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Customer
Testimonials
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Greetings from Canada, Just a word of thanks to the crew of Solmar V after our week in The Sea of Cortes June 5 to 12, 2010. Your professionalism and genuine care for all your passengers was beyond excellent! Truly an excellent team! From the food to the diving and snorkeling an all around great time. I will be recommending Solmar V to all my Dive buddies. Hope to be aboard soon again for a trip to Socorro.
Denis & Darlie Krueger
Fox Creek, Alberta Canada - Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 15:24:53 (PDT)
Thanks for another fantastic trip aboard the Solmar V. This was our sixth trip, the fourth to Revillagedos, and the diving at the islands never disappoints. These islands have the friendliest mantas on the planet, making it a playground for photographers and videographers. In addition, we saw dolphin, hammerheads, squadrons of whitetips and the sleek Galapagos shark. We didn't get to see a humpback under water (some on the trip saw them while snorkeling and we all saw lots breaching on the surface), but what's not to be missed is hearing the humpbacks sing on a dive. Amazing. But what keeps us coming back is the crew of the Solmar V. They make sure we feel at home before the boat rounds the cape on its way to the islands. These folks are great. The divemasters saw to it that we got the best that every site had to offer, yet they aren't intrusive so there's plenty of freedom for photography, video or just slowly cruising the reef. After the dive, you can lay even money that one of the panga drivers will be sitting there waiting to take your gear. After two decades, Jose Luis and his staff have it down. And you won't be going hungry. There are between dive snacks and hot chocolate, and Chef Tony puts together tasty and abundant meals.
Joe Pomento & Susan Walters
Redondo Beach, CA - Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 11:18:20 (PDT)
This was my third trip to Socorro; and this trip was similar in a lot of ways to previous trips, but different in significant ways. I remembered previous trips to be about the extended, up close and intimate encounters with mantas at El Boiler. Yes, we had those, but we also had extended manta encounters at El Canyon, San Benedicto and at Cabo Pierce, Socorro. On previous trips (around 2000) we enjoyed hammerhead and silky sharks from afar, but at El Canyon they were schools of 15 or more and they came very close (full frame, head on with a 17mm lens close). We also had mother and calf humpback whale encounters at Socorro along with a pod of dolphin. There, were the usual suspects at Roca Partida, whitetip sharks like cordwood, silkies, and Galapagos. All in all I attribute the abundance and friendliness of the large animals to the enforcement of the Biosphere regulations (spearheaded by the crew of the Solmar V) and the gentle way our divers interacted with these large animals. It is heart warming to see a dive destination actually get better over time. What stayed the same was the service we got from the Solmar V crew, the comfort and elegance of the boat, and, of course, Chef Tony's great meals.
Bruce Watkins, April 7, 2010 trip
Livermore, CA USA - Monday, May 03, 2010 at 19:42:07 (PDT)
Thanks again so much for allowing me to hop on your boat. It was truly a spectacular trip. One I never will forget - and I have great pictures and video. It was really a wonderful week full of diving. You have a great crew -
including Erick and Daniel as dive masters - along with the rest of the crew. Everyone worked hard to provide excellent service and I was quite impressed. It was a really wonderful experience. Kudos to you and congratulations on a well run ship! I hope it will not be my last trip. Thanks again - Patrick
Patrick Martin
- Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 13:39:55 (PST)
First of all we want to wish the entire crew of Solmar V a happy New Year and all the best for 2010! We had a fantastic trip to the Socorro Islands on November 11, 2009. Manta encounters and hammerheads schooling at Socorro island, lots of sharks and a whale shark at Roca Partida, dolphins at San Benedicto and last but not least, humpback whales on the way back just in front of the boat. What could one ask for more on a diving trip? Add the great dive masters and crew, the delicious food and margarita's and the fine company of our fellow divers and you can imagine that we hope to return in the future!
Filip and Veerle De Kimpe - Roelandt
Belgium - Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 09:11:59 (PST)
I just came back last week from the first trip of the season to the Islas Revillagidos. Another great time. It seems each trip (been on various) has something extra special. This time the mantas at the Boiler were upstaged by a pod of dolphin at Cabo Pearce (Socorro Island) which joined us on the first three dives of the day. Simply amazing.
