Bottomless Lakes or Blue Hole on July 11?

[speleophysics]

I'll be driving through the area this upcoming Saturday and would love to get underwater in one of the local dive sites if I could get a chance. Anyone interested in diving either of these spots on July 11 or already have plans for a dive there?

 

[robint]

I'll be driving through the area this upcoming Saturday and would love to get underwater in one of the local dive sites if I could get a chance. Anyone interested in diving either of these spots on July 11 or already have plans for a dive there?

If you are just "driving through", be aware that Blue Hole is the only place I know of that has tanks and wts for rental, and really only on weekends there. Water is 62 degrees year round, so you will need a 7mm suit in addition to your other gear.
I have videos on my website so you can see the general setup. We may even be there on the 11th, haven't decided yet (our LDS has a group dive going on that day). Since weather here in NM is hot, hot, hot the water may be full of "swimmers" too. Blue Hole tends to get crowded on weekends in summer. It is worth stopping and diving though if you have the gear with you. (Stella has some rental gear, but not alot and it is older gear.)

Blue Hole Dive permit is $8 for the weekend, a person comes by early in the day on Saturday to collect money and give you a tag to put on your BC. Sometimes they dont' show up, but sometimes they do, so be prepared to pay.

robin

 

[speleophysics]

I will have my own gear. If I could be sure to have a buddy I would certainly drop by. I would just have to know in advance since Blue Hole is a little out of the way. Bottomless Lake SP on the other hand is right on the way. Any way I might be able to get in on the group dive?

Thanks.

 

[DandyDon]

I dived Bottomless Lakes SP once. My LDS sponsored a weekend camp & dive trip, bringing his dive trailer with tanks & weights. Could not see my dive light pointed into my mask until it touched: zero viz! We party pooped and left right after as we weren't into the camping. There was a local Inst giving classes on the other side tho so if you really wanted to do the mudhole, there may still be one in business in Roswell?

Lake Lea is the one lake there divable, and I think it's around 50 ft deep max. I did hit bottom just for the record, then noticed that my dive bud had turned lose of this buddy line. It might be clearer during extended droughts, but I bet that is rare.

Original cowboys named them Bottomless because they never ran dry, not because of depth. They are spring fed. Blue Hole gets enough spring flow to keep it clear until divers stir up the bottom and bubbles knock dust off the sides of the bell shaped volcano vent.

Wow, where are you headed that Roswell is on the way from MN? There is a large, spring fed hole, 20 ft south of Pecos with tanks and weights available outside of the park. Very nice facility with swimming pool walls and sides, rocky bottom, clear water, hot showers, etc.

 

[speleophysics]

I'm headed to Carlsbad for a week-long cave geology field trip, so, oddly enough, Roswell is on the way.

 

[robint]

I don't know anyone who dives Bottomless lake. The only ones I have heard about say things like Don mentioned - zero vis, nothing to see.

Blue Hole has divers every weekend, usually Fri-Sun, even in winter and when it is snowing! If you really want to dive, go there.
this is what it looks like:
BLUE HOLE Photos

robin

 

[amascuba]

The first picture is awesome Robin. Ron is getting to be quite the wizz with his new camera. The more that I dive the Blue Hole, the more that I appreciate it. I love the life cycle's and personalities of the craw dads and the sheer rock walls that form the Blue Hole. Once you get past the fact that there is no native life, other than crawdads, then it really is a beautiful place.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm headed to Carlsbad for a week-long cave geology field trip, so, oddly enough, Roswell is on the way.

Ah ha! Ok, cool. I've only done one wild cave there, just a little one an experienced caver took me into. Sucn fun. Nice area once you adjust to our altitude and dry air. Gawd, it was 102 today and I was on an open air spray buggy for all of it. Drank over a gallon and I am still re-hydrating.

I said that Lake Lea was 50 ft deep or so. I only descend once, to see if there might be viz below and did find 6 to 9 inch viz around a spring, but that's all. It might be deeper in some other parts, but with a silt bottom, I doubt it.

And I said it might be clear after a drought, but I bet that red clay blows in all the time. I doubt that it is ever clear.

Map Quest says you have a 1318 mile drive to Carlsbad:
Click pics for larger; Right click to open in new tab

But only 1328 if you go by way of Santa Rosa?

It might be more than 10 miles out of your way, but if you want to dive, that's where you go. Can you be there on a weekend?

It's is a spring fed volcanic vent I'm told, and who knows how big the chambers are under the grate @ 84 ft? As far as geology goes, I think you'd find it more interesting that Bottomless Lakes sp, too - even tho there are many fascinating features across NM. I once took my daughters family on a tour of the northwest corner. One day we climbed a cinder cone, then turned around and descend into an ice cave on the same property. Saw a lovely giant arch, huge lava fields, and so much more.

Have a great trip...!

 

[ABQdiver]

I'll be driving through the area this upcoming Saturday and would love to get underwater in one of the local dive sites if I could get a chance. Anyone interested in diving either of these spots on July 11 or already have plans for a dive there?

I'm taking a small (three divers) group to certify this weekend. We are planning on making three dives on Sat and one dive on Sunday. If you want you can always tag along with us. Since it's an OW class my attention will be on the class, and we don't go below 60' as per standards, but there is a chance there will be others in the area as well.

As least come over and say hi! We park over on the Southeast corner at the picnic tables, I'll be driving the NM Scuba Center van.

 

[robint]

The first picture is awesome Robin. Ron is getting to be quite the wizz with his new camera. The more that I dive the Blue Hole, the more that I appreciate it. I love the life cycle's and personalities of the craw dads and the sheer rock walls that form the Blue Hole. Once you get past the fact that there is no native life, other than crawdads, then it really is a beautiful place.

thanks James! He took that picture at our big party there in March.
Are you going over this weekend? I think we are heading over first thing in am Saturday, doing a couple of dives then back home. We will be back in 2 weeks when Ron is teaching, so this will be our chance to actually dive together. LOL
I got an HD camcorder a couple of months ago, no housing yet... maybe soon so I can shoot some new videos there.

robin