Cenotes - how 'enclosed' are you?

[rongoodman]

Thanks for the video of the Monster House--it brought back some good memories. Those are some amazing formations.

 

[Hintermann]

On one of the cenote dives, Tajma Ha I think it was, my wife signalled that something was wrong. Budgie was at her side in a second and it turned out that her mask had fogged-up somehow. He calmly held her hand, signalled to me and we made our way back to the exit. The mask was cleared and Budgie assured that he would be around to tackle any problem and asked us if we wanted to go back. Both of us agreed and we had an uneventful dive.

Budgie later told me confidentially that as we had told him about my wife's claustrophobia, he did not want to ask her to clear the mask in an overhead environment and was fully prepared to terminate the dive if necessary.

 

[MikeRiley]

I've only dove Dos Ojos but I agree, I wouldn't have done it had I known how enclosed it was. It was neat, but way too long in an enclosed space and pitch black for my liking.

The cenotes which are used for the tours vary a great deal. Ponderosa (Cenote Eden) has a cavern dive where you are basically diving alongside another Cenote, with a lot of great views out into the sunlight and open water. Dos Ojos, on the other hand, has a cavern line I'm not even sure is legitimately a cavern, and I felt very much as though I was cave diving when I did that one.

Personally, I think it is probably a lot safer to violate your 60 foot limit than to dive under an overhead, so if you hold to the former limit, you might want to hold to the latter one as well.

 

[Hitdbeach]

I'm with you Mike. Did the Barbie line and another at Dos Ojos last year. At least I can check it off my list cause I won't do it again. To dark and enclosed for me with no visual payback. Once I've seen one stalactite, you've seen them all. I really didn't get the attraction...a bunch of pretty much colorless mineral formations. I think there's no fence sitters on the cenotes, either you love them, or you don't. For me...not so much.

 

[KenGordon]

To dark and enclosed for me with no visual payback. Once I've seen one stalactite, you've seen them all. I really didn't get the attraction...a bunch of pretty much colorless mineral formations.

I thought the light was amazing. Where the sunlight penetrates the water as beams and where the daylight is more diffuse but forms a back drop to divers, the geology or whatever it is great.

 

[MikeRiley]

I didn't get any of the penetration at dos Ojos. Too dark lol. And cold.
The bat cave was cool, but I can't help but wonder how much guano was in there lol.

 

[mblake]

Found my answer in:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/me...ithout-operator.html?highlight=guided+cenotes
Are there shops around/in Tulum to rent tanks?
I did read and found out there isn't any public cenotes that allow non guided diving, is there any shore diving in the Tulum area?