Forced descent in Blue Hole

[Christi]

Now see, I would be more scared of a newer diver diving with an extra tank strapped on Can you imagine them getting off the boat :rofl:

Or not knowing how to dive with multiple gasses? Realizing at 140 that they are OOA, and switch to their 40% bottle? Disaster!

 

[fairybasslet]

These dives take place every day of the year. If Murphy never sleeps, what does this say?
I recognize the potential for disaster on these dives and I cringe when I hear the stories, but I'm baffled by the rarity of casulties. Any ideas? (10 words or less... )

The divers are scared ****less and do exactly what the DM says and stay real close.

 

[Darnold9999]

Forced equalization certainly isn't good and a reverse block on the way up might be a possibility. Though, having to descend "slow" to equalize or getting temporarily blocked because one gets behind on equalizing (can happen espeially if you're not used to making fast descents and having to go up a little to equalize isn't necessarily an indication that you have a reverse block to look forward to on the way up.

All that said, I suppose a reverse block is always a remote possibility and you'd best have some extra gas and time to deal with it. Most of the reverse blocks that I've seen were associated with divers diving with congestion.

Interesting, my personal experience is that if I have trouble going down I better be prepared for trouble coming back up. However, the only time I have trouble going down is if I am congested in some way so that is in line with your greater experience.

I guess this goes with IMHO that this is an advanced dive exceeding rec limits. While they will take anyone, and the conditions are about as benign as possible (no current, good vis, lots of staged air) it is still an advanced dive and hearing that you should return to the boat if you have problems shouldn't be a surprise to anyone considering it. Pretty much common sense on a deep dive. If something delays you getting to the target depth you need to evaluate that delay's impact on your gas supply and act accordingly. A short delay to equalize at 10 feet no problem, the same delay at 100 feet the dive to 140 is probably out of the question an a single AL80.

Personally I don't think I would bother. Three hours on a boat for 8 minutes of bottom time??? Better be something really special to see in those 8 minutes. Not just a t-shirt or log entry that says "I dived the Blue Hole" which seems to be the main attraction.

 

[MikeFerrara]

This is common practice in the West Palm area, where currents are very strong and drift diving is the primary type of diving. For safety reason it is important for the group to stay together. When the currents are ripping it is also important that no time is wasted descending ... especially when trying to hit a stationary object like a wreck. A few wasted seconds could mean getting blown off the site.

I haven't had the chance to dive there but the big boys on the east coast of florida typically do their wreck diving from a "live" boat. They begin their descent up current, try to hit the wreck and then do their ascent/decompression while drifing in OW under their bag. I don't think it's all that uncommon to miss the wreck for one reason or another whether because of a too slow descent or just micalculating the current. Since you're planning a drifing ascent anyway it isn't a big deal. For lots of reasons, I think this is the best way to do a dive in current and any one who has done a "flag dive", especially a long one, would know what I mean.

The group that needs to stay together is the buddy team. Trying to do it as a pack seems like the worst kind if sillyness. Two or three to a team...maybe some teams hit the wreck and others don't...no biggie. The key differences here are that none of the teams are relying on a single DM to hold their hand and they are all carrying the equipment, gas and skills that they need to complete their own dive.

 

[1RUSTYRIG]

An indication that they expect to be taking divers who don't have the skills or equipment for the dive at hand...especially the platform.

First of all, the platform, with tanks attached, submerged beneath the boat is straight out of the PADI AOW book. Secondly, how many dive operators do you know of that issue pony bottles with their rental gear?

Having a submerged reference point w/ extra air isn't an indication of them taking divers without experience or equipment, it is being prepared.

...In open water you carry everything that can reasonably forsee needing. When a dive goes wrong it very often means surfacing away from the boat. In that case you're on your own. If there's deco to do it'll be done in open water possibly with no reference at all and the boat crew won't even know where you are unless you can shoot a bag. That's what you need to be prepared for. Anything less is total foolishness, IMO.

Have you ever dived the Blue Hole? If it wasn't for one section of missing reef it be like diving a really cool quarry. The are reference points galore and even if you surface away from the boat you are in a confined area with no wave action and a short surface swim back to your vessel.

 

[1RUSTYRIG]

Personally I don't think I would bother. Three hours on a boat for 8 minutes of bottom time??? Better be something really special to see in those 8 minutes. Not just a t-shirt or log entry that says "I dived the Blue Hole" which seems to be the main attraction.

The Blue Hole is cool but it is the two dives (and if you are with Amigos Del Mar, the lunch) after that are a homerun.

 

[cerich]

Have you ever dived the Blue Hole? If it wasn't for one section of missing reef it be like diving a really cool quarry. The are reference points galore and even if you surface away from the boat you are in a confined area with no wave action and a short surface swim back to your vessel.

Yes

Hard for a new diver with all of 10 dives under their belt to enjoy the view or swim anywhere on the surface after they ran out of air and bolted from 100+ feet after chasing the divemaster like a lemming over the wall because "this is how they do it" and "we have extra bottle hanging under the boat, just like in every (recreational)agencies manual"

You know hardly anybody uses turn signals on the highway anymore. How would you feel if your teenage daughter was taught "don't bother, everybody doesn't use them anyhow" in driver training?

Best,

Chris

 

[JeffG]

I cringe when I hear the stories, but I'm baffled by the rarity of casulties. Any ideas? (10 words or less... )

Blown out of proportion with reality (6...hows that)

 

[MikeFerrara]

These dives take place every day of the year. If Murphy never sleeps, what does this say?
I recognize the potential for disaster on these dives and I cringe when I hear the stories, but I'm baffled by the rarity of casulties. Any ideas? (10 words or less... )

LOL, of course I have ideas but I don't know if I can do it in 10 words or less.

the reality is that we can do some pretty messed up dives and we'll usually survive it. Additionally, the charters that conduct these dives on a regular basis have done it enough that they can usually babysit everyone through it and get them all back...though I hear of a lot of cases where it's too close for my tasts. In other words the dive op has planned and worked out the dive for you so it's a trust me dive that usually doesn't kill anyone. The DM is doing the diving and the tourists are just along for the ride. As long as the tourist doesn't mess up too badly the DM will complete the dive as planned. When some of these divers get hurt is when they go home and think they are able to do a 130 ft dive in their local quarry on their own because they pulled one off in the tropics. That's where I got all my experience directing traffic for ambulances.

 

[Damselfish]

I'm glad your pre-trip ear problems cleared up enough for diving. At least you got to do your hole, lunch with the boobies, and make a couple of neat dives after lunch in the area, if the trip went as they usually do.

I think she said, she didn't go...she was talking about what she heard other folks that did, if I read it correctly.