Showing posts with label Sac-Aktun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sac-Aktun. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Cuzan Nah
Private 99' cave dive in Sac Aktun lead by Richie, Robbie's jr. brother, whom we also met there with two swedish cave divers. We almost closed the beautifully decorated Cuzan Nah loop, but I had to call the dive shortly before. Coming out with more than 100 bar at the end.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sac Aktun
After yesterday's exposure to the dark side, I figured a dive in Sac Aktun, Mayan for white cave, would be a good antidote. For greater effect and some private time I went solo, getting real close to the cave's building matter in the process.
Not that I ventured very deep inside. I pretty much remained in one wonderfully decorated room just beyond the cavern zone, away from the main line, shortly following a rarely traveled secondary line to a small cenote located not that far on the other side of the road.
As therapy I played around with my TillyTec lights, shooting various trial clips and experimenting with macro photography.
Grand cenote being relatively deserted today, I finished my dive with a tour of the cavern zone, enjoying the play of sunlight streaming in.
Not that I ventured very deep inside. I pretty much remained in one wonderfully decorated room just beyond the cavern zone, away from the main line, shortly following a rarely traveled secondary line to a small cenote located not that far on the other side of the road.
As therapy I played around with my TillyTec lights, shooting various trial clips and experimenting with macro photography.
Grand cenote being relatively deserted today, I finished my dive with a tour of the cavern zone, enjoying the play of sunlight streaming in.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Grand cenote
Another test dive. This time to check out my alternative video set-up, where my Green Force Flexi II battery is attached to my housing's tray together with a float, i.e. an aluminum bottle, so that I can hand over my camcorder to another diver, in order to be able to make a few appearances in my own movie :o)
⊗ This sure ain't a professional set-up and it's a bit too front heavy, but it kind of works, though I wouldn't recommend it for long dives.
⊗ This sure ain't a professional set-up and it's a bit too front heavy, but it kind of works, though I wouldn't recommend it for long dives.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Grand cenote - video test
First photo/video dive with my new Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 mini-camcorder in an Epoque EHS-1000HD housing, fitted with a 0.56x WAL and my two TillyTec dive lights, i.e. a LED 1000 and HID 35.
To my surprise it's actually possible to take quite decent photos. Getting sharp footage in auto-focus mode alas seems to be much harder to accomplish... but then, I may need some shooting practice?
First camcorder & housing observations so far:
⊗ Despite its relatively compact size, the Epoque EHS-1000HD is rather bulky and very uncomfortable to hold.
⊗ Fitted with a WAL this housing becomes very front-heavy.
⊗ Epoque's screw-on WAL is a pain to remove & replace underwater. Personally I much prefer Sea&Sea's quick & easy bayonet system, but alas that's not an option in this case. Still, I recommend using a WAL.
⊗ Despite having both batteries attached to my belt, my underwater camcorder set-up is still too heavy, due to the WAL and two light heads clammed onto the housing via flex-arms.
⊗ While recording in video mode, the autofocus really has a hard time finding the right sharpness in the caves.
⊗ Inside the housing, the HD1000's auto-focus becomes very noisy, rendering any underwater tone almost useless (unless you shoot in locked focus mode).
⊗ Video quality suffers from graininess, despite the 225W of combined output, due to the rather limited range of diffused light.
To my surprise it's actually possible to take quite decent photos. Getting sharp footage in auto-focus mode alas seems to be much harder to accomplish... but then, I may need some shooting practice?
First camcorder & housing observations so far:
⊗ Despite its relatively compact size, the Epoque EHS-1000HD is rather bulky and very uncomfortable to hold.
⊗ Fitted with a WAL this housing becomes very front-heavy.
⊗ Epoque's screw-on WAL is a pain to remove & replace underwater. Personally I much prefer Sea&Sea's quick & easy bayonet system, but alas that's not an option in this case. Still, I recommend using a WAL.
⊗ Despite having both batteries attached to my belt, my underwater camcorder set-up is still too heavy, due to the WAL and two light heads clammed onto the housing via flex-arms.
⊗ While recording in video mode, the autofocus really has a hard time finding the right sharpness in the caves.
⊗ Inside the housing, the HD1000's auto-focus becomes very noisy, rendering any underwater tone almost useless (unless you shoot in locked focus mode).
