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108-592: Rated as one of Mexico's top tourist destinations, Cabo San Lucas is known for its beaches, scuba diving locations, Balnearios , the sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas , and marine life. The Los Cabos Corridor has become a heavily trafficked vacation destination for tourists, with numerous resorts and timeshares along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. The waters around Cabo are home to marine wildlife including rays , sharks , mahi-mahi (dorado), and striped marlin. Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of continual human habitation in

216-406: A diver propulsion vehicle , or a sled pulled from the surface. Other equipment needed for scuba diving includes a mask to improve underwater vision, exposure protection by means of a diving suit , ballast weights to overcome excess buoyancy, equipment to control buoyancy , and equipment related to the specific circumstances and purpose of the dive, which may include a snorkel when swimming on

324-540: A tropical desert climate ( Köppen : BWh ). Even with the thermal amplitude, there are no freezes. During summer, Cabo San Lucas is cooler than San José del Cabo by about 1.5 to 3 °C (34.7 to 37.4 °F). Sometimes during the summer, when winds blow from the Pacific Ocean instead of the Gulf of California , the differences in temperatures between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are higher. Cabo San Lucas

432-498: A "single-hose" open-circuit 2-stage demand regulator, connected to a single back-mounted high-pressure gas cylinder, with the first stage connected to the cylinder valve and the second stage at the mouthpiece. This arrangement differs from Émile Gagnan's and Jacques Cousteau 's original 1942 "twin-hose" design, known as the Aqua-lung, in which the cylinder pressure was reduced to ambient pressure in one or two stages which were all in

540-402: A "sled", an unpowered device towed behind a surface vessel that conserves the diver's energy and allows more distance to be covered for a given air consumption and bottom time. The depth is usually controlled by the diver by using diving planes or by tilting the whole sled. Some sleds are faired to reduce drag on the diver. To dive safely, divers must control their rate of descent and ascent in

648-431: A backplate, and the cylinders rested directly against the diver's back. Early scuba divers dived without a buoyancy aid. In an emergency they had to jettison their weights. In the 1960s adjustable buoyancy life jackets (ABLJ) became available, which can be used to compensate for loss of buoyancy at depth due to compression of the neoprene wetsuit and as a lifejacket that will hold an unconscious diver face-upwards at

756-492: A baggage claim area, car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops. The departures section includes a check-in area, a security checkpoint, and a concourse with a food court and 8 gates on the ground level, allowing passengers to walk to their aircraft . From this departure concourse, access to a mezzanine is available, which houses a VIP lounge . Terminal 2 is a two-story structure. The ground floor manages arrivals with customs and immigration facilities,

864-431: A floating platform to catch tuna , and ten years later founded Compañía de Productos Marinos S.A. The plant operated for several years. Cabo San Lucas has become a prominent vacation and spa destination, with a variety of sites of interest and timeshares that have been built on the coast between San Lucas and San José del Cabo . The distinctive Arco de Cabo San Lucas is a local landmark at Lands End. Cabo San Lucas has

972-422: A frame and skirt, which are opaque or translucent, therefore the total field-of-view is significantly reduced and eye-hand coordination must be adjusted. Divers who need corrective lenses to see clearly outside the water would normally need the same prescription while wearing a mask. Generic corrective lenses are available off the shelf for some two-window masks, and custom lenses can be bonded onto masks that have

1080-815: A great number of Mexican natives and foreigners to spend their vacations in large-scale tourist developments. The development of Cabo's tourism industry was prompted by the Mexican government 's development of infrastructure to turn Cabo San Lucas into a major centre for tourism in Mexico, beginning in 1974. Upon completion of the Transpeninsular Highway, also known as the Mexican Federal Highway 1 , tourist developments in Los Cabos proceeded relatively unchecked. Until fairly recently,

1188-456: A higher oxygen content, known as enriched air or nitrox , has become popular due to the reduced nitrogen intake during long or repetitive dives. Also, breathing gas diluted with helium may be used to reduce the effects of nitrogen narcosis during deeper dives. Open-circuit scuba systems discharge the breathing gas into the environment as it is exhaled, and consist of one or more diving cylinders containing breathing gas at high pressure which

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1296-402: A line held by the diver indicates the position of the diver to the surface personnel. This may be an inflatable marker deployed by the diver at the end of the dive, or a sealed float, towed for the whole dive. A surface marker also allows easy and accurate control of ascent rate and stop depth for safer decompression. Various surface detection aids may be carried to help surface personnel spot

1404-448: A low-pressure hose from the first stage, delivers the breathing gas at ambient pressure to the diver's mouth. The exhaled gases are exhausted directly to the environment as waste through a non-return valve on the second stage housing. The first stage typically has at least one outlet port delivering gas at full tank pressure which is connected to the diver's submersible pressure gauge or dive computer, to show how much breathing gas remains in

1512-408: A mask than normal-sighted people. Diving masks and helmets solve this problem by providing an air space in front of the diver's eyes. The refraction error created by the water is mostly corrected as the light travels from water to air through a flat lens, except that objects appear approximately 34% bigger and 25% closer in water than they actually are. The faceplate of the mask is supported by

