Mexican Cenote Crystal Clear

[marcienko]

I did four cenotes dives this past July and absolutely loved it. Here are some of the pictures.

Regards

Marcin

 

[diverrex]

I'm at a point with this hobby where I decide whether or not to continue, I'm not invested yet. I've actually postponed spending $1500 in gear while I figure out if this is something I want to pursue. Though I've enjoyed my limited diving experience thus far (all in Mexico), diving, like recreational general aviation, is largely a social activity. The question I have to answer is this community for me? Is it inclusive and friendly or is it elitist and insular?

Fishstyx - I don't know you so I quess I don't really care one way or the other whether you continue to dive or not. I would just suggest that you realize that while ScubaBoard is a great source of diving information it is by no means the whole diving world. Some people enjoy diving quite nicely without ever reading ScubaBoard. Diving is a very friendly activity IMHO.

 

[ScubaSteve]

............I'm at a point with this hobby where I decide whether or not to continue, I'm not invested yet. I've actually postponed spending $1500 in gear while I figure out if this is something I want to pursue. Though I've enjoyed my limited diving experience thus far (all in Mexico), diving, like recreational general aviation, is largely a social activity. The question I have to answer is this community for me? Is it inclusive and friendly or is it elitist and insular?

Anyway, it's cold here and I won't be back to the tropics for a while so it probably doesn't matter that much anyway.

Cheers

Well, I know that I personally hope you stick with diving because I can never imagine it being a good thing to stop diving. As for the bolded part of the quote above......do not base your diving future (or not) on this site. That would just be wrong. This site, while full of some great people and a great source of information, has nothing to do with diving per se. Diving is the one on one social interaction with good friends (solo not being discussed) and the ability to share in a, environment and scenery that many can never even imagine. This site means nothing to your future. If you choose to continue diving, then I say "Good on ya" and welcome you to the club. If you choose to continue sharing experiences with us here on ScubaBoard, then we shall enjoy them. It is recommended though, to take everything on this board with an ounce of common sense. Most of the people hand out some great information and are very diplomatic in their approach to almost everything (take TSandM and Seaducer for example...there are many more). Their posts are almost always spot on and very eloquently worded. Others mean the best but it sometimes gets lost from brain to fingertips. And others just need help . All of the good and the bad comes clear fairly quickly.

 

[TSandM]

Fishstyx, I hope you decide that diving is for you. For me, the diving community has been an amazing discovery . . . A group of astonishingly generous, welcoming, and helpful people. The few who can be grinchy on line are often completely different in person. And you also have to remember . . . Anything posted on these forums, whether it's a recommendation or a photograph or a story, is going to be read by many people who never post, and can have influence far beyond what you see. That's one reason why we try to spot misinformation quickly and refute it, or spot an example of undesirable technique and identify it -- so that people lurking will learn something.

 

[seaducer]

Fishstyx, I hope you decide that diving is for you. For me, the diving community has been an amazing discovery . . . A group of astonishingly generous, welcoming, and helpful people. The few who can be grinchy on line are often completely different in person. And you also have to remember . . . Anything posted on these forums, whether it's a recommendation or a photograph or a story, is going to be read by many people who never post, and can have influence far beyond what you see. That's one reason why we try to spot misinformation quickly and refute it, or spot an example of undesirable technique and identify it -- so that people lurking will learn something.

Absolutely, we are up to what, 100,000 members now? Some rediculous number at any rate. It can be hard to remember when you are in the cross hairs, but more often than not it is the idea or concept in a post that is attacked and not necessarily the person who posted it. (there are some notable exceptions to this).

I lurked here for over a year before I joined and started posting, so I guess I had an advantage when I jumped in.

But like we have been saying, stick around, this is a great place to learn and play. And no one wants to run anyone off the board and out of diving (there are some notable exceptions here too)

 

[Cacia]

There are some strange rangers in the dive community but some of the best people I have met also.
I admit to liking the freediving community mindset a bit more...it is more live and let live.

I find divers pretty bossy in general but they have other redeaming qualities.

they love the ocean, they like to travel, they are fun

but they are one bossy group of people. Compared to other sports, hobbies, whatever you like to call scuba diving. I think if you find people entertaining and don't get easily offended you will love it. Then again, the more you learn, the less easily you can be offended.

 

[BTravlin]

Just got back from Coz and did two cenote dives while there, Choc Mool an Kukulkan. I enjoyed them and am glad that I did them but believe once is enough for me. Carlos with Aquanauts was our guide and he was very conservation minded and was quite thorough checking our bouyancy before proceeding on the tour. He also was very clear about not touching anything or standing on anything. No knives or gloves allowed.

I do think the cenote dives are inherently dangerous though and there are bound to be some accidents from time to time. It's too easy for rec divers to get themselves into a situation where they are in over their head and panic can ruin a nice dive in a hurry. My wife and I have both have good bouyancy and trim and were never nervous or incomfortable even though we went through some narrow winding passages.

I have no interest in learning all of the skills necessary for cave diving but can see why it appeals to many. Think I'll stick with the blue water reef diving myself though.