I agree with GrumpyOldGuy. He is just about spot on.
I will tell you - I am the adventurous type. I went to go dive Blue Hole (from D/FW) about 2 years ago. I am glad I did it because I can say that I have been there/ done it. They were framing the dive center building while I was there.
Would I dive Blue Hole again? Yes.
Will I go out of my way to get there? Probably not.
It is an interesting one time dive; but it ain't that special. As described, construct a ginormous clock tower bell (liberty) and fill it with water (ignore gravity -- fill the bell with water in an inverse gravity process). It is kind of interesting at the surface with very limited entry points. At the bottom, the bell mouth opens out. Depth is approx. 85 ft. as reported. Entry to cave system is there. You will not be able to weld/burn your way through the gate with an acetylene torch. That is by design. It is good for one dive. No more. I did one complete dive in about 45 minutes and packed all my gear in. Then, I headed for the VLA Very Large Array to play space / New Mexico tourist.
Winter is the best time to dive Blue Hole because you don't have to deal with OW classes. Last time I was there, you had to travel to Santa Rosa city hall to obtain a dive permit for $8. Go figure. I think they have a dive center on site now. Hope this helps.
It's a tiny town and details will vary. We print out and complete the permit forms and if someone is there to take our money, we pay; if not, we don't. One cop at the hole once told me that would be fine with him; if no one is there to accept money, no worries - but no guarantees. I've only been there on weekends tho, and there is often someone there Saturday until noon. Weekdays, they might get more into enforcement while the town officials are on the clock.
It's 3 hours from my house and ok for practice, but nothing to look forward to imo. Do try to not stir up the mud on the bottom. I always call ahead to make sure Stella will be around for tanks and fills even tho she almost always is weekends, and she will meet you there anytime. PM me for phone number if you want it.
It is a spring fed volcanic vent btw, featured in
The Grapes of Wrath book and movie as travelers have been stopping there for water since before motels. I do not know how far alone the dive center is; sometimes the restrooms are clean. On weekends, some big shops like to lay out their tarps at the edge of the parking lot taking up the width of several cars and pretend it's their property. We gear up at the pickup in the second row and walk thru.
There's usually a gathering being planned on the Rocky Mountain forum, and much more info there. There is not a lot more of tourist appeal in that part of the state for my taste. We'll dive it once this summer before going to Coz, and I may stop for a dive on Oct 9 on the way back from the giant balloon fiesta in Albuquerque. Lots of hotel options; I like the Best Western Adobe just across the freeway, not far at all in actual driving around the town lake, and they give diver discounts on request.