1620-504: A more conservative approach for a SCR than for a CCR, but decompression computers with a real-time oxygen partial pressure input can optimise decompression for these systems. Because rebreathers produce very few bubbles, they do not disturb marine life or make a diver's presence known at the surface; this is useful for underwater photography, and for covert work. For some diving, gas mixtures other than normal atmospheric air (21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen , 1% trace gases) can be used, so long as

1728-432: A more than 20% projected growth when compared to 2021 and a 32% compounded growth over the last five years with 800 thousand more passengers than 2017. The town is also a popular port of call for many cruise ships . Cabo San Lucas has a small international airfield , which handles air traffic for general aviation flights and air taxi services. Many tourists get around the area through the numerous local taxis that service

1836-420: A number of applications, including scientific, military and public safety roles, but most commercial diving uses surface-supplied diving equipment when this is practicable. Scuba divers engaged in armed forces covert operations may be referred to as frogmen , combat divers or attack swimmers. A scuba diver primarily moves underwater by using fins attached to the feet, but external propulsion can be provided by

1944-423: A result, divers can stay down longer or require less time to decompress. A semi-closed circuit rebreather injects a constant mass flow of a fixed breathing gas mixture into the breathing loop, or replaces a specific percentage of the respired volume, so the partial pressure of oxygen at any time during the dive depends on the diver's oxygen consumption and/or breathing rate. Planning decompression requirements requires

2052-524: A safe continuous maximum, which reduces the inert gas (nitrogen and/or helium) partial pressure in the breathing loop. Minimising the inert gas loading of the diver's tissues for a given dive profile reduces the decompression obligation. This requires continuous monitoring of actual partial pressures with time and for maximum effectiveness requires real-time computer processing by the diver's decompression computer. Decompression can be much reduced compared to fixed ratio gas mixes used in other scuba systems and, as

2160-401: A shorter surface interval between dives. The increased partial pressure of oxygen due to the higher oxygen content of nitrox increases the risk of oxygen toxicity, which becomes unacceptable below the maximum operating depth of the mixture. To displace nitrogen without the increased oxygen concentration, other diluent gases can be used, usually helium , when the resultant three gas mixture

2268-478: A single front window or two windows. As a diver descends, they must periodically exhale through their nose to equalise the internal pressure of the mask with that of the surrounding water. Swimming goggles are not suitable for diving because they only cover the eyes and thus do not allow for equalisation. Failure to equalise the pressure inside the mask may lead to a form of barotrauma known as mask squeeze. Masks tend to fog when warm humid exhaled air condenses on

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2376-518: A surge in holiday resorts and rapid regional population growth, resulting in insufficient capacity during peak hours. Between 2018 and 2020, Terminal 3 was fully integrated with Terminal 2, adopting the name Terminal 2 and undergoing further expansion in 2022 with additional jet bridges for boarding planes. From 2019 to 2020, TUI Airways provided flights to and from London Gatwick Airport , and since 2023, Spain's carrier Iberojet has operated daily flights to Madrid. Los Cabos International Airport

2484-509: A tropical coral reef ). The removal ("ditching" or "shedding") of diver weighting systems can be used to reduce the diver's weight and cause a buoyant ascent in an emergency. Diving suits made of compressible materials decrease in volume as the diver descends, and expand again as the diver ascends, causing buoyancy changes. Diving in different environments also necessitates adjustments in the amount of weight carried to achieve neutral buoyancy. The diver can inject air into dry suits to counteract

2592-403: A tube below 3 feet (0.9 m) under the water. Most recreational scuba diving is done using a half mask which covers the diver's eyes and nose, and a mouthpiece to supply the breathing gas from the demand valve or rebreather. Inhaling from a mouthpiece becomes second nature very quickly. The other common arrangement is a full-face mask which covers the eyes, nose and mouth, and often allows

2700-424: Is a dedicated apron with stands for fixed-wing aircraft and heliports for private aviation. The airport operates two terminals. Terminal 1, covering an area of 16,580 square metres (178,500 sq ft), manages arrival and departure facilities for domestic flights within a single-story building. It features a distinctive roof over the departures concourse with peaked white structures. The arrivals area includes

2808-413: Is a risk of getting the anti-fog agent in the eyes. Water attenuates light by selective absorption. Pure water preferentially absorbs red light, and to a lesser extent, yellow and green, so the colour that is least absorbed is blue light. Dissolved materials may also selectively absorb colour in addition to the absorption by the water itself. In other words, as a diver goes deeper on a dive, more colour

2916-437: Is absorbed by the water, and in clean water the colour becomes blue with depth. Colour vision is also affected by the turbidity of the water which tends to reduce contrast. Artificial light is useful to provide light in the darkness, to restore contrast at close range, and to restore natural colour lost to absorption. Dive lights can also attract fish and a variety of other sea creatures. Protection from heat loss in cold water

