About "Scuba Shack"

Though our company name "Scuba Shack" implies we do only scuba diving, nothing could be further from the truth! Our divers meet in the morning to do their own thing, but we have several snorkeling guides, specially trained to make sure your snorkeling adventure is one of the best ever! Because the Pacific Ocean is somewhat unpredictable, our responsible guides are trained to find the best locations for the day, though we have 3 favorite sites we frequent most.

Unfortunately for snorkeling enthusiasts, most tropical resorts cater to the needs of SCUBA divers rather than snorkelers. Not so with Scuba Shack. Our guides positively LOVE snorkeling with you. Not only do you get quality equipment (the same the divers use)--mask, fins, and snorkel--fitted perfectly to your face and feet, but we have other snorkeling aids--rafts and floating donuts with see-through viewing windows, mattresses and other flotation devices for the very nervous, and wet suits for when our water gets colder.

We have observed this typical, frustrating scenario for independent snorkelers with other dive operations in Manzanillo:

You arrive at your resort and find that SCUBA divers are provided with dive boats, all the best equipment, and if you go along with the divers, you are limited to just the spots THEY want to go, or you are relegated to snorkeling off the beach. While beach snorkeling is excellent in Manzanillo, many of the most exciting snorkeling sites are more easily accessed by boat. And snorkeling locations are not the same as dive locations. Snorkeling locations are typically shallow, with lots of natural coral and plenty of fish. Divers like to go deeper, and are looking to see different things.

In our opinion, one of the worst things you could do is "tag along" on a dive boat. First of all, the trip is longer, some of the locations are deeper and the waves are rougher (seasickness anyone?), and the focus is on dive, dive, dive! When the dive is over, so is your snorkel, and you will have missed some of the most extraordinary shallow water vistas. 

(In the case of families who are both divers and snorkelers, we will do a custom trip just for you, with everyone together on the boat, as long as you know up front what to expect. Divers will have to hang out (or snorkel) in shallow water while the snorkelers go in, then snorkelers will have to wait on board while the divers have their turn. There are some locations where the divers can dive and snorkelers snorkel, but sometimes divers prefer other locations. As a family, discuss it among yourselves, and talk to us, and we'll try to make everyone happy.)

On our Sea and See adventure, we have 28 ft. open "pangas" with a Bimini awning. One of the great features of this type of boat is that it has a very small draft, allowing us to anchor in very shallow water, so snorkelers don't have a long, marathon swim to get to the reef. The other advantage of this type of boat is that it is very fast--time to "The Aquarium, 3 minutes; time to Elephant Rock, 6 minutes; time to the shipwreck, 6 minutes--so you can see--most of the time is spent snorkeling. 

Each of our boats is licensed to carry 12-14 passengers and/or snorkelers. If you have no desire to snorkel, but the rest of your family wants to take the plunge, take note that our snorkel boat heads north of Manzanillo, where you'll see many exciting things as we tour along Colima's rugged, mountainous coastline.

We have boats exclusively for snorkeling, and guides dedicated to your snorkeling pleasure. Snorkel trips generally are in the morning, because in Manzanillo, the wind comes up between noon and 1 p.m. making the water choppy and cutting down on  visibility. Our main snorkeling locations are inside calm, tranquil bays, so seasickness is usually not an issue. 

On the rare occasions that we do get a customer who is ill, in most instances, the beach is only a few minutes away. We try to do everything to make your snorkeling experience one of the best you've ever had, in part, helped out by some of the world's most pristine underwater treasures such as corals, fish, eels, rays, and sometimes a turtle.

With safety in mind, we beach our boats to board and disembark, and there is a captain on board at all time. All of our captains have been with us at least 12 years, and we have a 100% safety record. All boats are equipped with a ladder, first aid kit, dry bag, life jackets, and your guide brings "No Fog" to prevent mask fogging. Your guide is in the water with you to make sure you're doing okay, and is there to assist with snorkeling tips, or to point out an animal you might have missed.

Although we strive to make each Sea and See Adventure as enjoyable and informative as possible, our aim is not to overwhelm you with information you'll never remember. Rather, if after our Sea and See experience, you have become more intimate with the ocean, and are further motivated to explore issues surrounding the sea, then our goal will have been achieved.

The owners and operators of Scuba Shack in Manzanillo are Susan Dearing and Carlos Cuellar. With 20 years in the area, their PADI Dive Center is the oldest in Manzanillo, and supported by the department of tourism and the chamber of commerce.

Susan Dearing is also the author of a guidebook for tourists and residents, and the owner of www.gomanzanillo.com. She has lived in Manzanillo 20 years, and holds a rank of scuba diving instructor with PADI, CMAS and YMCA. Carlos, a former marine from the Viet Nam era, has alternated living in the U.S. and Mexico his entire life, and his first diving took place at the age of 12 at Audiencia beach in Manzanillo with  his stepfather.