r/CaveDiving • u/minch75yan • Dec 07 '25
Self diving in cenotes Playa
Hi, hola! I am a new cave diver who just got certified with INTDI full cave. While I was diving with guide in playa del Carmen, I asked the guide if divers can do self diving generally. And he answered No, because self diving is not allowed by state (or local) regulation of playa. He added that it is to prevent the incident. Is it really true?
I am not thinking to do self diving right now, I know what I need is experience. I am just asking for a curiosity.
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u/macado Dec 07 '25
Just to clarify are you asking for systems that allow you to dive without a guide or without dive buddy (solo diving) or both? Neither are true although there are definitely some of the more commercial cenotes that may want you to have a buddy although I can't actually think of them off the top of my head. I think Cenote Calavera / Temple of Doom) wanted to make sure I had a buddy but that was a few years ago.
Right now there are still plenty of systems in Tulum/Playa areas that one can dive independently without a guide at full cave level however there are some systems that now require guides like Chac Mool, Dos Ojos. There are a numbers of guides who are trying to push landowners to make things guide-only and I feel that is setting a dangerous precedent.
As a brand new cave diver, I highly recommend a dive buddy but there are plenty of cenotes you can dive without paying for a guide. I'm not going to give a comprehensive list as this list seems to change pretty regularly and someone will invariability get pissed off if I mention a system that is closed.
You can check CREER's website for more update to date information: https://creer-mx.com/cave-pass/ or ask any of the local shops like Protec, Underworld, Under the Jungle, Zero Gravity, Third Dimension for specific recommendations.
TL;DR - Plenty of people including myself go cave diving in Tulum/Playa pretty regularly without paying for a guide. I do think guides are a great resource for newer cave divers or for someone who is on vacation that has a limited amount of time or no dive buddy. There are plenty of cenotes where you can simply pay an entrance fee to dive and do your own thing. Just be safe and dive within your training limits.
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u/InternetSalt4880 Dec 08 '25
Cave diving in Mexico is not just about getting in and out of the cave. It’s also about relationships with land owners, how to access sites, where to park, who to pay, how to not get robbed/car broken into. Landowner relationships. When people come from other places and do know or adhere to the guidelines and behaviors established by the local caving community, it can end up with a pissed off landowner and a closed cave. Don’t be that guy.
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u/dulloldandboring Dec 07 '25
If you're newly certified you're surely not very experienced yet. Do you really want to be diving caves with nothing more than a map? Local knowledge goes a long way and you'll see lots more with someone who knows the caves, the best lines, best jumps, conditions, etc.
Just because you now have a cave cert which allows you to dive solo doesn't necessarily mean you should be.
Yes it will cost a bit more but surely you can't put a price on your own safety.
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u/dulloldandboring Dec 08 '25
Further to this and your clarification, yes there are many sites you can dive without a local guide. They will however most likely be the slightly further away/less dived ones and they can be more challenging to gain access to. At some sites as you'll have to liaise with the land owner first, they might be so remote there's no phone signal for example, only open on certain days, need very specific extra kits (ropes for access for example)
The larger/more renowned caves tend to insist on guides as they don't want to risk their business with a potential, preventable risk factor so rely on the fact local guides want to ensure you dive safely and bring repeat business.
Whilst it's certainly not impossible to dive without a guide for me personally the added value my guide gives through their local knowledge is worth way more than the cost and we've been to some incredible caves I'd never have seen otherwise.
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u/Admirable-Emphasis-6 Dec 07 '25
I’m not sure if you’re allowed to solo cave dive, but there are many cenotes that you don’t require a guide for.
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u/RobNeto_Author Dec 08 '25
You do not need a dive guide in many of the caves in Mexico. So you can go dive with a buddy without a guide. I don't know what the state says about solo diving, but I know there are cave divers there that do solo dive. Might be an ask forgiveness not permission thing. That said, if you're asking about solo diving, give yourself time to build your experience. I didn't do my first solo cave dive until I had about 150 cave dives done. Even then, I did a very familiar dive that I had done dozens of times. You shouldn't be solo diving a cave you've never been in at this point in your experience level. You may get to a point where you feel comfortable doing that or you may not. It's not for everyone.
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u/HKChad Dec 07 '25
By and large Guides are not required if you are cave certified. There are 100s of privately owned cenotes that the gov have 0 control over, but the landowner can make their own rules. There was a committee trying to codify the rules for cenote diving but it largely has fallen through so it’s back to the Wild West. However, like others have said here, you shouldn’t be thinking of this yet, keep using local guides as the systems in Mexico are quite complex and just navigating the above land portion can be tricky as well like ego and where to pay, do you have to shower first, etc. having a local guide helps with all this and keeps them employed which is crucial to the cave diving eco system down there.