Who bought Rock Lake?

[DandyDon]

My only concern with this is you will have some people straight out of open water, or drastically less experience than yourself that will have the same idea and will end up killing themselves. When this happens I fear that Rock Lake will close it's doors to all divers. I have not been to Rock Lake yet, I am supposed to go soon if everything works out. We'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. From what I understand though it's not a dive that people who can't control their buoyancy, or do not understand the dangers of deep diving should be making

Oh, it's not as deep as the Belize Blue Hole, I don't think, and newbies dive it with leaders everyday.

I do hope it remains restricted to Aow at least, tho.

 

[ABQdiver]

Totally agree with that. There was a death there several years ago, and several divers have gotten bent as well. The depth (close to 200ffw) and the darkness due to the depth or algae bloom at the surface can be serious issues for inexperienced divers to deal with. The present owner has only AOW divers in and required a copy of their cards, plus a copy of insurance with her as a named insured for that reason.

It is pretty interesting dive with the carbonic rock formations and the fresh water sponges. It is a bit "stark" as well. A small lake in a cow pasture with no shade or other amenities at this point.

Guess, we'll have to see how thing work out.......

 

[amascuba]

Oh, it's not as deep as the Belize Blue Hole, I don't think, and newbies dive it with leaders everyday.

I do hope it remains restricted to Aow at least, tho.

I don't know anybody with first hand knowledge of how deep Rock Lake is. The deepest first hand account that I've heard of anybody going is 240 ffw and that person said that with their lights pointing down there was no bottom in site. I haven't even asked Chad the deepest he's been in Rock Lake.

I have heard all kinds of contradicting stories of how deep it is ranging from 280 - 540 ffw. Being that their are so many different stories of how deep it is with such a wide margin of error I tend not to believe any of those stories.

Speaking of the Blue Hole in Belize, have you watched the first dive portal magazine dvd? John Chatterton and a camera person went to the bottom of the southwest side of the hole and the deepest place they found was only 365 fsw.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't know anybody with first hand knowledge of how deep Rock Lake is. The deepest first hand account that I've heard of anybody going is 240 ffw and that person said that with their lights pointing down there was no bottom in site. I haven't even asked Chad the deepest he's been in Rock Lake.

I have heard all kinds of contradicting stories of how deep it is ranging from 280 - 540 ffw. Being that their are so many different stories of how deep it is with such a wide margin of error I tend not to believe any of those stories.

Speaking of the Blue Hole in Belize, have you watched the first dive portal magazine dvd? John Chatterton and a camera person went to the bottom of the southwest side of the hole and the deepest place they found was only 365 fsw.

Ok, so maybe I don't know how deep either is...?? I don't ever want to see the bottom of either.

 

[amascuba]

There are some old Rock Lake trip reports floating around. I'll see if I can dig them up again.

 

[charlieo]

Ok, so maybe I don't know how deep either is...?? I don't ever want to see the bottom of either.

I can clear this question up. The bottom slopes from 190 to 280. I don't know when the light fades away but there isn't much light at 70 ft when we make our first gas switch on our way up. No, I haven't been to the bottom. My experience gives out about 150, around the time my nerve gives out.
The sides are undercut like the BH but more so. This is not the place for those faint of heart or light on experience.

 

[DandyDon]

I can clear this question up. The bottom slopes from 190 to 280. I don't know when the light fades away but there isn't much light at 70 ft when we make our first gas switch on our way up. No, I haven't been to the bottom. My experience gives out about 150, around the time my nerve gives out.
The sides are undercut like the BH but more so. This is not the place for those faint of heart or light on experience.

190 wouldn't be so bad - with the right equipment, right buddy, except for the altitude. Adjusts to 230, or more depending on whom you quote. I've seen Chad go deeper on air - well, I saw him disappear once, but I'm not going to 230. Besides, Chad is the only buddy I know I'd trust for a dive like that, and he wouldn't take me.

I understand the water is a bit murky, too, and that volcanic throat under cut-!!!

 

[RonFrank]

ABQDiver - You should have seen how narced I was trying to untie the reel from the grate and I was even using 32%. Apparently my buddy got a kick out of it. Hopefully we didn't muck up the bottom too much. I'll blame it on Burt's group from Sandia w/ their DPV on Saturday.

Not sure whom Burt is, but when we were decending for our second dive (I think) this guy dropped right behind Dan (I THOUGHT he landed on him, but Dan was not aware he was there), and hit the bottom like a bomb. Instant silt out all around him. He then proceeded to kick the crap out of the bottom as he made his way over to the DPV.

I have no clue who this guy was, but UW He was a nightmare when it came to staying off the bottom which he clearly had ZERO interest in doing. His actions were almost like, hey, I'm the man here, so just stay out of the way, and let me do what I'm going to do, and if I wreck the vis, well that is my choice. He actually walked across the bottom for the last few feet upon getting near the DPV.

I was none too happy with the abilities of the divers I witnessed on the bottom over the entire weekend. Newsflash! It is NOT a requirement to kick the bottom to do things like operate a DPV, or run reels! :mooner:

 

[amascuba]

Just got off the phone with the City of Santa Rosa and the person who I was talking to didn't know anything about the City buying the lake. She may be a peon and may not know anything about what's going on or the City just may not be buying the lake. Has anybody contacted Debra Ladyhawk, or have her contact information?

 

[DandyDon]

Just got off the phone with the City of Santa Rosa and the person who I was talking to didn't know anything about the City buying the lake. She may be a peon and may not know anything about what's going on or the City just may not be buying the lake. Has anybody contacted Debra Ladyhawk, or have her contact information?

I think Mr.DelGagdo at the Visitors Center would be the one to ask. I was going to call today, but got sidetracked. Work is such an imposition.

I'll try Monday....