Which cenotes near PDC should I visit?

[scubadiver888]

Thanks @Divin' Ivan. I did occasionally see the signs warning me I was entering cave areas but there were more cenotes where I did not see the sign. I got the feeling that there was more to cavern diving then not crossing the warning signs.

I know when I have been cavern diving, I've had 4 different guides they all say to stay on the line. The first time I went the guide made a point to talk about some divers who had died recently. He wanted to emphasize listening to the briefing and take it very seriously.

As a wreck diver I know too well how OW divers "just want to take a peak" turns into "diver dies inside shipwreck only feet from the exit". We don't have as many divers in Canada as they get in Mexico. So it happens far less frequently but it still happens.

 

[kafkaland]

The suggestions above are pretty good: Dos Ojos and The Pit are classics and not to miss, they can be busy, though. Closer to PDC, Tajma Ha is also very nice, especially when the Points of Light are visible - something more likely in the summer, but April might do. To make it a day of diving, you will want to combine it with another nearby cenote, perhaps Ponderosa/Eden. As those they are a bit easier, this would make for a good first day of diving. Dreamgate is also spectacular, you could combine it with Casa / Manatee for a day of diving. If you go further south, there is Carwash and Calavera / Temple of Doom, but the latter is a relatively short dive and I'm not sure it's worth it. And if you have already done The Pit, Angelita is somewhat similar but less spectacular and perhaps a bit of a letdown. I personally also like Grand Cenote, but right now they require a cavern card to let you in.

As to Chac Mool, the situation is really unfortunate. The water used to be crystal clear, and now it's a milky soup. I have heard three theories as to why this is happening: backup from a marina expansion downstream, agricultural runoff from a chicken farm, and sewage from a village upstream. There are serious hydrologists trying to get answers, but this is as much a political as a scientific issue. But from what I hear, all the evidence points to explanation #3.

 

[Pkishino]

The suggestions above are pretty good: Dos Ojos and The Pit are classics and not to miss, they can be busy, though. Closer to PDC, Tajma Ha is also very nice, especially when the Points of Light are visible - something more likely in the summer, but April might do. To make it a day of diving, you will want to combine it with another nearby cenote, perhaps Ponderosa/Eden. As those they are a bit easier, this would make for a good first day of diving. Dreamgate is also spectacular, you could combine it with Casa / Manatee for a day of diving. If you go further south, there is Carwash and Calavera / Temple of Doom, but the latter is a relatively short dive and I'm not sure it's worth it. And if you have already done The Pit, Angelita is somewhat similar but less spectacular and perhaps a bit of a letdown. I personally also like Grand Cenote, but right now they require a cavern card to let you in.

As to Chac Mool, the situation is really unfortunate. The water used to be crystal clear, and now it's a milky soup. I have heard three theories as to why this is happening: backup from a marina expansion downstream, agricultural runoff from a chicken farm, and sewage from a village upstream. There are serious hydrologists trying to get answers, but this is as much a political as a scientific issue. But from what I hear, all the evidence points to explanation #3.

Just read this now, not sure by what you mean short dive for Temple of doom? It's a great entry, nice jump and beautiful looking back to the middle when diving and the sun shines down. Just checked logs.. 61 min, not too shabby

 

[npole]

I also did the Tajma Ha ...impressive! Dive ops nowadays won't recommend Dos Ojos due to the fact that you will dive with dozen of other divers, and believe me see people all around you (and their lamps) will partially ruin the atmosphere.
Regarding the Tajma Ha, I didn't expected to have a so long closed over-head run, there's long pieces that I would classify cave rather than cavern, so as along you have to problem with this, the cenote is truly awesome (tunnels, bat caves, partial exits into the forest with mangrovia roots, light rays, and all the good stuff).
It's also frequented by experienced divers and cave divers, so you will rarely find the "summer family" with shorties from Playa.

 

[JohnnyC]

Taj is a nice dive. But it's getting popular. The parking lot is HUGE compared to the last time I was there. Ponderosa on the cavern line by the steps isn't bad. Entering and on the right before you turn at EOL is good for photos. I was in there today actually. Casa Cenote is good with the tannic water and the flow. Angelita I wouldn't even call a cavern dive, but it's fun and looks cool if you're new. The Pit is a classic, but getting expensive, so is Dos Ojos. Everybody does the bat cave line in Dos Ojos so it's always crowded and it definitely looks like a tourist cave these days. Gran Cenote is a nice dive but they hate cavern tours. I understand why, their money is in snorkel tours. If it wasn't so easy to get in from elsewhere I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to put a stop to all diving. They could put a nice little cavern line in Cristalino and would probably do well, albeit not very long.

I'm trying to remember what I've done as a cavern dive and what I've done as a cave dive. I've done several that start off on the cavern line then you jump into the cave. Some cavern dives in Mexico definitely bend the rules of what you would call a cavern dive, but most of the reaper signs are far enough off the cavern lines that you have to make a conscious choice to get to them. The rule is you've gotta have a guide that's full cave AND at least DM with a max of 4 divers per guide. There won't be any restrictions on the cavern line and everyone turns at whoever hits thirds first. Now, do some guides break these rules? Yes, but by and large the industry tries very hard to enforce them as best as they can. It doesn't benefit any of them if someone gets left in the cave on what's supposed to be an easy fun dive.

 

[kafkaland]

Just read this now, not sure by what you mean short dive for Temple of doom? It's a great entry, nice jump and beautiful looking back to the middle when diving and the sun shines down. Just checked logs.. 61 min, not too shabby

Oh, the cavern line is a circle, just a little over 500ft. long. On a typical cave dive where I know the place, I swim about 500 ft. in ten minutes. So the cavern line is 15 minutes max, unless I do several rounds, or just swim very slowly. And, the pretty speleothems are not on the cavern line - perhaps that's why there have been off-line incidents and accidents in that cenote in the past. But I agree, the jump-in entry is fun if you dive single-tank back mount.

 

[Jeff429]

4 centoes I would suggest are dos ojos the pit pet cemetery and tajma ha all are easy dive and are all very different

 

[kafkaland]

4 centoes I would suggest are dos ojos the pit pet cemetery and tajma ha all are easy dive and are all very different

Pet Cemetery is gorgeous, but becoming prohibitively expensive. Some are even scootering in from Nohoch to dive the Blue Abyss just to avoid that ripoff. That's of course not an option for cavern divers. So I'd go with Dreamgate instead, which has a somewhat similar flavor (very white and shallow, minus the bones, of course).

 

[laikabear]

Hello, everyone and thanks for all your advice. I just returned from my trip and had a great time. I posted a full trip report here if you'd like to read.