Dahap Blue Hole, the cemetery

[Remy B.]

Air at 50m is still doable, at that depth the PP02 is 1.26, it is not strange that experienced divers do it, they know what they are doing, knows their SAC rate and the MOD of their mix, they dive with people who is equal experienced and know what to do if something happens, they have a thoroughly dive plan and sticks to it, they have bailout bottles waiting for them on the deco stops, they have been in bad situations before and can keep their head cool when the FUBAR hits the fan. That said, no matter how experienced you are there will always be a risk, all you can do is minimize it. Most of the divers who die on dives like this is the inexperienced diver without the necessary qualifications to do the dive, who jumps into the water with a equal inexperienced buddy, with the dive plan "Descend to 50m swim around for a bit, then head up again". I haven't dived the blue hole, but from the pictures and videos it doesn't seem any more dangerous than many other places with clear and warm water and superb visibility, But I think dive sites like this attracts a lot of divers, and therefore also attracts a fair share of inexperienced and reckless divers that results in higher then normal accident rates.

You need to see the videos, almost all mention experienced divers, that dosen't mean good planners, all of the people that die, did not had deco bottles waithing for them, nor pony bottles attach

 

[dmoore19]

While what you say is true, it is foolish and is either outside of their training or ignores the training they did receive. Without experience and training, doing that dive is outright foolish and stupid.

You need to see the videos, almost all mention experienced divers, that dosen't mean good planners, all of the people that die, did not had deco bottles waithing for them, nor pony bottles attach

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

You need to see the videos, almost all mention experienced divers, that dosen't mean good planners, all of the people that die, did not had deco bottles waithing for them, nor pony bottles attach

... just a thought, for when you're ready to go there ... it's not a good idea to have "deco bottles waiting for them". Unless you're diving in a cave, where you are required to come out the same way you went in, you carry your deco bottles with you. That way, if you're forced to begin your ascent at a different location, you haven't given up the ability to use them. At the Blue Hole, you would certainly want to keep those deco bottles with you during the dive.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tigerman]

"oops, have to skip the arch for whatever reason and my deco bottles are waiting for me on the other side of it" OUCH!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I see the OP is still fixated on the Arch, deco bottles, and what-not. Okay, it's been established that the Blue Hole in Dahab CAN be dived safely by rec divers as an ordinary wall dive and that rec divers who attempt the Arch tend to die. Thanks.

Hey, OP, why not tell us about all the great recreational diving you're doing in Curacao? In all sincerity I, and perhaps others, would enjoy hearing about that rather than aspects of diving beyond what many of us in the Basic Scuba Discussions forum are presently trained for. I enjoyed the one trip I took to Curacao--for my wedding. Honeymoon was on Bonaire, by the way. Heading back to Bonaire for our fifth anniversary in a couple of weeks. I don't mean to hijack your thread. Oh, yeah, I guess I do

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

"oops, have to skip the arch for whatever reason and my deco bottles are waiting for me on the other side of it" OUCH!

... better hope you reserved enough gas to deco on back gas ... out of curiosity, does anyone know where the closest chamber is to Dahab?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tigerman]

In dahab?

 

[Ste Wart]

In dahab?

Yes.

I've been there


Not for that reason though

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Good to know ... many popular dive destinations are far from any hyperbaric facilities ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Ste Wart]

Good to know ... many popular dive destinations are far from any hyperbaric facilities ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

There's a few vagaries in the region.

I've guided a LoB of Israeli divers in the Southern red sea, if anyone got a bend we weren't allowed to take them to the mainland for treatment, we had to go back to Sharm as it's part of the Sinai agreement (or something)

Similarly if you get a bend in say, Taba, you will be taken across the border to the Eilat Chamber. The Eilat chamber only accepts DAN or the national diving insurance. So you many get stuck with a hefty bill.



Anyhoo.

The main reason I visited the Dahab chamber was because a student of mine had a few YESs on the medical form. We trundle off to the chamber to see the diving Doc. Walk through the door and one of the Russian divers who'd been doing a TDI Master deep class (150m) the day before was firmly entrenched in the pot after suffering an inner ear bend.

Needless to say, after that encounter, the woman never finished the course.