Great Blue Hole

[chillyinCanada]

Of course the dive is to go see the stalactites!! Sheesh

So Troy who are you going to listen to? Someone that's been in the Hole many times or someone that never will be?

I didn't do the Hole for many years because of being told it was overhyped etc but once done, I've been back in the Hole once a year or more. I visit Belize 2-3 times a year.

Yes it's not for everyone but I enjoy it and the 2 followup dives are spectacular! Lunch on Halfmoon Caye refreshes my soul and id love to spend even more there.

Yes, it's a long day and it's expensive, but its one helluva way to spend a day if you've got good weather for it.

Again, make sure you are properly trained and experienced before you go. It is much better value that way.

For the record, I've no vested interest. Don't even own property in the Jewel (another name for Belize)

---------- Post added March 15th, 2014 at 04:28 PM ----------

Pasly I dont know who your dive op is but it looks like you would be upcharged. Amigos del mar rate is $300 and the park fee is $40. Also, if you do your dives with them all week, you can negotiate an overall discount.

 

[Troy G.]

Hey Melvin, I plan on visiting Belize Mid 2015. I have not done any "trust me" dives. I only rely on my own skills as I am the only one that truly knows my limits. I plan on taking the deep dive course. As far as the dive, I only want to go about 60'. I do not feel the need to go any deeper. From what I gather, the fist 60' is specular. Then I can do the follow on dives as well. I feel I have and have been told that I have very good buoyancy and can maintain desired depth for a designated period of time.

I have a lot of time to decide whether I wan to dive BH or not. I know that Belize offers plenty of good diving opportunity without going near BH. One thing is for sure, I will not dive BH just to say I did and I will not compromise my safety in any dive.

BTW...I am SFC (retired) US Army, 11B

 

[Mike]

Mike, what gives you the feeling that I haven't done any research? I have done hours of research to include inquiring about BH in these forums. Do you always make assumptions about what people do and don't do without even knowing them?

I appreciate feed back but no need to be rude to me!!!

I said "I have the feeling", based on you came back to this thread this morning and asking "why do people hate the blue hole" that points to me you haven't read much of what's been written about it on thread, after thread on these forums, since you came back and basically asked a question indicating you've got no idea what the controversy is yet. If you've done some reading now, no big deal, my mistake.

So since you've done some research what's your take on what you found out?

 

[chillyinCanada]

The first 60' are not spectacular. I don't know where you'd have got that from. Also, you'll have to be sure that your chosen dive op has separate DM/guides that will take people to 60' only. Generally, you dive it with the group to 130' or you don't go.

By the way, from the surface, it doesn't look like much at all. Nothing like from the air.

 

[Troy G.]

Good to know Chilly, thanks.

---------- Post added March 15th, 2014 at 05:43 PM ----------

Mike. How many time have you dove BH? My take is that most like it and some don't. Looking at all the footage on youtube, divers appear to be enjoying themselves. I should have rephrased my question differently and asked...why do so many people in these forums hate BH. In most other forums, there is almost no negativity about BH.

Believe it or not, I have received private messages regarding this topic, all which have good things to say about BH. Some even warned me about negative people posting in these forums.

 

[pasley]

BTW...I am SFC (retired) US Army, 11B

Thank you for your service. I truly appreciate the sacrifices you have made for your country and the freedom of your fellow Americans. Most will never know the sacrifices you have made, from the missed special occasions with your family to risk of life and limb, to the invisible wounds that will haunt you the rest of your days. So again, Thank You.:mil-usa: I would be remiss if I did not also mention our brother's in arms who are still missing in action or held prisoner :mil-pow-mia:

Hey Melvin, I plan on visiting Belize Mid 2015. I have not done any "trust me" dives. I only rely on my own skills as I am the only one that truly knows my limits.

Those are good words to live by.