3024-486: Is also commonly referred to as the scuba set. As one descends, in addition to the normal atmospheric pressure at the surface, the water exerts increasing hydrostatic pressure of approximately 1 bar (14.7 pounds per square inch) for every 10 m (33 feet) of depth. The pressure of the inhaled breath must balance the surrounding or ambient pressure to allow controlled inflation of the lungs. It becomes virtually impossible to breathe air at normal atmospheric pressure through

3132-734: Is also the Baja Brewing Company . The English-language newspaper for Cabo San Lucas, the biweekly Gringo Gazette , has news on tourist activities in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose, Todos Santos , La Paz , and the East Cape Baja. Chileno Bay is one of the most frequented beaches in the Corridor. It is home to tropical fish, sea turtles, invertebrates, and sponges. Snorkelers often visit this beach to observe underwater sea life. The extreme south of Baja California has

3240-415: Is an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus " and was coined by Christian J. Lambertsen in a patent submitted in 1952. Scuba divers carry their own source of breathing gas , usually compressed air , affording them greater independence and movement than surface-supplied divers , and more time underwater than free divers. Although the use of compressed air is common, a gas blend with

3348-716: Is an international airport located in San José del Cabo , Baja California Sur, Mexico, serving as the main gateway to the popular tourist destination of the Los Cabos region on the Baja California Peninsula . Annually, the airport attracts millions of tourists, predominantly from the United States and Canada , with flights connecting to 30 U.S. cities and 11 Canadian cities. Major U.S. and Canadian airlines operate flights to and from Los Cabos, linking to their primary and secondary hubs . Additionally,

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3456-544: Is below 15 °C (60 °F) or for extended immersion in water above 15 °C (60 °F), where a wetsuit user would get cold, and with an integral helmet, boots, and gloves for personal protection when diving in contaminated water. Dry suits are designed to prevent water from entering. This generally allows better insulation making them more suitable for use in cold water. They can be uncomfortably hot in warm or hot air, and are typically more expensive and more complex to don. For divers, they add some degree of complexity as

3564-467: Is called trimix , and when the nitrogen is fully substituted by helium, heliox . For dives requiring long decompression stops, divers may carry cylinders containing different gas mixtures for the various phases of the dive, typically designated as travel, bottom, and decompression gases. These different gas mixtures may be used to extend bottom time, reduce inert gas narcotic effects, and reduce decompression times. Back gas refers to any gas carried on

3672-400: Is facilitated by ascending on a line with a buoy at the top. The diver can remain marginally negative and easily maintain depth by holding onto the line. A shotline or decompression buoy are commonly used for this purpose. Precise and reliable depth control are particularly valuable when the diver has a large decompression obligation, as it allows the theoretically most efficient decompression at

3780-421: Is greater per unit of depth near the surface. Minimising the volume of gas required in the buoyancy compensator will minimise the buoyancy fluctuations with changes in depth. This can be achieved by accurate selection of ballast weight, which should be the minimum to allow neutral buoyancy with depleted gas supplies at the end of the dive unless there is an operational requirement for greater negative buoyancy during

3888-533: Is known as a buoyancy control device or buoyancy compensator. A backplate and wing is an alternative configuration of a scuba harness with a buoyancy compensation bladder known as a "wing" mounted behind the diver, sandwiched between the backplate and the cylinder or cylinders. Unlike stabilizer jackets, the backplate and wing is a modular system, in that it consists of separable components. This arrangement became popular with cave divers making long or deep dives, who needed to carry several extra cylinders, as it clears

3996-457: Is less rainy than San José del Cabo, although hurricanes can bring heavy rain for long periods. Hurricane Odile made landfall at Cabo San Lucas on 14 September 2014, and caused widespread damage. Due to the position of the city and orography , local summer thunderstorms do not get near enough to bring rain to the town. The sea temperature experiences lows of 21–22 °C (70–72 °F) in winter, and highs of 28–29 °C (82–84 °F) during

4104-621: Is now commonly referred to as technical diving for decades. One reasonably widely held definition is that any dive in which at some point of the planned profile it is not physically possible or physiologically acceptable to make a direct and uninterrupted vertical ascent to surface air is a technical dive. The equipment often involves breathing gases other than air or standard nitrox mixtures, multiple gas sources, and different equipment configurations. Over time, some equipment and techniques developed for technical diving have become more widely accepted for recreational diving. Oxygen toxicity limits

4212-430: Is recovered; this has advantages for research, military, photography, and other applications. Rebreathers are more complex and more expensive than open-circuit scuba, and special training and correct maintenance are required for them to be safely used, due to the larger variety of potential failure modes. In a closed-circuit rebreather the oxygen partial pressure in the rebreather is controlled, so it can be maintained at

4320-452: Is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of San José del Cabo , Baja California Sur, at an elevation of 114 metres (374 ft) above mean sea level . The airport features a single runway, designated as 16/34, measuring 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) with an asphalt surface. The commercial aviation apron accommodates 22 narrow-body aircraft. Nonetheless, the airport is capable of receiving wide-body aircraft. For general aviation, there

4428-452: Is supplied to the diver at ambient pressure through a diving regulator . They may include additional cylinders for range extension, decompression gas or emergency breathing gas . Closed-circuit or semi-closed circuit rebreather scuba systems allow recycling of exhaled gases. The volume of gas used is reduced compared to that of open-circuit, so a smaller cylinder or cylinders may be used for an equivalent dive duration. Rebreathers extend

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4536-402: Is upwards. The buoyancy of any object immersed in water is also affected by the density of the water. The density of fresh water is about 3% less than that of ocean water. Therefore, divers who are neutrally buoyant at one dive destination (e.g. a freshwater lake) will predictably be positively or negatively buoyant when using the same equipment at destinations with different water densities (e.g.

