3 Cenotes for Advanced Open Water Divers You Have to Visit
The Riviera Maya and Yucatan Peninsula is worldwide renowned for its unique SCUBA diving opportunities. Warm water, Caribbean ocean dives, Cozumel and especially Cenotes are more than a good reason to consider a visit.
Alongside beginner level Cenotes and ocean dives, there are some Cenotes for advanced open water divers only. If you have dived in Cenotes before, and want some more of a challenge or just visit some of the less dived ones, these Cenote dives are for you.
In this blog we listed three of our favorite Cenotes for Advanced Open Water Divers. We share with you all the details you need to know.
Diving in Cenotes for Advanced Open Water Divers
Cenote diving is a unique and mind-blowing aquatic activity, which tempts many divers worldwide to visit the Yucatan Peninsula. Diving in these overhead environments filled with dripstone formations makes one feel like floating in space. The crystal-clear water and unique views open up a whole new adventure underwater.
In order to dive in Cenotes you’re required to be a certified diver, and at least have dived recently. Also you have to be at least 15 years old to participate in Cenote diving.
For all Cenotes though, your buoyancy has to be on spot. Also it’s important that you’re aware of your surroundings. You have to follow the Cenote diving rules stated in the briefing before the dives. It’s crucial that you follow your guide & guideline throughout the whole dive.
Local rules state that some Cenotes are suitable for Open Water Divers, but for a few others you have to be an Advanced Open Water Diver to be allowed to participate.
That’s due to their maximum dive depth or complexity throughout the dive.
But, which are these? Following we’ll get to our three favorite Cenotes for Advanced Open Water Divers you have to visit!
Our 3 Favorite Cenotes for Advanced Divers
Before diving the below mentioned Cenotes for advanced divers, it’s important to tick some requirement-boxes. Not only it’s crucial to have obtained the advanced open water certification. Local standards classify Cenotes in different levels, from 1-4 and beyond level 4. The classification comes down to depth, dive profile, complexity and other factors that make some cavern dives more difficult than others.
It’s important to understand that during a cavern dive you can’t just ascend to the surface like you could in open water. Therefore the Cenote diving rules are made clear in the briefing and divers have to follow them throughout the whole tour.
Level 1 Cenotes, like Dos Ojos, Carwash, Casa Cenote and Garden of Eden are accessible for all certified divers. As long as they master their buoyancy skills and are aware of their air consumption, you can dive these Cenotes with any open water diver certification or higher.
In order to dive a Level 2 Cenote you have to at least have dived in a Level 1 Cenote prior to this. To participate in a level 3 dive, you need dive a Level 2 Cenote prior and so on.
According to their classification, depth and overall complexity, the following Cenotes are available to Advanced Open Water divers.
Cenote The Pit
If you have researched Cenotes for SCUBA diving, you may have come across Cenote The Pit. It is one of the most famous Cenotes in the area and definitely not for nothing. The Pit is a deep cylinder shaped sinkhole filled with crystal clear water. Its entry in the middle of the Mayan Jungle gives access to a unique dive, down to 30 meters depth.
At this depth you can find one of many features in this Cenote, a hydrogen sulfide layer. This cloud-like layer marks our maximum depth for this dive, and in the middle of it a debris island is emerging through the cloud. Between the debris island, the hydrogen-sulfide cloud, the huge size of The Pit Cenote and the halocline layer at around 14-18 meters depth, this Cenote has it all.
If you dive here on a sunny day in summer, the small entry allows sunrays to penetrate the Cenote all the way to its bottom, which makes it even more mystical and magical to dive here.
With unique views, its sheer size and overall conformation, The Pit does certainly live up to its fame.
Dive Profile
It’s a Cenote for Advanced Open Water Dives or further certified only, due to the dives depth.
The usual dive time here lasts around 35-50 minutes. After the descent to 30 meters, the divers follow their Cenote dive guide circling the Cenote, slowly ascending throughout the dive. Hanging from the roof of the overhead section of this Cenote you can admire massive stalactites, but don’t come too close!
Before ending the dive, you have to complete a safety stop in 5 meters for about 3 minutes before finally ascending back to the surface and daylight.
This Cenote does not have a permanent guideline, as it’s one huge underwater hall, rather than actual tunnels like in other Cenotes. You can see the entry/exit at any given point throughout the dive.
You can combine Cenote The Pit with a second dive at Cenote Dos Ojos or Cenote Nicte Ha. Both are very different but not less impressive. Seasoned Cenote divers who already dived at these sites, can combine The Pit with the below mentioned Cenote Taak-Be Ha. This is one of the Cenotes for Advanced Open Water divers, that requires total buoyancy mastery.
