Info Warning about Cenote Chac Mool and Kukulkan

[Marie13]

How many dead bodies, who did Shecr learn from?

He analyzed accidents himself. Book available here free.

https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Blueprint-for-Survival.pdf

 

[exodusmaximus]

These two cenotes are in the same area and they have banned cameras. They have their own photographer who tries to charge you $60 USD/person for his photos/videos of you diving and says he "lowers" it to $40/person for groups. Avoid this site if you have your own cameras you want to use on your dives and don't want to get price gouged. It's a shame because they were such beautiful dives and we don't even have documentation of it because we didn't want to contribute to their racket.

Weird, I've been charged at angelita and car wash, but dos ojos and El Pit do not charge for go pros...

 

[exodusmaximus]

I dove there twice. The first time the photographer was not there. Actually, there were no other divers there. I brought my camera.

The second he was which I was glad for as he took stills and video of my daughter's very first ever cenote dives. They were very good quality along with bonus information on the cenotes. The (negotiable) price was well worth the record of the dives that I have. Pictures were way better than anything I could have taken with my gopro.

I believe that this is the only cenote with that restriction.

NEVER use gopro to take pictures - rater take frame grabs from video (4k is plenty)

 

[exodusmaximus]

I'm sorry you are acting as if they are trying to "racket" you, and maybe you should have asked the administration at the entrance of the Cenote WHY.

This rule has been the same for years, and the reason is quite simple: Cenotes Guides/Dive shops sending unexperienced divers with poor buoyancy + cameras to dive the Cenotes, resulting in:

- damaging the speleothems of the Cenote (stalactites, stalagmites etc)
- poor visibility for other divers

Please keep in mind that the Cenotes are caverns, and that most divers diving it do not have the cavern certification.
It is a privilege to dive them as a recreational diver, and while you might be able to control your buoyancy while taking pictures, it is not the case for all divers.
And 40 usd for professional pictures is not expensive...

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!! I've seen people tagging on the pernament line. (If you want to explore, set up your line NOT ATTACHED to the perm... (besides, I doubt that any of these cenotes allow "exploration")

 

[exodusmaximus]

It's $60 for solo divers and you get a great discount to $40/person or $80 total for two divers! Reviews from the past said it was $20-$25 just a few years ago. $20-$25 was at least reasonable. You're paying $100 for the guide at least, $12 for the entrance fee, and now $60 just for pictures/videos? What's next? Banning cameras from the reefs and charging people for photos for their dives in the ocean? I have zero issues with shops offering professional pictures for a fee for people who might not have their own cameras. I do have an issue when they ban you from taking your own pictures then charge a ridiculous fee for their exclusive services. I'm just giving a heads up for future divers like us, plenty of other cenotes to choose from.

Than don't do pictures/videos. Most people go there for the pleasure of diving. Yes, you will pay probably more than 100 for good guide who knows the caverns (usually 200-250 for 2 tanks with guide and transport, from playa, including entrance fee)... so? I find it funny that people Nicole and dime operators but then go and blow money on stuff like overpriced beer... 40-60 bucks a person is an AMAZING deal for a professional pictures - the only reason you are paying this little is because it's Mexico - in Florida, photo package will be in hundreds...

 

[exodusmaximus]

What came first, the classes or the caves?

How many people die in caves because of lack of training (unguided)?

 

[lexvil]

How many people die in caves because of lack of training (unguided)?

How many have died with training?

 

[exodusmaximus]

How many have died with training?

I'm sure less than without (if we take out extreme divers who explore caves sometimes at depths way below 100m)

 

[lexvil]

I'm sure less than without (if we take out extreme divers who explore caves sometimes at depths way below 100m)

So quantified more with than without unless we skew the numbers.

and since this thread is more than a year old I’m not even curious enough to look back through it for context.

 

[exodusmaximus]

So quantified more with than without unless we skew the numbers.

and since this thread is more than a year old I’m not even curious enough to look back through it for context.

Fair enough. I just run into it