⊗ Video quality suffers from graininess, despite the 225W of combined output, due to the rather limited range of diffused light.
Friday, March 7, 2008
TIllyTec LED 1000 in Sac Aktun
Easy one jump cave dive towards Kalimba through a really nice section I sure hope to dive again with camcorder later on.
⊕ Both dives today were illuminated by my new TillyTec LED 1000, which I'm really happy about, even though it's just a pre-production model. And it's not only Tilly's big lights that shine brightly, his W30 back-up torch bundles an amazing lot of power in such a small 3x AA handheld package, enough I'd say as to be almost useable as main light source... two of these on an helmet could be pretty cool?
⊕ Both dives today were illuminated by my new TillyTec LED 1000, which I'm really happy about, even though it's just a pre-production model. And it's not only Tilly's big lights that shine brightly, his W30 back-up torch bundles an amazing lot of power in such a small 3x AA handheld package, enough I'd say as to be almost useable as main light source... two of these on an helmet could be pretty cool?
[ entrance fee: 100 Pesos ]
Monday, March 20, 2006
Cave dive in Grand cenote
It being my first dive with Nadia, a freelance cave guide recruted by Xibalba, and Olli, a German cave diver, we keep it simple: Grand cenote's main line. And beyond. Cool with me, as I haven't actually dived Grand cenote's vast cave system yet on this trip.
After checking our gear and doing an S-drill, we head for the main tunnel. About 25' later we pass cenote Ho-tul and reach the end of the main line where Nadia closes the gap to the Cuzan Ha loop. Shortly after we pass another unnamed cenote. Though I remember some of the passages, there's places that seem totally new to me. Sac Aktun is truly a great system, with some wonderful formations.
Olli calls the dive, less than 10' from closing the loop. Being the last one in, I'm now leading the dive out. And of course everything's different when seeing it coming from the other direction. Nice and easy 80' dive, with plenty of air left, thanks to a maximum depth of only 13m.
After checking our gear and doing an S-drill, we head for the main tunnel. About 25' later we pass cenote Ho-tul and reach the end of the main line where Nadia closes the gap to the Cuzan Ha loop. Shortly after we pass another unnamed cenote. Though I remember some of the passages, there's places that seem totally new to me. Sac Aktun is truly a great system, with some wonderful formations.
Olli calls the dive, less than 10' from closing the loop. Being the last one in, I'm now leading the dive out. And of course everything's different when seeing it coming from the other direction. Nice and easy 80' dive, with plenty of air left, thanks to a maximum depth of only 13m.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Cavern tour in Grand cenote
Another photo dive, this time in Grand cenote. With all its white limestone decorations it's a great place to try out some shots, even though the sun's hiding behind some clouds this morning.
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Cavern tour in Grand cenote and Temple of Doom
Holidays? Not this morning. Attila didn't feel too well after a rough night out in Playa del Carmen and asked me if I could take two divers for a cavern tour in Grand cenote and Temple of Doom. So before I knew it I stepped into my old role as cavern guide, breefing an Australian with South-African roots and an American with Asian roots about diving in cenotes and leading them around in two of Yucatan's underwater wonders. Besides getting two free dives, I also got paid for the trouble :o)
Friday, March 3, 2006
Cavern dives in Grand cenote and Temple of Doom
Two short 45' dives without camera, to check out my primary gear and review some basic skills like line laying & retrieval, valve shut-off and equipment R&R.
The first dive was in Grand cenote (a.k.a. Sac Aktun, entrance: 100 Pesos), within the cavern zone. Plenty of sun light and speleothems, an ideal site for some photo trials later on. The water is slightly greenish but otherwise crystal clear.
Second dive in Temple of Doom (a.k.a. Calavera, entrance: 80 Pesos), a much darker cavern and the perfect place to evaluate my new TillyTec HID 35 light. Which indeed has a pretty powerful 125W (halogen equivalent) tightly focussed 10° beam. Tomorrow I hope to try it out with a 80° flood reflector for a wider more shooting-friendly beam. Here too the fresh water has a greenish tint, whereas the salt water, below 11m, is bluish. The tunnels are beautifully eroded, and again I wish I had my camera to try out some video shooting, but that will be for later.
