Untrained cave diving in the DR

[amphipod06]

Not trying to be callous, but maybe that's what they need, a real good scare.
I posted a comment and left some negative feedback, but the truth is that most people do not heed strangers' advice.

I hope you guys find a way to keep these fools from fulfilling their Darwinian future.

Dive safe,

Celia

[phillip1]

the thing that is infuriating is that in the DR it is never ever OW divers on they;re own time being stupid, it is 100% of the time LDS taking unsuspecting OW divers into caves which IMO is far worse and , god forbid, should an accident happen, murder.

[phillip1]

thanks to all for posting comments, it may help or at the very least cant hurt.

[Danseur]

Is this still how it's done in Mexico as well?

[whitecrowro]

The vid is just as scary as a fatality caught on camera.
There is no safety there, just huge marginal luck.
The video will be remembered as a "no do".
It's pity that there is more than one diver braking the rules.
Plain stupid.

[rongoodman]

The standard for the guided cenote dives in Mexico is that the dives are confined to the cavern zone, with the guide being Full Cave certified, using standard cave gear, and a 1:4 guide to client ratio. It's been several years since I've done guided dives there as an open water diver, but the only "stretching the rules" bit I remember was being quite a ways from the guideline from time to time, as the guides took us off the line to see various interesting fossils and features.

[phillip1]

Mexico is way safer than the DR were there are absolutely no rules whatsoever and a total disregard by LDS for ALL established safety guidelines.

[FW]

Mexico was the same as the DR many years ago. It took pressure from cave divers, and a couple of accidents for the current rules to be created.

Actually, the US was the same 40 years ago. It took many accidents, and a few letters from cave diving groups for things to change.

[Jim Coke]

Mexico is a big country; let's talk about the underwater caves in Yucatan and Quintana Roo states. I don't want to compare cave access and dive facility problems between different countries and cultures. That’s a large mistake as there are too many variables to weigh. I believe we covered this in a different thread some months ago (the DR warning sign thread?).

Open Water diver access to underwater caves in Quintana Roo is highly controlled these days. The policies to limit this sort of access started in 1985. Sure there are idiot cavern tour guides that bend sane penetration limits for their OW clients/group, but this is rare. There is too much peer pressure on dive shop owners and guides to maintain accepted standards. Unfortunately today’s guides are still unable to prevent damage to the entrance pool and cavern environment.

Today, an Open Water Instructor/guide could not enter an underwater cavern/cave with a group of clients in Quintana Roo. The landowner would forbid it. The instructor’s employer would forbid it. The law on this remains hazy, but the tour guide, dive facility owner and landowner would be responsible for irresponsible guide tours that result in an “accident”.

As for Yucatan, there’s one fill station in Merida. There is an FMAS cave training program, and they have been progressive in their training through the years. Many have taken a USA-style cave diving course. Many have not had that opportunity. Sometimes FMAS dives look like Open Water divers entering a cave (limited penetrations). I am not condoning this activity, but it is the way it is. Very few if any tourists go to Yucatan to open water dive. There is some very nice cave diving, but it's different.

So no, it’s not the same in Mexico. It is different.

[phreaticus]

Must not be too many attorneys in the DR....or the tort laws are more, shall we say, "logical"? (i.e...if you are stupid, disobeyed all rules, yet paid your money.... you can't sue....yeah I know, lots of luck with that!).