4644-422: Is usually provided by wetsuits or dry suits. These also provide protection from sunburn, abrasion and stings from some marine organisms. Where thermal insulation is not important, lycra suits/diving skins may be sufficient. A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which provides thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and buoyancy. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within

4752-544: The Aqua-Lung trademark, which was first licensed to the U.S. Divers company, and in 1948 to Siebe Gorman of England. Siebe Gorman was allowed to sell in Commonwealth countries but had difficulty in meeting the demand and the U.S. patent prevented others from making the product. The patent was circumvented by Ted Eldred of Melbourne , Australia, who developed the single-hose open-circuit scuba system, which separates

4860-527: The Duke University Medical Center Hyperbaric Laboratory started work which identified the use of trimix to prevent the symptoms of high-pressure nervous syndrome . Cave divers started using trimix to allow deeper dives and it was used extensively in the 1987 Wakulla Springs Project and spread to the north-east American wreck diving community. The challenges of deeper dives and longer penetrations and

4968-585: The Los Cabos region ; the smaller Cabo San Lucas International Airport is about 26 kilometres (16 mi) to the south of San Jose del Cabo . Los Cabos Airport is the sixth-busiest in Mexico and the 23rd-busiest in Latin America by passenger numbers. It ranks fourth in Mexico for international passengers and ninth in aircraft movements. In 2023, it handled 7,715,600 passengers, a 9.92% increase from 2022, with 62% of them traveling to or from international destinations. Los Cabos International Airport

5076-833: The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) announced full educational support for nitrox. The use of a single nitrox mixture has become part of recreational diving, and multiple gas mixtures are common in technical diving to reduce overall decompression time. Technical diving is recreational scuba diving that exceeds the generally accepted recreational limits and may expose the diver to hazards beyond those normally associated with recreational diving, and to greater risks of serious injury or death. These risks may be reduced by appropriate skills, knowledge and experience, and by using suitable equipment and procedures. The concept and term are both relatively recent advents, although divers had already been engaging in what

5184-401: The carbon dioxide is removed from the diver's exhaled breath which has oxygen added and is recirculated. Oxygen rebreathers are severely depth-limited due to oxygen toxicity risk, which increases with depth, and the available systems for mixed gas rebreathers were fairly bulky and designed for use with diving helmets. The first commercially practical scuba rebreather was designed and built by

5292-589: The control tower received an upgrade with advanced technology during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum hosted in Los Cabos. Terminal 2 was subsequently added to facilitate increased international flights, and a new highway provided direct access to the tourist zone. Between 2008 and 2011, Terminal 1 underwent renovations, and a newly built Terminal 3 was constructed adjacent to Terminal 2. The general aviation apron

5400-427: The history of scuba equipment . By the turn of the twentieth century, two basic architectures for underwater breathing apparatus had been pioneered; open-circuit surface supplied equipment where the diver's exhaled gas is vented directly into the water, and closed-circuit breathing apparatus where the diver's carbon dioxide is filtered from exhaled unused oxygen , which is then recirculated, and oxygen added to make up

5508-474: The technical diving community for general decompression diving , and has become a popular speciality for recreational diving. In the 1950s the United States Navy (USN) documented enriched oxygen gas procedures for military use of what is today called nitrox, and in 1970, Morgan Wells of NOAA began instituting diving procedures for oxygen-enriched air. In 1979 NOAA published procedures for

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5616-682: The Gulf of California Conservation Fund and the Centre for Environmental Law in La Paz , are challenging the destruction of wetlands and other ecosystems from Los Cabos to Ensenada . In the face of a growing international public demand for corporate-driven ecological stewardship, higher-end resorts in the Los Cabos area are increasingly sensitive to their environmental impact and are taking initial steps to institute sustainable practices such as reducing water usage and non-recyclable trash output. In 2017, Los Cabos

5724-512: The airport is a focal point for domestic travel, connecting to 18 cities within Mexico and serving as a focus city for Viva . It plays a crucial role in a busy air corridor linking the Baja California Peninsula to Mainland Mexico. Managed by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico , the airport also supports various activities in general and executive aviation , as well as flight training. It is the larger of two airports that serve

