Session cancelled for Summer 2024. This 7-day Snorkel and SCUBA trip to Baja, Mexico includes room, board, all activities and all transportation within Mexico. In 2007 we launched our first ever Baja trip!! We headed to the small resort of Palapas Ventana situated between the towns of La Ventana and El Sargento, about 35 minutes southeast of La Paz, on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. The resort is owned and operated by a former SEACAMP San Diego employee and is just 8 ½ miles by boat from the island of Cerralvo which has great diving and snorkeling. (Palapas Ventana Website). Passports are required for all Mexico Trips.
All participants must hold a valid, current passport at the time of the trip and be high school graduates 18 years or older.
Session Cancelled for Summer 2024
Session Dates: July 2 – 8, 2024
Program cancelled for summer 2024. International Snorkel and SCUBA trip to Baja, Mexico. Session is open to young adults 18 years or older that have already graduated high school. All participants must hold a valid, current passport at the time of the trip.
Restrictions apply to SCUBA participation. See SCUBA Information for details
Session cancelled for summer 2024.
Session is open to young adults 18 years or older that have already graduated high school. All participants must hold a valid, current passport at the time of the trip.
Enrollment is usually accepted on a first come, first served basis and must be done online. A partially refundable $500.00 deposit is required to secure student’s spot in session. Session is open to young adults 18 years or older that have already graduated high school. Program is limited to no more than 16 students and a minimum of 10 participants is required. If trip is cancelled due to insufficient participants deposit/tuition will be refunded in full minus a $50.00 processing fee.
Summer Baja Tuition:
$3095.00 per student – $500.00 deposit payment is required with enrollment. The balance of tuition and required paperwork including travel information are due by May 15, 2024.
Tuition Includes:
Meals in Mexico, housing, activities, gear, supervision, SCUBA and snorkel equipment and dive masters. Includes transportation to and from Cabo San Lucas airport (SJD)
Not Included: Transportation to and from Mexico is not included in tuition. Nor does it include any travel Visas. Students and families are responsible for arranging travel.
Cancellation Policy:
Deposit and tuition may be partially refundable. Cancellations prior to March 1 are subject to a $300.00 cancellation fee. Cancellations after April 1 are subject to a $500.00 cancellation fee. All tuition is non refundable after May 15. Cancellations must be submitted in writing and received by the dates stated above.
If program is cancelled by SEACAMP due to insufficient participants or health and safety concerns, deposit/tuition will be refunded in full minus a $50 processing fee.
The following 2024 schedule is subject to change due to weather/water conditions and may include a snorkel trip to La Paz if whale sharks have been sighted! The schedule is designed to maximize our time on the water during the day for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. The group will have early morning breakfasts each day and brown-bag style lunches on the water. Most afternoons, before dinner, there will be personal time to kayak, stand up paddle board, play ping pong, relax in the pool or a hammock and enjoy your fellow participants. Evening will include group activities – talks, night snorkels, etc.
Day 1, Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Arrive in Cabo San Lucas (SJD) and meet up with other travelers for the complimentary shuttle to Palapas Ventana (restrictions apply, see Travel Information). Move into casitas and enjoy dinner. After dinner the Palapas Ventana Staff teaches “Spanish for the panga” to prepare you for the boat trips.
Day 2, Wednesday, July 3, 2023
We head to Cerralvo Island in our pangas for a full day of SCUBA and snorkeling in the pristine water. We will have a picnic lunch on the island with some time to snorkel, hike or explore.
Day 3, Thursday, July 4, 2024
This is another full day at Cerralvo Island. We will dive new spots and explore blue water for dolphins, whales, billfish, turtles, mantas, and whale sharks. After dinner we enjoy a night snorkel on the Palapas Ventana reef that highlights our nocturnal marine creatures.
Day 4, Friday, July 5, 2024
Kayaking and/or SUP excursion for snorkeling and picnicking. Then it’s off to cooking class where we will prepare a Mexican treat and have a feast! After dinner (if available) we will have a chance to sit back and enjoy some local entertainment!
Day 5, Saturday, July 6, 2024
Another full day at Cerralvo Island where we will dive new spots and explore blue water for dolphins, whales, billfish, turtles, mantas, and whale sharks.
Day 6, Sunday, July 7, 2024
Pangas will take us out for our last day on the water, a day of SCUBA, snorkeling, fishing, blue water exploration and of course…fun!! Afterwards, dinner will be a special hot dog tour around town.
