Cenote vs Florida Freshwater Springs

[vinsanity]

I'm planning my trip to the Puerto Morelos area and picking my dives. I'm trying to decide if in addition to reef dives, I should mix in a pair of Cenote dives because I have never done one, however, I have dove 3 freshwater spring caverns in Florida.

• Blue Grotto near Williston, FL
• Devil's Den near Williston, FL
• Vortex Springs near Ponce de Leon, FL

Has anyone have experience with both to compare the FL springs to the Cenotes? If they will be pretty similar, I think I'd prefer the tropical reefs that the area has to offer.

Thanks!

 

[vinsanity]

Hmm, after further reading (on the forum), it seems that some of the cenotes offer full on cave diving opportunities and dives that are in the gray area... I'm neither qualified to cave dive nor interested in pushing the limits into the gray area of risky diving. So let that narrow the scope of what type of cenote dives you compare to FL.

 

[Chris H]

I was in Devil's Den in 1993. I have since only done "real" cave dives in both Florida and Mexico. Florida is spectacular, and Akumal, Mexico was mind blowing. YMMV. As you apparently have heard, the definition of Cavern Zone is definitely a bit more of a grey area in Mexico.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm planning my trip to the Puerto Morelos area and picking my dives. I'm trying to decide if in addition to reef dives, I should mix in a pair of Cenote dives because I have never done one, however, I have dove 3 freshwater spring caverns in Florida.

• Blue Grotto near Williston, FL
• Devil's Den near Williston, FL
• Vortex Springs near Ponce de Leon, FL

Has anyone have experience with both to compare the FL springs to the Cenotes? If they will be pretty similar, I think I'd prefer the tropical reefs that the area has to offer.

Thanks!

All you have to do is Google a few YouTube videos of the cenotes to get an idea of how beautiful they are. Blue Grotto, Devil's Den, and Vortex--all favorite haunts of mine, being a non-cave-certified cave wannabee--are not even in the same league of as the cenotes in terms of sheer beauty. The FL caverns get dark quickly as you enter, while some of the cenotes that are popular for the guided cavern dives have light filtering down from various openings. The cenotes have stalactite, stalagmite and other decoration that you have not seen in those FL caverns. And then there are the haloclines. Just amazing stuff.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Hmm, after further reading (on the forum), it seems that some of the cenotes offer full on cave diving opportunities and dives that are in the gray area... I'm neither qualified to cave dive nor interested in pushing the limits into the gray area of risky diving. So let that narrow the scope of what type of cenote dives you compare to FL.

Thousands of tourist OW divers do those guided cenote cavern dives every year--maybe thousands every month for all I know. There have been relatively few fatalities, but there have been some. It's up to you to decide. Read this sticky: A word to the wise on cenote diving

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Google... Dos Ojos. A typical cenote dive for first time people. You will be in an overhead environment but with areas of sunlight. It might change your mindset of wanting to be a cave diver. It did for me.

 

[vinsanity]

All you have to do is Google a few YouTube videos of the cenotes to get an idea of how beautiful they are. Blue Grotto, Devil's Den, and Vortex--all favorite haunts of mine, being a non-cave-certified cave wannabee--are not even in the same league of as the cenotes in terms of sheer beauty. The FL caverns get dark quickly as you enter, while some of the cenotes that are popular for the guided cavern dives have light filtering down from various openings. The cenotes have stalactite, stalagmite and other decoration that you have not seen in those FL caverns. And then there are the haloclines. Just amazing stuff.

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking to understand. So they are similar in concept, but the Cenotes are typically much bigger, have more of an old cave feel (stalactites, etc) rather than just a hole, and can be better lit and be more beautiful. Maybe we'll give the Cenotes a shot.

 

[bamafan]

The caverns in Florida are generally way smaller than the popular ow tour cenotes in the Playa / Tulum area. The cenotes also are generally decorated with stalagmites and stalagmites so to m Edd they are much prettier. Personally I would recommend a cavern class over the cenote tour if time allows. I think that if you have a great instructor it can be the best class you have ever taken and will improve your diving greatly. You can do it in ow gear as doubles aren't required. I would recommend Mexico over Florida especially for sidemount instruction.