5832-740: The area for at least 10,000 years. When the first Europeans arrived, they encountered the Pericú people, who survived on a subsistence diet based on hunting and gathering seeds , roots , shellfish , and other marine resources. They called the location Yenecamú . According to the narrative of Hatsutaro, a Japanese castaway, in the book Kaigai Ibun (written by Maekawa, Junzo, and Bunzo Sakai and narrated by Hatsutaro), when he arrived at Cabo San Lucas in May 1842, there were only two houses and about 20 inhabitants. However, American authors such as Henry Edwards and John Ross Browne claim that Cabo San Lucas's founder

5940-417: The average lung volume in open-circuit scuba, but this feature is not available to the closed circuit rebreather diver, as exhaled gas remains in the breathing loop. This is a skill that improves with practice until it becomes second nature. Buoyancy changes with depth variation are proportional to the compressible part of the volume of the diver and equipment, and to the proportional change in pressure, which

6048-400: The breathing apparatus, diving suit , buoyancy control and weighting systems, fins for mobility, mask for improving underwater vision, and a variety of safety equipment and other accessories. The defining equipment used by a scuba diver is the eponymous scuba , the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus which allows the diver to breathe while diving, and is transported by the diver. It

6156-477: The buoyancy of a lifting device such as a buoyancy compensator, inflatable surface marker buoy or small lifting bag. The breathing gas is generally provided from a high-pressure diving cylinder through a scuba regulator. By always providing the appropriate breathing gas at ambient pressure, demand valve regulators ensure the diver can inhale and exhale naturally and without excessive effort, regardless of depth, as and when needed. The most commonly used scuba set uses

6264-445: The cold inside of the faceplate. To prevent fogging many divers spit into the dry mask before use, spread the saliva over the inside of the glass and rinse it out with a little water. The saliva residue allows condensation to wet the glass and form a continuous wet film, rather than tiny droplets. There are several commercial products that can be used as an alternative to saliva, some of which are more effective and last longer, but there

6372-470: The community originate from the United States, and along with residents from San José del Cabo they account for 80% of the U.S. population in the state. Scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The name scuba

6480-426: The compression effect and squeeze . Buoyancy compensators allow easy and fine adjustments in the diver's overall volume and therefore buoyancy. Neutral buoyancy in a diver is an unstable state. It is changed by small differences in ambient pressure caused by a change in depth, and the change has a positive feedback effect. A small descent will increase the pressure, which will compress the gas-filled spaces and reduce

6588-433: The cylinder. Less common are closed circuit (CCR) and semi-closed (SCR) rebreathers which, unlike open-circuit sets that vent off all exhaled gases, process all or part of each exhaled breath for re-use by removing the carbon dioxide and replacing the oxygen used by the diver. Rebreathers release few or no gas bubbles into the water, and use much less stored gas volume, for an equivalent depth and time because exhaled oxygen

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6696-424: The depth and duration of a dive to avoid decompression sickness. Traditionally this was done by using a depth gauge and a diving watch, but electronic dive computers are now in general use, as they are programmed to do real-time modelling of decompression requirements for the dive, and automatically allow for surface interval. Many can be set for the gas mixture to be used on the dive, and some can accept changes in

6804-453: The depth reachable by underwater divers when breathing nitrox mixtures. In 1924 the US Navy started to investigate the possibility of using helium and after animal experiments, human subjects breathing heliox 20/80 (20% oxygen, 80% helium) were successfully decompressed from deep dives, In 1963 saturation dives using trimix were made during Project Genesis , and in 1979 a research team at

6912-399: The direction of intended motion and will reduce induced drag. Streamlining dive gear will also reduce drag and improve mobility. Balanced trim which allows the diver to align in any desired direction also improves streamlining by presenting the smallest section area to the direction of movement and allowing propulsion thrust to be used more efficiently. Occasionally a diver may be towed using

7020-514: The dive. Buoyancy and trim can significantly affect drag of a diver. The effect of swimming with a head up angle of about 15°, as is quite common in poorly trimmed divers, can be an increase in drag in the order of 50%. The ability to ascend at a controlled rate and remain at a constant depth is important for correct decompression. Recreational divers who do not incur decompression obligations can get away with imperfect buoyancy control, but when long decompression stops at specific depths are required,

7128-615: The diver after ascent. In addition to the surface marker buoy, divers may carry mirrors, lights, strobes, whistles, flares or emergency locator beacons . Divers may carry underwater photographic or video equipment, or tools for a specific application in addition to diving equipment. Professional divers will routinely carry and use tools to facilitate their underwater work, while most recreational divers will not engage in underwater work. Los Cabos International Airport Los Cabos International Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto Internacional de Los Cabos ) ( IATA : SJD , ICAO : MMSD )

7236-418: The diver is competent in their use. The most commonly used mixture is nitrox, also referred to as Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN or EANx), which is air with extra oxygen, often with 32% or 36% oxygen, and thus less nitrogen, reducing the risk of decompression sickness or allowing longer exposure to the same pressure for equal risk. The reduced nitrogen may also allow for no stops or shorter decompression stop times or