Daniel Hartman
Mexico - Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 19:52:24 (PDT)
A huge thank you to the entire team at Solmar V. We just returned from a 9 day trip to Socorro and had a fabulous time. As a fairly new diver (4 prior ocean dives), I was nervous about this trip but it worked out beautifully. I owe a huge thank you to our dive master, Rey, who took extra time with me on the first couple of dives to help me feel comfortable. His patience and guidance (along with my husband's) paid off big and by the end of the trip I felt much more confident and improved my diving skills ten-fold! I felt spoiled as a new diver to be diving with the dolphins, hammerheads, white tip sharks and most of all the gentle and beautiful manta rays. The service and food on board was great. We really enjoyed all the soups that the cook prepared and the hot chocolate after the dives was delicious. It was an incredible experience and I have no doubt we will be back.
Jennifer Silvester
Salt Lake City, Utah USA - Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 19:51:38 (PDT)
This was my second trip on the SOLMARV and sign me up for my next one! Thoroughly enjoyed the islands and especially the "national geographic type" dive at Roca Partida. A once in a lifetime event. Crew was caring and thoughtful and food wonderful and creative. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
David Cohn
May 26, 2009 Trip, - Friday, June 19, 2009 at 14:25:08 (PDT)
I would like to thank the staff aboard the Solmar V for an unbelievable week in the Archipelago de Revillagigedos (Soccoro Islands). This was my first live-a board dive trip and it lived up to all of my expectations. The daily diving adventures were led by an outstanding group of professional dive masters (Daniel, Ray, and Erick) and support staff. Their knowledge of the islands, dive sites, and the local sea life enabled us to maximize our underwater experience. I was blown away by the amount of underwater activity. Manta ray encounters were frequent and truly spectacular. At Roca Partida, we observed giant schools of silkie sharks. Other frequent encounters included hammerhead, white-tip, and Galapagos sharks, as well as tuna and wahoo. Dolphins were always present and on our way back to Cabo San Lucas, we came across a pod of migrating blue whales, to complete our perfect week. I was also able to add to my PADI certification while on board, completing the Nitrox course. Thank you again for an amazing experience.
I enjoyed a truly great week in the Socorro Islands aboard the Solmar V. For divers looking for a different kind of experience, away from overcrowded and over dived resorts, this trip must surely be a major contender. It’s a great diving adventure and offers glimpses of a bygone era, of seas teeming with life in all its brutal beauty. I'd like to extend a big thank you to the crew on the Solmar V, whose friendliness, professionalism and knowledge of the area contributed to a truly great week of diving.
Jeremy Cuff, Underwater Photojournalist, UK
- Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 11:35:05 (PDT)
I led a group in Dec 08 and I'm pleased to report that the Solmar V proved to be a great boat, with a truly great crew that made a strongly positive impression on me. They are uniformly professional and proficient at their tasks. From years of experience cruising these waters with scuba divers, the crew worked together as a flawless team.
At the boiler, we got our money's worth as a quartet of giant manta rays, as large as 15-feet across the wings, performed a one-hour water ballet around us, under us, and over our heads. The manta rays had plenty of company. Sharks routinely encountered include white tips, silvertip, silky, hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, with the occasional tiger shark or a whale shark swimming by for good measure.
Above all, I appreciated the competence and experience of the Captain and crew. All boat handling, diving and other services were done safely and professionally, with the diving experience and guests' enjoyment foremost in mind.
I’m looking forward to my return trip later this year..
Ken Knezick, Island Dreams Travel
- Friday, May 15, 2009 at 15:16:03 (PDT)
We were on your vessel in March 09. As someone who leads underwater photo & video expeditions around the world and demands the best, I found The Solmar V to be a quality vessel, her crew experienced and professional, and overall a great venue for our guests.
Jason Heller - Publisher Dive Photo Guide
- Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 10:20:02 (PDT)
A huge thank you to the entire team at Solmar V. We just returned from a 9 day trip to Socorro and had a fabulous time. As a fairly new diver (4 prior ocean dives), I was nervous about this trip but it worked out beautifully. I owe a huge thank you to our dive master, Ray, who took extra time with me on the first couple of dives to help me feel comfortable. His patience and guidance (along with my husband’s) paid off big and by the end of the trip I felt much more confident and improved my diving skills ten-fold! I felt spoiled to be diving with dolphins, hammerheads, white tip sharks and most of all the gentle and beautiful manta rays. The service and food on board was great. We really enjoyed all the soups that the cook prepared and the hot chocolate after the dives was delicious. It was an incredible experience and I have no doubt we will be back.
