Tulum Information  

Why Cavern diving?

Diving in caverns is something very exciting, especially in Mexico. The views you get during such a dive are simply spectacular.
The waters are crystal clear, around 75°F (24°C) all year round. The cenotes are decorated with stalactites (those are the ones that hang from the ceiling, by the way) and stalagmites, delicate thin structures and massive columns. The varying colors of the sediments and the walls supply every single cenote with a distinctive painting. And looking back at the entrance you'll see the interplay of light with the roots of the trees. The beauty of these lost worlds is breathtaking.
The maximum depth you'll reach during a dive is about 16 meters (50 feet), although the average depth will be much shallower, depending on the cenote. Dives last roughly 35 to 40 minutes. There are basically no currents.

What do you need to dive in Cenotes?

Nothing special. If you are a certified Open Water Diver (or equivalent)  you can go on a guided tour. No previous cavern diving experience is needed.
Good buoyancy control is a must to avoid stirring up sediments and thus ruining visibility for other divers. The special thing about the caverns is the environment itself, you'll not be required to perform any special skills at any time during the dives. 
If you haven't dived in a longer while we recommend you do a few ocean dives before you go to a cenote. This way you can get used to the underwater environment and the scuba equipment again. We'd be glad to help you find a professional dive shop for your ocean dives and also for courses.

Concerns

The usual concerns of divers are getting stuck or lost. There's absolutely no need to worry about this. The caverns are huge, you'll never be guided through a passage where two divers can't go through side by side, so you don't have to be afraid to get stuck. You'll always have natural daylight, i.e. the exit, in sight and also follow a continuous line to the surface, so you don't have to be afraid to get lost.

The guide

Your guide for the cenote dive must be full cave certified and also use his full cave equipment. I.e. double tank with harness and BCD, two independent first stages, two second stages, 7-8 foot (2 meter) octopus hose, primary light, two spare lights, safety reel, cutting device. One guide may take a maximum of four divers per tour into the cavern. Cavern Team respects these rules at all times.

Diver equipment

For you as a customer the regular open water equipment is all you need. To avoid getting cold, a three millimeter long wetsuit or thicker is recommended, a hood helps too. An alternate airsource is mandatory, so is an underwater light, no snorkels or "Rambo knives" allowed (small "BCD knives" are o.k.) to avoid entanglement in the guideline.

The rules

Cavern diving is not a dangerous activity, but there are some special rules to follow. This requires not only responsable and disciplined guides but also divers.

Most of the technical diving agencies agree of the following rules for cavern diving:

• within the area of natural daylight

• max. linear distance from surface: 65m/200 ft

• max. depth: 33m/100ft

• no restrictions (defined as a passage where two divers can't go through side by side)

• no planned decompression

• minimum starting visibility 10m/30ft

• minimum tank pressure 135 bar/2000 psi

• continuous guideline to the surface

• maximum of four divers per guide

Before every dive our guides will give you a full briefing including the dive plan, description of the dive site, air rules, fining techniques, light use, and signaling.

The fining technique for a cavern dive will change form the classic open water kick from the hip to the modified frog kick that is actually done from bent knees to avoid stirring up sediments. For air consumption you'll go by the rule of thirds, i.e. one third of your air to go in, one third to go out, one third reserve. Our most important rule is "safety first". No exceptions made.

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