amascuba, I was actually talking about Lea Lake. I have heard of Rock Lake, though. Haven't made any plans to dive there yet. I hear it's on private land and a pain to arrange.
Cave Diving in New Mexico
- Thread starter amascuba
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OP
ahh. I've never been there myself. I'm going to try to make a trip there sometime this summer though. It's supposed to be pretty cool. Check out the new mexico start parks webiste: http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/emnrd/parks/ParkTours.htm -- click on the park on the map and it will take you to a page. 
MNawman
Registered
Amascuba, Rock lake is incredible, great viz. It just looks like a watering hole from the surface, but when you drop below, it has huge shear cliffs going down to ???? I was there when they put a boat in the middle with a depth finder and got no result. The depth finder was supposed to register 1000 ft. I want to explore a little deeper to see if there are any caves. Ive only been to 125 ft there. I think Santa Rosa is at 5000 ft, which reduces the actual depth you can go on air. Good luck, maybe I'll see you there.
cyklon_300
Contributor
is a good technical training site. I did my trimix cert dives there.
It's not exactly a scenic wonderland, tho...it's on a working cattle ranch, so mind where you set your gear, unless you think cow pie smears are cool.
What appears at the surface to be an ordinary stock tank is actually a fairly deep cylindral feature with vertical rock walls of volcanic origin. I've heard some folks theorize that it is a remnant of the magma chamber from an eroded shield volcano. These are quite common in the desert southwest, so it may be so.
Even tho the vis is decent (~40+'), there is not much to see...in 4 dives, I saw two small fish, one turtle, and a cow skeleton.
We reached 203' on our last dive, another team looking for possible cave openings reached 236'. Other reports I've read indicate the deepest portion is ~280...
Here's a TDS thread on the lake:
http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6716&highlight=Rock+Lake
It's not exactly a scenic wonderland, tho...it's on a working cattle ranch, so mind where you set your gear, unless you think cow pie smears are cool.
What appears at the surface to be an ordinary stock tank is actually a fairly deep cylindral feature with vertical rock walls of volcanic origin. I've heard some folks theorize that it is a remnant of the magma chamber from an eroded shield volcano. These are quite common in the desert southwest, so it may be so.
Even tho the vis is decent (~40+'), there is not much to see...in 4 dives, I saw two small fish, one turtle, and a cow skeleton.
We reached 203' on our last dive, another team looking for possible cave openings reached 236'. Other reports I've read indicate the deepest portion is ~280...
Here's a TDS thread on the lake:
http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6716&highlight=Rock+Lake
OP
I would love to dive rock lake. I hear that the owner is selling the ranch. Over the last few days I've had an idea that one could buy the land, and sell all the land except what surrounds the lake and turn it into a "scuba park" for technical divers and technical training. Put a helium/oxygen fill station, some covered picnic tables, a changing room, and basic facilities and you could have something that could work out pretty well. I think that something like that would promote technical diving more in the region, which would be cool .. but then again that would be a really huge investment that may not pay off for a really long time .. and you would really need to setup a system of policies and procedures like the caves in florida to minimize the risk of liability. It's definitely been an idea that's been flowing in my head though.
Thanks for the link amascuba. I was near Lea Lake a year ago, but it was December and snowing. I didn't feel like getting suited up in 30 deg weather. I will definitely check it out this year though.
As for Rock Lake, I've heard the 280' depth too. I doubt it's much deeper than that. The bottom finder on the boat must have been broken?!?
As for Rock Lake, I've heard the 280' depth too. I doubt it's much deeper than that. The bottom finder on the boat must have been broken?!?
I've been to 236 in rock lake.
I have been told that something in the 280 range is the bottom, but we couldn't see the bottom from 236, and I would estimate 30-46 foot viz, so we shouldn't have been to far from being able to see the bottom.
I'd like to get back up there sometime and try to find the bottom again.
-Dan
I have been told that something in the 280 range is the bottom, but we couldn't see the bottom from 236, and I would estimate 30-46 foot viz, so we shouldn't have been to far from being able to see the bottom.
I'd like to get back up there sometime and try to find the bottom again.
-Dan
Michael Guerrero
Contributor
Resurrecting this thread. Anyone know if you can dive the cave in the Blue Hole or anywhere else good to dive in NM? Heading to eastern NM.
KevinNM
Contributor
The cave system under blue hole was opened up, but it has a locked gate. It apparently doesn't go very far before you find a car sized rock that closed off the big room. Apparently you need to talk to the town mayor before going there. All this - other then the locked gate - is second or third hand.
Kevin is right in that the cave was opened up, and the people who opened it went in. There was a lot of confusion about this. They had apparently been communicating with someone in the local government and had gotten permission to do so, but that person then retired, not having told the mayor of the permission. The mayor was furious and demanded that it be closed again. The difference is that when it was closed before, the army corps of engineers did it with a couple dump trucks of rocks. Now that the rocks have been removed, there is only a grate, and that grate can be opened should such a decision be made.
Anyway, that's what I was told.
Only a short hop away from there is another sink hole, Rock Lake. It is much both much, much larger in diameter than the Blue Hole, and much, much deeper (about 300 feet). It is where most technical training takes place. It is on private property, though, and you can only dive it when accompanied by one of the technical instructors who has been authorized to go there. I love it myself, and go there a number of times per year. I will be teaching a technical class there this coming Monday and Tuesday.
I don't just instruct there. I am open to hosting qualified divers (you don't have to be tech) at the site under the right conditions. In fact, I am often looking for qualified people who just want to dive and (especially) share costs of helium, etc. It is hard to find people who are qualified to go to the bottom, and I am not into doing it solo, so finding a buddy is a plus.
Oh, by the way, the OP of this thread, amascuba, is now cave certified, but he has moved farther away and does not get there often any more.
Anyway, that's what I was told.
Only a short hop away from there is another sink hole, Rock Lake. It is much both much, much larger in diameter than the Blue Hole, and much, much deeper (about 300 feet). It is where most technical training takes place. It is on private property, though, and you can only dive it when accompanied by one of the technical instructors who has been authorized to go there. I love it myself, and go there a number of times per year. I will be teaching a technical class there this coming Monday and Tuesday.
I don't just instruct there. I am open to hosting qualified divers (you don't have to be tech) at the site under the right conditions. In fact, I am often looking for qualified people who just want to dive and (especially) share costs of helium, etc. It is hard to find people who are qualified to go to the bottom, and I am not into doing it solo, so finding a buddy is a plus.
Oh, by the way, the OP of this thread, amascuba, is now cave certified, but he has moved farther away and does not get there often any more.
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