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 Getting out of the cenote after a couple of hours in the cold water became a real challenge with gear weighing more than I do. Gotta get into shape to do this stuff. I was almost glad when the day was over. We ended each cenote dive with post dive critiques, and critiquing Harry did!
The course wasn't the easiest I've taken but the environment totally made up for it. What an interesting experience! To learn new dive skills in a beautiful cenote, surrounded by nice jungle, birds singing, rubbing shoulders with the cave diving community and their dogs. We saw three different Cenotes during the course: Ponderosa, Chuck Mool and Taj Maha, each so different and all of them so beautiful. The motivation to become a cave diver is strong with the knowledge of so many great cenotes to explore in the area.
I passed the Cavern Course without too much difficulty, but five days, three cenotes and nine dives later I still had trouble with my buoyancy and keeping a horizontal position. Not good. My confidence was low and I have to admit I wanted to walk away from the whole damn thing. Harry explained to me that I was confident in my skills but lost my cave awareness by focusing too much on the skill at hand. Cave awareness is a sensitive and exact awareness of your surroundings and actions.
To make a long story short, Harry couldn't okay me for the Intro-to-Cave ticket right then and there. But he did show a softer side and said I would be able to pass if I did a few more dives to improve my trim (horizontal position) and propultion techniques so I could be ready to move into Full Cave course after that. I have to add that my dive buddy passed the Intro-to-Cave without any problems. I, on the other hand, needed to work on thinking through the proper application of the necessary techniques and skills. Fair enough, my life depends on it so I should get it right. This wasn't something to rush.
Enough said. I'll be back for more very soon. I enjoyed the course, especially in retrospect! I can highly recommend it to any confident diver who is interested in exploring the intersting environment of a cave. It is good to be challenged in the development of your own physical and mental capabilities. It sure has made me a better and safer diver.
I'd like to give a special thanks to Jolanda at Yucatek Divers and my dedicated instructor Harry Gust, you made my first visit to Playa wonderful. I'll be back soon!
 Yucatek Divers is a friendly dive center with two convenient locations in Playa del Carmen. Jolanda and her partner run the place and offer a very good and personalized service.
There the place to choose if you want to go on a cavern tour. Also, they have the full range of cavern and cave dive courses as well as regular courses from Open Water to Divemaster and you can do technical training with them as well. They employ a group of international instructors who also act as dive guides. The place is very well organized, they love what they do and you can tell.
If you need hotel accommodation, airport transfers, tours or even Spanish lessons while you're there, just ask and they can arrange all of it for you.
 For cenote diving it doesn't really matter when you go. Remember that the area can get very crowded during American spring-break when hordes of college students descent upon the area for some sun and lots of fun. The water in the cenotes is clear (unless you stir up the bottom!) with a gentle current and year-round water temperatures of about 75 F or 24 C. It can get cold though, especially if you are doing a course and spend time bobbing on the surface listening to your instructor.
Be sure to bring a thick wetsuit (7mm will keep you comfortable) with hood. Also bring two sets of regulators for the Intro-to-cave course and Full cave courses as you will be diving with double tanks. This way you will not have to rent them. You will also need a dive knife, your dive tables (if you have them) and a writing slate with pencil.
Remember that there is lots to do in "Riviera Maya" or the Mexican Caribbean as it is also called. It is the fastest growing tourist destination in the Caribbean at the moment and offers an incredible variety of activities both on land as well as in the water. If you need a break from diving go visit the famous Mayan archaeological sites inland or spend a few days lazing on the beach in beautiful Tulum. You won't be bored! Combining the cenotes, the great reef and beaches and the Mayan sites makes for a very unique dive destination.
Yucatek Divers
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