Cenote diving is an amazing experience but should in general only be done by more experienced scuba divers.
A cenote is a dip or natural pit that's the result of a collapse in limestone bedrock. Because of the collapse, groundwater that lies beneath is exposed. Cenotes are often found along coastlines and on islands, especially in Yucatan in Mexico.
When you dive a cenote you're exploring the covered water, and you're essentially in a large pool that measures several meters in diameter. Because the water is filtered naturally, it's clear, making for great range of vision.
Cenote diving also related to as cavern diving is different than diving in open water. The most obvious logic is you will have an overhead environment, and you will not always be able to make a direct vertical ascend. Consenquently, other rules count for cavern diving then for Open water diving.
Things to recall for all cenote / cavern dives:
- To look around the cenotes you should at least be open water certified.
- Your dive guide should be a certified cavern guide and be full cave certified. Please do not vacillate to double check this before you sign up.
- Your dive guide must use full cave equipment when guiding you into the caverns.
- There should not be more than four divers in your group guided by one guide. The ratio is always 4:1
- You should not enter the cave zone, I replicate you should not ever enter the cave zone even if your guide asks you to do so
- Respect the rules of 3rds. When you have used 1/3 of your breathing gas, you should turn around to get back to your entry point
- Make sure you master your buoyancy, and you use proper finning routine, so you do not stir up residue which could lead to a silt out and disorientation.
That said, cavern / cenote diving is different any other experience you'll have in the world of scuba diving. If you want to check out some of the best cenotes on the planet, start with the list of 3 of the best cenotes to dive:
- Angelita
- Dos Ojos
- The PIt
Cenote Angelita
This cenote is determined magical by those who have had the chance to inspect it. It's very large, dropping down 61 metres or 200 feet. You'll find incredible range of vision in the fresh water that's within the first 30 metres or 100 feet.
Before you reach the saltwater layer, you'll come upon a layer consisting of hydrogen sulphate that's often pictured as mystical in aspect because it looks like a dense, large cloud from above, yet it has a very strange colour from below.
How to get to Cenote Angelita?
Angelita lies about 17 km to the south of Tulum, Mexico. After walking for a short while through jungle terrain, you'll make your way to the large yet secret cenote known as Angelita.
Who should dive Angelita and who shouldn't dive it?
Advanced divers with a minimum of 20 logged dives should check out Angelita, as it is a deep dive offering a mystic experience. New certified open water divers should not enter Angelita. There are many other cenotes more proper for Open water divers.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Dos Ojos means "Two eyes" in Spanish. This cenote is one of the world's best underwater caves / caverns, as its home to the deepest cave crossing in all of Quintana Roo. Once in the super clear, warm water, you'll find this distinct cenote is beautifully adorned with stalagmites and stalactites. On clear sunny days, sunbeams shine into the water creating an awesome lights show which should not be forgotten. This is one of the many reasons why cenote diving is so much fun.
Location and how to get to Cenote Dos Ojos?
Dos Ojos lies about 17 km north of Tulum and south of Playa Del Carmen. A short walk, as well as a journey down some steps, will get you to the cenote. There are facilities around the cenote, like a small souvenir shop, a "secret" sun deck with nice chairs and wooden platforms / dive deck for easy entry into the cavern.
Who should dive and who shouldn't dive Cenote Dos Ojos?
There are two main cavern dives that most divers do when diving Dos Ojos. The first dive is often along the Barbie line. The "Barbie line dive is a formidable dive with no real strong swim throughs and a lot of open "space" giving the light ample chance to shine in and create magical views. If you ever dived the Barbie line, you'll understand the name. If not, we'll not spoil the amazement.
Cenote The Pit; Why should you dive it?
Located in the jungle, The Pit is an exceptional cenote that's part of Dos Ojos. It's roughly 119 metres, or 391 feet, deep, making it the deepest of all the cenotes in Quintana Roo.
At severe 30 metres or 100 feet, you'll notice the superb rays of the sun smashing with a cloud of hydrogen sulphate. You can continue past this cloud to the deeper parts of the cenote. But you should only do so when correctly trained.
How to get to cenote the Pit?
The Pit lies roughly 48 km to the south of Playa del Carmen, 12 km north of Tulum, 1 km to the south of Xel-Ha, and 10 km to the south of Akumal. To arrive to this cenote, you'll need to walk over a rocky trail for about 300 metres through the jungle. Then, to get to the water, you have to jump down another 6 metres. The pit is known as a challenging dive and can be hard to get too.
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