, it was in the 85 F range.
We had overnight stays in Phoenix on the way down and back. Both times we went out to dinner with Pat McDuffee and his wife Charlotte. We look forward to joining them on our next trip to Mona Island in January.
An then, there was the other guy.
While we were waiting for the transport from the Solmar Suites to the boat, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and a very very handsome gentleman asked me if I was from Toronto. I had no idea who he was, and of course started with the old, "Have we met?" routine. I thought it was someone else from Toronto. I should have known better. I am the only person that handsome in my neck of the woods - this was someone else. It was someone who takes the same sort of dive trips that I do and who once mentioned that we should hook up on a trip one day. It was someone who I notified when I booked this trip. It was bullshark. Mrs bullshark was also there, as lovely as he is handsome. They are both very nice people too, and gave us some hints about future dive trips.
As far as liveaboard dive trips go, this one was below average. Had it not been for the hurricane the week before, it probably would have been better, but a trip to the Caribbean somewhere is probably money better spent.
| Trip Dates2003-08-23 to 2002-09-06 | Trip Report Index |