Gilboa logistical questions

[pcarlson1911]

G-boa is easy to navigate as Ber mentioned. After four dives you will have it down pat. On my first trip I entered at 5 and was easily able to navigate around the sights and return to my entry. I was a horrific navigator at the time and wass responsible for many long surface swims at whitestar.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

G-boa is easy to navigate as Ber mentioned. After four dives you will have it down pat. On my first trip I entered at 5 and was easily able to navigate around the sights and return to my entry. I was a horrific navigator at the time and wass responsible for many long surface swims at whitestar.

Precisely the reason I make my advanced class do their navigation exercise at White Star, Gilboa so much easier to navigate that it takes the challenge out of the exercise Better be handy with a compass when you head to White Star
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Sideband]

I thought it was quite tiny. The one time I was there I saw everything on the shallow side on the first dive, then saw it all again on the way back to the platform. Repeat that process 2 more times and I was totally bored. We even skipped the next days diving, which we had already paid for, and drive the 6 hours home to go to Haigh. Aside from the camping area I can't think of anything I really liked about Gilboa. Might just be me though.

Joe

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I thought it was quite tiny. The one time I was there I saw everything on the shallow side on the first dive, then saw it all again on the way back to the platform. Repeat that process 2 more times and I was totally bored. We even skipped the next days diving, which we had already paid for, and drive the 6 hours home to go to Haigh. Aside from the camping area I can't think of anything I really liked about Gilboa. Might just be me though.

Joe

Interesting. Everyone is certainly welcome to their own opinion. Let me also say that I enjoy diving at Haigh a great deal. I actually have logged more dives at Haigh than at Gilboa. However, when speaking of the quarry itself, I'm not sure what Haigh offers that makes it better than Gilboa. Gilboa is deeper, has more "attractions" and can rival Haigh in terms of aquatic life. I do like the land part of Haigh better. The park-like setting, two covered platforms and a very nice entry "beach". I'm only puzzled because it seems that if you're board after a day at Gilboa, you'd also most certainly be board after a day at Haigh.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I thought it was quite tiny. The one time I was there I saw everything on the shallow side on the first dive, then saw it all again on the way back to the platform. Repeat that process 2 more times and I was totally bored. We even skipped the next days diving, which we had already paid for, and drive the 6 hours home to go to Haigh. Aside from the camping area I can't think of anything I really liked about Gilboa. Might just be me though.

Joe

It doesn't take all that long to see all the big attractions but finding the small stuff that's tucked away in the woods and other less-visited areas can be a source of amusement. Did you see the pink flamingo, manual lawnmower, broken lawnchair, deciduous tree decorated with Christmas lights, bowling ball, treasure chest, concrete goose, headless saint statue, gnome, skeleton, boat under the tail of the plane, 4 foot catfish, freshwater sponge, baby fish hiding from predators or any of the paddlefish? I've done a lot of dives at Gilboa but occasionally I come across something I'd never seen before
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Sideband]

I think Haigh could use a few more attractions as well but at Gilboa everything was so close together. Gilboa is deeper if you head down the road but depth isn't a big attractor for me. Down at the end of the road we hit 80'+ but there wasn't anything there. Like you said, it's a personal opinion. I don't get thrilled at Haigh either after 175+ dives there but there is some challenge in navigating from item to item.

Joe

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I think Haigh could use a few more attractions as well but at Gilboa everything was so close together. Gilboa is deeper if you head down the road but depth isn't a big attractor for me. Down at the end of the road we hit 80'+ but there wasn't anything there. Like you said, it's a personal opinion. I don't get thrilled at Haigh either after 175+ dives there but there is some challenge in navigating from item to item.

Joe

Amen to that! I agree 100%. I have been lost more than once, and I only have 10 dives total at Haigh! It really shouldn't be that hard to get to the LARK from the Flamingo, but allas, it sure can be! And I still haven't found the darn truck!

It actually is a neat challenge the way they give you compass bearings and not ropes. You raise a very valid point. It makes it much more like navigating in open water.

Sue ... the points Joe is raising should hopefully put your mind at ease a bit. There is so much in the shallow end at Gilboa and it is so close together, that with decent viz you can pretty much get by with nothing but natural navigation (look up, see it, swim to it and then swim back).

 

[cork2win]

LOL. Thanks guys... during the checkouts I don't remember seeing much other than the inside of my mask and maybe 5-10 feet in front of me. I guess you could probably attribute that to stress and nerves! I'm sure you're right, and worse case scenario we just surface, figure out where we are and try again!

 

[Sideband]

I didn't mean to turn anyone off of Gilboa but rereading it I kind of sounded that way. Gilboa is over 6 hours away from me so there has to be something really great to make it worth while. I'd imagine that if Haigh was 6 hours away and Gilboa was an hour away then I'd really like how close together every thing is and dislike having to navigate at Haigh. I did like the vis out there.

Joe

 

[crpntr133]

Kinda like comparing Natural Springs and Blue Springs for me. BS is deeper but doesn't have many fish. Nor do they have showers, pool, or a hot tub. Plus they charge $20, NS is $16 and that includes a air fill. Labor day weekend was my first visit to NS and we really enjoyed ourselves. The diving was ok but the facilities were great.

I am really looking forward to getting to dive Gilboa for teh first time in a couple weeks.