Cenote Questions

[thumbsplitter]

Hello,
I’ve been searching through older threads regarding cenote diving near Tulum/Playa del Carmen, but I still would like to get some more advice. Here are the specifics:
My wife, mother-in-law, and I are planning a trip to Cozumel next June. Afterwards, we plan to spend several days in or near Tulum and would like to do a couple of dives in the local cenotes. We are all experienced divers, but do not have cave certs.
Here are my questions:
1. What dive op would you recommend, keeping in mind that we put a high premium on SAFETY.
2. Which cenotes have relatively easy entries? My mother-in-law may have difficulty with a long walk over difficult terrain, especially carrying gear.
3. Which cenote(s) would you recommend for the best cavern (not cave) diving?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks!


--Thumbsplitter

 

[lthomas132]

In Playa del Carmen we dove with Playa Scuba: Playa Scuba Dive Center | Tauchbasis | Centro de Buceo > Playa del Carmen, México. Klause is one of the most knowledgeable Dive Instructors when it comes to cenotes. Dos Ojos and Taj Mahaul are probably the easiest and largest. You are not allowed to dive the cenotes without a certified cave instructor (keep that in mind). When w stayed around Akumal several years ago I dove with Bahia Divers: Home. I did 2 tanks with them at Dos Ojos along with several days of ocean diving. They brought in a cave instructor from outside the shop for the cenotes, but a very knowledgeable one. Gearing up with full wetsuits (72 degree water) and full gear walking up and down the steps at Dos Ojos: Cenote Dos Ojos Scuba diving Cavern Cave in The Riviera Maya Tulum Playa del Carmen can be strenuous, especially after the 2nd dive! Both cenotes are not tight confinement and you will stay within recreational limits of breathable air. Have fun!

 

[Lorenzoid]

As you probably found in those previous threads asking about cavern diving in the Tulum area, the most commonly given answers seem to include these guides/operations:

Nicolas at CenoteXperience, Eric Burgess, Natalie Gibb, Lanny at ProtecTulum, Bill Phillips at Speleotech.

I would recommend picking a guide and then telling the guide what your mother-in-law's mobility limitations may be. They are the experts, and they will take you to the cenotes that fit your needs/desires. All of these people seem to have reputations as being safety-conscious.

 

[thumbsplitter]

Thanks Lorenzoid. I hadn't seen a couple of those names before in the other threads.

 

[Hintermann]

There is some kitted walk involved with most cenotes but none of them came across as arduous when we did 9 such dives in 2008. I was 53 at the time and my wife a year younger; she is rather frail in build (51 kilos) but was quite comfortable walking short distances fully kitted up. She needed help in a couple of the cenotes (I cannot recall which) but Eric 'Budgie' Burgess, the guide we used, was happy to carry her kit and help her to gear-up near the water.

IMO, Gran Cenote, Tajma Ha, Dos Ojos / Bat Cave and Dreamgate Cenote are must dives. For Dreamgate there used to be a rack & pulley system to get the lit down to water level while divers climb down some steps in wetsuits only.

Another unmissable "cenote" is Angelita. It is really a sinkhole with one short swim-thru but the real experience comes from going through and rising back from its hydrogen sulphide layer.

All cenote dives are clearly marked at their limits beyond which non-cave divers should not go. Apart from the large underwater warning signs, good guides will take care that their charges do not stray beyond safe limits. Apart from Angelita (which is not an overhead environment), most cenote dives are quite shallow and so air consumption is not usually an issue. Make sure that you have good working primary and back-up lights for each diver.

 

[Blue Life]

Hello! We will be more than glad to help you plan for your diving trip. Check us out at Diving Mexico - Cenotes, Caves, Caverns, Reefs Playa del Carmen Tulum - Blue Life. We would to accommodate you and your wife and mother-in-law for some amazing cenote dives. For more information please email us at info@bluelife.com and we happily answer any questions you have about sites and get you set up for some cool dives! Hope to dive with you soon!

 

[LittleB]

I have dove cenotes with Tank Ha in Playa del Carmen and have had great experiences with them!

 

[Tool Belt]

+1 for Tank Ha

 

[Hintermann]

Nicolas at CenoteXperience, Eric Burgess, Natalie Gibb, Lanny at ProtecTulum, Bill Phillips at Speleotech.

+ 2 for Eric Burgess. Great guide, as ex Royal Navy chap. Very helpful and reliable.

 

[Divebooker.com]

Adding to what's been said above, here's the way to see all the offers on cenotes in one place --> Dive sites in Tulum. Use the filters to refine your search and follow the links to dive enters that offer diving at a certain dive site.


You can also check Tulum dive centres and book your dives by clicking on the following link: https://divebooker.com/search?rt=1&et=4&e=997