Diving in Baja with Ryder DeVoe
You can usually find Salt Life Team Member Ryder DeVoe surfing and spearfishing in Southern California, where he spends as much time as possible in the water. But recently, Ryder made the trip to Baja California Sur with spearfishing legend and restaurateur John Park, where they hunted wahoo, tuna, and more in the crystal blue Pacific waters. We sat down with Ryder to hear all about the epic four-and-a-half day adventure on the boat Success, filled with unforgettable dives and abundant pelagics.
Diving from The Success
Getting to the boat was easy, with a flight into La Paz and then a van to the harbor, where the group took a panga to the Success. Once on board, they enjoyed three cooked meals a day, card games at night, and epic diving every day. One of the best things about the trip was waking up in a new spot each day and being able to jump straight into the water after breakfast.
Ryder spent hours in the water with the other folks on the boat, regrouping every few hours (catch in hand) for a break and a meal. The Success was an easy hub for a diving trip; despite a few patches of rough water, the experienced staff on the boat kept passengers comfortable with food, drink, and high spirits while zipping around between dive spots.
Spearfishing in Baja
The runs between dive spots could be anywhere from two to thirty miles, giving passengers plenty of time to play cards and shoot the breeze. And when it was time to dive, the group hopped in and spread out, giving every diver a chance at targeting the fish as the schools filtered through the area.
Once they’d been anchored on the same spot for a while and the fish stopped showing up, they’d head over to a different area. The structure in Baja offers a bounty of pelagic, where bait stack up near underwater mountains and draw wahoo, marlin, and yellowfin. In areas where the structure comes up high enough, there were even grouper to target.
But the main target of the expedition was wahoo, and Ryder and his friends had some incredible experiences hunting these amazing creatures. A couple of spearfishermen had yet to land a wahoo, so the thrill of the hunt was especially high on this trip. Thankfully, both were able to bag their target species.
Ryder was also chasing wahoo, using his trusty Riffe Raider 67 speargun. It provided just enough punch for longer shots, which came in handy when Ryder clocked a beautiful yellowfin tuna and was able to spear it from twenty feet away.
When all was said and done, the group packed the frozen fish into Yeti coolers, returned to dry land, and flew home. But Ryder will no doubt be back in Baja next season!
Final Thoughts
We’re always thrilled to hear about Ryder’s latest adventure—If you’re interested in taking a trip aboard the Success, be sure to book well in advance to reserve your spot. Don’t forget to follow Ryder on Instagram @RyderDeVoe so you can follow along on his surfing and diving adventures. To hear more about the epic adventures of Team Salt Life, subscribe to the Above and Below podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Stay salty!