Scuba Snopes

[Rhone Man]

Cousteau:
Dynamite + Belize = Blue Hole

I thought this one was true, until a few minutes ago. Not that he created the blue hole with dynamite, as Doc's equality might suggest, but that he gained access for the Calypso by dynamiting the surrounding coral. Based on a couple of minutes of googling, I still think it might be true (unsubstantiated, they say), but now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing any obvious sign of it at the Blue Hole, at either mooring. Does anybody know?

It wouldn't surprise me, given some of the other things he did (dynamite fish survey, shark revenge killings etc)

I understand that the Cousteau expedition had previously admitted using dynamite on reefs in Belize, but refused to confirm or deny whether it was used in or around the Blue Hole. My best guess is: elements of truth, but probably exaggerated.

Curiously, when I was in Truk Lagoon the captain of the Odyssey hinted darkly that Cousteau still had a very bad reputation in Truk from the time he raided all the old wrecks, but he refused to elaborate on why it was still felt keenly.

Personally, I always thought Cousteau was a bit of a prick (not simply because he is French, but that clearly doesn't help). But I can't swear to the truth of the various rumours.

 

[goflyplanes]

I understand that the Cousteau expedition had previously admitted using dynamite on reefs in Belize, but refused to confirm or deny whether it was used in or around the Blue Hole. My best guess is: elements of truth, but probably exaggerated.

Curiously, when I was in Truk Lagoon the captain of the Odyssey hinted darkly that Cousteau still had a very bad reputation in Truk from the time he raided all the old wrecks, but he refused to elaborate on why it was still felt keenly.

Personally, I always thought Cousteau was a bit of a prick (not simply because he is French, but that clearly doesn't help). But I can't swear to the truth of the various rumours.

I believe it. I just got back from Sudan where Precontinent is located (cool dive btw) and the main site is on the outer reef and the moorings are all on the inner reef. Basically Cousteau dropped dynamite and blew 2 giant channels into the inner reef so his vessel could moor inside the reef. The reefs are just now starting to return to their natural state. It's sad really and I totally agree with the sentiment that hes a jerk all things considered...

 

[knotical]

https://www.msu.edu/user/manns/myths.html

Of these, I often hear #18 (losing most of your heat from your head)
and #27/28 (Gatorade dehydrates)
also 33, 32, 3, …

 

[tridacna]

Okay, you bet. The Moray with the strongest jaw ever noted in the species.

I'm thinking industrial accident with a good story inserted. Mythbusters did get a story idea on this.

There's already been another thread on this, so I won't bother, but the "whole thing smelled fishy" from the camera handling on down.

I was the person who submitted the idea to Mythbusters.

I did eventually get a response from the show to say that the story was CONFIRMED. According to them, after reseach, the incident mentioned was true and that there is no question that a Moray eel has the strength to remove a digit from a diver.

This one is CONFIRMED.

 

[Doc]

I was the person who submitted the idea to Mythbusters.

This one is CONFIRMED.

Post that email, will you? I didn't know they made pronouncements on simple submissions.

 

[DaleC]

That Cousteau was a jerk.

 

[Ste Wart]

Also heard, all divemasters will deliberately overweight you for their convenience.

*cough*

*shuffle* :blush:

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• When Cave/technical diving buckles will spontaneously fail
• Exercising before or after diving will give you the bends
• When carrying doubles weight belts will automatically fall off ... and kill you
• All OOA fatalities occur because you did not practice gas management, but did NOT have anything to do with the fact you didn't check your gauge.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Maintaining neutral buoyancy and reasonable trim is a terribly hard skill. People take years and several courses trying to figure out all the nuances involved. Few people actually master it. However, spearfishing with tanks is incredibly easy; no harder than shooting fish in a barrel.

 

[Rhone Man]

I'll tell you one that the cave divers all swear to me is true, but I just have the hardest time believing.

- You can turn off the gas supply on the left post of your twinset by repeatedly bumping the valve against the roof of the cave and/or rubbing it along the descent line/guideline.

Hey, if you say so, but I tried turn off the valve on a tank once using only a length of rope which I held straight and "stroked" against the valve, and I found it extremely hard, and no way I was going to keep going long enough to do three a half revolutions...

 

[PfcAJ]

I'll tell you one that the cave divers all swear to me is true, but I just have the hardest time believing.

- You can turn off the gas supply on the left post of your twinset by repeatedly bumping the valve against the roof of the cave and/or rubbing it along the descent line/guideline.

Hey, if you say so, but I tried turn off the valve on a tank once using only a length of rope which I held straight and "stroked" against the valve, and I found it extremely hard, and no way I was going to keep going long enough to do three a half revolutions...

I've done it. Its a real thing.