Cenote appropriate for beginner?

[Blue Sparkle]

Speaking as another beginner, I've found the Florida Keys to be a good place to enjoy dives and work on skills in a low-stress diving environment. There usually is not much or any current on the reefs, and depths are typically say, 25' to 40'. Many of my dives averaged 19' or so, with a max depth of less than 30 (and that was diving near the bottom).

It was really super in summer, with typically calm sea-state and 86º water. In winter it's more like 70º or so, and you can get rougher seas, but there are still nice days (just not as many as summer). It's all boat diving, with about 30 minutes out to the reef probably average.

I found it a very good place to experiment and try to improve, in addition to enjoying the reef/fish/underwater scenery There are always sand patches if you want to practice skills wherein if you make a buoyancy mistake there is not fragile coral right there. Because it's shallow, its light, bright, and sunny, which I find pleasant.

What's more, you can drive if you are so inclined.

I'm really glad you posted back to report on how your trip went and what you decided on. The cenotes sound really really interesting. Good reason to work on skills

Blue Sparkle

PS: I should add that just about all my diving has been in the Keys, so I don't have a lot to compare it to (although I have snorkeled in other places). So it will be interesting to see what else is recommended as being relatively nearby.

 

[TSandM]

I'm glad you made the decision you did. I'm quite sure you could have done the dives, so long as nothing went wrong. That's true of a lot of diving, though . . . I think you did the right thing. The caves will still be there, when you come back, and you got a taste of why people dive them.

I don't know what kinds of sites you have in mind, but two places I've been that are good for novices are Maui and the British Virgin Islands. Both have warm water, and good viz, and enough sea life to be interesting. Both have sites with little or no current, and both are not far from the US. Both have well-developed diving infrastructures, too.

 

[CamG]

Greetings Neuatomic it is good to hear of your trip and conservative dive plans.
You might have felt a little uncomfortable from time to time but you have learned the lesson that every diver needs to learn.
Many others have chosen to go ahead and through caution to the wind and dive.
I was one of these and it was miserable, I spent most of the first dive fighting to keep my composure, breathing, etc. under control.
Looking back on it had I been properly trained it would have been awesome.

I have since went on to seek training and am currently a Intro Cave diver.
There is no substitute for conservative dive planning and taking the time it takes you personally to master the skills that are required for the environment you want to dive.
NEVER allow yourself to dive beyond your training!
IF IT FEELS WRONG? BAG IT RIGHT AWAY!
If in the planning process you become uncomfortable then mention it.
If your feelings do not change then alter the plan or sit it out.
I have become very accustomed to talking things over, if I think it is to aggressive then I will sit it out or the plan changes.

Your choice demonstrates a desire to do things correctly and be ready "dive within your training and skills" this is paramount to becoming a solid, independent, competent, and safe diver.
These are the kind I seek out to be my buddies and I am not alone.
Congratulations and by all means seek the training to further your skills the Cenotes and Caves in north Florida offer some of the greatest diving in the world.
Take your time gaining mastery of dive skills, THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS!

Good luck and keep us posted.
CamG Keep diving....Keep training....Keep learning!

 

[chris_hull23]

Hi Guys,

I'm going to go against what some of you have said here. We did some Cenote diving in Mexico and it was really easy. There were guide ropes the whole way around so boyouncy was not a problem. There were no currents and lots of space. You were never more than a few feet from an exit and never more than a few metres under water. If you're interested, find a good instructor, tell him you're a beginner and ask him to pick out an easy route. There are so many cenotes I am sure he will know a good one for a novice. Its a truly beautiful experience and a shame to miss it if you're there.

On the subject of Cozemel, maybe we were lucky but it was some of the most relaxing drift diving I have ever done. A nice gentle current pushing you along, lots of beautiful fish to see including plenty of nurse sharks lazing around in caves or cruising, very large grouper and turtles, and a really nice set up on the boats. Very good service. I rate it up there with the red sea in terms of vis and sea life, but the service is much better. I would reccomend it to everyone. In terms of experience before you dive there, I seen lots of people with next to no diving experience doing drift dives safely and coming out having enjoyed the experience.

I would agree with all the guys here who are saying never go beyone your limit, and I would always reccomend you have a good instructor, speak to him extensively before you dive, and let him assess your ability in a safe area. A good instructor or school will insist on this anyway and keep you safe.

Just my view guys, go easy on me I'm a newbie to the forums.!!!

 

[TSandM]

Chris, please don't feel that you're being attacked, because you're not. But this statement:

There were guide ropes the whole way around so boyouncy was not a problem.

makes me incredibly sad. The guidelines in the caves are not there for buoyancy control; they are a safety net, to show you the way home. No one who needs to depend on a rope for buoyancy control should be in an overhead environment. Even the rocks that form the BOTTOM of the cavern are fragile, and if you look closely at them, they have fossils in them, some of which are quite perfect, until they are damaged by divers.

