Headed to Blue Hole 6/7-6/8, tips?

[DivingDoll]

We are headed to Blue Hole this weekend and I would love any tips. It's kind-of spur of the moment, so I still need to call about a hotel and rental gear. I think we will dive on Monday morning (have to work Saturday, drive down Sunday, dive Monday). I keep seeng people dive on the weekend, and I can't find a dive schedule online, so I'm wondering if they are open during the week. Thanks for any help!

 

[DandyDon]

Good news: you should have the hole to yourselves Monday.
Bad news: you should have the hole to yourselves Monday. *

You may want to fill out the permit forms in advance Santa Rosa, New Mexico : City of Lakes to avoid any possible problems. I think the Visitors Center phone is 575-472-3763. You'll need to go by there first thing Monday to get your permits.

A quick glance at Sidestep.com shows the lowest hotel prices among the major properties as Travelodge @ $59, Super 8 @ $65, Best Western Adobe Inn @ $69 plus taxes, but I called Best Western Adobe Inn at 575-472-3446 and request the Scuba Diver discount. Nice hotel just on the other side of the freeway, nice family - well grandma and her kids, nice about allowing late checkout so you can shower before hitting the road.

If you want tanks, weights, and fills there, I'd call Stella to see if she can meet with you Sunday evening. She's a real sweetheart and I've never known her to say no. She is shy about tipping but will accept if you insist. She may have some gear, but well - I'd take my own or rent from my home shop. 575-472-3370

I hope all of those numbers are current; haven't been in a year I guess. Do you have dive lights? Nice to use in the depths but not needed. You do know that you are diving in 62-64 degree water to 84 ft at the grate at over 4599 feet altitude? You also have to cross Raton pass which peaks at 7834 feet I think. Other Colorado divers will probly advise you on that here before you go, but that is a 3,000 foot increase not to be rushed into too soon after diving.

* Since you'll be pretty much alone at the hole, you can't get help from other divers and it's good to think about emergency plans in case of an unlikely accident, as they do happen there. You'll drive by the hospital when you turn down to the hole, so it's close - but you're a nurse. It's a small town hospital and while they see scuba accidents all the time, keep DAN's number on your cell and don't hesitate in using it. 919-684-9111

Uh other ideas...

Start clearing your ears now, practice often, more on the trip down and the morning before the dives.

We take an cooler of very warm water and a plastic quart bottle to pour inside our suits before and/or after dives.

Take beverages; hydrate early and often.

Take chicken eggs to the bottom, break open and play catch with the yokes. The fish eat the insides and the crawdads eat the shells.

Stick a plastic soft drink bottle of air in your pocket, then check it at depth. Open it, refill it with air, put it back in your pocket, and check it at surface.

Use the lines to prevent fast descents and ascents, and the bars for long safety stops.​

Have a blast and post a report next week.

 

[fire_diver]

DD pretty much summed it all up. You should have the full amount of vis by Mon morning, so the diving should be great. Let us know how it goes!

 

[robint]

My recommendations:
Get your rental gear at your local dive shop, as well as tanks and wts to take them down with you. Stella has a regular job during the week and may not be available to fill your tanks, like she does on weekends.
Take a cooler full of food and drinks as there is nothing there... McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Subway, etc are about 1-3 mile drive back into town along the main road.
Take folding chairs to sit in and a tarp to lay out on ground to keep gear clean and annoy Don if he comes over.

robin

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

For you first dive, discuss appropriate depth limits with your buddy. If you are comfortable at 80' great. If not, you can stay in the elevated areas of the bottom (60-70') or choose to wall dive at a shallower depth. Having a plan in place on your first dive is a safety consideration. Don's suggestion about using one the the 2 lines anchoring the dive platforms to stabilize you in case your buoyancy control is imperfect is also a good idea.

One option you might have with Stella is to pick up a couple of tanks per diver on Sunday afternoon / evening and return on Monday evening after you are done. Call her and ask, she is a doll (pun intended, can't help myself). Another option is she might be able to swing by at lunch for a refill if you call in advance.