Jennifer Silvester
Salt Lake City, UT USA - Saturday, May 09, 2009 at 08:42:57 (PDT)
At 85 (Vern) and 70 (Marsha) we have just returned from a week of scuba diving around the Soccorro Islands (the Revillagigedo Islands) 300 miles south-west of Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico... Such a great trip.....
We swam with white tip sharks, Galapagos, hammerheads, humpback whales... (this is the first time that I have heard whales sing. They can only be heard under the water...) Giant Mantas with wing spans of about 18 feet swam right over us actually loving the bubbles on their tummies.... In the olden days we were allowed to tickle their tummies, leaving our finger tips bleeding since their skin is like fine sandpaper. Of course there were all the other amazing sea creatures like octopii, grouper, parrot fish, nudibranchs etc etc etc...
This trip was the end of a long dive career... Vern started diving in the 50's and I started in 1972. We have had amazing experiences under water.... and on land during diving trips. I was very sentimental about this End Of Era trip and shed tears, especially to say goodbye to the Solmar crew who has taken such good care of us on all our adventures since 1993... Vern at 85 did about 10 dives on this trip... diving being very advanced with strong currents and very rough water. He is amazing. So he has hung up his fins!... and I couldn't dive without him. He got me into this when we got married 43 years ago, the rule was that I must learn to dive and he had to learn to ski and play tennis. We have had a blast.
Marsha Bohr
Pasadena, CA USA - Wednesday, May 06, 2009 at 12:11:31 (PDT)
A thank you to the Solmar V crew! My friend, Vicki, and I took back-to-back trips (Sea of Cortez and Socorro) October 23 to November 8, 2008 and had a wonderful time! The diving was fabulous with playful sea lions, turtles, angel and other reef fish at Sea of Cortez and mantas, sharks, schools of large tuna, and very friendly dolphins at Socorro. The food was terrific, the boat comfortable and the crew always friendly and helpful. A special thank you to Danny for fixing my equipment (more than once) and finding the hammerheads, Eric for explaining the wonderful sea life we encountered and Ray and the Captain for making sure I (and others) knew the election results on November 4. I will definitely take future trips on Solmar V to Socorro and to see the Great Whites.
Linda DuPuis
Tampa, FL USA - Monday, December 15, 2008 at 09:21:54 (PST)
Hi to all on the Solmar V. Just spent 5 days on the last Guadalupe trip this year and had the most amazing time. You guys work so hard and nothing is any trouble. I just wanted to say thanks again especially to Geronimo and Danny. You both have a special place in my heart. You both looked after me so well and it was a pleasure chatting, I just wish we'd had more time. Really want to now do another trip on Solmar but you are soo booked up. The thought of waiting a year is gutting. Margarita is my new fave drink and when i see you again i will bring a star chart so we can gaze, chat and know what we're looking at. Oh and i'll endevour to have a fully functial camera from the start!! piÈrdale y viajes seguros embaldosan yo le veo otra vez. Vicki xxx
Vicki Lloyd
Plymouth, Devon UK - Monday, October 13, 2008 at 16:37:28 (PDT)
Jose Luis and Leslie, Thank you! The Solmar V is a beautiful vessel, well equipped, and captained by a professional who knows the sea! San Benedicto and Roca Partida are the best for pelagic encounters. Every dive provided us with an abundance and a variety of exceptional critters; dolphins, mantas, sharks, schools of Wahoo and Tuna. The crew is fabulous, always there to give you a hand, take a camera, or fill your hunger. The best compliment I can give is to return and we will be back.
Tonia Drazkowski
Lahaina, HI USA - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 19:11:49 (PDT)
The soundtrack of humpback whales plays in the background. The hammerheads passing below us reflect the sun beams and some Galapagos shark patrol the area while a group of silvertips feels curious. Oops, I have a manta over my head ! The school of tuna escapes from the sharks and a large wahoo gets very close. Time to wake up? No! Just another day in Roca Partida, diving with the Solmar V folks. Boilers is probably the best dive in the world to take manta photos. How about a dolphin and a manta in the same frame? Been there done that in San Benedicto. I even saw three whales and a manta at the same time. Great to see some of the staff is the same from my previous trip 7 years ago. Plan on a longer belt (not talking about weight belt here) after the trip, food is very good.
