Cenote diving

[aic007]

First let me say that this board is excellent and has given me many things to consider on my future plans of diving.

Now I know that Cave diving is not something that an inexperienced diver should do because of the difficulty and different hazards that come into play but was wondering about the following,

http://cozumel-mx.com/cenote-dive.htm

It says that they always dive within view of sunlight so I guess you are never truly under a ceiling. Anyone ever do these dives and what can someone expect?


Thanks in advance.
AIC

 

[Jorbar1551]

i did my cenote diving in the yucatan pennisula. the two cenote dives were actually my first two dives after i got my certification. it was so beautiful and jaw droppingly clear. If you are claustrophobic, or you cannot keep your bouyancy, stay away.

your post says your are inexperienced so i will recommend doing some open water dives first, but as i said before, my first two dives were in the cenotes.

if you can, bring your own flashlight, because the one they give you is basically a key light.

 

[aic007]

Thanks for the info, I plan to hit open water first to work on bouyancy and also take some pics. Since I am staying on the mainland and will prob take a boat over to Coz for a day or two I was looking for some decent local diving that will not be too difficult nor too deep. Was looking into picking up a pelican saber, I have one that I bought years ago but don't know how deep it can go but I know they are great lights with really bright focused beams.

Thanks for the info.

one of my favs

Chuck Norris built a time machine and went back in time to stop the JFK assassination. As Oswald shot, Chuck met all three bullets with his beard, deflecting them. JFK's head exploded out of sheer amazement.

 

[loquat149]

It says that they always dive within view of sunlight so I guess you are never truly under a ceiling.
AIC

Yes, you are under an overhead. These are dives into the cavern portion of a cave, not far enough that you can't still see "some" light entering the entrance...it's pretty dark, though. Still, there's no direct vertical ascent to the surface. Before going, I'd make sure you are VERY comfortable diving at night, have your buoyancy skills NAILED, and are familiar with the frogkick.

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[donnad]

husband and i did a cenote dive in november and it was awesome!! it was our first cenote dive and i want to do more! you do need to have a few dives under your belt to be comfortable controlling your buoyancy and be comfortable in sort of dark, close environment. we wore 3 mil suits with a shorty over that. water temp will be somewhere between 72 and 75 degrees, a little chilly by the end of the dive for me. it was really neat though.

 

[aic007]

thanks for the info, might save it for another trip depending on how I progress. I tend to want to do everything when I first get into something but I know that this is not something that is to be taken lightly as some of the stories I have read on this board have pointed out. Like everyone says diving should be fun so best not to put yourself in a situation where it becomes a chore.

 

[EvaL]

I believe you were referring to cavern dives in the cenotes. Non-cave certified divers are usually expected to have AOW or show that they have good buoyancy control before they are allowed to do these dives. And usually you have to dive with a cave-certified divemaster, who is there for your safety. I believe there is a cavern course (pre-requisite to Intro to Cave) as well, although you don't need that certification to dive caverns.
Caverns have overhead environment (meaning you can't go straight up to safety), but the opening is always in view, and you should always be aware where it is. The visibility is superb (typically >100 ft) once you get below the algae on the surface, so your photos will come out fantastic.
If you are cavern diving in the Akumal area, I'd recommend Car Wash and Grand Cenote, both of which I have done recently. I hear Dos Ojos is excellent as well.
Happy diving and please dive safely.

 

[ae3753]

Cenotes are absolutely an overhead environment. Please read the following threads on cenotes. Some great informaiton and discussions:

* cenotes experience/certification?
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=122678

* Cenotes for OW?
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=130471

 

[halocline]

I've done one cenote dive, which I bet is the one that most people do as their first, I think it's called Chuk Moll. I did it while diving in Cozumel last winter on a day that the port was closed. (no reef diving that day) I really enjoyed it and would gladly go again, but I went with a dive buddy who has good dive skills, and it was just the two of us plus the guide. I would not want to do it with a group of divers with unknown buoyancy/SAC/comfort levels.

To be perfectly honest, as nice as the cenote diving is, if you're just getting started diving (it's hard to tell from your post) you'll probably have a much better time out on the reefs where there's amazing marine life, lots of room, great light, and a direct route to the surface if needed. Plus, typically cenote diving is about double the price of reef diving on Cozumel, and the cenote dives are short. (rule of 3rds; once 1 member of your group uses 1/3 of his air, it's time to head back)

Regarding your dive light choice, try posting on the llights forum; I think I've heard some less than glowing reviews of the pelican. In the cenote I used my UK eled C4 and it was fine, but the guide had a canister light.

 

[Swan1172]

I did my first two post-OW certification dives in Dos Ojos cenote. It was unbelievable to be in water that clear. I dove with www.gocenotes.com out of Playa del Carmen. They had me follow the DM during the dive and I felt totally comfortable. I found the cenotes to be a lot easier than my ocean diving in Cozumel.