The first dive was in Grand cenote (a.k.a. Sac Aktun, entrance: 100 Pesos), within the cavern zone. Plenty of sun light and speleothems, an ideal site for some photo trials later on. The water is slightly greenish but otherwise crystal clear.
Second dive in Temple of Doom (a.k.a. Calavera, entrance: 80 Pesos), a much darker cavern and the perfect place to evaluate my new TillyTec HID 35 light. Which indeed has a pretty powerful 125W (halogen equivalent) tightly focussed 10° beam. Tomorrow I hope to try it out with a 80° flood reflector for a wider more shooting-friendly beam. Here too the fresh water has a greenish tint, whereas the salt water, below 11m, is bluish. The tunnels are beautifully eroded, and again I wish I had my camera to try out some video shooting, but that will be for later.
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Cenote Sac Aktun
Sac Aktun, meaning white cave in Maya, but better known as Grand cenote, is a collapsed roof cenote offering great snorkeling and both fantastic cavern and cave diving.
This is the most famous of the cenotes near Tulum and a real gold mine for its owner, who happily cashes in on the many tourists who visit it. Come early or in late afternoon, and you’ll have it mostly for yourself.
The old ladders have been replaced by more trusty wooden stairs and a big platform allows easy entry and exit into the cool crystal clear fresh water. I’ve seen some daredevil swimmers jump in from the top, but a giant step entry from 6m high is definitely not a good idea. The water isn’t quite deep enough and your precious life-support gear, not to mention your soft body, might not appreciate the impact.
Sac Aktun’s walls are almost white, as its Mayan name implies and they reflect a lot of light. The main cavern area allows snorkelers to swim in pretty far, which also means the surface and free air is never too far away for cavern divers, who can enjoy the wonderful feeling of diving between big drooping stalactites, take a peek into beautifully decorated side rooms and get an insight of what cave diving is all about here in Yucatan. For a true taste, Dos Ojos, further up north, is highly recommended. Grand cenote also boasts a big cavern area on one of its sides, where the ceiling slopes down and meets the floor at about 12m.
With an average depth of 7m and a maximum depth not exceeding 14m, the Sac Aktun system allows for long cave dives indeed, without immediate need for extra stage tanks, except for truly extended dives into the far reaches of this seemingly endless cave system, connecting several cenotes, in which case you’ll also need several jump reels and an excellent visual memory. The main line ends at cenote Ho Tul, but not the cave.
The usual little cenote fish are abundant in Grand cenote too, as well as the lazily meandering catfish. Turtles can be spotted in the open water area among the plants or even dozing between the stalactites, but are rather weary of too much attention, so give them a break.
This is the most famous of the cenotes near Tulum and a real gold mine for its owner, who happily cashes in on the many tourists who visit it. Come early or in late afternoon, and you’ll have it mostly for yourself.
The old ladders have been replaced by more trusty wooden stairs and a big platform allows easy entry and exit into the cool crystal clear fresh water. I’ve seen some daredevil swimmers jump in from the top, but a giant step entry from 6m high is definitely not a good idea. The water isn’t quite deep enough and your precious life-support gear, not to mention your soft body, might not appreciate the impact.
Sac Aktun’s walls are almost white, as its Mayan name implies and they reflect a lot of light. The main cavern area allows snorkelers to swim in pretty far, which also means the surface and free air is never too far away for cavern divers, who can enjoy the wonderful feeling of diving between big drooping stalactites, take a peek into beautifully decorated side rooms and get an insight of what cave diving is all about here in Yucatan. For a true taste, Dos Ojos, further up north, is highly recommended. Grand cenote also boasts a big cavern area on one of its sides, where the ceiling slopes down and meets the floor at about 12m.
With an average depth of 7m and a maximum depth not exceeding 14m, the Sac Aktun system allows for long cave dives indeed, without immediate need for extra stage tanks, except for truly extended dives into the far reaches of this seemingly endless cave system, connecting several cenotes, in which case you’ll also need several jump reels and an excellent visual memory. The main line ends at cenote Ho Tul, but not the cave.
The usual little cenote fish are abundant in Grand cenote too, as well as the lazily meandering catfish. Turtles can be spotted in the open water area among the plants or even dozing between the stalactites, but are rather weary of too much attention, so give them a break.
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