Caves in Mexico that Allow Unguided TDI Intro Divers?

[AndyDoesScuba]

If you look at the three maps listed for Mayan Blue…
The third map is a cleaner view with lines showing.
Tunnel “B” Two entrances - one is about half way down the swim and a large tree is above the entrance, second is farther down and left around a corner.

Tunnel “B” is cleaner and whiter.

Thank you. It looks like there will be a Tee where the left and right entrances meet? GUE says that’s Ok because it’s just one navigation point. TDI is unclear. Our former TDI instructor said “no tees” until we’re full cave. I will discuss with my buddy to see if they are comfortable crossing this Tee. Do you know if daylight is visible from that Tee?

 

[tursiops]

Thank you. It looks like there will be a Tee where the left and right entrances meet? GUE says that’s Ok because it’s just one navigation point. TDI is unclear. Our former TDI instructor said “no tees” until we’re full cave. I will discuss with my buddy to see if they are comfortable crossing this Tee. Do you know if daylight is visible from that Tee?

Tees are not unclear in TDI Intro. They are disallowed. The issue is that you can take the wrong leg of the Tee when yo return to it unless you mark it, and marking it is not part of Intro. I say this from memory; I am not a TDI Cave Instructor.

 

[AndyDoesScuba]

There is one specific shop in Mexico that teaches this peculiar approach to 1/6 limit and I had a massive disagreement over it with a buddy. If you dive 1/6 of available gas (or 1/3 of 2/3 if GUE) your risk profile on each subsequent dive on the same set of tanks is identical and you always reserve plenty of gas for higher SAC rate. If you dive 1/6 of "rated" (aka original) pressure on the second dive on the same set of tanks, your risk profile on the second dive is very different - you could be diving close to 1/4. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I would rather admit that I feel stupid brave so I will dive 1/4 and push the limits than play games with the strange math.

Honestly I think in Mexico you also need a mental limit - you can get really far away from home in Nohoch because it's so shallow even on 1/6.


Next to Escondido (aka Mayan Blue) is Naharon and they are not checking cards either, but the cave is quite dark and the line run is really long - some people run the line past the first jump to avoid violating intro to cave rules. If you dive out of a shop and they know you, they can "sneak" you into Carwash (nice practice intro cave and some really cool places with full cave), Nohoch and possibly Eden/Ponderosa. Dos Palmas is a brilliant intro dive but I don't know if you need to tag along with a guide to get in. Corazon is pretty nice too (but downstream is spooky).

Thank you. It seems like we have options. We have a referral for an instructor in Tulum to do our full cave, probably in December, so diving unguided should be less of a problem. I appreciate the help.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Let’s begin with the exiting view…
Exiting from “B” at the start of the line you will easily look up and see the exit, and sun shine ,back through the large tree trunk. It’s a smaller exit with no issues exiting. Might be more than one team with lines there.
If your the first one jumping in then you will tie into pole position.

If you decide to jump in from the far entrance and follow around to the left following the wall you will see the line and the same exit. Would be kinder of you to tie into the line (not the pole position). I wouldn’t consider that a “T”. Yes it looks like a “T”, but it’s YOUR “T”.
Suggestion would be that both of you place markers.
Lead diver places a marker.
Lead diver waits for the second diver to agree with the first divers marker placement and exit direction.
Second diver places their own marker.
Dive proceeds.
Since your not Jumping off or doing and Ts - and therefore should be no need for additional marker placement.

When entering B tunnel - look at the color of the arrow where you tie in at the jump in. What color is it?
Look at the second arrow for the jump down left (as your entering) (don’t jump).
What color is it?
On the way in, stop and note in your heads the time it took to jump in and get to that second arrow/marker.
Always good to KNOW your expected exit time.

Enjoy the diving