Belize offers warm water, but if you have a hankering for some great diving, come out and visit our giant kelp forest. Make a great October or November trip away from the cold of the North. Here in Southern California we dive year round. Today it is 83F here in the Los Angeles area. Water in winter is 54F-56, (sometimes a tad colder at 52F). Dive boats only run on the weekend but there is some awesome beach diving too, and there is always Santa Catalina Island. If you want to come out, give me a shout and lets plan some dives.

 

[Downing]

I see this thread is taking the usual BH thread course, lol.

I'm firmly in Chilly's camp. I can't recommend doing only 60 feet. That would be just past the lip. Not a lot to see there except the fins of your group making their way down. And Chilly's correct, you may have trouble finding a guide who's willing to peel off from the rest of the group to hang with you. The three times I've done it the entire group stuck together down and up with a couple of guides looking after us like mother hens over baby chicks.

A lot of the controversy stems from allegations that some of the dive ops on AC don't pay as much attention to safety as they should. Couple that with many divers who most likely don't have the skill and experience they should for a deep dive plus the inherent dangers of doing this on a single AL 80 and the potential for a serious accident, i.e. dead tourist(s), is pretty high. Having said that, the BH is survived day after day year after year by a great many divers with no reports of fatalities. But there's a reason why 130 feet is the absolute limit for recreational divers, and one really needs to plan for a dive like this accordingly.

The BH is a unique dive but unfortunately due to its depth is a bounce dive and is over all too quickly. But it's also the first dive of a spectacular day as you go from there to Half Moon Caye for lunch, Red Footed Boobies and two other dives in the area that are universally acknowledged as among the best in Belize. I've been diving from Placencia in southern Belize for the last few years and would jump at the chance to do an overnight excursion to include the BH. Not because the BH itself is worth it but because the overall experience is worth it.

 

[Mike]

Good to know Chilly, thanks.

---------- Post added March 15th, 2014 at 05:43 PM ----------

Mike. How many time have you dove BH? My take is that most like it and some don't. Looking at all the footage on youtube, divers appear to be enjoying themselves. I should have rephrased my question differently and asked...why do so many people in these forums hate BH. In most other forums, there is almost no negativity about BH.

Believe it or not, I have received private messages regarding this topic, all which have good things to say about BH. Some even warned me about negative people posting in these forums.

Not much more can be said, if you're not willing to help yourself there isn't more that can be done. Some people ask questions but only want to hear the answers they have already made their minds up to want to hear. You keep saying over and over again you're interested in finding out why apparently so many "hate" the blue hole, you've been given the answers and directions to take to find out for yourself the answers you seek, but you watch youtube videos instead.

So instead of telling you what you don't want to hear, I'll tell you what isn't true but what you want to hear :

Nothing to worry about with the blue hole, its extremely safe and one of the best dives you will ever go on in your entire life. Anything you hear from divers with decades of experience that veers from glowing praise of the blue hole you should ignore as they are jealous and just trying to keep the blue hole to themselves.

So good luck on your dives, stay safe, have fun.

 

[Doc]

....In most other forums, there is almost no negativity about BH....

I just have to know... Which "other forums" would you have read? I'm always searching for new sources of reliable travel info. Which ones, exactly?

 

[Darnold9999]

To add yet another voice. Two of the three dives you do on a BH trip are excellent, the third is a very deep bounce dive to see some rock formations. The two dives are where the two liveaboards that dive Belize spend most of the week. Lots of life, lots of fish, some of the best diving in the Caribbean. Have done three trips on liveaboards to this location. One of the liveaboards did a BH trip. So I have dived the BH. Not interested in rock formations at any depth, and will only do a deep bounce dive for something exceptional. So for me was a fairly long trip to spend 5 min of bottom time to go down and see some rocks - waste of time IMHO. If you like rocks, and like doing deep bounce dives then it is also an excellent dive. Which perhaps explains the different points of view - some people like rock formations, so dive caves, some people like to go deep - so technical dives.

From San Pedro I would take the trip - so I could do the other two dives. Then you can come back and give us your opinion.