Dive Review of M/V Valentina in
Mexico (Western)/Revillagigedo Islands

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M/V Valentina: "Most amazing dive trip ever", May, 2019, by Jay Bitzer, TX, US ( 2 reports with 6 Helpful votes). Report 11016 has 2 Helpful votes.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Diving the Socorro Islands was the most amazing dive trip I’ve ever taken. It wasn’t an easy trip, nor inexpensive, but it was absolutely worth it. Here are some of the highs and lows. Highs: The Valentina is an older boat, but a good one. Our cabin was comfortable, with two bunks, the lower one big enough for two people. Plenty of hot water for showers, and the room was cleaned every day. The crew was fantastic. They were always friendly, smiling, and happy to help with anything we needed. The three divemasters were awesome. On one dive with a strong current, our divemaster saw that my wife was struggling. He went back to her, took her hand, and basically gave her a tow through the rest of the dive. We didn’t need them to point out things to see, as most everything was large. The food on the boat was amazing. At dinner, it was like eating in a five-star restaurant, from the quality of the food to the preparation. Best food I’ve had in a long time – and I don’t just mean on a dive trip. Steak, lobster, salads, desserts – we never left the table hungry! There was a large table for cameras in the dive area. Rinse buckets and fresh-water showers were also on deck. Ample room to hang and store dive gear, and the crew changed out tanks after each dive. The nitrox mix varied a little throughout the week, but was generally from 28-32%, and I always got a full tank (3200psi or very close to it). Since we sat out a few dives, we were only charged for Nitrox for the dives we actually took. That was a pleasant surprise. Diving from Zodiaks was different for me, but it’s a good system. Getting in the Zodiak with gear on could be daunting, but the crew was there to help. Getting out of the water back into the Zodiak took some upper-body strength, but again the crew was helpful. The nice thing was, wherever you came up from your dive, you just inflated your safety sausage and a boat was there shortly. No worrying about finding or swimming your way back to a stationary boat. The visibility was not great when we were there (50-60’ most days), but the sea life was incredible. We saw hammerheads on most dives. Another group on our boat got into a school of them – probably close to 100! We saw a lot of sharks – silkies, silver tips, white tips. A good number of smaller fish, including tons of puffer fish of all different colors. Also saw dolphins on several dives, and they came fairly close. Having dove primarily in the Caribbean, it was nice to see some different fish, and there were lots of them. Fortunately, no lionfish. The highlight of the diving was definitely the giant manta rays. We would often see two or three at a time. The most amazing dive I’ve ever had took place when a giant manta (about 10’ across) spent the entire dive cruising among our divers, coming close enough to touch (which none of us did). It was an out-of-this-world experience, and exactly why I came to Socorro. Lows: There weren’t many. The trip out was rough. Thirty hours in 8-10 foot seas. The boat held up well, but most of us spent the time in our bunks. Once to the islands, the captain kept us out of the wind, and we were pretty comfortable. If you’re prone to seasickness, plan accordingly. The water was chilly, like around 70 degrees. We all wore 5-7mm wetsuits and hoods. No gloves were allowed. Some folks complained of their bathrooms smelling badly. Ours was not bad most days, and once we closed the door, it was a non-issue in the cabin. The motion of the boat apparently was causing the problem, and we were told they are working on a fix. Getting in the Zodiak from the Valentina was a bit perilous. My wife fell to her knees the first day as she entered the Zodiak. A little bruising but nothing serious. After that, the crew put her gear in the Zodiak and she donned it there. In summary, it was an amazing trip. It's definitely for experienced divers, as all diving is done in open water (no mooring line). Good buoyancy control is a must for safety stops. We did 4 dives most days, seeing incredible fish life, diving with great divemasters, and being fed like royalty. What’s not to love? You can see my video here: [youtube.com link]
Websites	M/V Valentina
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Bahamas, Hawaii, Cuba, Florida, Honduras, Belize, Grand Cayman
Closest Airport		Getting There	Liveaboard leaves from Puerto Los Cabos. 30-hour boat ride.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	70-72°F / 21-22°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	50-60 Ft/ 15-18 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Dive insurance is mandatory. No gloves allowed. Otherwise no boat-enforced restrictions.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Big camera table and two rinse buckets on deck. Most divers had cameras, so there was plenty of advice and spare parts to be had.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of M/V Valentina in Mexico (Western)/Revillagigedo Islands

M/V Valentina: "Most amazing dive trip ever", May, 2019,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of M/V Valentina in
Mexico (Western)/Revillagigedo Islands