Dahab's Blue Hole; The Arch

[vkalia]

My buddy and I did this and Canyon, back in 99 - we were very glad to have a DM with us, prceisely for the reason you stated - we wouldnt have found the arch as easily without him. Back then, it was norm to do it on air - and going by what I still hear, I am surprised that they dont let people dive it on air.

It isnt that terribly challenging a dive, to be honest, provided you have enough air and a decent bit of dive experience. But as you describe, it attracts the thrill-seekers and depth-gauge-watchers. I wasnt that impressed with the Blue Hole as a dive per se - I thought the Canyon was a much prettier dive, all in all (and we got 55 min of bottom dive on that dive, too ).

Vandit

 

[mania]

The dead guy in the video only appears to have a single tank.There might be a message in that.

This is a major problem I once wrote about. There are quite a lot of divers trying to do the arch with single 80 cf tank on air. Most of them are lucky but I would call it pure luck - nothing else. Few unfortunately are not lucky.

Another thing is that I do know instructors and DMs that take divers with such gear set up to the arch instead of refusing. Not always what client wants is the best for him, isn't it?
Mania

 

[Jai Bar]

Air is not such a bad choice for such depths, and some divers can really use a single 80cf tanks where others will consume doubles in exactly the same dive. I don't consider it wise because a diver should carry enough air also to share with a buddy in case of emergency- but it is possible.

Perhaps for most of them it is pure skill, and only for those who stayed there it was pure luck (bad luck, I assume, except for those who really wanted to stay there- and there are not a few who actually never wanted to return anyway. Some of the BH victims were sort of committing suicide).

As a fact, for decades many divers have dived the Blue Hole before Tri Mix was introduced, on air, with and without deco mixes. From deep diving risks point of view- the Blue Hole is not more dangerous than any other deep dive. It is solely a problem of bad divers who gave it the bad reputation- divers who went there drunk, drugged, without preparations whatsoever, suicide attemps etc. etc.

Using 80cf/Air is not the major cause for deaths there. At least if you consider that most of them wanted to cross the arch and not "one-way ticket" dives to depths of 80-100 meters.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Diver Magazine has a good article/map about a Blue Hole Survey & Exploration they ran a few years ago: http://www.divernet.com/travel/0602dahab.htm
And an Air Mix for anything below 25 meters is not prudent choice for breathing gas --at least in my experience: http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1579477&postcount=82

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Diver Magazine has a good article/map about a Blue Hole Survey & Exploration they ran a few years ago: http://www.divernet.com/travel/0602dahab.htm
And an Air Mix for anything below 25 meters is not prudent choice for breathing gas --at least in my experience: http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1579477&postcount=82

The article is dated June 2002 and it says that Dahab today is where Sharm was 15 years ago, i.e., on 1987. I don't think this is true. Never heard about that before!!!

 

[Lamnid]

That video was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. I am really quite obsessed with The Blue Hole and the myths surrounding it. When I was in Dahab and eagerly questioning people I got so much bogus data - depths ranging from 100m to 800m! This was a really informative video.

 

[swisstrav]

doing the blue hole with 12l tanks is certainly not the way to to it. but on 15l and a stage backup at 10 to 6m with 80 or 100% o2 is no big deal.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

doing the blue hole with 12l tanks is certainly not the way to to it. but on 15l and a stage backup at 10 to 6m with 80 or 100% o2 is no big deal.

I believe it's not a matter of gas consumption. Actually most of the people that died there had some gas left in their tanks.

 

[mart1]

We did it last januari on mix to 104 mtr, last march on air to 60 mtr.
Both times using 2x cubic 80, first time with 32% and 80% for deco, second time 50%.
Beautiful dives, both times.

maarten

 

[Bubble Junky]

55m on air, not unheard of - not that I'm recommending it - but being narced in a down current doesn't sound a good idea !!