Which cenotes near PDC should I visit?

[Divin' Ivan]

Uh, I see no recognition from folks "suggesting"dive sites to the AOW diver that diving in an overhead environment requires either certain certifications or a guide certified to guide a cavern dive within limitations. Even people trained as cave divers die in caves. The sites being suggested to the AOW all represent overhead environments that require certifications or certified guiding within agency limitations. Do not allow yourself to become a statistic.

 

[Dogbowl]

Uh, I see no recognition from folks "suggesting"dive sites to the AOW diver that diving in an overhead environment requires either certain certifications or a guide certified to guide a cavern dive within limitations. Even people trained as cave divers die in caves. The sites being suggested to the AOW all represent overhead environments that require certifications or certified guiding within agency limitations. Do not allow yourself to become a statistic.

I think OP is using Playa Scuba, so will have an instructor/guide. However, I found this on their website (scuba diving in cenotes page):

"For security reasons, we only take up to 5 divers per instructor/guide in each dive."

Personally, I'm not comfortable with that many divers per guide. I thought there was some kind of "rule" or "strong suggestion" from some cave organization that the diver to guide ratio should not exceed 4:1.

 

[scubadiver888]

Good call @Divin' Ivan . I mentioned in passing in my post I went with a guide. Even being a Divemaster with years of experience and trained to dive in shipwrecks (overhead environment), I was not trained to even cavern dive. So I required a guide to take me to the cenotes.

When I went this year, I went with DiveMex in Playa Del Carmen. Great experience with three different guides. I found almost all the shops in the area charge around the same price for diving with a guide. You can see DiveMex pricing at DiveMex - Our rates.

 

[Divin' Ivan]

Good call @Divin' Ivan . I mentioned in passing in my post I went with a guide. Even being a Divemaster with years of experience and trained to dive in shipwrecks (overhead environment), I was not trained to even cavern dive. So I required a guide to take me to the cenotes.

When I went this year, I went with DiveMex in Playa Del Carmen. Great experience with three different guides. I found almost all the shops in the area charge around the same price for diving with a guide. You can see DiveMex pricing at DiveMex - Our rates.

The only additional caution I would mention is to be sure that you cavern dive stays a cavern dive. If you research the most recent fatalities, they all took place on 'guided' dives. If you are taken beyond the visible light zone by any guide when you are on one of these cavern tours, you are being placed at risk. As the owner of this site likes to say, "You don't know what you don't know".

 

[scubadiver888]

The only additional caution I would mention is to be sure that you cavern dive stays a cavern dive. If you research the most recent fatalities, they all took place on 'guided' dives. If you are taken beyond the visible light zone by any guide when you are on one of these cavern tours, you are being placed at risk. As the owner of this site likes to say, "You don't know what you don't know".

I guess there are two aspects to this. The first is figuring out the guide is a good guide and not going to lead you into trouble. Not sure how to figure this out other than asking people on here or reading various reviews. I was very happy with the guides at DiveMex. They take you cavern diving and make sure it stays cavern diving.

The second aspect is checking you are still in the cavern when you are diving. This can be a little hard to see at first. Cover your light and look around. Do you see natural light? If yes, you are still in the cavern zone. However, sometimes the light is behind you. So you have to look all around to find the natural light. At least this is what I was told. Is this correct?

Darrell

 

[Dogbowl]

If you are at the entrance of the cave zone, there will be a sign telling you “Stop! Prevent your death! Go no farther.” I think it’s in Spanish in the cenotes. And also with the more common touristy cenotes. Not sure about the less common ones.

 

[ibj40]

If you are at the entrance of the cave zone, there will be a sign telling you “Stop! Prevent your death! Go no farther.” I think it’s in Spanish in the cenotes. And also with the more common touristy cenotes. Not sure about the less common ones.

I think the octagonal shape translates into just about any language.

 

[Pkishino]

yeah, saw plenty of these in the cenotes
Instagram post by Patrick Andreas Kishino • Dec 13, 2017 at 6:59am UTC

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I've been told (I have little experience, just 4 cenotes over 2 days years ago), that the time of day/year can impact the "brilliance" of the cenotes you want to visit. So having a guide who knows the cenotes really well may be helpful. I'd suggest contacting Alex Bueb at Dripstone Diving.

 

[Divin' Ivan]

Your cavern guide needs to be a certified cave diver if he is to adhere to agency standards. The 'stop' sign often isn't reached until you are well into what would require cave skills for you to be safe. The stop sign at Car Wash cenote is 300 feet back in a very large dark cave with plenty of potential to kill you in the 'cavern zone' . The 23 year old German who died at Temple of doom aka Cenote Esqualero was on a cavern dive when his guide decided they didn't need a line when she decided to permit a 'peek' into the cave. A silt out ensued as OW divers do not maintain proper position or use appropriate fining techniques. He died when he went the wrong way and ran out of air. Look, it's a great sport and if you catch the bug you will get to visit and see places that only a handful of people get to see. But for God's sake take a cavern speciality course. There are dangers and there are rules designed to let you live to dive another day.