How many cenotes are enough?

[kathydee]

I think you'll know if your curiosity is satisfied after your second day in the Cenotes

I fell hopelessly in love, not sure I'll ever get enough...

 

[Fionab]

Dove 2 snorkled 3.

Been there done that.

What an odd comment, is that the same for sea, Wreck, reef, lake etc. 2 of each is enough.

 

[dlndavid]

If I'm in the Playa del Carmen area, and want to dive some cenotes, are there several different ones available? We're AOW, no cavern or cave training. And how many cenote dives back to back are enough, and you start saying, "been there, done that?" Trying to figure out how much time to allow.

Thanks!

7 hundred and 29 give or take 3.

 

[bwetter]

I can't tell you exactly how many cenotes there are in the PDC area, but there must be at least a dozen.
We did 2 tanks at Chac Mool last year, as our first exposure to cavern diving. This year we're planning on 1 tank at Angelita (anybody think more are needed to explore this cenote?) and 2 at (probably) Dos Ojos.

You do not need specific cavern training to join a guided tour in the cenotes. You should, however, have good bouyancy and trim, and be familiar with propulsion methods such as the modified frog kick. And there's no way to know how you'll respond to the overhead environment until you're actually in it.

I can't imagine ever saying "been there done that" with regards to diving. I've dove the same reef on multiple days, and while the geography becomes familiar (which is not a bad thing) the experience is still unique.

Hey Dirty Dog -
1 tank is probably enough for Angelita but on the same day have your guide take you to Grand Cenote while you are in the area - well worth the 2nd tank in the afternoon.
If you have not done Angelita before - best way to describe ....
If you have seen Star Wars then it's like visiting "Yoda's World"...
Have fun - I have 2 weeks planned - 1 in Cozumel and 1 in PDC and plan 4 days of Cenotes/Caves

 

[highdesert]

Dove 2 snorkled 3. Been there done that.

Remark accepted

Fionab ... I don't see how you can deduce from mfinley919's post that the same comment might apply to all of his diving. It's already been established by other posters that cenotes, and cave/cavern diving, for that matter, are a unique kind of diving that totally enchants some divers ... others, not so much.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Hey Dirty Dog -
1 tank is probably enough for Angelita but on the same day have your guide take you to Grand Cenote while you are in the area - well worth the 2nd tank in the afternoon.
If you have not done Angelita before - best way to describe ....
If you have seen Star Wars then it's like visiting "Yoda's World"...
Have fun - I have 2 weeks planned - 1 in Cozumel and 1 in PDC and plan 4 days of Cenotes/Caves

We have not; our only prior cenote dive was a 2-tank in Chac Mool. I've seen YouTube videos and Angelita looks like a very cool 1-tank. We're planning just one day cenote diving, 3 tanks. Gran Cenote, Dos Ojos and a couple other places are on the table for the other 2 tanks.
If I come out of Angelita talking like Yoda, I'm not going to be happy...

 

[fire_diver]

If I come out of Angelita talking like Yoda, I'm not going to be happy...

"Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!"

 

[Carlos Danger]

If I'm in the Playa del Carmen area, and want to dive some cenotes, are there several different ones available? We're AOW, no cavern or cave training. And how many cenote dives back to back are enough, and you start saying, "been there, done that?" Trying to figure out how much time to allow.

Thanks!

I'm not sure how many cenotes there are in the region, but they are not all created equal. Some are more challenging to dive and/or get to. We dove the Dos Ojos system while staying in Playa Del Carmen a few years back, and it was a pretty accessible two-tank excursion. Definitely one of the coolest dive experiences I've ever had. If you have good trim and buoyancy, and don't get freaked out by being in dark enclosed spaces, you'll probably love it.

A lot of the operators in the area go to the same spots. Having a good guide is important, so I would focus on finding an op that specifically has a good reputation for cenote dive trips in the area.

 

[Belmont]

Two pictures taken in Cénote Angelita, taken by Pietro Donaggio, showing the hydrogen sulfide layer.

Enjoy:

Photos

Photos

 

[sebasdess]

If I'm in the Playa del Carmen area, and want to dive some cenotes, are there several different ones available? We're AOW, no cavern or cave training. And how many cenote dives back to back are enough, and you start saying, "been there, done that?" Trying to figure out how much time to allow.

Thanks!

My friends are both cave trained and they almost dont care about ocean dives anymore: They mostly dive in cenote now! Everytimes they heard about a cenote, they want to do an exploration dive! haha! Their last one was a 2 hours dive with decompression stage...... 45 minutes of decompression to do at the end of the dive! haha! A little bit too hardcore for me! hehe! (anyway, I'm not trained yet for that kind of dive)


On my part, I did those:
Dos Ojos (maybe 15 dives there)
Chac Mool (about 15 dives as well)
Angelita (2 dives)
Grand Cenote (2 dives)
Two another cenote I dont remember the name of (1 dive each).

I personally prefer oceans dive, but I wish I will do my fullcave training one day. Each cenotes is really differents and I dont think you will ever say "been there, done that".

My friend are owners of vip-diving and they provide transportation to the cenote you want to do. Their website is here: Diving Snorkeling Riviera Maya - V.I.P. Diving

Enjoy your trip in PDC! My trip is over in... well... 8 days! :depressed: FML!