Carlos Villoch
Spain - Thursday, May 01, 2008 at 18:15:00 (PDT)
Just got home from our trip to Socorro Island. We had the lucky opportunity to swim with Mantas, dolphins and different varieties of sharks. The crew and diving were top notch!!!!! Thank you Solmar V for an incredible adventure.
James and Gigi Forth - April 22 to April 28, 2008
New York, USA - Thursday, May 01, 2008 at 16:42:58 (PDT)
Byron and I are back from the Solmar trip. I wanted to let you know the trip lived up to all the claims on your website: mantas, sharks (hammerheads!), tons of eels, etc. It was a great trip and if anyone is on the fence about booking you certainly can use me as a reference. The food was great, too.
Rob Courter
- Monday, February 04, 2008 at 11:22:01 (PST)
We came back from the Nov 9 trip to Socorro. I just want to tell you how pleased we were with the upgrades and changes you have put in since taking over ownership. The addition of Nitrox was great but we could also see improvement in the food, upkeep of the ship etc. (Since the chef was the same I can only assume you have expanded the budget on this.) We have made 7 or so trips on the Solmar and this was the best. Its so nice to see most of the same crew working and working well. Once again congratulations on what you have done for the Solmar.
Dan & Genevieve Hartman
Cozumel and the U.S. - Wednesday, January 02, 2008 at 18:07:00 (PST)
We had an absolutely fantastic time... My husband has been diving for 55 years......about 40 weeks in the Sea Of Cortez from the days of the Marisla to the Baja Explorador to the Solmar V and of course the Solmar is absolute luxury. He had never seen so many sharks of every variety and mantas and whale sharks...Unbelievable. He said he had THE most fabulous dive of his life on this trip...the whale sharks, hammerheads and all the other kinds of sharks and mantas were out to play.
We want to reserve a trip for 2009 with our daughters who actually encountered a whale shark and hammerhead simultaneously in the Sea of Cortez when they were 15 and 17 years of age and had no idea what they were seeing. They are 38 and 40 now!
oxoxm
Marsha Bohr
Pasadena, CA USA - Monday, November 12, 2007 at 13:15:40 (PST)
In the past I have photographed great white sharks in South Africa, Australia and Guadalupe Island, but no expedition has yielded more fantastic images than my week on the Solmar V with Lawrence and Shark Diving International. I think I finally met someone with more enthusiasm than even I have for these magnificent animals. Mr. Groth is a wealth of information and I look forward to repeating my trip next season. It will take me that long to go through everything that I shot in my five cage days at Guadalupe. Thank you too to the Captain and crew of the Solmar V. My cage time would not have been anywhere near as rewarding without their constant hard work wrangling the sharks in for a close look. My only complaint is that I was hoping to loose a few pounds with all my hard work...but the food was too good!
I would like to express my special thanks to the Captain and Crew of the Solmar
V and the Great White Sharks of Isla Guadalupe. This was a high octane, adrenaline
pumping, and heart-pounding trip of a lifetime. It far exceeded my pre-trip expectations
of 2-3 Great Whites. I had over 100 encounters each day, many within inches to
5 feet. I even had 6 camera bumps with the HD video to prove it!!! The submersible
platform was fantastic with as many as 5 Great Whites circling at one time. The
action above and below the surface was nonstop. I cannot express how exciting
and awe inspiring it was to see this magnificent, powerful yet graceful apex
predator in such clear clam water. The trip out and back was better than expected.
We had excellent conditions with a special treat of one Fin Whale, two Mola-Mola's,
and a large pod of Common Dolphins. Now get this, we also saw about 18 Blue Whales
lunge feeding on Krill. All of this took place within the luxury of your beautiful,
safe, comfortable vessel along with a highly experienced, attentive Captain and
Crew. Thank you for fulfilling a childhood dream...
Dr George Willis
Miami, Florida USA - Thursday, September 06, 2007 at 07:18:17 (PDT)
You guys are truly the best and exemplify extraordinary guest and customer service. I look forward to my next trip with your crews and hope to bring the rest of my family to share in your experience. Keep in touch and I can send reimbursement when it is needed. Thanks for your help and we will talk soon.
Patrick Drew
Telluride, Colorado USA - Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 15:52:45 (PDT)
Not being a diver, I thought I would take advantage of the Baja Nature
Cruise in the Sea of Cortez offered this year. What an amazing world I was introduced to!!
