Overview: October is considered the best time to dive in La Paz. We have secured spots at the finest resort in La Paz, COSTA BAJA (http://costabaja.com/). Located in the private marina inside the resort is the best dive operation in La Paz, FUN BAJA (http://www.funbaja.com/). This trip includes airfare, airport transfers on both ends, accommodations, diving, and breakfasts. There is even an optional camping trip (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/events/159436222/). Feel free to bring friends and family members.

Agenda: On Saturday, October 11th, we board a charter bus in San Diego, ride across the border to the Tijuana airport, fly as a group to La Paz, and then transfer to the resort in Fun Baja vans. We then spend 4 full days diving, plus one more day off-gasing and enjoying the resort and surrounding area. On Friday, October 17th, we transfer back to the La Paz airport, and then fly back to San Diego.

Air travel: Power Scuba is securing your airline reservations. We depart as a group on 10/11 from the Tijuana International Airport on Volaris flight 580 at 11 AM, arriving in La Paz at 2:00 PM. La Paz is only one hour ahead, which means no jet lag! We return from La Paz as a group on 10/17 on flight 581 at 2:30 PM, arriving in Tijuana at 3:30 PM. We will then board the bus and return to to San Diego via the express bus lane. Volaris has Mexico's youngest fleet, made up of aircraft averaging 4 years in service from the Airbus A319 and A320 families. The service and security are excellent. Several Power Scuba members have flown on Volaris, including your host just this past October. The experience of flying out of Tijuana is no different than any other airport.

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Airport transfers: All airport transfers are included. This includes round trip transfers between San Diego and the Tijuana airport, and between the La Paz airport and the resort. For the San Diego leg of the trip, we have one huge charter tour bus that will take all of us directly from a central pickup location in San Diego to the Tijuana airport terminal and back. Because it is a tour bus, we will be able to use the express lane on the return trip, which is much faster than regular lanes.

The pickup location is at the Park n Ride at Governor Drive and the 805. The bus arrives at 6:45 AM. Plan to get there a little early, like 6:30 AM. The bus leaves the parking lot at 7:05 sharp. The lot has a Goodwill donation center, and thus has some level of security (if you want to park your car.) Location: Park N Ride Lot #20 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=5196+Governor+Drive%2C+San+Diego%2C+CA%2C+92122%2C+us), 5196 Governor Dr, San Diego, CA

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Once in La Paz, nice shuttle vans (provided) will meet us at the airport and take us directly to the resort.

Accommodations: Six nights at the new, clean, safe Costa Baja (http://www.costabajaresort.com/) resort. Rooms are double occupancy. Some rooms have two full-size beds, while others have a king plus a roll-out bed. Roommates can alternate using the roll-out if desired (3 nights each). Couples will be placed in the rooms with king beds first. Roommate requests will be fulfilled whenever possible, as well as same gender assignments.

Dives: Four days of 3-tank dives with Fun Baja (http://www.funbaja.com/), the best dive operation in La Paz. Air, tanks, weights and the marine park fee are included. Nitrox is available for $12/tank. (Arrange this with me now and pay FunBaja once there.) Rental gear is also available. (Arrange this with FunBaja once checked inot the resort, the day before we dive.) All boats will have marine heads (toilets). This is a no-take trip, so no fishing, etc. Dive sites may include but are not limited to:

Los Islotes: One tank playing with sea lions and one tank along the wall circling the island and swimming through the keyhole. Snorklers can also swim with sea lions. There may be time to snorkel between dives too.

Wrecks: Cleaned (Fang Ming, Lapas 03) and uncleaned (La Salvatierra).

Reefs: Full of fish. La Reyna. Swanee Reef, on which the La Salvatierra ran aground and then sank.

El Bajo: A deepish pinnacle where hammerheads congregate.

Others spots include walls and other structures (La Reynita, San Francisquito, Pailebot.)

Whale Shark Snorkeling: This will be done on the off-day for $60. It is on a separate event (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/events/168277552/) page here (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/events/168277552/).

The Marifer II...

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Meals: All breakfasts are included. The restaurant Mosaic inside the resort has an excellent buffet. (Of course you can venture off on your own.) Lunches are included by Fun Baja on dive days on the boat. Dinners are not included, but there are several options: the marina has 3 or 4 restaurants, including excellent contemporary Mexican (Azul Marina), sushi, Italian, and a wine bar. Inside the hotel are Mosaic and the upscale Steinbeck's, where we will receive a 20% discount. The Beach Club serves food. There is a mini-mart in the marina with food. It is also easy to catch the free shuttle or cab to La Paz, a short 5-10 minute drive.

