Which Cenote diving for beginners around Riviera Maya?

[s.s.seafan]

Hi,

I'm planning a trip to Riviera Maya, it'll be my first time, so I don't know much about the area. A little search on the forum seems to show that the place is best known for cenote diving - I didn't even know what "cenote" was before I came to the board. I followed the link to the dive shop that everybody seems to recommend, "Dive Aventuras", and their web site says -

"Although special certification is required for divers who want to penetrate caves, no advanced training is necessary for certified divers who want to explore the cenotes, since routes always follow tunnels bathed in natural sunlight. This is a dive experience not to be missed! See our Magical Cenotes Video to sample a unique dive."

so for a beginner like myself (with just 10 OW dives), which cenote dives would be suitable for my skill level (without getting certified in cave diving)? I assume no real cave diving, just diving along tunnels with the top open to daylight?

Thanks,

Jason

 

[TSandM]

Jason,

With all due respect, I would not recommend the cenote dives for someone with 10 lifetime dives.

They are true cavern dives. You are under a rock overhead, and you cannot go to the surface if there is an issue. Some places become quite dark. To be respectful of the stunning decorations, you have to have very good buoyancy control, so you don't strike anything with your tank, and don't kick anything with your fins.

Although the dives are guided and are often done by relatively novice divers, I would still say that you should save the experience for a later trip, both out of respect for your inexperience (are you going to be calm and collected if you flood your mask or have a freeflow under a rock roof?) and respect for the beautiful environment, which cannot heal diver-inflicted damage.

 

[Spratman]

I agree with TSandM. Bouyancy control is key which will keep you off the top and bottom. There are plenty of outfits that will take you, but you'll enjoy it much more after more experience and you won't be damaging the caves.

 

[scubawife]

Try Hidden Worlds. You can either choose to do a dive or just snorkel. There's also other activities there. You could make a day of it. Jungle Adventures For The Family - Attractions - Hidden Worlds

I did my first cenote dives as a very new diver. Was the best idea or experience? Not really, but I've done several more since. I would have enjoyed those first ones a lot more if my skills had been better. When you have to spend that much time and effort on your buoyancy control and finning technique, it doesn't allow you really take in your surroundings. But every diver is different. Some people at 10-20 dives look better and have more confidence than others at 100 dives. You know where you're at skill and comfort wise so you can decide what you're comfortable with.

At Hidden Worlds you could always do a snorkel tour first so you get a feel of the environment and then decide if you want to take on a dive.

 

[Fionab]

"bathed in natural sunlight". I have only done a couple but there were parts during the dive which were quite dark, at one point I turned my light off just to see.

 

[enhydralutris]

Jason have you done any night dives? I think being comfortable in the dark is key. I was surprised how dark Taj Mahal was--it was night-dive dark for 90% of the dive.

Another diver told me Chac Mool is more open and has more light, but haven't dove it myself.

 

[scubadada]

Hi Jason,

I did my first cenote dives at Dos Ojos after I had 180 dives, was familiar with diving in the dark and using a light, and had reasonable buoyancy control and other skills. I enjoyed my dives in Dos Ojos very much. There are a few other variables to deal with also such as the dives being in fresh, cool water. You may need different exposure protection and your normal weighting will decrease.

As others have mentioned, it might be better to dive the cenotes after you've had some additional experience. Regardless, enjoy your trip to Riviera Maya whether your diving is in the ocean, cenotes, or both.

Good diving, Craig

 

[s.s.seafan]

Thanks for your replies. It sounds that the cenote dives are real cave dives - no place to surface any time, and it could get very dark - both of which I'm not qualified for. If that's the case for all cenote dives in the area, is "Dive Aventuras" very irrsponsible and very misleading by stating that "Although special certification is required for divers who want to penetrate caves, no advanced training is necessary for certified divers who want to explore the cenotes, since routes always follow tunnels bathed in natural sunlight" ? If they are, why everybody on this board seems to be raving about this operator? Could there be some particular dives that fit their description?

 

[parzdiver]

Thanks for your replies. It sounds that the cenote dives are real cave dives - no place to surface any time, and it could get very dark - both of which I'm not qualified for. If that's the case for all cenote dives in the area, is "Dive Aventuras" very irrsponsible and very misleading by stating that "Although special certification is required for divers who want to penetrate caves, no advanced training is necessary for certified divers who want to explore the cenotes, since routes always follow tunnels bathed in natural sunlight" ? If they are, why everybody on this board seems to be raving about this operator? Could there be some particular dives that fit their description?

I have dived in the Cenotes a number of times including as a newer diver with Dive Aventures. The tours are very structured with the guides in full cave gear and a limit of four divers per guide. They have a very safe track record. These are definitely not dives an inexperienced diver should do without the proper supervision but with the guide it is a great experience. But as others have said it is important you have good buoyancy to protect the formations.

 

[TSandM]

The propriety of taking open water divers into the caverns is controversial. What is known is that, when the operators follow the voluntary guidelines for tours, the safety record is very good. Dive Aventuras is correct in stating that no advanced training is required for these dives -- you do not need, for example, a cavern cert to do them. You can even struggle through them with poor buoyancy control and bad trim, although it is unkind to the cave. However, I think the dives are safer and more enjoyable if you are a diver who has a little experience at night, with the use of a light, and for whom maintaining buoyancy within reasonable close limits is not a big deal.

I would not, however, characterize some of the more popular cavern dives as "bathed in sunlight". Some are, like the usual tour at Carwash, or almost all of Ponderosa. Dos Ojos, on the other hand, gets quite dark in places, as does Grand Cenote.