Diving in Cabo San Lucas for Beginners: My First Dive with Dive Cabo ($150)

The short version: I did my first ever dive in Cabo San Lucas, a two-tank trip near the Arch with Dive Cabo, for $150. There’s no pool session first. You go out on the same boat as the certified divers, and the instructor teaches you as you go. I swallowed a little salt water and still loved it. The visibility was good, there were lots of fish, and on our dive we saw a reef shark, a sea lion and a moray eel. I’d do it again, and I’d recommend Dive Cabo, especially if you’re staying near Cabo San Lucas.

I dove with Dive Cabo on August 14, 2025, while staying in Los Cabos. It was my first time diving. I paid for it myself, and nothing was comped.

At a glance

How the day works

The shop is inside the Tesoro Resort at the marina, and it’s a little tricky to find. Park in front of the hotel, head toward the middle of the building, go through the entrance, and turn left into a long corridor of small shops. Dive Cabo is down there. Their reminder email says to look for Local A14, near the big white lighthouse, since there are several dive shops in the area.

It’s a small shop. You fill out some forms, change into your wetsuit, and they hand out all the gear and go over the rules with everyone at once. Our group was about six people, and I was the only one doing the beginner option.

Then you walk to the boat. The ride out takes about 30 minutes, and ours was calm; I didn’t need any seasickness pills. We reached the first spot around 10 a.m., so it’s a while before you’re actually in the water. Each dive lasts about 30 minutes, at a few different spots near the Arch, and we were done around noon.

Included: all the gear, the wetsuit, a guide, water and snacks. The photos and video they take of you underwater are included too. The video in this guide is theirs.

Our guide was very experienced. He’d dived in a lot of different places, and it showed. I was a little unsure at first, but he helped create a relaxing atmosphere.

Diving for the first time

There’s no pool session first. You go to the same spot as the experienced divers, and the instructor starts you off with what’s almost snorkeling before taking you deeper. For beginners, there’s a rope you can hold onto to stay at the right level, and I used it a bit at the start. The instructor walks you through the basics as you go. How to put everything on correctly, how to breathe through your mouth so water doesn’t get in, and how to equalize your ears as you go down. Everyone else was much more experienced, so it ended up feeling like private instruction.

The part that surprised me was getting in. With all the gear on, including the air tank, it’s quite heavy, and you go in by falling backward off the boat. You sink fast, and you can’t see where you’re going. That’s when I swallowed some salt water. It’s normal, especially if you’re nervous, and it’s fine. Being nervous makes it worse, though, so the best thing you can do is stay calm and keep breathing normally.

What you’ll see

The water was a comfortable temperature, and the visibility was quite good. You see a lot of fish, and on our dive we also saw a reef shark, a sea lion and a moray eel.

When to go

I went in mid-August. According to Dive Cabo, the water runs from about 68°F (20°C) in winter to 85°F (29°C) in late summer. Visibility ranges from 30 to over 100 feet and is clearest in the fall, and conditions are best from August to February. They recommend a 5mm wetsuit in the colder months.

Would I recommend it? Dive Cabo: 8.5 out of 10

Yes. My one wish is that beginners started with a pool session or something a little simpler. Instead, you really dive in, pun intended. But the instructor makes it work, and I’d do it again. Cabo was a great place to start. I’ve heard there are a lot of great dive spots in Asia too, including the Philippines, so that might be next.

Where to stay if you’re diving

The shop is in Cabo San Lucas and the dive starts at 8 a.m., so where you stay matters. I was at Viceroy, in San José del Cabo, and it was quite far: we had to leave very early. From Nobu or other hotels around Cabo San Lucas, it’s much closer. If you’re in San José, book a later slot if you can, or use Dive Cabo’s hotel pickup, $104 from San José del Cabo according to their site. More on choosing between the two hotels in my Nobu vs. Viceroy guide.

Cabo Pulmo, if you’d rather snorkel

We also booked a snorkeling tour to Cabo Pulmo National Park through GetYourGuide, but didn’t end up going: it was too far, and we had other plans. It’s in the other direction, up the East Cape, so it’s easier to reach from San José del Cabo than the Cabo San Lucas dive sites are. From what we saw, it looked incredible.

Tips

• Stay close to Cabo San Lucas if diving is a big part of your trip, or book a later slot.
• If it’s your first time, use the rope at the start. Nobody minds.
• Expect the backward entry to feel heavy and fast. Stay calm and keep breathing through your mouth.
• Swallowing a little salt water at the start is normal. Don’t panic.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen, and your certification card if you have one.
• Ask for the photos and video. They’re included.

How to book

I booked directly with Dive Cabo.

Book the Cabo Marine Park dive ↗

If you’d rather compare a few Cabo dive and snorkel trips in one place, GetYourGuide lists several.

Find a Cabo diving trip ↗

Find a Cabo Pulmo snorkeling trip ↗

If you book through these links, I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never affects what I recommend.

If you’re choosing between Cabo and Cancún for the trip, I compared them in Cancún vs Cabo.

FAQ

Can you scuba dive in Cabo without certification?

Yes. I did. You book a beginner option, and an instructor takes you down with the certified group. There was no pool session first.

How much does diving in Cabo cost?

I paid $150 for a two-tank dive with Dive Cabo in August 2025, including gear, a wetsuit, a guide, and photos and video.

How long does a Cabo dive trip take?

About four hours. Ours started at 8 a.m. at the shop and was done around noon, with two dives of about 30 minutes each.

What can you see diving in Cabo?

Lots of fish, and on our dive a reef shark, a sea lion and a moray eel, near the Arch at Land’s End.

Is Dive Cabo good for beginners?

For me, yes. I’d give it 8.5 out of 10. The instructor was calm and experienced, the group was small, and it felt like private instruction.