Camping option: Twenty of us will be able to camp on the huge island of Espiritu Santo for one night. This will provide the opportunity for something different, such as hiking/snorkeling/kayaking, and include a night dive (where we may see Mobulas.) The camp ground is on the beach, right next to the water, so this won't have the same amenities as the resort. The site has toilets, showers, feet wash basins, and a full kitchen. There is a $20 upcharge for this experience. It can be added through our separate La Paz Camping event page (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/events/159436222/).

Costs: $1430 divers. $930 non-divers.

Included: Airfare, all airport transfers, 6 nights accommodations, all breakfasts, lunches on dive days, 4 days of 3 tank dives, 20% off hotel restaurants.

A non-refundable deposit of $350 through PayPal is due at signup. Another payment of $540/$290 by check is due by June 15. Full payment of $540/$290 is due by August 15.

Deposits/payments are non-refundable after April 1st, or anytime thereafter if joining after April 1st. There is a .31 Paypal fee and 9% admin fee on all refunds.

Spots are transferable until October 1st.

Not included: dinners, some lunches, gratuities, optional activities.

What to bring:

Dive gear - If you are able, bring all of your own dive gear, except weights and tanks. Fun Baja has gear to rent and Nitrox for an additional fee. As always, be sure to bring a safety sausage, whistle and cutting implement. (I took a pony tank last year also. Fun Baja will fill them for free.) Water temps should be right around 82 degrees. Exposure protection ranges from trunks/bikinis to 2/3 mm full suits. Ask if you don't know your needs. Fun Baja will provide weights and AL 80's. Mildew could be an issue with the dive gear. Simple Green, Mirazyme, Sink the Stink, or similar might be a good idea.

Luggage - Tanks, metal tools, knives, flashlights, etc must be checked. Carry on all computers, cameras, and other sensitive equipment. The checked luggage allowance is 55 lbs, 62 inches (Width + Height + Length), enough weight for a complete set of dive gear, excluding tanks and weights. Two carry-on bags are permitted, this includes a personal item. The dimensions are small, so plan accordingly: 41 inches total or (9.8 x 15.7 x 15.7"). Pay particular attention to the permitted Volaris luggage dimensions here (http://volaris.com/en/prepare-your-trip/travel-information/pack-your-bags/carry-baggage/). They are sticklers. Additional luggage allowance can be purchased. (See the La Paz discussion (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/boards/thread/40955392).) Bring a drybag for the day boats. Large bags/boxes won't work and we don't want everyone's gear spread out. Backpacks may get wet.

Clothing - Surface air temps are expected to be in the low to mid 90's. Bring hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles that you can refill there. Bring a light jacket just in case the evenings cool down. Bring all of your Power Scuba logo clothes. You do have Power Scuba clothes, right? If not, come get some. If dining at Steinbeck's, casual is OK, but no tanks, booty shorts, etc.

Medications - Ensure that you pack all required medications. Also include sunscreen and stomach medications if desired.

Food - All food and drinks are available at the resort, or in La Paz. Water and food from the resort are fine to consume. The resort and dive operation also provide unlimited water bottles. On the way into La Paz on the last trip, we stopped at a grocery store to stock up on water and snacks. We didn't really need either, although we did use a large jug of water to refill water bottles in order to not use so many.

Passport - Required for travel outside the U.S. (Have at least 6 months of validity left on it after the return date. Don't wait until the last minute to attend to this.)

Great attitude - This is a fun trip. Bring your high spirits!

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More Details:

Inoculations - No special inoculations are needed for La Paz. A tetanus shot is always a good idea though.

Compression chamber - The nearest chamber suggested by DAN is located in Cabo San Lucas. Dive safely and don't have an accident.

Insurance - You must obtain DAN (http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/insurance/) or similar insurance for this trip. The top level "Preferred" DAN is suggested because it covers non-dive related accidents. For example, if you are in a car accident, the hospital will more readily recognize and accept DAN than other types of insurance.

Tipping - Tips are not included and should be given per our standard guidelines. Please review them here (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/21783462).

Courtesy - Yes, that's right...bring your courtesy. Power Scuba hopes to return to Costa Baja and Fun Baja in the future. Let's leave them with the same impression we do on all of our events.

The Mexican currency is the (Mexican) peso (though U.S. dollars are accepted in many places). There is no need to use pesos though as US dollars are accepted everywhere.

Language is Spanish. English is understood in most places and everywhere in the resort.

Electricity voltage is 120 volts, so no need for a converter. A surge protector for your electronics isn't a bad idea.

