BELIZE'S GREAT BLUE HOLE Is It Really Worth Diving Part 1

[peterbj7]

The trouble with doing this dive "en masse" is that you have to follow the air consumption of the weakest. As the first dive of the day PADI gives the no-deco limit as 8 minutes at 130', though as I said above the alcove with the interest extends down to about 140', which theoretically would make the NDL even less. Shallower than the alcove there's really very little of interest. I've often seen people surface with their tanks still half full, but unfortunately others will have sucked their's dry. I prefer smaller matched groups who are prepared to go slightly into deco, but that implies experience (and greater cost if there are fewer on the boat). It all points to this dive being right at the limit of recreational diving.

 

[DandyDon]

Several on my boat used 28% Nitrox, to minimize N2 loading.

But it seemed that almost everyone on my boat did straigth ascents to 20 feet, leaving me alone for my deep stop at 70 feet.

But I was out there with the worst operator I've ever tried. The newest crew member turned one gal's valve all the way closed, then open half a turn. She hit 80 feet on the descent, lost air pressure, abandoned her buddy to rush to the Dive Guide, who turned it on for her.

I had 2 lights with me, 1 turned on, but a lot of divers didn't bother bring those, either.

 

[pharmguy]

I had 2 lights with me, 1 turned on, but a lot of divers didn't bother bring those, either.

Same thing happened with me. I enjoyed the dive because I had a light. As there is very little marine life and colour at that depth (like diving in Canada!!!) I found the light made a world of difference. Those who didn't enjoy the dive often thought that the depth was too dark and that there was much to see.

I always suggest bringing a light when I talk about doing this dive - for both safety and enjoyment reasons. You wouldn't generally do a night dive without a light - so why do a 130 ft dive in a hole where light is so restricted?

 

[DandyDon]

I generally carry 2 small lights on all dives, so I'll have them in case I want to peek into something.

Sometimes I like to turn mine off on a night dive, though, to see the differences, watch the micro organisms light up when someone moves, etc. Irritates the Dive Guides, but I leave my blinker on.

 

[Curt Bowen]

Back in the middle 90's we did an expedtion to the Blue Hole for some scientific research. The deepest we discovered in the blue hole was 420 feet. Typical wall ends in a flat mud / soft sand floor that slopes upwards to a small debrea pile the circles just under the upper rim. We did discover one cave, if I remember it was on the northern wall and started at 145 feet. What it really is, is an old water solution hole. When the oceans were much lower, run off water created this small cave as it made its way down through cracks and into the Blue hole.

There was a small hydrogen type cloud layer at around 360 feet. The water on the bottom was anarobic, void of any oxygen. Thus nothing can live on the bottom.

If you have never dove the Blue hole, its worth the time and effort, even if your only going to 100 feet.

Since that expedition we have explored other blue holes in Caysal that are just as big around and almost as deep. We have one that we have not hit the bottom of yet and we stoped at 400 feet. We had 100 foot of visibility and I could not make out a bottom. Have to go back for another expedition with more helium and mixed gas rebreathers

 

[hil71]

I loved my BH experience. I dived as a new diver with about 14 dives under my belt- had been to about 90' before hand. I went with ADM and had been diving all week with them, had also dived with one of the DM's a few times before, so everyone on the crew knew me and some had seen how i dived. I was the ONLY ow diver there everyone else was AOW. I certainly discovered that just cause you have your AOW card doesnt mean you are an experienced diver! We were lucky and had 3 dm's to 10 or 12 people and we were watched like hawks,(i would imagine it's not really cost efficient to take less people than that with the cost of the fuel, DM's, lunch etc)
My opinion is if you have the time and money it's a really good day out!! The BH is a really different experience and the other two dives are great - fab reefs and loads of aquatic life - it's a long day and long trip - make sure you go on a big comfy boat too - heard the ADM are getting another big boat? they one they have is pretty comfy.