Yes, the caverns get kicked regularly, and the ceilings get hit, and the scars on the columns show where errant fins have hit them. But just because so many people DO dive without the skills to care for the caves, doesn't mean that it's proper to tell people to do it.

And I agree that the cavern dives, in general, are very easy; the water is clear, and it doesn't move. They are, however, shallow, where precise buoyancy control is most difficult. But the worst thing is that, in the event of a problem, UP is not an option. I do think the cavern tours in MX are run for open water divers with a very acceptable safety record. But that does not mean that they are appropriate for someone whose dive count is still in single digits

 

[Peter Guy]

You were never more than a few feet from an exit

Well, as WJC might have said, "It depends on the definition of 'few.'" You may be as far as 100 (or even a bit more) feet from open water (and it might look like a LOT further). When it is dark and your exit is merely a dim light, you need to be able to control yourself IF something goes wrong.

I'm a big fan of the Cenote Experience dives and believe, contrary to Devon Diver, that doing these dives under the "care and feeding" of a qualified guide (OWSI/Full Cave) is permissible under the traditional guidelines of diving. (Hey, every time we try something new, especially in the "technical" world, and overhead diving IS in the "technical" world, we are doing a "trust me" type of dive with the instructor.) HOWEVER, these ARE advanced dives in every sense of the word and need to be treated with honesty and respect by the diver.

 

[Airleron]

Hi Guys,

I'm going to go against what some of you have said here. We did some Cenote diving in Mexico and it was really easy. There were guide ropes the whole way around so boyouncy was not a problem. There were no currents and lots of space. You were never more than a few feet from an exit and never more than a few metres under water. If you're interested, find a good instructor, tell him you're a beginner and ask him to pick out an easy route. There are so many cenotes I am sure he will know a good one for a novice. Its a truly beautiful experience and a shame to miss it if you're there.

On the subject of Cozemel, maybe we were lucky but it was some of the most relaxing drift diving I have ever done. A nice gentle current pushing you along, lots of beautiful fish to see including plenty of nurse sharks lazing around in caves or cruising, very large grouper and turtles, and a really nice set up on the boats. Very good service. I rate it up there with the red sea in terms of vis and sea life, but the service is much better. I would reccomend it to everyone. In terms of experience before you dive there, I seen lots of people with next to no diving experience doing drift dives safely and coming out having enjoyed the experience.

I would agree with all the guys here who are saying never go beyone your limit, and I would always reccomend you have a good instructor, speak to him extensively before you dive, and let him assess your ability in a safe area. A good instructor or school will insist on this anyway and keep you safe.

Just my view guys, go easy on me I'm a newbie to the forums.!!!

Like TSandM, I'd have to disagree also. The cenote at Chac Mool was 45' at its deepest, and for 90% of the time we were in an overhead environment. The 2nd cenote is smaller, and bouyancy is a MUST in order not to hit the formations. When you hit the halocline, vision is reduced significantly and it's very difficult to recognize your buddy and guide. Fortunately, it's run like a train...guide, diver, diver, etc. However, it took Millions of years for Mother Earth to make those caves and it takes one second uncontrolled bouyancy to ruin it.

As far as Coz, in Sept. 2010, the current was wicked. I've been 4 years in a row, and most places we usually dive (Devil's Throat) with swimthroughs were impossible due to the current. We were diving with another couple from a cruise ship, (they met on board) and the DM AND her buddy had to hold each hand so she wouldn't fly down the reef. (She had very poor control).

Better to err on the safe side.

 

[myscubastory.com]

Hey there. Having done the cenotes in Playa when I was just an Open Water I would definitely recommend them to you. Be aware though that you should go with a qualified cave instructor as they are legally allowed to take you guys into caverns - there are certain rules regarding how far from the light source you can go.

Even though the cenotes are spectacular and spacious you wouldnt want to have problems with being in tight spaces - because at some points you go through pretty squeezed passages.

Loved the playa centoes

Recently became PADI instructor too!

Regards,

 

[Latitude 59]

Dove dos ojos, guide, myself and 3rd diver behind, single file. I took short video clip looking back at 3rd diver, took about 5 frog kicks, looked back and no 3rd diver and no signal from him, either auditory or with light that there was a problem (he had 60 dives). I signaled guide as instructed in detailed briefing. 3rd diver had panicked, bolted to ceiling air pocket. Guide got him back to entrance safely and his excuse for panicking was feeling sick. We drilled him WHY no signal as instructed, he just shrugged. My knees were knocking for 3 hours afterwards thinking of the what-if scenarios. This is perfect example of how fast potentially bad things can happen. Had thought I had just filmed his last few minutes of life for his wife! Panic does crazy things to people. Please, don't anyone think going with a guide will make up for your lack of comfort level in such an environment! Took away my zen experience for sure but glad it wasn't worse.

 

[TSandM]

Thank you, Latitude, for that account! Overhead environments are NOT benign, and should always be treated with respect, and EVERY dive goes just fine, until it doesn't.