Cenote diving

[k374]

question about cenote diving... I found this website:
Playa del Carmen Diving with the Abyss - cenote diving

and it states:
To dive the cavern of a cenote, you only need to be Open Water Certified.

but looking at the pics it appears to be an overhead diving environment... clearly advanced, i'm confused...are these cenote dives the types of dives anyone can sign up for?

 

[Dirty-Dog]

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall reading that the cenotes are more cavern diving than cave diving. You may have something directly overhead, but you're always within sight of the opening (and the surface) during cavern dives.

 

[Tailspin]

I was just in Coz in January and was able to do a cenotes excursion one day.

I asked the same question and they do refer to it as 'cavern' vs. 'cave' diving. I can tell you, however, that during the two dives I made there were stretches where it was dark and you needed a light, plus the surface or exit was not always visible. If you were really, really, really claustrophobic, you may not be comfortable during some portions of the dive. Not that you were in tight places where you could get stuck, but it did get dark and felt like a night dive in spots. If you freak out at all diving in the dark, you may want to pass. You may be in the dark for 5 minutes at a time depending on which cenotes you dive.

With that said, I felt completely safe and comfortable the entire time, and I am one of those tight space claustrophobes. The op that ran my dives (Dressel) was great.

Maximum of 3 divers per instructor/guide.

You stayed behind the guide and over the permanent guide line in single file about 6 feet apart.

Every diver is required to have a light (take your own along, the loaners sucked)

The guide wore doubles and had an extra long octo in case anyone had air issues during the dive.

The dive was handled like a wreck or cave dive with the rule of thirds .. 1/3 of your air in, 1/3 out, 1/3 for emergency. First diver in group to hit 1/3 air, the entire group turned around.

I noticed that unlike diving at Coz where the AL80's rarely seemed to be pumped up more than 2750psi, the two tanks for the cenotes dives were both over 3000psi for all divers. Nobody in our group had to call a dive early because they hit 1/3 air used before reaching the normal turn-around point. Not sure if they took a little more care to get a full air fill for the cenotes divers, but I can be a hoover and appreciated the 'extra' air.

I had a great time and would recommend that if you have the chance, at least do it once in your lifetime.

 

[kentmorrdave]

For a nice easy cenote dive try Chac Mool. Easy access from Coz, nice formations and easy to get in and out of. You will like it.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, the cenote dives are in an overhead environment, and yes, this is a violation of the basic principle that you should not enter an overhead environment without specific training. However, these tours are run with a very good safety record, as long as they are run under the voluntary rules for tour guides. These include a thorough briefing on the cave environment and what to avoid (silting), lights for all divers, no more than four divers to a guide, and the guide to be at least an OW instructor and Full Cave, and to dive in cave gear.

You remain in the cavern zone, which is always within sight of ambient light, although at times, that light may seem dim and far behind you. Combined penetration and depth is to be no more than a given distance (I'm not sure whether they use 130 or 200). You follow a permanently installed guideline in most places.

These are wonderful dives and a great way to find out if the caves appeal to you. But they are not beginner dives. You need excellent buoyancy control, and I believe you ought to know what your typical reaction is to a problem underwater. People who tend to bolt, or people who haven't yet encountered any difficulties and don't know how they will react, should do a snorkeling tour instead (you still get to see cool stuff!)

 

[robint]

TSandM is correct on all points....

yes, you can do the caverns as OW diver but only certain ones - you must be able to see an exit point at all times and you must have a certified dive guide. You are never very deep also. It really is safe UNLESS you are claustrophobic or have bad bouyancy.

cave diving is when you leave "the light zone".

robin

 

[ibj40]

question about cenote diving... I found this website:
Playa del Carmen Diving with the Abyss - cenote diving

and it states:
To dive the cavern of a cenote, you only need to be Open Water Certified.

but looking at the pics it appears to be an overhead diving environment... clearly advanced, i'm confused...are these cenote dives the types of dives anyone can sign up for?

We dove with Abyss this past December, and did two cenotes (Angelita and Casa Cenote) with Armando. This was the fourth time we had done cenotes, but the first with Armando, and he is the consummate professional. If you are going to PDC, I would strongly recommend him to you.

 

[PeterSZA]

A cenote is a sink hole. The top of what used to be an underground cave filled with water has caved in and formed a cenote. So, here you have a cavern where the opening is not off to the side but directly overhead or very close to it. If an ow certification (with, say, 50 dives) is OK in a cavern where the opening is off to the side and you are actually in an overhead environment for a short stretch, then an ow certification should be OK in a cenote where the opening is overhead. Regardless of where the opening is, all cenotes that I know of have light in them for at least a part because there is a surface exposed to light. Some cenotes are so large and have such large surfaces, that you can dive in them and never be in an overhead environment. On the other hand, many cenotes either have entrances to caves in them or become caves if you penetrate them far enough. These places should not be ventured into without the proper training. As every open-water diver should know, ignoring that little rule can and does result in death.

 

[k374]

Thanks, i'm a beginning diver and have some time to kill on my last day in Cozumel so I was thinking of trying something else in PDC, since I heard that snorkeling is done in the cenotes I thought it would be ok for a beginner... or maybe I am mistaken, I may just go there and snorkel if that is the case.

 

[BettyRubble]

Perfect timing on this thread .. I just signed up for a Coz trip that includes the cenotes and had the same question.

Thanks!