How do I dive the blue hole?

[SeaHound]

I am interested in traveling to Belize and diving the blue hole. Can anyone please refer me to dive operators who are doing this dive?

If anyone has dove the blue hole, I would love to hear from you guys!

 

[peterbj7]

Quite a few operators go there, from different part of the country. You really need to say where you will be staying. On the northern cayes (Ambergris & Caulker) you have a choice of 5 or 6, Belize City I'm not sure but I expect there'd be 2, and isolated spots further south - I don't know whether hamanasi at Hopkins go but I'd expect it; I know that Thatch Caye do. By the time you get to Placencia you're going to have a pretty long journey. Probably the closest single departure point is Caye Caulker.

 

[SeaHound]

I am in the very initial phase of planning a trip so I can plan it in such a way that Blue Hole would be most convenient! Where should I be staying so that I am closest?

 

[Wayfarer2]

I have been to Ambergris 3 times and am headed back for new years 2010. On my last trip I finally went out to the blue hole with Amigos del Mar, They are a great operation that I usually dive with and their boat for the Blue Hole trips is brand new and really comfortable. The trip out will take about 3 hours and the Blue Hole is the first dive. It is an interesting dive but the next two on light house reef are way better. They provide lunch, water and sodas on the trip and have some cut up fruit first thing in the morning and after the dives. Be prepared for a long day, 6am departure and about 5:30pm return.

 

[Thatch Caye Belize]

Thatch gets out to the Blue Hole in about two and a half hours and provides lunch, free sodas, fruit, and pays all park entrance fees. Caye Caulker is about the same time frame to get there. The fastest we ever got out there on a dead calm day was one hour and fifteen minutes but that was very unusual. We usually get back in an hour and a half though.

Ecologic and Amigos Del Mar and Aquadives all do it from San Pedro. Frenchys probably does it from Caye Caulker.

Certainly the best dives out at Lighthouse are nowhere near the Blue Hole. It is practically a given that you will enjoy your other dives much more than your Blue Hole one unless you are very interested in stalactites and seeing a few sharks. I have had many many people tell me that they would have preferred to have done an extra dive out at Lighthouse other than the Blue Hole after seeing how spectacular the other dives were. But if it is on the must do list, then the Hole can be a pleasant enough dive and is certainly different than your normal Caribbean dive.

Many dive ops that are insured by the recomended insurance company of PADI want you to be Advanced OW certified to do the deeper 130 feet dive but some ops just ignore that and hope you dont do something stupid at those depths. Nitrogen narcosis is common on that dive but divemasters are generally very vigilant of people who they think may have problems.

 

[Qnape]

One more option are the small resorts on Turneffe atoll. Turneffe flats and Turneffe Island Resort both do the Blue Hole; I'll be staying at TIR 8/15 to 8/22. TIR makes the trip to Lighthouse reef on Tuesdays, weather permitting. The rest of the dives at TIR are nearby, including the Elbow and other sites at the southern end of Turneffe atoll. We can't wait! Everyone seems to agree that the remaining dive sites at Lighthouse Atoll are better dives than the Blue Hole; but most seem to agree it is a worthwhile dive once. Many that return to the area seem to like to make the trip out to Lighthouse for the other dives, and snorkel at the Blue Hole.

 

[SeaHound]

Thanks so much for all the info guys. It will help me plan this better. I really appreciate it.

 

[Downing]

Certainly the most convenient in terms of being closest to the Blue Hole would be one of the resorts on the Turneffe atoll: Turneffe Island Resort, Blackbird Caye or Turneffe Flats. It would cut down on the boat ride considerably as the ride to/from the BH would be about an hour. But a stay at one of those would be very different from staying on Ambergris Caye so much would depend on what you're looking for in a vacation.

We stayed for two weeks at TIR (then "Turneffe Island Lodge") last year, loved it and will definitely go back soon. So we did the Blue Hole twice since it's a weekly trip for the resort. The BH's a unique dive but not one I would want to do again if it meant hours and hours on a boat. As already noted, the other dives in that area are fantastic and well worth the trip.

 

[kmcneer]

dove Blue hole yesterday and loved the whole trip. it is all unique and would go again tomorrow if i could even though my back is killing me from the ride out on the little boat. i didnt think it was too bad a ride out from Caye Caulker but everyone has their own ideas of a good time.

 

[peterbj7]

Who did you go with? There are several large boats that make that trip, surprised you chose a small one.