7344-435: The diver to breathe through the nose. Professional scuba divers are more likely to use full-face masks, which protect the diver's airway if the diver loses consciousness. Open-circuit scuba has no provision for using the breathing gas more than once for respiration. The gas inhaled from the scuba equipment is exhaled to the environment, or occasionally into another item of equipment for a special purpose, usually to increase

7452-475: The diver to carry an alternative gas supply sufficient to allow the diver to safely reach a place where more breathing gas is available. For open water recreational divers this is the surface. A bailout cylinder provides emergency breathing gas sufficient for a safe emergency ascent. For technical divers on a penetration dive, it may be a stage cylinder positioned at a point on the exit path. An emergency gas supply must be sufficiently safe to breathe at any point on

7560-467: The diver to navigate, a compass may be carried, and where retracing a route is critical, as in cave or wreck penetrations, a guide line is laid from a dive reel. In less critical conditions, many divers simply navigate by landmarks and memory, a procedure also known as pilotage or natural navigation. A scuba diver should always be aware of the remaining breathing gas supply, and the duration of diving time that this will safely support, taking into account

7668-669: The diver's back, usually bottom gas. To take advantage of the freedom of movement afforded by scuba equipment, the diver needs to be mobile underwater. Personal mobility is enhanced by swimfins and optionally diver propulsion vehicles. Fins have a large blade area and use the more powerful leg muscles, so are much more efficient for propulsion and manoeuvering thrust than arm and hand movements, but require skill to provide fine control. Several types of fin are available, some of which may be more suited for maneuvering, alternative kick styles, speed, endurance, reduced effort or ruggedness. Neutral buoyancy will allow propulsive effort to be directed in

7776-559: The diver, clipped to the harness below the shoulders and along the hips, instead of on the back of the diver. It originated as a configuration for advanced cave diving , as it facilitates penetration of tight sections of caves since sets can be easily removed and remounted when necessary. The configuration allows easy access to cylinder valves and provides easy and reliable gas redundancy. These benefits for operating in confined spaces were also recognized by divers who made wreck diving penetrations. Sidemount diving has grown in popularity within

7884-512: The diving engineer Henry Fleuss in 1878, while working for Siebe Gorman in London. His self-contained breathing apparatus consisted of a rubber mask connected to a breathing bag, with an estimated 50–60% oxygen supplied from a copper tank and carbon dioxide scrubbed by passing it through a bundle of rope yarn soaked in a solution of caustic potash, the system giving a dive duration of up to about three hours. This apparatus had no way of measuring

7992-400: The equipment and dealing with the general hazards of the underwater environment , and emergency procedures for self-help and assistance of a similarly equipped diver experiencing problems. A minimum level of fitness and health is required by most training organisations, but a higher level of fitness may be appropriate for some applications. The history of scuba diving is closely linked with

8100-442: The equipment they are breathing from at the time. Several systems are in common use depending on the planned dive profile. Most common, but least reliable, is relying on the dive buddy for gas sharing using a secondary second stage, commonly called an octopus regulator connected to the primary first stage. This system relies entirely on the dive buddy being immediately available to provide emergency gas. More reliable systems require

8208-509: The first stage and demand valve of the pressure regulator by a low-pressure hose, puts the demand valve at the diver's mouth, and releases exhaled gas through the demand valve casing. Eldred sold the first Porpoise Model CA single-hose scuba early in 1952. Early scuba sets were usually provided with a plain harness of shoulder straps and a waist belt. The waist belt buckles were usually quick-release, and shoulder straps sometimes had adjustable or quick-release buckles. Many harnesses did not have

8316-403: The front and sides of the diver for other equipment to be attached in the region where it is easily accessible. This additional equipment is usually suspended from the harness or carried in pockets on the exposure suit. Sidemount is a scuba diving equipment configuration which has basic scuba sets , each comprising a single cylinder with a dedicated regulator and pressure gauge, mounted alongside

8424-724: The gas composition during use. During the 1930s and all through World War II , the British, Italians and Germans developed and extensively used oxygen rebreathers to equip the first frogmen . The British adapted the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus and the Germans adapted the Dräger submarine escape rebreathers, for their frogmen during the war. In the U.S. Major Christian J. Lambertsen invented an underwater free-swimming oxygen rebreather in 1939, which

8532-432: The gas mix during the dive. Most dive computers provide a fairly conservative decompression model, and the level of conservatism may be selected by the user within limits. Most decompression computers can also be set for altitude compensation to some degree, and some will automatically take altitude into account by measuring actual atmospheric pressure and using it in the calculations. If the dive site and dive plan require

8640-509: The highest-paying marlin tournament in the world, the Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore. This tournament takes place every year in the month of October. In the winter, pods of whales can be observed in the area. They bear their calves in the warm waters of the Gulf of California after traveling up to 10,000 kilometres (6,000 mi) from Alaska and Siberia . The beaches, surfing, and sport fishing opportunities in Cabo San Lucas have attracted

