Input Needed for Blue Hole Improvements

[DandyDon]

Well, they will have a gate for emergencies. When their grand scheme fails, we can by pass the building. I hate to think what they'll stick in the building at that times tho....?

 

[roakey]

I can't shake this image of me walking through an isle of display cases wearing double 104s. "Bull in a china shop" comes to mind.*

Roak

*Despite "Mythbusters" busting the phrase

 

[DandyDon]

Haha, Mythbusters bull was too polite. In the real world. bulls will take the short distance thru the China. But I'm getting off point, sorry....

 

[georoc01]

Some interesting things I read:

Only 100 parking places for 500 seat conference facility (5 people/car) plus the divers??

Dive shop sales of over $100K to start. Rentals over $50K to start (that's 10K tanks!).
Plus Instruction (mandatory) of $31K.

They state that manager/Instructor will be paid $48K but that comes out of the above income - not in addition to.

I just don't see the Blue Hole becoming a profitable LDS.

I don't I could haul all my gear in through the building all at once....not with 3-4 tanks. They will need some provisions for making several trips, and HUGE lockers to hold all that gear while I'm making those trips.

Some of this sounds good on paper, but I'm not sure they have actually looked at getting divers (especially beginner students) into and out of the building with all their gear and tanks (most LDS bring their own tanks, even if it's only one or two per student and have Stella fill them, or fill them themselves). And I shudder at the thought of mandatory tank rental. Will they have double setups? Tanks with din valves and manifolds?

It would be great to have the opportunity to try out new gear in a "real" dive environment, but I'm not sure I want to flip the bill for that.




To what are you referring? I've heard lots of rumors, but after I have investigated them, they turned out to be unfounded or abandonded for lack of siginificant water flow, capital expence or some other reason. Can you enlighten us?

There are always other options..I did my OW dives over at the Crater, and if they raise prices to be more than what the Crater charges, I'd be leaning over there, given its proxmity to Park City, and to the field offices I occasionally have to visit in Wyoming and Utah. My LDS, A1 scuba, splits their OW classes between those two sites, in addition to the local ones at Chatfield during the summer.

 

[RonFrank]

1) ....a daily rate of $20.00....

2) I am surprised at the projected number of divers averaging 200 + a week.

3) as NON RESIDENT spectators will also be charged.

1) It's not possible to determine if the rate is per day, or per time period (like the entire weekend).

2) I don't think I've EVER seen 200 divers at the BH. Maybe they are projected based on their wonderful new building. If they are saying that is an AVERAGE that is crap. I've been there on weekends during the winter where our group was alone (maybe 6~8 divers). I'd say most weekends it would be in the 75~100 range, with a lot of weekends being much less.

3) Charging Non-resident spectators anything but a VERY nominal fee is IMO foolish.

I'm not sure where SantaRosa came up with the numbers, but I HOPE they don't actually believe in them. Unless when I'm not there traffic doubles, 100 divers would be a GOOD weekend. No wonder they think they are missing so much revenue.

I'd bet that over 90% of the divers there are though an LDS for training. The LDS's have an agreement with Santa Rosa, and they collect, and pay per student. That money is collected by the instructors, or LDS, and I assume submitted directly to Santa Rosa if there is no one there to collect.

 

[DandyDon]

I did not mean to suggest censure, more of a voluntary housecleaning to get back on topic - perhaps a bad idea, sorry - never mind please.

They used to allow diving beyond the now gated throat for those crazy enough and/or qualified but I think some deaths were inevitable. I know one rumor that a body lost there turned up at the big lake some miles away but I doubt it true. There was talk with the new, staffed program of allowing qualified cave divers below, but it's been a long time since I heard anything.

 

[diversteve]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

I've split off the non Blue Hole future dive sites discussion into it's own thread for further discussion: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/rocky-mountain-oysters/248025-future-colorado-dive-sites.html

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[RonFrank]

I don't think they used to *allow* diving into the abyss!

Unfortunately, some decided to do it as it was not closed off, and there were several deaths. They put a grate over the opening in the 70's.

They are considering opening it up for those that have the certifications, and skills to do cave diving. They said something about a key, and lock situation, but I'm not sure they have thought that through. If you open the grate from the outside, then you must leave it open during the dive. Locking it while divers are down there IMO is a recipe for disaster.

I think they either need to just leave it open, and attempt to inform everyone NOT to go down there without proper skills and training, or keep it closed.

I guess another option is to man the gate, but that has some serious pitfalls as well.

Yet another in a long string of things that needs to have more thought behind it. The recommendation as it stands is dangerous, and will result in deaths. Locking divers in is a horrible idea. One lost key, and say goodby!

 

[georoc01]

I think the only way to do it is once Blue Hole was fenced off, would be to allow it by appointment on days where the hole is closed to general diving.

You would really want to leave the grate open during any dive down there.

 

[robint]

I have been to Blue Hole when there were over 200 divers, but it is not the average. I would say that the average is more like 100 divers on Saturdays with less on Fri and Sun.

I have also been there in winter time when there were less than a dozen people on Saturday. One winter in 2007 we (3 of us) were the only divers all weekend. But I think that would change with a new building - more people would come if there was a place to get warm between dives.

Price thing - wow! If they do raise the price to $20 per day, I don't think regular divers will come over as often, only certification classes. I like my $25 annual pass and get my money's worth from it. Will I come back if they bump the price up to say $100? I don't know. I'd rather go to Calif to dive.

robin