Dive Guide Cost Structure

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Cenotes. We are not cavern or cave certified.

that bit of info may change the responses you get.
 
I'm not the OP but can provide an example. Many of the cenotes in the Yucatán require a guide for any scuba diver who doesn't have full cave certification.

there was never a mention of where these sites were. that is why i asked.

i will go one step beyond your statement.....even if you are cave certified, you most likely will not be allowed to dive any cenotes without a local guide unless the property owners know you.

another example.....i believe diving inside the park waters on cozumel requires a local guide as well.
 
Cenotes. We are not cavern or cave certified.

I was trying to be general as I have had this same concern about guided dives at Tunnels on Kauai where a guide does seem to be highly recommended at least for the first dive due to the unique nature of the site.

That’s different than OW dives needing a DM. More specialized experience needed to be a cenote/cavern guide. Of course these will be more expensive.
 
i will go one step beyond your statement.....even if you are cave certified, you most likely will not be allowed to dive any cenotes without a local guide unless the property owners know you.

I'm getting mixed messages on this. I have a full cave cert but hired a guide when I was in Tulum two weeks ago because the area was new to me. I've had a half dozen cave divers in the Yucatán tell me I don't need a guide because I have a full cave cert. My intent is to get to know the Yucatán better through annual or twice annual trips. The need to hire a guide every time vs. just rent tanks will have an impact on that. For example, will Parque Dos Ojos allow me to dive there without a local guide?
 
Agree but I have run into it before and expect to possibly elsewhere why I left it a general inquiry. Prospective guides for the cenotes are owner operator outfits.

understood.

my feeling remains the same. it is basic economics. most businesses will give a "bulk discount". scuba is no different.
most charters allow one free diver for every so many paying divers for example. most shops lower the cost per dive in vacation destinations based on how many dives you pay for up front. so why would a guide (guiding in tulum for example) not charge less per diver per dive if you came to them with a family of four for example ?

others may disagree as to whether this is a good thing for the industry as a whole, but the reality is that "most" people would expect a discount of some sort. the amount of that discount may depend on the number of divers, the type of dives they are, the logistics and costs to the operator, how much competition there is for that service in that area, how much past / future business you have brought to that business etc etc.

the bottom line is that it doesn't hurt to ask. they can always say no. and you always have the option to shop elsewhere.
 
i will go one step beyond your statement.....even if you are cave certified, you most likely will not be allowed to dive any cenotes without a local guide unless the property owners know you.

I'm getting mixed messages on this. I have a full cave cert but hired a guide when I was in Tulum two weeks ago because the area was new to me. I've had a half dozen cave divers in the Yucatán tell me I don't need a guide because I have a full cave cert. My intent is to get to know the Yucatán better through annual or twice annual trips. The need to hire a guide every time vs. just rent tanks will have an impact on that. For example, will Parque Dos Ojos allow me to dive there without a local guide?[/QUOTE]

pls let us know how this works out for you. i can only pass on what i have found from my limited amount of researching this. i have been to the area several times. and i have been told multiple times by various divers that unless the cenote owners know you, they will insist every diver has a local guide. or at least someone they know and trust that may not be "local". i would be willing to bet if you just show up one day with tanks and show them your cave cert, they will not allow you to dive. if that turns out to be wrong i would love to hear about it.
 
pls let us know how this works out for you. i can only pass on what i have found from my limited amount of researching this

I'll have a guide the next time I'm down there this year for other reasons. I'll inquire on that trip about this particular question. The official website for Dos Ojos doesn't lay out these details as it is targeted to swimmers and snorkelers rather than divers. My suspicion is that you are correct about the more off-the-beaten-path locations while the more popular cenotes like Dos Ojos or Angelita probably have the policy I was told about by cave divers living down there.
 
i dont wanna derail the thread so this will be my final comment.

it is understandable why the land owners would want to limit who they allow to dive without a guide. they certainly do not want some clown showing up with hi / her new cave cert and then getting lost in the system.
there is a sh*t ton to learn beyond your initial cert before you should be diving on your own. you need to become familiar with the system. the best way to do that is to dive with someone who already is. there are also different protocols depending where you are diving. so the local customs or accepted practices may be different in florida for example than they are in mexico. diving with someone locally will ensure you learn these before setting out on your own.
 
Cenotes. We are not cavern or cave certified.

I was trying to be general as I have had this same concern about guided dives at Tunnels on Kauai where a guide does seem to be highly recommended at least for the first dive due to the unique nature of the site.
For that much money, compare the cost for getting an instructor to teach you a cavern class. It will cost more, no doubt, but you will really gain from that experience.
 

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