Chac Mool Cenote

[JimC]

LOL! JimC, I think your comment may be lost on it's intended recipient.

Dennis

Right over his head. Kinda like the dive.

 

[luft]

Right over his head. Kinda like the dive.

I agree that the dive was over my head, I'm certainly not claiming otherwise. I didn't realize what we were getting into. "No problem" was the word in Mexico and yes, I do understand the difference between "Cave" and Cavern" definitions, but when you are the last diver in a group of 5, there's no turning back. I would not feel comfortable doing this type of dive again without the proper training. I admire your skills, I have read some your posts. I'm sure there is alot to learn and hopefully I might attain similar skills oneday.

 

[Pyrofish]

I've been reading about the cenote dives for several weeks now and thinking how much I'd like to dive those. Then it occured to me, I made a blanket statement to several of my friends that cave diving would not be for me. Are most of these cenotes considered caves or caverns? I wouldn't be able to get to one for several years, but they're on my list of things to see. Since that list is many years long, I am trying to get proper training along the way
Jason

 

[Pyrofish]

Never mind, I found a thread on it from last month. Should have searched first

 

[fracchiam]

Right! Thanks Pez.

 

[Pez de Diablo]

I agree that the dive was over my head, I'm certainly not claiming otherwise. I didn't realize what we were getting into. "No problem" was the word in Mexico and yes, I do understand the difference between "Cave" and Cavern" definitions, but when you are the last diver in a group of 5, there's no turning back. I would not feel comfortable doing this type of dive again without the proper training. I admire your skills, I have read some your posts. I'm sure there is alot to learn and hopefully I might attain similar skills oneday.

Luft,

I hope you didn't take offence to the comments, Jim's comment was a bit of a play on the tense he used in his reply and I was being a little cheeky.

The one thing that everyone needs to remember when doing any dive and especially a guided cavern dive is that" Any diver can call the dive at any time for any reason." You flash your light back and forth to get your guides attention and give him/her the thumbs up. No excuse, the dive must be terminated.

Dennis

 

[luft]

Pez de Diablo,

Thanks for the tip. I would eventually like to get cave certified. It was thrilling and added a whole new dimension to diving.

 

[lateximage]

I just got back yesterday from my Riviera Maya trip with my non diving wife. My only desire was to dive the cenotes for the first time as I have been on dozens of reefs in the carib but never had the chance to dive these wonderful jewels of the Yucatan. I dove Chac Mool and the other cavern trail attached to Little Brother (the entrance) is the dive known as Kukulcan. I went with Mario, a local legend (and native) and certified cave diving instructor and explorer/finder. He works for Dive Aventuras out of Puerto Aventuras and has been there 20 years.

The dives...
It was just the two of us and we had good sun for the parts where the water breaks the surface. Each dive I was able to conserve my gas enough to make it to the "go no further signs" and had no problems my friend as they say in country. The dives were the most spectacular I have ever had, the caverns being more wondrous and strange and beautiful than any article or image in any magazine can do justice. I had my underwater camera with me and Mario took many pics of me and for me without my asking but much to my pleasure. He has literally thousands of dives in these cenotes and knows where to position you and himself to get the best images. I tipped him quite heavily in american dollars afterwards and he was beyond grateful. He was friendly, talkative, knowlegable, humble, helpful, safe minded and I would highly suggest that he be asked for by name when diving in these parts. Not to say that there aren't others, I'm sure there are many guides who should be asked for by name as well, but my experience is only with this shop and this guide as I only had time for two dives while on vacation.

My experience level...
Advanced for 4 years, nitrox, over 100 carreer dives, 27 this year, drysuit dives on the wrecks of Lake Michigan, dark quarrys and inland lakes of Wisconsin, reefs of the Carib.

I am not cave or cavern certified... though "Dive Aventuras" did ask to review my logbook. They wanted to know how many dives total I have, how many this year, when and where the last dive was, my level of cert and proof. I feel as though had I not had a decent level of activity and experience, they would have turned me away. I never felt in danger or pressured, though there were areas that may produce anxiety for some divers. As another diver in an earlier post on this thread said, "if you are claustrophobic, do not go". I will back up that statement 100 percent. This is not a dive for someone who does not like tight spaces or confined areas.

I MUST do this again...Dos Ojos next time.

BTW I intend to post the images and video from these two dives on my diving web page at www.calsworld.net by end of November 2009

 

[LiteHedded]

I just got back yesterday from my Riviera Maya trip with my non diving wife. My only desire was to dive the cenotes for the first time as I have been on dozens of reefs in the carib but never had the chance to dive these wonderful jewels of the Yucatan. I dove Chac Mool and the other cavern trail attached to Little Brother (the entrance) is the dive known as Kukulcan. I went with Mario, a local legend (and native) and certified cave diving instructor and explorer/finder. He works for Dive Aventuras out of Puerto Aventuras and has been there 20 years.

The dives...
It was just the two of us and we had good sun for the parts where the water breaks the surface. Each dive I was able to conserve my gas enough to make it to the "go no further signs" and had no problems my friend as they say in country. The dives were the most spectacular I have ever had, the caverns being more wondrous and strange and beautiful than any article or image in any magazine can do justice. I had my underwater camera with me and Mario took many pics of me and for me without my asking but much to my pleasure. He has literally thousands of dives in these cenotes and knows where to position you and himself to get the best images. I tipped him quite heavily in american dollars afterwards and he was beyond grateful. He was friendly, talkative, knowlegable, humble, helpful, safe minded and I would highly suggest that he be asked for by name when diving in these parts. Not to say that there aren't others, I'm sure there are many guides who should be asked for by name as well, but my experience is only with this shop and this guide as I only had time for two dives while on vacation.

My experience level...
Advanced for 4 years, nitrox, over 100 carreer dives, 27 this year, drysuit dives on the wrecks of Lake Michigan, dark quarrys and inland lakes of Wisconsin, reefs of the Carib.

I am not cave or cavern certified... though "Dive Aventuras" did ask to review my logbook. They wanted to know how many dives total I have, how many this year, when and where the last dive was, my level of cert and proof. I feel as though had I not had a decent level of activity and experience, they would have turned me away. I never felt in danger or pressured, though there were areas that may produce anxiety for some divers. As another diver in an earlier post on this thread said, "if you are claustrophobic, do not go". I will back up that statement 100 percent. This is not a dive for someone who does not like tight spaces or confined areas.

I MUST do this again...Dos Ojos next time.

BTW I intend to post the images and video from these two dives on my diving web page at Cal's World - Photography and Art from Cal Kothrade by end of November 2009

no amount of open water experience prepares you for cave diving
but having said that, sounds like you had fun. good for you

 

[lateximage]

litehedded... from everything I have read you are so correct about cave diving, though I did have a good time on these two reletively safe dives from what I have read and will go back down again to dive more cenotes. I would like to become cavern certified if there is such a thing, the cave diving is a little more than I am ready for at this point in my life.

Thanks for the comment.