 

[DandyDon]

My recommendations:

Good ones! And you go there a lot more than I do so you would be more in tune.

Get your rental gear at your local dive shop, as well as tanks and wts to take them down with you. Stella has a regular job during the week and may not be available to fill your tanks, like she does on weekends.

Yeah, I failed to explain why you'd want to get tanks from Stella Sunday evening, or to get enough for all of your dives if you do. She's such a sweetie that she might try to get back and refill for you but then may not be able to? She's so trusting about letting divers take her tanks away, to Perch lake, overnight, etc. but I bet most are nice to her as well. You could bring your own rental tanks with you as suggested there, if you have the room and horsepower.

Take a cooler full of food and drinks as there is nothing there... McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Subway, etc are about 1-3 mile drive back into town along the main road.
Take folding chairs to sit in and a tarp to lay out on ground to keep gear clean and annoy Don if he comes over.

robin

It's amazing how diving works up an appetite. We take sandwiches made the day before, but many do take a lot more food. Good suggestion as it's a pain to change clothes, load up all gear, go to lunch, then come back and unload and change again if you don't get all of your diving done by lunch.

I did forget the chairs and tarp idea, altho always in our plan. We park in the middle of the lot, gear on pickup, tarp to keep the ground from turning to mud, but even tho you'll be able to park at the edge of the cement walk - the tarp would still help keep things clean. Walmart and hardware stores sell nice ones cheaply.

I think you want to try to plan on late checkout and a shower after diving followed by a lunch break. It's tempting to want to hit the road as soon as over, but I think that Colorado divers usually like a couple of hours before starting the trip that takes you over the high pass. It takes a while to hit the top, but not a long while.

 

[ToddK]

I agree with everything said. Definitely have all your gear with you, don't count on being able to rent at the Blue Hole, and don't count on them being open for air fills on a Monday. Tarp & chairs are a good idea for relaxing. Like Dandy Don said, get the dive permit.

Definitely take into account the altitude. I assume that you were certified at Blue Hole, so you know about the altitude concerns? I really like diving Nitrox to offset the altitude effects. I typically plan on eating lunch, getting gas, etc, prior to starting the drive back. If you can plan to have 1-2 hours at Blue Hole prior to hitting the road, it helps with offgassing before climbing back to the higher elevation of Clines Corner. Have fun. -Todd.

 

[robint]

I completely forgot about the altitude issues! I think the OP got certified over in Utah. Right?

Blue Hole is at 4,500' approx. so you have to figure your dives for that altitude. I have a table that I use, which rounds up the numbers, plus I set my dive computer to altitude 1 (Suunto). If you are not aware of altitude diving, then you need to discuss it with your dive shop in CO. Also, before you make the drive back home to CO, make sure you spend a couple of hours off-gassing to prevent issues crossing the NM/CO border pass which is over 7,000' altitude.

robin

 

[DandyDon]

I completely forgot about the altitude issues! I think the OP got certified over in Utah. Right?

Blue Hole is at 4,500' approx. so you have to figure your dives for that altitude. I have a table that I use, which rounds up the numbers, plus I set my dive computer to altitude 1 (Suunto). If you are not aware of altitude diving, then you need to discuss it with your dive shop in CO. Also, before you make the drive back home to CO, make sure you spend a couple of hours off-gassing to prevent issues crossing the NM/CO border pass which is over 7,000' altitude.

robin

I don't know where she certified but I had looked up the stats for my first post here. I think you have to allow for 7087 feet at Clines Corner but the trip north takes you a little higher even.

...at over 4599 feet altitude? You also have to cross Raton pass which peaks at 7834 feet I think. Other Colorado divers will probly advise you on that here before you go, but that is a 3,000 foot increase not to be rushed into too soon after diving.

I use a computer that reads the altitude automatically + 1,000 feet. Tables divers would want to round up to 5,000 - or maybe adjust the actual depth by a 20% add-on.

 

[BigBubbaJ]

Use the lines to prevent fast descents and ascents, and the bars for long safety stops.​

.

All the rest was solid advice, But that is probably just me choking on my kool-aid.