My experience with the blue hole
The Blue Hole its self is not a very interesting dive, but the two wall dives you do afterward are amazing! It is a very long day beginning with a 5 or 5:30am arrival at the dock for 6am departure. From Ambergris Cay it takes at least 3 hours to get out there with about half that time in potentially rough open ocean water and half cruising thru more protected atolls.
Dive 1 – Blue Hole
A very deep dive they keep the group tight and guide you to 135-140’ if you don’t go that deep there is not much to see. It can be a little unnerving to come off of the sloping sand flats at 40’ out over the black abyss of the hole, just stick with the group and the dive masters will keep a close eye on everyone. If you have not been diving recently I would definitely advise diving for a few days on the reefs in front of San Pedro, preferably with the operation you are planning to go to the Blue Hole with, it will give them a chance to get to know your skills and comfort levels, if you have never been very deep ask them to work in a couple of deep dives during these days. I have done the vast majority of my diving in Belize with Amigos Del Mar and they have the biggest and newest boat that goes to the Blue Hole and a great staff. Be aware that your computer will go into deco on this dive but the dive masters managed the ascent so well that mine cleared the 4 minute stop at 10’ before we got to 20’
Dive 2 – Light house Wall
A great wall dive, probably one of my all time favorite dives ever, Huge sponges and soft corals, lots of fish life, turtles, eagle rays and a bunch of Tarpon. I ran up on my NDL on this dive because I went deeper than the group on the first dive
Lunch on Lighthouse Cay, typically Stewed chicken with Belizean Beans and rice, soft drinks provided. Then you have some time to explore the island.
Dive 3 – Aquarium
Another great wall dive but I was not as impressed with this wall as I was the one on Light House. My favorite part was near the end of the dive when we cane up on top of the reef in to about 20 feet of water, it was like diving in a giant aquarium.
Then you have a 3 hour boat ride back, we got in about 5:30pm on the trip I went on. I will probably make the trip again but on the Blue Hole dive I will try to stay as shallow as possible while keeping with the group so I can get more quality time on the second dive of the day.