Blue Hole "Buddy" needed 9/9, 9/10 or 9/11

[lweatherall]

Hi Everyone!

I'm a VA diver headed X-Country in Sept and after hitting the Bonne Terre mine in IL for a weekend of diving, will be headed to Santa Rosa, NM to try and get wet in the Blue Hole. My dates are pretty flexible and should be able to dive Thursday, 9/9, Friday, 9/10 and Sat. 9/11, IF I can round up someone to dive with that is.....

For anyone who might be looking for someone to dive with during those dates, I'm a 63 yr. old male SSI diver with my Master Diver card including Wreck, Deep, Night/Limited Vis., Nitrox, Bouyancy, Navigation & Stress & Rescue. My usual dive spots are off the coast of VA and NC as well as Key Largo and West Palm Beach in FL. Our "local" quarry, Lake Rawlings, is where my usual buddy and I normally to to practice and keep our gear moist......

I'm looking forward to hearing from some of the RMOs and to getting wet in the Blue Hole!

Regards,

Larry Weatherall
lweatherall@cox.net

 

[RonFrank]

I am a bit surprised that no body has replied. I will kick Kevin... and see if any ABQ locals will be down on those dates.

 

[lweatherall]

Hey Ron,

Thanks for your note and just in case you're wondering, I've still not heard from anyone willing to buddy up.

What happens if divers just "arrive" at the BH and ask to join others who may already be there?? We're pretty accomodating up at Lake Rawlings when that happens and I've taken my share of orphan divers along who just needed someone to dive with.

Is my timing off to the point where it's likely that there won't be anyone diving while I'm there?

Thanks again for your reply and if nothing else, I'm going to stop by and at least LOOK at the BH when I'm headed West.

Larry Weatherall
lweatherall@cox.net

 

[robint]

9/9 is a Thursday and 9/10 is a Friday....most of the Albuquerque divers work during the week and dive only on weekends there. There will probably be divers there on 9/11, Saturday, but don't know definitely who (one of the ABQ dive shops probably). Blue Hole is 2 hours from our front door so if we go over, we usually try to get there early in morning and leave mid-afternoon.

Saturday 9/11 is the first home football game for UNM in ABQ so we plan to go to the game, start time 6pm. If we go over to dive that weekend, it will probably be Sunday.

robin

 

[lweatherall]

Thanks Robin.....

Yeah, I know that MOST divers are still working and that weekends are precious but the dates I can be at the BH are the only ones open on my x-country trip. Sunday, 9/12 is when I've GOT to be in Denver so I'm just trying to take advantage of the time I have available.

It looks like I'm just going to wing it and if I can't get lined up with someone to get in the water with I'll resort to "Plan B" and take in some of the "non diving" activities and attractions in NM & AZ before I have to head to Denver......

Thanks for the note and I hope "your" team wins on 9/11!

Larry Weatherall

 

[robint]

As I said, there will probably be divers there on weekend, Stella should be there on Saturday to rent/fill tanks. Divers from CO usually show up on Friday afternoons, if they are coming down as they have 6-8 hour drive.

Are you taking all necessary dive gear with you? Tanks and weights, too?

robin

 

[lweatherall]

Yep, I'm bringing all my gear with me: tanks (2 AL 80s), weights, BC, regs, masks, fins, (3) wet suits (including a 7mm), computer, etc., etc..... I figured I'd might as well just bring it all because on the first part of my x-country trip I'm diving Bonne Terre Mine, when I get to the West Coast I'll be diving the Channel Islands out of Ventura and on the way back will be stopping off in Pensacola to dive the Oriskany.

Maybe what I'll do is just plan on hitting Santa Rosa on Friday afternoon and seeing if I can hook up with some folks for afternoon / evening dives on Friday and then just see who I can hook up with on Saturday. At any rate, I'm looking forward to a new (for me) site and meeting up with some NM/CO/AZ divers!

Larry Weatherall
lweatherall@cox.net

 

[Jasonmh]

The good news is that if you can get in the water on thursday or friday you should have terrific viz. I would be happy to dive with you, but i can't get off work on thurs/fri and I have to be at the airport in ABQ on sat, sorry! But most of the people there are quite nice and I hope you are able to join up with someone.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Hi Larry,

I just returned from NH/MA and figured out my schedule for the next couple of weeks. Looks like I can dive on 9/11 for sure and maybe Friday late afternoon and/or night. Night dives at the Blue Hole are very cool, a totally different place. I will PM you with personal contact info (phone / email). I live in Amarillo, about 2-1/2 hours east of Santa Rosa.

Just keep in mind, the Blue Hole is the best diving in the area, but that is compared to cold and murky lakes. So it is subjective and some divers are underwhelmed. You get out of it what you want.

 

[lweatherall]

10-4 on getting out of it what you want..... I'm definitely up for a night dive and am bringing my lights.

I've been in 2 ft. vis on wrecks off of VA in 55 degree water and in 100+ ft. vis on wrecks off of FL in 85 degree water and had a good diving experience on both. The Blue Hole is new to me and I'm going in with a VERY open mind. I'm pretty sure I'll have fun because breathing air underwater just kinda does that to me!

Thanks for the offer of buddying up and I'll be in touch on the details via email!

Larry Weatherall