Day 7, Monday, July 8, 2024
After Breakfast and final goodbyes, we will depart for the airport on the complimentary shuttle (restrictions apply, see Travel Information).
*Please note that schedule is subject to change*
The SEACAMP San Diego SCUBA Program is optional and provided in addition to snorkeling. Qualified participants will have the option to participate SCUBA during trip. SCUBA, or Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, involves additional training and acceptance of additional risks.
Qualifications & Requirements
Participants must be certified open water SCUBA divers by the start of their session to participate in SCUBA Program. SEACAMP San Diego does not provide SCUBA training; therefore, participants that are not already certified open water SCUBA diver will not be allowed to dive during the session. There are no exceptions.
All SCUBA participants must complete the Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire with Diver Medical Examiner’s Evaluation Form in consultation with a physician, preferably one who is knowledgeable about diving medicine. Please contact Divers Alert Network for a referral to a medical professional in your area – click here. The Diving Medical Guidance must be provided to the physician – click here for guidance. Honesty on health forms is required. SEACAMP San Diego will review the health information of each participant and evaluate risk conditions. Additional tests or physician consultations may be required to confirm fitness for diving.
Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire with Diver Medical Examiner’s Evaluation Form Directions – click here for form:
- Page 1 of the Medical Participant Questionnaire must be completed by all participants and questions 1 through 10 must all be answered. SEACAMP San Diego REQUIRES the Medical Evaluation Form even if you answered no to all questions on Page 1.
- Page 2 of the Medical Participant Questionnaire should be completed as directed.
- Page 3 is the Diver Medical Examiner’s Evaluation Form which must be completed by a physician, preferably one who is knowledgeable about diving medicine. Please contact Divers Alert Network for a referral to a medical professional in your area – click here. The Diving Medical Guidance must be provided to the physician – click here for guidance. SEACAMP San Diego REQUIRES the Medical Evaluation Form even if you answered no to all questions on Page 1.
- Submit Participant Questionnaire with Diver Medical Examiner’s Evaluation Form: Page 1 through Page 3 must either be uploaded to SCUBA Forms or emailed to seacamp@seacamp.com prior to the start of the student’s session.
Medical conditions that disqualify participants from diving at SEACAMP San Diego: Current asthma induced by exercise, cold air, or emotion; Current Epilepsy/Seizures; Diabetes (under 16 years old); Spontaneous pneumothorax; Narcolepsy; Blackouts/fainting/sudden loss of consciousness; Severe Anxiety. Please contact us for additional information.
Dive Gear
Participants may use their own dive gear or Palapas Ventana will provide dive gear.
Participants must bring the following SCUBA items with them:
- SCUBA Certification card (if you cannot locate your card, contact the agency that your student is certified under (e.g. PADI, SSI, etc.) or the dive shop where the student was certified.
- Dive Log showing dive training record and dives since certification.
- Dive Tables or Computer
Registration Forms cannot be found online. All forms will be sent after enrollment via email to the address provided as part of the Registration Packet. All required paperwork – Registration Forms, Travel Information Form, and SCUBA Forms (if applicable) must be returned with final payments on or before May 15th. Clean, clear copies of required Forms may be submitted via email. We reserve the right to request original forms. We cannot allow students to attend SEACAMP San Diego if their parents or guardians refuse to sign the Registration Forms or if they modify the Registration Forms.
The weather in Baja will be hot and sunny; please pack good, light weight sun protection. The Casitas do have air conditioning for the nights. The schedule is designed to maximize our time on the water during the day for snorkeling and SCUBA diving. The group will have early morning breakfasts each day and brown-bag style lunches on the water. Most afternoons, before dinner, there will be personal time to kayak, stand up paddle board, play ping pong, relax in the pool or a hammock and enjoy your fellow participants. Evening will include group activities – talks, night snorkels, etc.
Please remember to pack your essentials in your carry-on bag (including a bathing suit!).
Documentation
Passport – passport book is required to fly internationally. Make sure passport expires more than 6 months from return to US
Insurance Card – Health & DAN, etc.
