Thinking about diving the BH - 1st timers

[H2ODoc]

Depending on your Size, I'd be happy to loan you a bare 7mm suit.

THANKS! That's awesome of you , BBJ!

You do realize, that I have UUWWW? (Uncontrollable Urination When Wearing a Wetsuit). I guess I'll have to fix that situation for the relative small confines of the BH. 3000 gpm upflow sounds like a lot, but I sure wouldn't want a pee machine below me at the BH.

My wife has the opposite: NATUWWW (No Ability To Urinate While Wearing a Wetsuit). Not sure what her problem is.

But seriously, thanks - that's a generous offer!

 

[robint]

there is an elevation gain due to some mountain hills that you travel across. Our rule of thumb is to stay at BH for at least an hour or so after you last dive before starting the drive out of town. Stopping in Santa Fe for a few hours to off-gass is good before heading through the Mt pass at the Co/NM border.

There is an $8 fee for weekend diving at BH, you can print out the form and have it ready with the cash Saturday when you arrrive. The clerk to collect the money may or may not show up, but have it ready just in case.
Stella rents tanks and wts and also does the fills, but she isn't always there every weekend. Check back here the week before you go to see if arrangements have been made from another group. We usually take 1-2 tank each so we can dive whether she shows or not.

As far as wetsuits go... I would rent there in town and bring them with you. Also, gloves and hoods are really nice. Coming in Feb/Mar means weather could range from 70s to 20s, no way to predict but the big issue is spring winds which chill you to the bone as soon as you get out of the water. Be prepared with warm sweats and hats and gloves, several layers of clothing, to change into immediately after getting out of water. We also like to bring along a big thermos of hot coffee/tea to drink right after a dive. You can get it filled at the McDonald's on the main road less than a mile away. Also, you can send someone to McD's to get hot food between dives which helps. There is no shade or seating at BH, so take folding chairs.

We may be over at least one weekend in that timeframe... gotta get some underwater time before our trip to Bonaire.

this video can give you an idea of what it is like in mid-summer there... you can see topside the facilities also:
[vimeo]5829074[/vimeo]

robin

 

[BigBubbaJ]

THANKS! That's awesome of you , BBJ!

You do realize, that I have UUWWW? (Uncontrollable Urination When Wearing a Wetsuit). I guess I'll have to fix that situation for the relative small confines of the BH. 3000 gpm upflow sounds like a lot, but I sure wouldn't want a pee machine below me at the BH.

My wife has the opposite: NATUWWW (No Ability To Urinate While Wearing a Wetsuit). Not sure what her problem is.

But seriously, thanks - that's a generous offer!

No worries. I think RonFrank peed in it already a year or so ago when he tore a neck seal and needed to borrow it on a prior blue hole trip.

 

[RonFrank]

No worries. I think RonFrank peed in it already a year or so ago when he tore a neck seal and needed to borrow it on a prior blue hole trip.

Unlikely. It did not fit well (to big), and I was so cold I believe my pipes were frozen!

 

[Divedoggie]

Unlikely. It did not fit well (to big), and I was so cold I believe my pipes were frozen!

That'd be too big.:gp:

Keeping that warm pee inside your body keeps you warmer than letting it go!

So teacher is going through the alphabet and having her students stand up and give an example of a word which starts with the corresponding letter. She keeps passing over dirty Johnny because she knows he's going to say something bad.
Finally she gets to the letter "U" and has asked everyone in class, so she finally asks Johnny,
"Give me an example of a word starting with the letter U and then use it in a sentence."
Johnny thinks for a moment and then stands up and says, "Urinate."
I guess it could be worse, the teacher thinks as she asks him to use it in a sentence.

Johnny looks deep into teacher's eyes and says, "Urinate teach, and if yer tits were bigger you'd be a 10."

 

[H2ODoc]

No worries. I think RonFrank peed in it already a year or so ago when he tore a neck seal and needed to borrow it on a prior blue hole trip.

Maybe I'll suffer it out with my shorty. My pee? Sure. I'll bathe in it. Somebody else's pee? Toxic. :shocked2:

Tons 'o great info here. Hot tea. McDonald's. My wife says she'd like to go and try it out. Should be fun. Are there any trees at the BH that I can chain my kids to while we are diving?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Maybe I'll suffer it out with my shorty. My pee? Sure. I'll bathe in it. Somebody else's pee? Toxic. :shocked2:

Tons 'o great info here. Hot tea. McDonald's. My wife says she'd like to go and try it out. Should be fun. Are there any trees at the BH that I can chain my kids to while we are diving?

You can use the trees I chain my dogs to when I dive .... just watch where you step .... if you catch my drift. Pee is not the problem with those mutts.


BTW: I caught the last "warm" day today the the BH, supposed to get cold for the next week or so.

 

[robint]

Maybe I'll suffer it out with my shorty. My pee? Sure. I'll bathe in it. Somebody else's pee? Toxic. :shocked2:

Tons 'o great info here. Hot tea. McDonald's. My wife says she'd like to go and try it out. Should be fun. Are there any trees at the BH that I can chain my kids to while we are diving?

I wouldn't recommend bringing kids to BH. There is NOTHING to do there but dive or get in the diver's way. They would be bored and screaming constantly. Plus, if you and wife are in the water, there is no one to watch them. Just my 2 cents.

robin

 

[BigBubbaJ]

Maybe I'll suffer it out with my shorty. My pee? Sure. I'll bathe in it. Somebody else's pee? Toxic. :shocked2:

Tons 'o great info here. Hot tea. McDonald's. My wife says she'd like to go and try it out. Should be fun. Are there any trees at the BH that I can chain my kids to while we are diving?

The McDonald's there does have killer green chili double cheeseburgers.

LOL. I clean it thouroughly with proper bug killing stuff. I don't dive it often, so I have to keep it clean.

 

[RonFrank]

I went out and purchased a Henderson 7mm in MY size after diving Bubba's backup, and freezing my tail off. It is a Large I believe, and it has never been wet. You could borrow it, assuming we could work out being down on the same weekend.

I honestly don't remember what size you take, but now you have an offer for a Large, and XL which should cover the basis.

Kids is rather a broad term, so depending upon age, bring them along. Unless it is butt freezing cold, I think they would have a good time. Divers spend more time out of the water then in! If they are toddlers or younger, leave them at home unless you have someone topside to watch them.

You may or may not enjoy diving at the BH, but there is really only one way to find out! I find the more I dive these funky NM areas, the more I enjoy them. It is not FL, or S CA by any stretch, but it IS enjoyable diving.

BTW, if you are not aware, Perch Lake has a plane, a car, and some other misc STUFF at the bottom. The Car is under the surface markers/platform maybe 150' strait out. The plane is just to the left of the dock and about 50' out. Stay out of the silt, and both are relatively easy to find, but Perch will be COLD this time of year (Guessing 45F ~).