Snorkeling reefs or with Sea Lions, Mobulas, & a Whale Shark; Kayaking
around a Sea Lion Rookery watching babies nursing or playing in the water,
exploring the San Jose island estuary & all it's inhabitants. Sighting
Finback Whales with Dolphins among them. The nights were breathtaking,
The stars seemed close enough to touch.
Then you add a very friendly, attentive & professional crew, wonderful accommodations, Great food all around, an experience that became a home away from home. Talk about reality shock when I got back to the states!
Exceptional Experience, hope the Nature Cruise is a regular for the SolmarV.
I was so taken by the experience, I'm planning on becoming a diver for my next trip!
RCS de Leon
Tarzana, CA USA - Monday, June 25, 2007 at 07:14:48 (PDT)
Incredibly memorable trip with an outstanding crew. The boat was in impecable condition and their concern for our safety and enjoyment was paramount. Yes, the rooms are small but the diving and experience is tremendous. One dive will always remain as one of our best with three mantas, 7 or 8 dolphins, plus a few sharks all in sight at the same time. Thanks to every involved with Solamr V!
Dave & Jan Hinman - Delta Divers
Rome, NY USA - Monday, May 28, 2007 at 07:07:00 (PDT)
I just got back from a trip to the Socorro's and loved it. The boat and food were excellent. The diving at San Benedicto and Roca Partida was exceptional. I saw everything that I was hoping to and then some. Swimming with a Humpback whale and her calf was an incredible experience. The numerous dives where dolphins would play were really fun. Besides the Humpbacks and dolphins we saw lots of Mantas, sometimes four at a time, sharks including silkies, galapgos, silvertips hammerheads and two tiger sharks. Overall the trip was awesome and I would definitely do it again. Thanks Solmar V crew for making it really cool.
Terry Layton
Quartz Hill, CA USA - Monday, May 28, 2007 at 07:05:35 (PDT)
The Solmar V and the very efficient crew make this beautiful live aboard boat one of the best. It is a large & solid with all the safety equipment that gives you confidence when taking a trip to offshore Islands. The meals are great and I love the hot chocolate and soups after diving. The experience of diving with the Manta Rays at the Boiler at San Benedicto is one of my favorite all time dives. Diving at San Benedicto and Rocas Partida it is still possible to see varieties of sharks and all the big stuff that can no longer be found in most diving locations.
Chuck Nicklin
- Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 11:52:25 (PDT)
Our trip in March was wonderful. We saw manta rays on several dives and sharks including hammerhead, silvertip, Galapagos, silky and white-tip reef on nearly every dive. On one site, a pod of dolphins joined us, diving repeatedly to visit us at 50 feet. A highlight for three lucky snorkelers in our group was seeing a humpback below them. The diving is fantastic, the boat, its crew and the food, terrific.
Bonnie J. Cardone, former editor, Skin Diver Magazine.
Bonnie Cardone
Santa Maria, CA USA - Monday, April 02, 2007 at 07:18:38 (PDT)
On behalf of myself and our entire crew, we want to take a moment to thank everyone from Solmar V who assisted us during the past months as we planned and executed our filming expedition to the Sea of Cortez. Everyone's dedication and attention to detail every step of the way during our stay aboard Solmar V helped to make this a successful trip. Throughout, every request was met with a smile and yet another offer to help in any way possible. Under challenging circumstances, each member of the Solmar V crew pitched in to assist our film crew in managing the activities required to capture the film sequence of Humboldt squid.
Hola Jose & Leslie,
We are now back to earth after our trip on the Solmar V. The upgrades to the Solmar were great but, the dives at Roca Partida made the entire trip. In two days of diving at Roca Partida we saw a Whale Shark up close enough to touch†5 times. We were excited about going out again on the Solmar in spite of the problems last year with the Mexican Navy. Even though they held us up for about 6 hours at Socorro Isle the Whale Shark made up for everything. The Giant Mantas were spectacular as usual but the Whale Shark was unexpected. Thank you again for a great trip. The crew on the Solmar V is the best bar none.
John & Paula Saunders
- Friday, March 16, 2007 at 20:13:24 (PDT)
I am back from the Solmar V liveaboard dive boat today. I am back from the
best dive trip ever. I saw manta rays and sharks on every dive, I even saw
a whaleshark!!! We had unusually good weather everyday out at sea. The
weather only got bad on the crossing from the Islands.
Mike Scammon
- Friday, March 16, 2007 at 20:12:51 (PDT)
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