Essential Scuba Diving Packing List for Cabo San Lucas
Updated: Oct 7
Packing for a dive trip to Cabo is easier than most people expect, because a lot of what you need is already on the boat. This scuba diving packing list for Cabo San Lucas covers what to bring, what you can rent or leave at home, and which wetsuit fits each time of year. It is the list we send our own divers before they fly in.
What is included on our dives, and what you can rent
On our certified dives in Cabo San Lucas, the price includes tanks and weights, water, soft drinks and light snacks, reef-friendly sunscreen and towels. You do not need to pack a towel or sunscreen for the boat.
The rest of the gear can be rented as a full set or item by item. Our rental sets use XDEEP BCDs, Scubapro regulators and TUSA fins, so you can travel light without giving up good equipment. Nitrox is available for certified nitrox divers.
If you are not certified yet, our Discover Scuba Diving experience includes all the gear. You only need a swimsuit.
What to pack in your carry-on
Bags get delayed, and some things are hard to replace on the morning of a dive. Keep these with you on the plane:
Mask, and prescription lenses if you use them
Dive computer
Certification card or e-card, and your nitrox card if you plan to dive nitrox
Regulator, if you travel with your own
Swimsuit, so you can dive even if your suitcase arrives a day late
Spare batteries and power banks. Airlines require spare lithium batteries in the cabin, not in checked luggage
Fins, wetsuit and BCD can go in the hold, or stay at home if you rent.
Which wetsuit do you need for diving in Cabo?
Water temperature in Cabo changes a lot through the year, so the right wetsuit depends on when you come.
Season | Water temperature | Wetsuit |
August to mid-December | 79 to 86°F (26 to 30°C) | 3 mm |
Mid-December to April | 64 to 74°F (18 to 23°C) | 5 mm full suit, plus a hood if you get cold |
May to July | Warmer at the surface, but often the coldest water of the year at depth | 5 mm, or 7 mm if you feel the cold |
Visibility is usually at its best from August to November, when the water is also at its warmest.
Dive gear worth bringing from home
You can rent everything, but a few personal items make a real difference:
Mask. The one piece of gear where fit matters most. A mask you know will not leak or fog on you.
Dive computer. If you own one, bring it. You already know how to read it.
Surface marker buoy. Useful on any boat dive, and especially on deeper sites.
Wetsuit and hood. Only if yours suit the season.
Booties and fins. Worth it if yours are comfortable and you have room in the bag.
A small save-a-dive kit is worth the space too: a spare mask strap, defog, a few o-rings and some zip ties. It weighs almost nothing and can save a dive.
What to bring on the boat
Swimsuit, already on under your clothes
A long-sleeved sun shirt or rash guard
A light layer or windbreaker for the ride back
Hat and sunglasses
Seasickness medication if you are prone to it, taken at least one hour before boarding
A small dry bag for your phone and clothes
A camera with a wrist strap, if you want one
Documents for a dive trip to Cabo
Certification card or e-card. A digital card on your phone is fine.
Logbook. Paper or digital. For deeper dives it helps us see your recent experience.
Dive insurance. Personal travel or medical insurance is not included in our trips. DAN is the best-known option for divers.
Passport, valid for your whole stay.
What to pack for each kind of dive
Marine Park and Corridor dives. The basic list above covers it. These trips last about four hours from dock to dock.
Night Dive. A dive light is included on our Night Dive, so you do not need to bring one. Pack a warmer layer for the ride back, because it cools down after sunset.
Gordo Banks. Gordo Banks is deep, open-ocean diving. Bring your own computer and surface marker buoy if you have them, and your logbook.
PADI courses. For our PADI courses, finish your eLearning before you arrive so your days here are spent in the water.
Day trips to Cabo Pulmo and La Paz. For diving in Cabo Pulmo or diving with the sea lions in La Paz, add a warm layer for the early drive and dry clothes for the way back. Both are full days of up to 12 hours from Cabo.
Plan your flight home around your last dive
This is the thing divers most often forget to plan. After diving you need to wait before flying:
Your diving | Wait before flying |
One dive | 12 hours |
Two dives in one day | 18 hours |
More than two dives, or several days of diving | 24 hours |
So keep your last full day in Cabo dive-free, or dive in the morning two days before you leave.
What you can leave at home
Weights and tanks. They are included.
Regular sunscreen. Only reef-friendly sunscreen should go in the water, and we have it on board.
A beach towel. Towels are included.
Gloves and dive knives. They are not allowed in Cabo Pulmo National Park.
Heavy gear you rarely use. If it is not your mask or your computer, renting is usually easier than flying with it.
Scuba diving packing list for Cabo: quick answers
Do I need to bring my own scuba gear to Cabo?
No. Tanks and weights are included, and everything else can be rented, as a full set or by item. Most divers bring only their mask and dive computer.
What wetsuit thickness do I need in Cabo?
A 3 mm from August to mid-December and a 5 mm for the rest of the year. Add a hood, or go up to 7 mm, if you get cold easily, especially from March to July.
Do I need my certification card?
Yes, bring it or have the e-card on your phone. If it has been a year or more since your last dive, we recommend our Scuba Refresher first.
How long should I wait to fly after diving?
12 hours after one dive, 18 hours after two, and 24 hours after more than two dives or several days of diving.
Packing checklist
Category | What to bring |
Carry-on | Mask, dive computer, certification card, swimsuit, spare batteries |
Dive gear | Wetsuit for the season, surface marker buoy, booties and fins if you have room, save-a-dive kit |
Documents | Certification card or e-card, nitrox card, logbook, dive insurance, passport |
On the boat | Swimsuit, sun shirt, light layer, hat, sunglasses, dry bag, seasickness medication |
Day trips | Warm layer for the drive, dry clothes for the way back |
Ready to plan your dives? Have a look at our scuba diving trips for certified divers in Cabo San Lucas.
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