Finally made it to Mexico ...

[CamG]

Dang stairs I always fall up them and get cut!
Does that make sense? Seriously I did it twice at the quarry last weekend!
Hope you heal well and safe dives.

CamG

 

[TSandM]

The entries and exits in MX are definitely hazardous, although my fear at Jailhouse is just trying to get out of the water and onto my feet.

Bob, the comments about taking cameras are based on our having a few startling moments ourselves with some of the reach gaps, and knowing that cameras were involved in a couple of fatalities where getting lost played a big role. We care about you, is all!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I know Lynne ... I'm paying attention. And we're doing some pretty basic routes in any case. No need to stray much off the mainline when I haven't ever been here before.

Yesterday was Jailhouse. The entrance is a mudhole, literally ... blind entry after the first team goes in. Once down to about 20 feet it clears up, though. This cave looks more like a Florida system than anything I've seen previously ... and it's generally deeper than the caves we've done up till now ... "darker" and less decorated. Leads me to think at least parts of it were formed wet. The highlight of the dive was swimming into the halocline, and getting down into the salt water below it ... which is also noticeably warmer.

Not much for pics on this dive, but here's a few ...

Day started out fine ... sunrise at Villa de Rosa ...

The cenote ... small, dirty, and not much to look at ...

Eric disappears into the halocline ...

... like swimming in Italian salad dressing ...

ScubaSam & Daniel under the halocline ...

This is what happens when you get your finger caught between a rock and a hard place ...

On the way to the hospital ... a photo op of a peregrine falcon catching lunch ...

... not my idea of a good time ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[kotik]

Oh ... as Emily Latella used to say ... "never mind."

BTW - I think I neglected to mention that my dive buddy and "model" is fellow ScubaBoarder "kotik". Prior to this trip we'd never met or dived together. Turns out we're pretty compatible. Thanks, Eric, for your patience ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I couldn't have hooked up with a better buddy Bob, it's great diving with you and I'm already looking forward to our next chance. Just watch those fingers!

 

[TSandM]

Where'd you go in Jailhouse? If you turned right at the first T, you end up in the passage that goes up to Cenote of the Sun. Above the halocline, it's dark; below it, it's blue water.

If you go left at the first T, and then right and right at the next two, you end up in the huge saltwater passage that goes on for an hour or more. It's brilliant white and cobalt blue, with gorgeous gold dripstone on the walls and the occasional tall stalagmite coming up from the bottom. It's one of my favorite dives, and not dark at all.

 

[boulderjohn]

It's great that you were able to bring a good buddy with you. When I went to the same area last fall, I was the only cave diver in our group. I hired a very good guide to lead me into the bowels of the earth, and she did a great job, but that means I had to bear the cost of the experience by myself.

Still, I had such a great time that I am repeating the experience in two months, going into the caves from June 20-25.

Now, if anyone reading this thread is thinking how great it would be to go there, if I only had someone to go with me....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Lynne, we went to that huge room ... but that's where we turned around. I opted for a guide on this trip ... and I like the guy ... but he's been way conservative with the turns ... we were basically diving quarters most of the week, despite my repeated requests to dive thirds. Today at Tajma Ha, he turned us around just shy of China Gardens ... despite the fact that I had up to that point only used 900 psi out of one tank and 500 psi out of another. I ended the dive wirh more than 1500 in each.

I like the guy ... I enjoy diving with him. But I feel like I missed a lot because of his tendency to turn us too soon ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added April 12th, 2013 at 04:10 PM ----------

It's great that you were able to bring a good buddy with you. When I went to the same area last fall, I was the only cave diver in our group. I hired a very good guide to lead me into the bowels of the earth, and she did a great job, but that means I had to bear the cost of the experience by myself.

Still, I had such a great time that I am repeating the experience in two months, going into the caves from June 20-25.

Now, if anyone reading this thread is thinking how great it would be to go there, if I only had someone to go with me....

John, I put this trip off for three years because I didn't have a buddy to go with. Lots of folks I know come down here ... but they have their alpha buddies. On other trips I just go solo ... but I'm not ready to do that in a cave, and doubt I ever will be.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added April 12th, 2013 at 04:11 PM ----------

One last pic. The doctor told me I was OK to dive today as long as I kept the wound dry. I told him I could do that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[boulderjohn]

[/COLOR]One last pic. The doctor told me I was OK to dive today as long as I kept the wound dry. I told him I could do that ...

Ingenious!

 

[ScubaSam]

Gonna try to be brief despite having many thoughts in my cluttered brain after reading this thread.

A few months ago, my buddy suggested we join this trip. Being a kindergarten caver, we did not want to "hold back" the more experienced cavers but after talking to Marissa and being reassured that we could go at our comfort level with a guide, and not "mess up" the trip for the more experienced caver, we pulled the trigger.

Did not know Bob was on this trip until a month ago when he informed me. Thanks to Bob I have a pic of my favorite guide and I during a dive.

Up until this trip, every time I visited Mexico I had only ever done the single tank stay in the daylight zone most of the time guided tour. Diving thirds in a highly decorated no flow shallow cave has ruined Florida caves to me forever.

Marissa from Cave Country Dive Shop did an outstanding job spearheading every critical detail and logistics of our successful week of diving with AquaTech and lodging at Villas DeRosa. The mixed group of 12 divers included the experienced cavers, instructors, and some with much less cave experience, back-mount/side-mount divers, meat eaters/vegetarians, manatee lovers (or not), loud mouth Yankee, Philadelphia Flower, mischievous Texan, Tulum hospital visitor, and a bunch of Floridian residents. The dynamics of the group worked beautifully both underwater and on land.

Many thanks to Marissa and Cave Country Dive Shop for putting together this trip. Thanks to Tony Jr, Wayne, Rebecca, and staff at Villas DeRosa, and unspeakable gratitude to Daniel who guide my team.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Marissa from Cave Country Dive Shop did an outstanding job spearheading every critical detail and logistics of our successful week of diving with AquaTech and lodging at Villas DeRosa. The mixed group of 12 divers included the experienced cavers, instructors, and some with much less cave experience, back-mount/side-mount divers, meat eaters/vegetarians, manatee lovers (or not), loud mouth Yankee, Philadelphia Flower, mischievous Texan, Tulum hospital visitor, and a bunch of Floridian residents. The dynamics of the group worked beautifully both underwater and on land.

Many thanks to Marissa and Cave Country Dive Shop for putting together this trip.

Same here ... Marissa did an incredible job organizing and managing this trip, which is not an easy thing to do for 12 people of various skill levels, interests, and many of whom have never met before. Can't give her enough props for all that hard work ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)