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MEXICO’S BEAUTIFUL CAVERNS
What is there to see underground? The caverns in the Riviera Maya are filled with delicate stalactites and ancient marine fossils. Divers can see brilliant light effects at cenotes such as Ponderosa or the Pit, or can enjoy the trippy interface of fresh and salt water (the halocline) at Casa Cenote and Tajma Ha. Every cenote dive is different – choose your dive site depending upon what you want to see, or let us pick a nice combination for you.
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CAVERN DIVING AT A GLANCE
• 2023 Prices & Packages
• 100% Private Service
• Your Choice of Cenotes
• Lunch at a Restaurant
• 32% EANx
• Lights, Weights, and Tanks Included
• Group Pricing Available for Groups of 8+ Divers
PREREQUISITES FOR CAVERN DIVING
Divers must fulfill the following prerequisites:
• Open Water Certification
• 15 Years of Age and Older
• Minimum of 20 Logged Dives
• Last Dive Within 6 Months
• No Positive Responses on the Fitness to Dive Statement or a Doctor’s Note Clearing the Person for Diving.
• Understand and Complete the Cavern Diving Release Form
WHAT IS CAVERN DIVING?
Dives conducted within the cavern zone follow strict regulations to keep divers safe and comfortable. Daylight is visible during every part of the dive, and divers go no further than 200 feet from a surface with breathable air. Cavern divers are limited to large, open spaces, where two divers can pass easily side-by-side. At all points, divers are near a continuous guideline which marks the route to the entrance. Cavern dives are conducted by certified, experienced guides, who hold a minimum certification of instructor and cave diver.
WHAT DOES A CAVERN DIVE INCLUDE?
A guided cavern tour typically starts at 8:30 am at the dive shop, where we conduct a very thorough briefing covering cavern rules, safety, history, and features. From there, we head off to the first dive site, then break for lunch at a local restaurant before traveling to the second cenote. A typical day would be 8:30 am to 4 pm. Cavern diving includes two dives, tanks with 32% nitrox (unless otherwise specified by the client), weights, lights, and lunch. Entrance fees are not included in the cavern tours, as they vary greatly between cenotes and we like to offer clients their choice of dive sites. Rental gear is available at additional cost and includes 5 mm wetsuits and hooded vests, back-inflation BCDs, and regulators. All cavern tours are 100% private, so it is just you and the guide, diving at your pace and to your comfort level. Reservations are required. Guided cavern tours can be combined with a nitrox certification course if desired.
DIVER REQUIREMENTS FOR CAVERN TOURS
A minimum certification level of Open Water is required for guided cavern tours, please remember to bring your proof of certification along. In addition, divers should be adept at buoyancy control as cavern diving requires multiple ascents and descents as dictated by the nature of the environment. Divers with medical conditions that would prompt a “yes” answer on the standard fitness to dive medical statement should bring a doctor’s clearance in order to be allowed on the tour.
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