8748-450: The housing mounted to the cylinder valve or manifold. The "single-hose" system has significant advantages over the original system for most applications. In the "single-hose" two-stage design, the first stage regulator reduces the cylinder pressure of up to about 300 bars (4,400 psi) to an intermediate pressure (IP) of about 8 to 10 bars (120 to 150 psi) above ambient pressure. The second stage demand valve regulator, supplied by

8856-429: The large amounts of breathing gas necessary for these dive profiles and ready availability of oxygen-sensing cells beginning in the late 1980s led to a resurgence of interest in rebreather diving. By accurately measuring the partial pressure of oxygen, it became possible to maintain and accurately monitor a breathable gas mixture in the loop at any depth. In the mid-1990s semi-closed circuit rebreathers became available for

8964-540: The lowest reasonably practicable risk. Ideally the diver should practice precise buoyancy control when the risk of decompression sickness due to depth variation violating the decompression ceiling is low. Water has a higher refractive index than air – similar to that of the cornea of the eye. Light entering the cornea from water is hardly refracted at all, leaving only the eye's crystalline lens to focus light. This leads to very severe hypermetropia . People with severe myopia , therefore, can see better underwater without

9072-466: The material, which reduce its ability to conduct heat. The bubbles also give the wetsuit a low density, providing buoyancy in water. Suits range from a thin (2 mm or less) "shortie", covering just the torso, to a full 8 mm semi-dry, usually complemented by neoprene boots, gloves and hood. A good close fit and few zips help the suit to remain waterproof and reduce flushing – the replacement of water trapped between suit and body by cold water from

9180-409: The outside. Improved seals at the neck, wrists and ankles and baffles under the entry zip produce a suit known as "semi-dry". A dry suit also provides thermal insulation to the wearer while immersed in water, and normally protects the whole body except the head, hands, and sometimes the feet. In some configurations, these are also covered. Dry suits are usually used where the water temperature

9288-410: The overall buoyancy. When divers want to remain at constant depth, they try to achieve neutral buoyancy. This minimises the effort of swimming to maintain depth and therefore reduces gas consumption. The buoyancy force on the diver is the weight of the volume of the liquid that they and their equipment displace minus the weight of the diver and their equipment; if the result is positive , that force

9396-469: The planned dive profile at which it may be needed. This equipment may be a bailout cylinder , a bailout rebreather , a travel gas cylinder, or a decompression gas cylinder. When using a travel gas or decompression gas, the back gas (main gas supply) may be the designated emergency gas supply. Cutting tools such as knives, line cutters or shears are often carried by divers to cut loose from entanglement in nets or lines. A surface marker buoy (SMB) on

9504-468: The presence of the divers. The high percentage of oxygen used by these early rebreather systems limited the depth at which they could be used due to the risk of convulsions caused by acute oxygen toxicity . Although a working demand regulator system had been invented in 1864 by Auguste Denayrouze and Benoît Rouquayrol , the first open-circuit scuba system developed in 1925 by Yves Le Prieur in France

9612-636: The primary parts of Cabo, as well as the corridor and the airport. Another alternative is the bus system which is less expensive than taxis. It costs several pesos and it is mainly used by locals but also available to tourists. As of 2021, Uber is available as a means of transportation in the Los Cabos area. Clubs in Cabo include the Cabo Wabo Cantina , a nightclub owned by rock singer Sammy Hagar , founded originally by him with other members of Van Halen , named after their hit single " Cabo Wabo ". There

9720-424: The recreational scuba market, followed by closed circuit rebreathers around the turn of the millennium. Rebreathers are currently manufactured for the military, technical and recreational scuba markets, but remain less popular, less reliable, and more expensive than open-circuit equipment. Scuba diving equipment, also known as scuba gear, is the equipment used by a scuba diver for the purpose of diving, and includes

9828-417: The risk of decompression sickness is increased by depth variations while at a stop. Decompression stops are typically done when the breathing gas in the cylinders has been largely used up, and the reduction in weight of the cylinders increases the buoyancy of the diver. Enough weight must be carried to allow the diver to decompress at the end of the dive with nearly empty cylinders. Depth control during ascent

9936-472: The scientific use of nitrox in the NOAA Diving Manual. In 1985 IAND (International Association of Nitrox Divers) began teaching nitrox use for recreational diving. This was considered dangerous by some, and met with heavy skepticism by the diving community. Nevertheless, in 1992 NAUI became the first existing major recreational diver training agency to sanction nitrox, and eventually, in 1996,

10044-416: The suit must be inflated and deflated with changes in depth in order to avoid "squeeze" on descent or uncontrolled rapid ascent due to over-buoyancy. Dry suit divers may also use the gas argon to inflate their suits via low pressure inflator hose. This is because the gas is inert and has a low thermal conductivity. Unless the maximum depth of the water is known, and is quite shallow, a diver must monitor

10152-496: The summer months. 72.4 °F 70.7 °F 70.6 °F 70.7 °F 74.3 °F 73.5 °F 78.2 °F 83.2 °F 85 °F 84.1 °F 80.2 °F 75.3 °F As of 2015, the population was 81,111 and has experienced very rapid growth and development. It is the third-largest city in Baja California Sur after La Paz and San José del Cabo. The majority of non-Mexican inhabitants in

