reefs or cenotes?
- Thread starter Jorge Loria
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JamesK
Contributor
Cenotes. You can see reefs almost anywhere else in the world. Cenotes are special.
Angry Turtle
Contributor
James beat me to it.....I LOVE reef diving, but if I only had a day-->Cenotes, hands down.
(I have done the bulk of my diving in reefs though)
(I have done the bulk of my diving in reefs though)
I agree, but if I had a whole day, then cenotes in the morning and a reef in the afternoon.
Although if I had a few hours, then probably cenotes
Although if I had a few hours, then probably cenotes
PARADISE HUNTER
Contributor
I'm assuming you are on the main land and not making a cruise stop on Cozumel. If mainland, then cenotes. If Cozumel and you have never dove there before, then the reefs.
PH
PH
I agree. The reef diving is okay but not spectacular. The cenotes, if they intrigue you, are unique. However -- they are not for brand new divers, or people with significant issues with basic buoyancy or trim.
Mike
Contributor
Depends, I've experienced both and am not a fan of Cenotes, so I would choose reef diving. If you haven't done a cenote yet and you don't have a preference either way between doing a reef dive or a cenote, then I would say give a cenote a shot and see what you think. Some people love them some people do them once and never again. I could not predict which one you will be, and there is no way to definitively answer one is better than the other.
Soakedlontra
Contributor
I dove both reef and cenotes and I would recommend the cenotes unless you are there in a particular time of the year when you can see big pelagic animals like whale sharks, for instance. However as TSandM has pointed out, the cenotes are not for divers who have problems in keeping a good buoyancy control, trim and, I would add, are uncomfortable in confined spaces. I have no idea what level of experience you have but let me tell you about a scene that I would never forget. I saw it at one of the most popular cenotes. There was a diver who was struggling so much with his/her trim that he/she could not stay horizontal and kept kicking silt all over the place. His/her dive master had to grab his/her tank to lift his/her legs up...Luckily by the time I witnessed this I was at the end of my dive...
By the way, if you decide to do the cenotes, check out the dive op you are going to go with very carefully. Despite the recent triple fatality, a guide from one of the shops was seen yesterday guiding 5 people (more than the accepted limit) off the cavern line and into the cave in one of the popular systems. This is unsafe. Do not let anyone take you past the Peligro sign!
Cenotes offer a unique diving experience, and everyone should do a cenote once in their life. However, and I know I will get howls of derision from some for saying this, after you do one or two dives in a cenote, you have seen it. No marine life, a few variations of formations and light, but otherwise more of the same. That's my opinion. So do a cenote dive or two, and then return to the colors, animals and action on the reef.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
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