For many Cabo visitors, no image of the sweeping seascape around Los Cabos is complete without the sight of one of the area’s iconic images moving purposefully along the coast. To see a single panga working its way inshore to or from the fishing grounds is as much a part of the local landscape as those photogenic peaks of El Arco. 

Maybe it’s because the panga is a reminder of an earlier, simpler way of life, when small fishing villages were the key settlements in the area. The panga is a humble boat, the kind that Santiago used to heroically capture that huge marlin in The Old Man and the Sea, a rough-hewn, reliable boat that provides a living to so many people in the area. And for many it’s simply a convenient method of transportation, a solid boat that provides reliable, if unrefined, transit to locations from the East Cape to the Pacific side. With all its versatility, the panga is a lot of things to a lot of folks in Baja.

So what is a panga exactly? By category, it’s simply the Central American/Mexican version of a skiff, and the term “panga” usually refers to an open dory-type boat, with a V-shaped planing hull capable of speeds up to 35 knots. Simple in design, inexpensive in its durable fiberglass construction and with bulletproof reliability, the panga has become the boat of choice for fishermen along every part of the Mexican coastline. The panga is so popular that a new word has been created for its users: the panguero. Pangueros use their boat for just about anything imaginable, including offshore commercial fishing, pursuing gamefish like tuna and marlin, snorkeling or diving, setting nets and hauling supplies and construction materials. The panga has also become very popular as a water taxi in central Cabo, getting people to nearby locations and local beaches.

One of the companies that has taken the traditional form of the panga to its highest level is Van Diaz Boats, located in Los Barrilles. Founded in 2001 by designer-builder Guadalupe “Lupe” Diaz and Carlos and Bobby Van Wormer of the Van Wormer resorts, Van Diaz boats take an old fashioned approach to construction, using only the finest quality materials and custom construction techniques. Unlike a lot of pangas where the fiberglass treatment is sprayed on, all Van Diaz boats use an intensive hand-applied process that is very time consuming, but also creates a much stronger, more seaworthy boat design. They currently make boats in 23-foot and 25-foot models, and a cruiser version that measures 28 feet in length. The 28-footer is a classically designed boat, with interior bathroom, dining and living facilities.

“We take our time in building these boats,” says Luis Diaz, Lupe’s son. “For the smaller models it can take three months to build. The 28-foot sportsfisher will take up to 10 months. That is because we do not cut any corners and use only the best materials and construction methods. All components are fabricated by hand with only the finest quality materials. This insures the strength and integrity of our boats, and makes them extremely resilient to the elements. In recent years, the increased demand for our products has compelled us to strive for excellence and quality, and we now offer more options, like a choice of inboard or outboard motors and various hull and cabin designs.”

The Van Diaz boats are well worth waiting for, as they have an enthusiastic fan base who swears by the boats, and a very high customer service rating. “We go to great lengths to make sure that you are getting the boat that you want. We also can make them in different colors. If you see a panga in pink or orange, instead of the typical blue and white, that is probably a Van Diaz boat,” Luis says.

While the Van Diaz team may have set a new standard for traditional panga design, another company has taken a completely different approach, delivering an out-of-the-box concept that has given the panga a whole new look. The new company, run by Manuel Padilla and Geoff Giles, has recast the idea of the traditional panga hull design and has come up with a model that incorporates a front ramp and resembles a mini-landing craft. They call their new designs Cabo Water Limos.

“Our ‘panga’ is a modified version of a high-speed landing craft-type boat originally designed by Specialty Marine of Scapoose, Oregon,” says Giles. The original model was used as a shallow draft boat for transportation around the inshore waters and rivers of the Northwest, the Inland Passage and Alaska.”

Giles and Padilla have adapted that boat’s original aluminum hull design, and use a laminate that has a core of ½” divinicell foam core “sandwiched” between inner and outer layers of fiberglass. “This provides a very strong, stiff boat, while weighing only about 60% of the weight of either aluminum or solid fiberglass designs,” say Giles.

“We chose this design because we wanted a boat that could be driven right up onto the beach to load and unload people safely. For years we had seen people dunked or even injured trying to climb aboard the typical water taxi pangas used here in Cabo, and we felt that with the right type of boat we could provide better service. We also have the capability to pull up to a dock, lower the bow gate and roll two wheelchairs aboard and secure them. We see a significant number of handicapped people here on vacation and there is really no easy boarding access for them to get out on the water, so we hope to provide that option. The bow gate on our boat is raised and lowered by a 12-volt linear actuator at the touch of a button, and is equipped with a telescopic boarding ladder so that swimmers or snorkelers can easily get in and out of the water.”

These new designs can be adapted to a variety of applications, and the first models include solid teak decks, a stainless steel rail bar, wrap-around seating in the stern, chaise lounges forward and a state-of-the-art stereo system compatible with iPods, CD players and satellite radio. Another innovative feature: the boat is powered by a JetPac, a stainless steel jet pump belt driven by a 275 hp Chevrolet V8 with no underwater intakes and no propeller, making it much less risky for swimmers.

The role of the panga around the waters of Los Cabos continues in its traditional ways, and is now offering some expanded applications. The traditional design is now exemplified by the handcrafted models produced by Van Diaz boats in Los Barrilles, while Manuel Padilla and Geoff Gilles have used the conventional panga form as a point of departure to fabricate a craft that offers increased luxury and convenience to potential users.

Whatever form it takes, the panga is here to stay. Its simplicity and adaptability assures it an ongoing place in history, as future generations of pangueros learn boating skills from their fathers, navigating and locating fishing grounds by reading the sky and water. For any fisherman or casual passenger, a ride with a local panguero is one of the joys that is an essential part of the Los Cabos lifestyle.

For more information:

Van Diaz Boats:
Phone: (624)14.1.07.21
From US: 011.52.624.141.0721
-Website: www.vandiazboats.com