10260-411: The surface, a cutting tool to manage entanglement, lights , a dive computer to monitor decompression status , and signalling devices . Scuba divers are trained in the procedures and skills appropriate to their level of certification by diving instructors affiliated to the diver certification organisations which issue these certifications. These include standard operating procedures for using

10368-506: The surface, and that can be quickly inflated. The first versions were inflated from a small disposable carbon dioxide cylinder, later with a small direct coupled air cylinder. A low-pressure feed from the regulator first-stage to an inflation/deflation valve unit an oral inflation valve and a dump valve lets the volume of the ABLJ be controlled as a buoyancy aid. In 1971 the stabilizer jacket was introduced by ScubaPro . This class of buoyancy aid

10476-400: The time required to surface safely and an allowance for foreseeable contingencies. This is usually monitored by using a submersible pressure gauge on each cylinder. Any scuba diver who will be diving below a depth from which they are competent to do a safe emergency swimming ascent should ensure that they have an alternative breathing gas supply available at all times in case of a failure of

10584-402: The time spent underwater compared to open-circuit for the same metabolic gas consumption; they produce fewer bubbles and less noise than open-circuit scuba, which makes them attractive to covert military divers to avoid detection, scientific divers to avoid disturbing marine animals, and media divers to avoid bubble interference. Scuba diving may be done recreationally or professionally in

10692-430: The total volume of diver and equipment. This will further reduce the buoyancy, and unless counteracted, will result in sinking more rapidly. The equivalent effect applies to a small ascent, which will trigger an increased buoyancy and will result in an accelerated ascent unless counteracted. The diver must continuously adjust buoyancy or depth in order to remain neutral. Fine control of buoyancy can be achieved by controlling

10800-421: The unique and fragile environment of this part of Mexico was largely unprotected by law, and therefore was subjected to developers acting in concert with government agencies interested only in low-end tourist bonanzas. There is, however, a growing collection of activists and attorneys now involved in preserving many of Baja's desert habitats, marine mammals, and stretches of coastline. A number of agencies, including

10908-410: The volume when necessary. Closed circuit equipment was more easily adapted to scuba in the absence of reliable, portable, and economical high-pressure gas storage vessels. By the mid-twentieth century, high pressure gas cylinders were available and two systems for scuba had emerged: open-circuit scuba where the diver's exhaled breath is vented directly into the water, and closed-circuit scuba where

11016-422: The water and be able to maintain a constant depth in midwater. Ignoring other forces such as water currents and swimming, the diver's overall buoyancy determines whether they ascend or descend. Equipment such as diving weighting systems , diving suits (wet, dry or semi-dry suits are used depending on the water temperature) and buoyancy compensators(BC) or buoyancy control device(BCD) can be used to adjust

11124-582: Was a manually adjusted free-flow system with a low endurance, which limited its practical usefulness. In 1942, during the German occupation of France , Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan designed the first successful and safe open-circuit scuba, known as the Aqua-Lung . Their system combined an improved demand regulator with high-pressure air tanks. This was patented in 1945. To sell his regulator in English-speaking countries Cousteau registered

11232-502: Was accepted by the Office of Strategic Services . In 1952 he patented a modification of his apparatus, this time named SCUBA (an acronym for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus"), which became the generic English word for autonomous breathing equipment for diving, and later for the activity using the equipment. After World War II, military frogmen continued to use rebreathers since they do not make bubbles which would give away

11340-475: Was an Englishman named Thomas "Old Tom" Ritchie. John Ross Browne says Ritchie arrived there about 1828, while Edwards says that he died in October 1874. The actual founder of Cabo San Lucas was Cipriano Ceseña in 1788 who arrived from Hermosillo, Sonora. Per The book by Pablo L. Martinez, Guia Familiar de Baja California, 1700–1900. A fishing village began growing in the area. In 1917, an American company built

11448-470: Was inaugurated in 1977, featuring an initial provisional terminal with a roof reminiscent of a circus tent and equipped with technical systems using polyurethane foam and hot air vents. As the Los Cabos beach resort gained popularity among American and Canadian tourists, the airport underwent a substantial expansion and renovation in 1997, resulting in the construction of the current Terminal 1, accommodating both domestic and international flights. In 2002,

11556-542: Was projected to be one of the leaders in travel in Latin America, many of the developments owed to its increased accessibility with added plane routes from the US and Canada. It is expected that by 2018, 4,000 new sleeping rooms will come online in Cabo, and the increase in tourism will contribute to its growth as a leader in leisure. Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo are served by Los Cabos International Airport . In 2022, Los Cabos Airport received more than 3.3 million visitors –

11664-416: Was relocated, and a dedicated terminal for general aviation activities was established at the northern end of the airport grounds. In September 2011, the airport briefly offered non-stop flights to Shanghai , China. In 2014, Hurricane Odile caused substantial damage, leading to an 18-day suspension of operations before reopening on October 3, 2014. The airport's infrastructure has faced challenges due to

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