Playa del Carmen Diving

[Da real diver]

I have been thinking about that too. I only dive in beach trunks and long sleeve dry fit shirts. I have only dove wearing a wet suit once. It was on my advanced open water deep dive certification dive and it was in the fresh water too. So, I was thinking that I would end up needing to rent a suit.

Y'all have been talking about bouyance, being not familar with wetsuit diving and not being a fresh water diver, I hope I don't have too many problems with my buoyancy control.

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

I have been thinking about that too. I only dive in beach trunks and long sleeve dry fit shirts. I have only dove wearing a wet suit once. It was on my advanced open water deep dive certification dive and it was in the fresh water too. So, I was thinking that I would end up needing to rent a suit.

Y'all have been talking about bouyance, being not familar with wetsuit diving and not being a fresh water diver, I hope I don't have too many problems with my buoyancy control.

I believe you will be alot more comfortable and will have a much, much better overall experience diving the cenotes if you take a cavern course (can even be done even locally) before your trip. There are a few very important key points/things to learn that will not only prepare you and keep you safe during this type of diving but will really enhance your overall experience. The cenotes are amazing but are completely different from open lake/ocean diving and are really best accomplished with a team/group of divers whom are all properly trained and equipped. Safe diving!

 

[jonhall]

Y'all have been talking about bouyance, being not familar with wetsuit diving and not being a fresh water diver, I hope I don't have too many problems with my buoyancy control.

I agree with whoever said a 5mm suit will work in the cenotes. Use a dive manual (I use PADI) chart to calculate how much weight you will need for your wetsuit thickness (and whatever other factors there may be) for proper buoyancy. A DM may have you check your buoyancy before going under and make some adjustments by adding or removing weight.

I thought I had the buoyancy thing licked whether it be a rash guard, 3mm, 5mm, or a 7mm suit, but using a 7mm in the cenote, I spent a lot of time working at TRYING to avoid a rollercoaster ride.

My experience: at some point on the second dive I had too much air in my BC which I couldn't get to release and I rose to the surface. The DM helped me release air and as I went back down I had ear pain. Signaled guide that I couldn't release pressure, we ascended a little which relieved the pressure, but the pressure returned as we descended, so again signaled the DM, surfaced in an open space, and waited a couple of minutes. Moved on after that and had no more problems. Afterwards as we were taking our gear off I spit a little blood and also felt like I had water in my ear for a couple of days. It was an ear barotrauma. I didn't plan to dive for a couple days, but when I did, I had a fear of ear pain returning or not being able to clear my ears, but as it turned out it wasn't an issue.

So there is a reason everyone is talking about buoyancy.

 

[Streydog]

I am about to pack for my next trip, plan on giving cenotes a try for the first time. Are full foot fins doable? Is walking barefoot getting in possible at most cenotes?

Da real diver, how was your trip? Any feed back on ops?

 

[Dogbowl]

I am about to pack for my next trip, plan on giving cenotes a try for the first time. Are full foot fins doable? Is walking barefoot getting in possible at most cenotes?

Da real diver, how was your trip? Any feed back on ops?

I wouldn’t wear full foot fins. I HIGHLY recommend wearing booties/open heeled fins. The parking lots are rocks/pebbles/gravel. Some cenote “facilities” are better than others.

 

[driftwood]

Tour groups do cenote snorkeling trips everyday with full foot fins. The question is whether you have shoes to put on after the dive. Sites like Grand Cenote and Dos Ojos, you shouldn't have a problem.

For my money, I agree with Dogbowl. Booties are your best choice.

I am lucky to have a dive site close to me with the same water temp and specific gravity as the Mexican cenotes (spring fed lake). Spent a couple hours moving very slowly and focusing on my position in the water column. If you have the same opportunity it pays off.

 

[ReefHound]

I am about to pack for my next trip, plan on giving cenotes a try for the first time. Are full foot fins doable? Is walking barefoot getting in possible at most cenotes?

Da real diver, how was your trip? Any feed back on ops?

I always wear full foot fins. At most cenotes, I leave my crocs in the truck and just walk. Usually not a problem or maybe my feet have gotten tough, lol. Sometimes on rocky entries or shore dives (blistering hot sand) I'll wear my crocs into the water, swap crocs for fins, and clip off my crocs with a big carabiner. Did that all week in Bonaire. They are quite floaty so I clip them off behind me.

Temperature-wise, if the rest of me is warm I can wear full foot down to mid-60's.

 

[Streydog]

Thanks everyone. I will just bring a pair of soccer slides for the parking lots.

 

[horn34]

FYI, this is what the walk from the Dos Ojos parking lot is like:

 

[DangerousDan64]

Cenote Xperience was a great fit for me- we did one deep and two shallow dives and it was some of the most memorable diving I have done. When I return, I will definitely be diving with them again.