Kevrumbo
Banned
- Messages
- 5,659
- Reaction score
- 1,361
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
The Blue Hole is notorious for the number of diving fatalities which have occurred there earning it the sobriquet, "World's Most Dangerous Dive Site" and the nickname "The Diver's Cemetery". . .
Accidents are frequently caused when divers attempt to find the tunnel through the reef (known as "The Arch") connecting the Blue Hole and open water at about 52 m depth. This is beyond the PADI maximum recreational diving limit of 40m and the effect of nitrogen narcosis will be significant at this depth. Divers who miss the tunnel sometimes continue descending hoping to find the tunnel farther down and become increasingly narced.
The "Arch" is reportedly extremely deceptive in several ways:
-It is difficult to detect because of the odd angle between the arch, open water, and the hole itself.
-Because of the dim lighting and the fact that most light enters from outside, it appears shorter than it really is. Divers report that the Arch appears less than 10 m long but measurements have shown it is 26 m from one end to the other.
-There is frequently a current flowing inward through the arch towards the Blue Hole, increasing the time it takes to swim through.
-The arch continues downward to the seabed which is beyond view and there is therefore no "reference" from below.
Divers who resist the temptation of the Arch and remain within their training and limitations are in no more danger than on any other Red Sea dive site. However, the Arch has proved irresistible for many [especially on single tank] and thus the divesite is considered unsuitable for beginners and a potential trap for even experienced divers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Hole_
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qACSuSUbZRM
Accidents are frequently caused when divers attempt to find the tunnel through the reef (known as "The Arch") connecting the Blue Hole and open water at about 52 m depth. This is beyond the PADI maximum recreational diving limit of 40m and the effect of nitrogen narcosis will be significant at this depth. Divers who miss the tunnel sometimes continue descending hoping to find the tunnel farther down and become increasingly narced.
The "Arch" is reportedly extremely deceptive in several ways:
-It is difficult to detect because of the odd angle between the arch, open water, and the hole itself.
-Because of the dim lighting and the fact that most light enters from outside, it appears shorter than it really is. Divers report that the Arch appears less than 10 m long but measurements have shown it is 26 m from one end to the other.
-There is frequently a current flowing inward through the arch towards the Blue Hole, increasing the time it takes to swim through.
-The arch continues downward to the seabed which is beyond view and there is therefore no "reference" from below.
Divers who resist the temptation of the Arch and remain within their training and limitations are in no more danger than on any other Red Sea dive site. However, the Arch has proved irresistible for many [especially on single tank] and thus the divesite is considered unsuitable for beginners and a potential trap for even experienced divers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Hole_
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qACSuSUbZRM