Photocopy of All Documents including Plane Tickets
Clothing – enough for 7 days
Shorts
T-shirts including a few light weight long-sleeved shirts for sun protection
One or two pairs of long pants (optional – good for travel)
Light water-proof or wind breaker jacket
Undergarments
Swim Suit x2
Rash Guard Shirt for sun protection on the boat and in the water
Rash Guard Bottom or full Dive Skin – recommended for additional in-water protection from sun and coral reefs
Sunglasses with Lanyard – recommend polarized sunglasses
Sandals x2
Shoes/Socks – one pair of closed toed shoes for hiking
Hats – recommend brimmed hats have a chin strap
Day-pack or Backpack – recommend a dry bag
Toilet Articles
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Shampoo and Conditioner
Sunscreen – minimum of SPF 30 and reef safe
Comb or Brush
Prescriptions Medications
OTC Medications (pain reliever, diarrhea medicine, laxative, antibiotic cream, etc.)
Contact Lens, Glasses, Contact Solution (pack in carry on)
Personal Hygiene Items
Miscellaneous
Face coverings (face coverings should be good quality and cover nose and mouth)
Notebook and Pen for Journal/Notes
Reusable Water Bottle – filtered water is provided in all Casitas
Travel Watch or Alarm
Camera, Charger, Memory cards
Phone Charger – Palapas Ventana has WiFi
2 Plastic bags for dirty or wet clothes
Snorkel Gear – mask/snorkel, fins, booties. Palapas Ventana will provide, if needed
SCUBA BC and Regulator – we recommend bringing your own SCUBA equipment, if you have it. Palapas Ventana will provide, if needed.
Safety sausage, if you have one
Dive Log and Tables
Dive Card – contact your certifying dive shop and/or instructor or your certifying agency for a replacement card, if needed.
Money
All meals, lodging, and tours in Mexico are covered in the package, but you will need cash for the travel days, souvenirs, adult beverages, and any gratuity you may want to leave for the staff of Palapas Ventana. Participants should have enough money for any purchases they choose to make.
SEACAMP San Diego is not responsible for personal property that is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Travel to Baja, Mexico is not included in tuition and must be arranged by participants. Participants must have a valid passport to travel internationally. Below are the flights SEACAMP San Diego personnel will be traveling on. To be served by the complimentary arranged shuttle, flights must arrive into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) before 3:00pm (local time) depart Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) after 1:00pm (local time). If flights do not meet these requirements, participants will have to arrange own shuttle to/from Palapas Ventana. SEACAMP personnel flight information subject to change by airline.
Arrival – Tuesday, July 2, 2024:
Flight should arrive into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) before 4:00pm (local time) to be served by the complimentary arranged shuttles.
SEACAMP Staff Flight: TBA
Departure – Monday, July 8, 2024:
Flight should depart Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) after 2:00pm (local time) to be served by the complimentary arranged shuttle.
SEACAMP Staff Flight: TBA
Participants and SEACAMP personnel will be housed at Palapas Ventana in their lovely specialty or standard casitas. Specialty casitas are equipped with private bathrooms and require triple occupancy. Standard caitas are double occupancy and share bathroom and shower facilities. Individual participants may be required to share a casita with other participants of the same gender identity. Other amenities include beach access, pool, wifi, restaurant, and bar. Please visit the Palapas Ventana website for more accommodations information.
Palapas Ventana is situated between the towns of La Ventana and El Sargento on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.The resort is owned and operated by a former SEACAMP San Diego employee and is about 8 miles by boat from the island of Cerralvo, which has great diving and snorkeling.
The Palapas Ventana Restaurant is where participants will have breakfast and dinner most days. The restaurant will also provide lunch to be eaten in the field. The restaurant is on the eastern tip of the property and overlooks Cerralvo Island and the Sea of Cortez. It offers the finest Mexican/American cuisine.
COVID-19 Policies
Following are additional COVID-19 Policies. SEACAMP San Diego reserves the right to modify or change these policies at any time.
- Students must be in good health at the time of the session start date. Students must not have any symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea).
- Students are required to follow a 10-day precaution plan. Specifically, students should be extra cautious of close interactions at school and other public settings; wear a high quality face covering for necessary interactions in public; only interact with individuals in their household when not wearing a high quality face covering (surgical mask, N95 or KN95). Additionally, if student is traveling by air within 10-days of session date, a high quality face covering is required in the airport and during the flight.
- Students that are traveling by air to Mexico are required to wear a high quality face mask (surgical mask, N95 or KN95) in the airport and during their flight.