Some Blue Hole Impressions

[Downing]

I don't think I said others shouldn't go. *** I'm merely expressing my opinion.

Right. Which is why I said there's plenty of room for all points of view. I certainly didn't mean to imply that you were wrong or that you were saying others shouldn't go. You looked at the photos and thought, "Pass." I looked at them and thought, "Go."

It's kind of like arguing comfort. My wife is cold in 80 degree water. I'm hot. We're both right. And neither of us is wrong.

Regarding Half Moon Caye, it's a place like no other I've ever been. I feel like I'm at the edge of the world when I hang out there.

 

[Saltyhawg]

I enjoyed the dive even though I'm usually all about the critters. It was surreal looking and a unique dive. I think I would do it again especially if I could use a 100cf tank. I just looked at my log 141' maximum depth, average 75', 33 minute dive. It would have been nice to spend a little more time at the stalactites.

Half Moon Wall and Aquarium (our other two sites on the trip) would have been worth the boat ride by themselves.

 

[kumimonster]

Thanks for this tread. I think I might have to sign up for this dive when I get there in July.
If not for the popularly named site, then for the popular pretty half moon site!

 

[Stoo]

The worst thing about a dive in The Hole (IMHO) is that many of the people diving it are woefully under-prepared to do the dive. Many are overweighted for the depth and less saline water in the hole. The typical dive profile is designed to avoid deco (rightfully so) so the entire dive is a rush, with a bunch of very nervous divers (in many cases... ). The visibility gets lousy from stuff falling from the "ceiling"...

Apart from that, it's kind of an interesting geological dive. I just choose to do it differently. Three or four people, stage bottles, deco... ;-)

 

[The Laconic]

Your photos reflect my memories very well. Which I sincerely mean as a compliment to your photos, and not necessarily to The Hole itself...

We dove the Blue Hole (using EAN 24)

Wait a minute though. Serious question: what on earth is the point of EAN 24?

 

[Stoo]

Wait a minute though. Serious question: what on earth is the point of EAN 24?

Increased revenue for the operator, 'cause that extra 3% isn't going to help much... ;-)

 

[drrich2]

To give us a good MOD, and that little extra bottom time option. I didn't pick the mix, and yeah, it's not far from air, but that's what I recall being told we were using. I don't know off-hand just how much added NDL at, oh, say, 130 feet, one would get from it.

Richard.

P.S.: Nitrox was a flat-rate charge to use on the live-aboard trip, so no extra expense.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

Thanks. You've confirmed my impression that the Blue Hole in Belize is a "don't bother" dive.

Same here. Terrifically uninteresting. My thanks to the OP for reaffirming!

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Congrats on your first liveaboard. I am extremely intrigued by the Blue Hole and if I ever go to Belize then I would not like to come back without doing it. I totally get your point that it is once in a lifetime trip rather than something you would like to do over and over again but for anyone who appreciates geology, this is a fascinating dive site.

 

[The Laconic]

To give us a good MOD, and that little extra bottom time option. I didn't pick the mix, and yeah, it's not far from air, but that's what I recall being told we were using. I don't know off-hand just how much added NDL at, oh, say, 130 feet, one would get from it.

Richard.

P.S.: Nitrox was a flat-rate charge to use on the live-aboard trip, so no extra expense.

I ran some stuff through MultiDeco just for practice. This isn't my bag (yet), but the closest equivalent "no-deco" dives I could come up with gave 16 minutes with air vs. 20 minutes with EAN 24. I guess that's nothing to sneeze at, to be fair? I'm surprised.

MultiDeco 4.10 by Ross Hemingway,
VPM code by Erik C. Baker.

Decompression model: VPM - B

DIVE PLAN
Surface interval = 1 day 0 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0m
Conservatism = Nominal

Dec to 30m (1) Air 18m/min descent.
Level 30m 14:20 (16) Air 0.84 ppO2, 30m ead
Asc to 3m (19) Air -8m/min ascent.
Stop at 3m 0:38 (20) Air 0.27 ppO2, 3m ead
Surface (20) Air -6m/min ascent.

...

DIVE PLAN
Surface interval = 1 day 0 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0m
Conservatism = Nominal

Dec to 30m (1) Nitrox 24 18m/min descent.
Level 30m 18:20 (20) Nitrox 24 0.95 ppO2, 28m ead
Asc to 3m (23) Nitrox 24 -8m/min ascent.
Stop at 3m 0:38 (24) Nitrox 24 0.31 ppO2, 3m ead
Surface (24) Nitrox 24 -6m/min ascent.