Blue Grotto Makes Some Changes

[EFX]

The word I've heard is that PADI made the determination that instructors could not use Blue Grotto for the deep dive portion of AOW. The insurance company learned this and at renewal insisted that Blue Grotto needed to remove the permanent guideline and add the grim reaper cave signs. There is still a permanent line but it is a cave-style mainline like is seen in many caves, not the large rope that used to run all the way to the back. This all comes first-hand from a knowledgeable source.

I was at Blue Grotto this past Wednesday 3/16. The thick rope they took down was attached to the rock wall. The new gold line is at some places deeper than the original rope and also attached to other rocks away from the wall. There are a few grim reaper signs to welcome the adventurous or the foolish.

I went down to 101 ft in the back of the cavern. There is some silt that you can stir up but not enough to make the vis a real problem requiring following a line. It's expensive as others have noted but I like the hot showers after a day of diving. The staff is friendly and helpful except for one female instructor who berated me for not having a buddy. She said "We don't allow solo diving here." I haven't seen her in a while. They do allow solo diving if you have a solo cert and a backup gas source.

 

[CuzzA]

the foolish

I'd guess 10s of thousands of AOW students have gone to the back of the cavern.

I'd be curious if there's ever been a fatality.