Bring cash for spending, to settle up whatever hotel charges you incur (they add a % for credit cards), and for tips (cash-only accepted).

You may want to bring a dive computer that does Nitrox. Although most dives won't be deep, El Bajo has the potential to be very deep.

MUCH more information can (will) be had at our Questions and Answers page on the message board: La Paz Trip 2014 thread (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/boards/thread/40955392).

ADVANCED: You should have an Advanced scuba certification to go on this trip... or ANY overseas trip. Some of the dives will be over 60' of depth. (Some overseas dive ops REQUIRE an Advanced cert to go to certain sites.) There is plenty of time between now and then to get your cert at a local shop.

If you're a single, we'll pair you up with another person in your room. (Same gender if at all possible.)

Trip insurance is a good thing.

Bring your Dramamine/Bonine. No use letting seasickness spoil your trip.

Bring your Immodium/Anti-diarrheal. Just to be safe! Emergen-C or other electrolytes are a good idea.

The overall price quoted above includes round-trip domestic economy airfare between La Paz and San Diego (aboard a Volaris Airbus jet), private air conditioned van between the terminal and Costa Baja resort in La Paz, and luggage assistance. We will be traveling between the resort and La Paz airport as a group and will all be on the same flight. Pay strict attention to our transfer and flight times.

Guests who require luggage upgrade will need to paid it to Power Scuba before the trip.

Your Checklist:

_______ Signed Liability Release submitted (found in the "More--> Files" section of this group).

_______ Medical Questionnaire (answered & signed) submitted (found in the "More--> Files" section of this group).

_______ Pack-out List: Posted in our Discussions Board thread here (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/40955392/#126101552).

_______ Passport (with at least 6 months validity AFTER your return date)

_______ Fill out and submit Trip Questionnaire (Found in the "More--> Files" section of this group. Or here (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/Trip%20Questionnaire%20-%20LaPaz.docx))

_______ Verify the Roommate and Boat Assignment list ("More--> Files" section of this group. Or here (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/2014%20Power%20Scuba%20La%20Paz%20Trip%20Roommate%20and%20Boat%20Assignments.docx) ).

_______ Read this event page in its entirety.

We hope to see you there!!

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Full Disclosure:

• One free spot is provided to the trip organizer by Fun Baja. This spot is ON TOP OF the discount we garner because of our numbers.

• This Trip Organizer spot does not include airfare, thus we are adding $8 to each attendee's trip cost for the Trip Organizer's airfare.

• Approximately $15 is being added to each person's trip cost for administrative needs, shuttle tips, T shirts, etc. No other outside costs or profit are added to your trip fee.

• The vendors do not give the organizer a commission.

ADMIN STUFF YOU MUST READ:

If you have not submitted a Liability Release for Power Scuba Meetup, please follow this link to the file, print, sign and bring to the event, along with your C-Card (scuba certification card). You only need to do this once a year: Liability Release and Assumption of Risk (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/New_Liability_Release.doc)

You must also read this: Disclaimer and Clarification... AKA Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/5914647)

Anyone with a medical condition possibly counter-indicative to diving must have a doctor's signature on a diving waiver form and submit the signed form to Bill Powers (or an organizer) before they may attend any Power Scuba event. YOU MAY NOT ATTEND AN EVENT WITH AN UNDISCLOSED MEDICAL CONDITION. Doing so is grounds for expulsion from the group. Here is our Medical Statement (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/Medical%20Statement%20and%20Questionnaire.pdf). Therein you'll find a Doctor Waiver form as well.

Attending any scuba event that Power Scuba facilitates constitutes attendee's affirmation they are medically fit to dive, certified to dive by a nationally-recognized agency, have the necessary skill & training level for the dive being offered, have read the Terms and Conditions, and have submitted a signed Liability Release to an Organizer.

Important Notes: It is not the Organizer's role to lead your dive or to wait for you after you come out of the water. A Power Scuba Organizer does not function as a divemaster. He or she merely facilitates the pre-dive meeting event. The Organizer will not assign you a buddy nor will he or she be leading the dive as a "group dive". Visibility and liability do not allow for that. Nor will the Organizer tell you whether you are skilled enough to make any particular dive. That is for you (only) to decide. When you enter the water, you (and your buddy) are on your own. You must plan and execute your dive with your dive buddy only. Once members arrive at the meeting spot, the Organizer becomes simply another dive

Your participation constitutes your affirmation you agree to these above rules and disclaimers.... and that your buddy, if applicable, has read and agrees to the same.

Events in San Diego, CA

La Paz Dive Trip!

Power Scuba: San Diego, Orange, and LA Scuba Diving!

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