Cenote diving with a guide is mandatory

[captain hardhead]

If you are going to the cenotes with your own cave instructor to take your cavern and intro to cave, are you required to also hire a local guide.

[Randy Thornton]

In Mexico, one of the biggest reasons to use a guide is just to find the dang main line. If you haven't been to the cave before, it can sometimes take a long time swimming around to find the line. Additionally, the locals are less likely to break into a guide's vehicle.

[captain hardhead]

In Mexico, one of the biggest reasons to use a guide is just to find the dang main line. If you haven't been to the cave before, it can sometimes take a long time swimming around to find the line. Additionally, the locals are less likely to break into a guide's vehicle.

That does make sense. But do you know if it is required if you are getting lessons with a certified cave instructor.

[Bill Rotella]

If you are going to the cenotes with your own cave instructor to take your cavern and intro to cave, are you required to also hire a local guide.

If your instructor does not know the cenote system that you are diving, then yes hire a guide, and if your instructor does not do this, find another instructor.

[Al]

In Mexico, one of the biggest reasons to use a guide is just to find the dang main line. If you haven't been to the cave before, it can sometimes take a long time swimming around to find the line. Additionally, the locals are less likely to break into a guide's vehicle.

While you're swimming around looking, you're still seeing some pretty cavern and you are learning its layout. An experienced eye can usually spot the routes to the lines. I just consider it to be part of the adventure.

[captain hardhead]

I have read in my books for Cavern and Intro to Cave that you are pretty limited already, such as no gap jumping, etc. You think you should have a guide there to keep an eye on your instructor?

Also, it sounds like some think it is a good idea, but it does not sound like it is mandatory to have an instructor AND a guide.

[Randy Thornton]

That does make sense. But do you know if it is required if you are getting lessons with a certified cave instructor.

I should probably let one of the guys currently living in Mexico answer this, but having lived there years ago, I would say that the number one rule in Mexico is that "there are very few consistently followed rules in Mexico". That is not meant as a criticism of Mexico, just an observation that things are a little more "fluid" in nature down there. I suspect, if you were to ask this question to 10 different people, you would get 10 different answers depending on various factors including if they have any financial interest in one answer or another.

Regards,
Randy

[Al]

Also, it sounds like some think it is a good idea, but it does not sound like it is mandatory to have an instructor AND a guide.

A guide is not mandatory.

[Bill Rotella]

What I am trying to say is that an instructor should not take a student into a system that he or she is not familiar with, no matter where the system is located period.

[mattmexico]

[QUOTE=Phil;72135]

I am wondering what the credentials to be a cave diving guide…

QUOTE]

yo

As the guided Cenote or Cavern diving is somewhat regulatated with rules and guidelines established and to be followed including a guide to diver ratio it had never happend for the cave guiding sector.

Any intro to cave diver or up can grab some cave diving tourist of the streets and drag them by their hair into the cave. For visiting cave divers who have never been here it is somewhat difficult to establish what is a good guide and what is a **** guide.

For the interested cave diver forums such as this one here are a good source to ask other divers what they experienced with various guides.

greetings
Matt