Blue Hole: Not for beginners!

[TSandM]

You know, I keep reading descriptions of this dive, and it seems as though the speleothems are what people go down there to see (I rarely see anybody talk about sea life on this dive). If I want to see speleothems, I can see them in profusion and variety in the cenotes of the Yucatan, often at a depth of about 20 feet, where I can stay forever without worrying about deco, and where my gas lasts a LONG time. And the cenotes are accessible to OW divers, and probably a whole lot safer than looking at stalactites at 140 fsw.

 

[peterbj7]

if you are in DM training, you should be able to handle the dive. The biggest issues I think is the fear of diving over an area where you can't see the bottom and air consumption. You should be good with both of those by now. Have you ever done a dive deeper than 100' ? Have you ever done a low-light dive? Those are the questions you should ask yourself.
robin

I agree with your words, Robin, but perhaps not with what you intended to say. IMO anyone advancing to DM (let alone instructor) should have a wide range of diving experience. Sadly with PADI at least that is rarely the case - it just isn't possible to get the desired level of experience with just 60 dives, or 100 for an instructor. And of course DM and instructor training, with PADI at any rate and probably most recreational agencies, is not at all about improving your own diving and experience but about working with others. The reality is that most DM candidates whose diving/training has been in warm water have minimal experience levels. Particularly those who have been through the well known "instructor mills".

I would like to see the minimum experience level for entering DM training to be greatly increased, maybe to around 300 dives, with at least another 300 dives with a broad range of documented DM experience before proceeding to instructor. With a good spread of dive and water types, assessed by the instructor before the candidate is accepted. Much as is done by the better tech agencies, in fact. And IMO it should be mandatory for anyone entering DM training to be nitrox qualified - I certainly won't certify anyone as DM until they have that.

Having a DM or instructor card isn't or shouldn't be a badge of achievement. It signifies that you have achieved such a level of experience and diving comfort that others, maybe totally inexperienced and nervous, can trust their lives to you. It actually signifies a great level of responsibility that you have accepted and are asserting that you can sustain. Sadly I come across too many inexperienced and frankly untrustworthy divers who carry these cards.

To pick up on one specific point, you ask whether the OP has ever done a 100' dive. Anyone contemplating this dive should have done a number of dives to 130' over a visible bottom, enough so that they are comfortable with them. I'm not saying you won't survive (probably) if you don't have that experience, but I am saying that such experience is highly desirable.

 

[Doc]

You know, I keep reading descriptions of this dive, and it seems as though the speleothems are what people go down there to see (I rarely see anybody talk about sea life on this dive). If I want to see speleothems, I can see them in profusion and variety in the cenotes of the Yucatan, often at a depth of about 20 feet, where I can stay forever without worrying about deco, and where my gas lasts a LONG time. And the cenotes are accessible to OW divers, and probably a whole lot safer than looking at stalactites at 140 fsw.

Ummm, and your point is?

Between the marketing hype and the psychological need it tempts to fulfill, the Blue Hole will be an attractive nuisance until gas cost prices the trip outside the realm of most divers.

Lucky them. Then maybe they'll spend time in the rest of Belize... the diving is mighty fine.

 

[diverrick]

HA HA!!! She said SPELEOTHEMS!!!! I bet you cant see em' that big in the Cenotes though.
I was told they are the largest Stalagtites in the world. I never confirmed that though, but way bigger than anything I have ever seen for sure. And the fact that they run at different angles, just boggles my mind to think it took so many millions of years to make just one, then it all gets tilted and it did it again!! That is just an amazing thought to me.. So many years in the making.. and the fact they were once above water. The World must have looked alot different then for sure. Think of all the additional land mass there must have been!!! I just love that kind of stuff.

 

[diverrick]

Or is that Stalag-mites? I can never get those straight.

 

[greybubbles]

Sorry but we disagree. As you know each and every diver must be aware of his/her limitations and recognize that diving (even in 10 feet of water) has some risks. While it maybe true that in some locations DM's may have "little or no experience at those depths themselves" I can assure you that the DM's I dove with have extensive experience with the blue hole and other deep dives. I got to know them for 3 days prior to my visit to the Blue Hole. I do agree that a "resort trained" diver and/or a diver who has little or no experience at 80' + might want to work up to a deeper dive as offered at the Blue Hole but once again, adequate supervision along with recognition of one's abilities and limitations will go along way towards a safe and memorable diving experience at the Blue Hole.

 

[Doc]

Or is that Stalag-mites? I can never get those straight.

They might reach the ceiling- stalagmites

The have to hold on tight to the ceiling- stalagtites

Spring up, fall down.

 

[peterbj7]

OK, not trying to pick a fight, but I'm curious who these DMs are. I know a lot of them, and while they may be familiar with that particular dive I can't think of any who have "extensive deep dive" experience. There aren't any other deep dives customarily done around here, so I don't know when they'd get that experience. I once related that I had seen numerous hammerhead sharks on one dive in the BH and was told by a DM very experienced with the "standard" dive that I had to be lying as there weren't any hammerheads in the Blue Hole. The explanation was that he had never been deeper than 150' and the hammerheads don't come up that shallow. If he hadn't seen it for himself it wasn't true. I didn't think that showed him in a very good light.

But as to progressive increase of depth during training, have a look at the dive standards for basic technical courses. Do remember that I'm not talking about what is necessary to survive the dive, but what prudence and good practice suggest is desirable. I presume you do know that there have been deaths in the Blue Hole? - it's not a "totally safe" dive.

 

[peterbj7]

They might reach the ceiling- stalagmites
The have to hold on tight to the ceiling- stalagtites

The spelling is stalactites and stalagmites. And if you want to remember which is which, think of ants in the pants - the mites go up and the tights go down. Or maybe "c" for ceiling and "g" for ground.

 

[diverrex]

And if your instructor suggests taking you straight to those depths when your previous experience hasn't been deeper than, say, 100' then find another instructor. You should work down to those depths over several dives, each no more than say 10mtr (30 ft) deeper than the previous one, with proper briefings and debriefings so you do recognise the changes you are experiencing, and the new risks you are taking on. This HAS to be done over several days.

Do you really mean that - 30 ft deeper than a previous deep dive? Taking that at the extreme a diver having gone to 100' next goes to 130' and then next to 160'! Over 100' I'd say go more than 10' deeper at a time and even then that doesn't mean you can go from 100' to 160' in only 6 dives.