Cenote Angelita
Another well known Cenote located a bit south of Tulum is Angelita. It’s a pond-like, cylinder shaped sinkhole surrounded by lush vegetation and known to be a rather mystic dive site. Many divers call this their favorite dive of all Cenote dives!
Upon entering Cenote Angelita we find ourselves in rather murky water, which is untypical for a Cenote dive. This is because of its big open water area, and organic debris and soil dripping and falling into the Cenote. There’s no ‘overhead environment’ in this Cenote, so it’s technically considered open water, but don’t be fooled!
Cenote Angelita is a fairly complex dive due to its sheer size and depth. As there’s no roof in this dive, there’s also no permanent guideline we have to follow, like in other Cenotes.
Dive Profile
Its maximum depth goes beyond 50 meters. But during our Cenote dive here we will hit a maximum of 30 meters depth. This is due to our NDL being cut short when descending further, and also we will find a hydrogen sulfide cloud at 30 meters depth in Cenote Angelita. This is caused by the organic material decomposing deep in Cenote Angelita. During the decomposition, the hydrogen sulfide gas is released and gets trapped at 30 meters because of the water pressure.
This allows quite a unique scenery. Especially because there’s an island-like hill emerging from the cloud at depth. It consists of old trees, leaves, and other organic stuff that has sunken to the bottom of Cenote Angelita. The whole view gives a mystic and rather spooky feeling when diving down here at first.
Throughout the dive we will pass by and over the debris island, float above the hydrogen sulfide cloud and then start out ascending. During the ascent we will be circling the Cenote along its phreatic walls that feature some few dripstone formations. Reaching back up to 5 meters all divers have to complete a safety stop before finishing the dive and coming back to the surface.
Cenote Angelita is usually combined with a second dive at the shallower Cenote Carwash, closeby.
Cenote Taak Be Ha
The third, but definitely not least interesting of Cenotes for Advanced Open Water divers on our list of favorites is Taak Be Ha.
This Cenote is located inside the Dos Ojos Cenote Park and according to the local standards beyond level 4. It’s recommended that participants here are not only Advanced Open Water certified, but also carry a sidemount certification or are cavern divers.
It’s not a deep Cenote, rather a very shallow dive, but with reduced space. There is a permanent cavern dive line in this Cenote leading from open water through the cavern and back. To access Cenote Taak Be Ha you have to step down some steep stairs and get underground, where you find an oasis-like place, a dry cavern and the crystal clear water entry.
Dive Profile
The reduced space in this cavern is the reason for its classification. Divers have to be very cautious about their buoyancy and propulsion. Also Taak Be Ha is highly decorated with different white-ish and darker dripstone formations, and is covered in silt on the bottom. When divers kick downward, the silt gets stirred up and causes a near zero visibility for following divers and groups.
The dive is fairly shallow, reaching from 8 meters to almost 0 in some points of the dive. This requires absolute mastery of buoyancy and trim by each participant.
Our dive time here can last from 45 to well over 60 minutes, depending on your air consumption and speed throughout the dive.
It’s a Cenote to absolutely enjoy, creating memories with unique views. You might be lucky and find a Mexican blind brotula, a fish endemic to the Cenotes and caves around the Yucatan Peninsula.
Cenote Taak Be Ha is usually combined with another dive in the Dos Ojos Cenote park, like Cenote Nicte Ha, The Pit, Tak Be Luum or Dos Ojos itself.
Looking to jump into one of these Cenotes for Advanced Open Water divers? We look forward to having you!
Dive Advanced Cenotes with Blue Life Diving in Playa del Carmen
Looking for a new challenge, and having an eye on Cenote diving? We’ll be blessed to take you, and look forward to showing you the most beautiful and impressive Cenotes along the Riviera Maya. Also, if you haven’t obtained your Advanced Open Water certification yet, we can help you to get certified, and work on your buoyancy mastery. With this certification you gain access to the before mentioned, unique Cenotes.
Based in Playa del Carmen, Blue Life Diving helps to create mind-blowing memories for divers for nearly a decade already. Our professional Cenote dive guides are knowledgeable, friendly and highly trained to make your Cenote dive the best experience possible. Take the leap and join a new adventure under the Mayan Jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Get in touch for any further information, or check out our daily Cenote and ocean diving tours. We are happy to help you create a bespoke diving package for your visit and share with you all the information you need about our best dive sites.