Trip report: Cavern tours, or dreams do come true

[Martha]

Wonderful trip report! Diving the cenotes is definitely on my "to do" list.

 

[Soli]

Skip Yalku Lagoon. Really not worth the price of admission. It used be ok for snorkelers who hadn't really seen much else or were newbies, but the water quality and fish life have really gone down the past year or so. If you need to keep someone happy by snorkeling in Akumal, go to Half Moon Bay. No crowd and more to see. There are some snorkel maps online of the bay, just do a couple searches and you should find them. You can hang out on the beach in front of La Buena Vida and Akumal Dive Adventures. If it's to windy at Half Moon, and you don't mind crowds, go to Akumal Bay. Turtles in the seagrass there are a sure things. LBV and Lol Ha (at Akumal Bay) can do alot with rum, so no worries about the grumpy sister.

Cool! Thanks for the tips. I'll be printing out all of this before I go....with a little judicious editing regarding grumpy sister. As I found out this afternoon, one of my divers is newly pregnant, so obviously won't be diving, or doing rum drinks. Therefore I am glad to hear of good snorkling sites too. All advice about interesting stuff is most welcome, but I don't want to hijack your thread.

Regarding your thread...I find myself going back to it over and over to immerse myself in your experience. You've made it so compelling.

 

[TSandM]

The rest of our photographs are now up HERE

 

[dab]

Very nice report. I just returned from Akumal where I finished a full cave course through Pro Tech in Playa Del Carmen. Tremendous experience. Beautiful area and now I'm looking forward to going back.

 

[Thalassamania]

The rest of our photographs are now up HERE

I really enjoyed the pics.

 

[CoyKoi]

Great trip report, Lynne! I felt like I was there in the water right behind you. I'll be in Coz in Dec doing field fish surveys for R.E.E.F.. I am aching to dive the cenotes during our mid-week day off.

I am Basic Cave certified (NSS-CDS). What specifc cave gear did you take with you for cenote diving vrs reef diving? Backplate and wings instead of recreational BC? Standard 7' reg hose? I'm definately taking my 10watt HID Sartek light and reels, of course.

Does Zero Grav have doubles setups? Or do you just dive single AL80?

Thanks!

 

[TSandM]

I took my BP/W/long hose setup, because that's all I ever dive. I did all the reef diving with it, too. And of course, I had my beloved Salvo light.

Zero Grav has doubles -- In fact, they don't have single tanks, and had to break down stages for us to have singles to dive. (I didn't want to try to dive Al80 doubles in a wetsuit for the first time in a cave.) But Zero Grav, I believe, only does guiding for GUE-trained people. (I could be wrong, so you could contact them.)

 

[rjack321]

Why, do I need to be wildly excited to finally get into trim?

I was looking at Scott Boyd's photographs last night, and wanting SO desperately to go back . . . I wonder if I can STAND to wait a year?

Your arms are all tight and hands clenched with excitement :blinking:

I doubt you'll wait a year. None of us are getting any younger, I'm not waiting either. Hurry up May 21st...

 

[Soli]

Lynne, thank you again for sharing your experience in such vivid detail. You inspired me to round up as many as could make it, and we did Hidden Worlds for a one tank dive. It was definitely not enough time to do them as much as I would have liked, but well worth at least getting one dive in. I was struck by the starkness and monochromatic palette of the site. It gave the dive a feeling of slowly swimming through an old black and sand movie set. The visibility was incredible and our guide, Victor, lead an even pace all over the cavern, while subtly keeping a eye out on every one. I wish we had had the time to do another tank, but the wedding couple had plans...

Next time, though, and there will indeed be a next time.

 

[TSandM]

Next time, though, and there will indeed be a next time.

I know the feeling.

Glad you had a good time. It appears that this report is inspiring some people to check out the cenotes, which is wonderful.