Help "figuring out" cenote diving

[Scuba-74]

I would much prefer to have you post about your fantastic experience in a cenote.

Not sure if it's addressed to me, but my first post was mostly in response to the original poster's questions.

Since you 're asking, my experience was very good. I've only done warm water ocean diving up until then, and this was very different. Crystal clear water, almost perfect silence, no waves or current. Both cenotes were a series of chambers, some of which had rays of light penetrating the water, and others were dark with dome ceilings with bats hanging from them. A couple of times we broke the thermocline, and it was pretty amazing how much warmer and blurrier salt water was. I remember our group spending time at the entry making sure our buoyancy was perfectly neutral in order to avoid damaging stalactites and stalagmites. Navigating the path using the line was rather easy.

A few pics:

 

[boulderjohn]

Yes I remember reading about that. If I am correct the guide took them off the main line and on to a secondary line with out using "jump line". they got confused as to where they were and went deeper into the cave - turned around and ran out of air/gas. Again - DONT go off the main line.

This is indeed what happened, and no one knows why he did it. There was more wrong than that, though--they did not start the dive with full tanks.

For those who don't know...

In most Mexican cenotes, you have what is often called a cavern line, a line laid in the cavern zone that allows cavern divers to follow it and always have a guideline back to the surface. When you are in the cavern zone, the light from the surface will always be visible to you. If all lights were to fail, you should have no trouble finding your way out.

When the cavern zone ends, there is no line for a while, and there is usually a sign telling you not to go any further, although that varies in different locations. You should not be able to see it from that point, but another line starts farther in and then continues into the cave. The purpose of that gap between lines is to keep cavern divers from accidentally straying from the cavern line and going into the cave. Cave divers will either start a new line somewhere else or start from the cavern line, laying a new line of their own to connect to the line in the cave. That way, when they return from entering the cave, they will have still have a continuous line to the surface. Without that line, they could easily get lost, even if they are really only a few feet from the cavern line.

Why the dive guide took his customers off the cavern line and into the cave, especially without laying that line, is a mystery. It is possible that one of the customers went in on his or her own, and the others went in in an attempt to bring him/her back and got lost.

 

[Lorenzoid]

To add to what John said, a cool thing about the cenotes is that in some of them the cavern line is a circuit that can be followed all the way around, punctuated with openings to the surface where you can see light shimmering in. At some of the openings your guide might have you pop up and take a look. There's a reason why these guided cenote dives draw people from all over the world--they are beautiful.

Whether "the light from the surface will always be visible to you" is questionable. In some places, at least with your lights on, your surroundings appear to be completely dark because you may be a ways from an opening. I suppose if your lights failed or you turned them off, you could at least see dim light. Whether you could or could not see at least dim light at every point along the cavern line and how far you may be from one of those openings are reasons why some people have said that some cenotes stretch the definition of "cavern" to its limits ... or beyond.

 

[PamInParadise]

I have to second RobinT's suggestion (Hi Robin - long time!) I lead my friends and family trip once to two times a year and we did cenote diving once (not really expecting to love it) and we now go back every year or so now. I hate cold water but still love it! We also use Nico @CenoteXperience . They are very safety conscious and great to work with.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

For me - cenote diving started because the ocean was too rough. The dive shop said they were going to a Cenote tomorrow. At that point I didn’t know what that was. The next day we went to Dos Ojos. Barbie line and Bat Cave. I was hooked. Suddenly I realized what I was meant to dive. I enjoyed the feeling of exploring (on cavern line) and the technical aspect of being in an overhead environment. I have taken all of the necessary training from a highly respected shop in Tulum Mexico and I only dive with highest quality gear. I have been taught to be wary. Not scared but wary. Respectfull. Understand my skill set. Dive within it. But for the right people it’s an amazing place to be. I have been fortunate to see some incredible places.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

I can also recommend Nicolas from CenoteXperience - Cavern, Cave and Ocean Diving in Playa del Carmen Yucatan Mexico - Inicio I have been diving with Nico and his brother Martin for over 7 years. They are great guys and excellent dive guides. Tell Nico that Steve from Canada sent you.