Who bought Rock Lake?

[amascuba]

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....

If we can get permission to dive Rock Lake I'm going to be finishing Decompression Procedures and Advanced Nitrox w/ Chad September 29.

I'll try to call again on Monday and ask for him. I also did some searches on google and came up with a phone number for agua negra ranch. I may give them a call as well.

 

[DandyDon]

If we can get permission to dive Rock Lake I'm going to be finishing Decompression Procedures and Advanced Nitrox w/ Chad September 29.

I'll try to call again on Monday and ask for him. I also did some searches on google and came up with a phone number for agua negra ranch. I may give them a call as well.

If you can get permission, I'd like to go with ya.

 

[wilkie]

Ok 1990, I certify @ the blue HOLE, the talk about town is all about the "new" dive park, learned that the "new" dive park has been a favored topic since the 60's, didn't happen in 1990, has'nt happened to date, but there's a good chance that by 2050 the topic of discution around sana rosa will be the "preposed dive park".

Short answer: FORGET IT, move on, don't look back. Stella's compressor was in bad shape in 1990, and I'd bet the farm that she is still nursing the same one. As a matter of fact my LDS knew this well enough that they took a portable comperssor with them on all blue hole trips, circa 1990.

The whole operation there striles me as way past half-assed, to down right pi** poor,although my opinion may be off, as I have only made 6-7 trips, and have yet to meet Stella, or anyone else except the odd tourist, or diver.

Now I'm sorry if this post is negative, afterall the blue hole is (or was) rated in the top ten USA fresh water diving destinations, all I can say is I don't care te see #11, or #9 for that matter. Mabe that means that I have a bad aditude, mabe it means that I see what I see.

Better yet; how about the farytail ; "One of the Denver area LDS is close to working a deal to flood a hard rock gulch "nearby" from a "warm spring" and as soon as the leagle stuff getts done we can all go diving w/70' vix & 75 f temp,"Oh no!, I couldn't say more, I got it in strict confidence, from my grandmother's aunt, who's niece's boyfriend's friend was "in the know"""

 

[DandyDon]

Well yeah, Wilkie - on all that, except are you aware of the funding & grants this village got this year? They suddenly have a lot of money to spend on just these ideas. Personally, I think they'll screw it up. They can't keep bathrooms cleaned at Blue Hole, nor the parking lot clean and ladders in place at Perch - but for now, they seem to have bucks.

I wonder if we can help them make better plans and decisions....??

 

[wilkie]

Well yeah, Wilkie - on all that, except are you aware of the funding & grants this village got this year? They suddenly have a lot of money to spend on just these ideas. Personally, I think they'll screw it up. They can't keep bathrooms cleaned at Blue Hole, nor the parking lot clean and ladders in place at Perch - but for now, they seem to have bucks.

I wonder if we can help them make better plans and decisions....??

Hey, good for them Don, no I haddn't heard that the town had actually recieved any money. All I heard for years was WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!

The town can surely use it, and I wish them the best. Do you know how much money they got? I mean, did they get enough to complete their plans, or just enough to "shut them up" for a while?

I don't know what the current plans are, mostly hearsay over the years, but if divers get something out of it I'm all for it! (self serving sob ain't I)

It's hard to imagine any long term economic improvement, probably just a waste of our tax dollars, but like I said I haven't seen their plan, mabe they finally got their ducks in a row, I hope they do, and I'd love to see it happen.

Again, sorry if my last post was a touch negative - I never said I didn't want to hear the pig sing. - I just said "Never try to teach a pig to sing...It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.

 

[amascuba]

Hey, good for them Don, no I haddn't heard that the town had actually recieved any money. All I heard for years was WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!

The town can surely use it, and I wish them the best. Do you know how much money they got? I mean, did they get enough to complete their plans, or just enough to "shut them up" for a while?

I don't know what the current plans are, mostly hearsay over the years, but if divers get something out of it I'm all for it! (self serving sob ain't I)

It's hard to imagine any long term economic improvement, probably just a waste of our tax dollars, but like I said I haven't seen their plan, mabe they finally got their ducks in a row, I hope they do, and I'd love to see it happen.

Again, sorry if my last post was a touch negative - I never said I didn't want to hear the pig sing. - I just said "Never try to teach a pig to sing...It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.

Supposedly they got a $5M grant. I was in Santa Rosa, NM last weekend (Aug. 19-21) and happen to see a Santa Rosa News that talked about a state senator visiting the area to see what's been done and talk to city big wigs about their plans and possibly getting more money for their projects. So we'll what really happens.

Here is a copy of the marketing study from last year. It's a PDF file:

http://www.underwaterexploration.org/authdocs/viewFile.php?id=1

 

[rookers]

I was diving BH and Rock Lake last week and can say that Rock Lake is not for sale. There is some talk of 'improving' the environment there with maybe concrete pads and possible shelter (other than the funky tin thingy), but I don't know what will come of it as demand is not that high. Current condx at Rock Lake are pretty poor. Its warm and hence, the algae is in bloom. Vis was 10-12' first day and maybe 15' the second. Made for an exciting deep air dive for me on the first day, the second day's trimix (my first) dive was much better.

As for Blue Hole, It was my first time there, did three dives in it for skills practice, one on trimix. Stella was very nice, helping me flush the remaining mix from my doubles and then blowing them up to 3400, nice and slow. The compressor seemed fine and she is the epitomy of friendly service. My only complaint about the place was that it can't really hold all of the people that show up. I hear its worse in the winter.

 

[RonFrank]

I was at the hole a couple of weeks ago, and discussed the plans for renovation with Stella. The *PLAN* is for new or completely renovated facilities including a new full service dive shop with a complete retail section. We shall see.

She indicated to the powers that be that in her opinion a complete retail section was overkill, and unless they could REALLY undercut the LDS's, their merchandise would sit. I have to agree with her. Who is going to come down to the Blue Hole to purchase BC's, and computers unless they can underprice the competition?

Unfortunately it sounds as if the powers that be may not be very savvy when it comes to this type of thing (obviously). :shakehead

I think they would do a killer business just having a clean shiny store that did air fills, had good rental gear available, sold personal items, and focused on tourist items like Tee/Sweat shirts, shot glasses, spoons, whatever. Add a concession stand (clean/fresh here is a MUST) that sold reasonable priced burgers, dogs, chips, soda, candy, fruit, and bottled water, and IMO that is a winner. Maybe an Expresso bar, and an after hours spot to pick up a beer or glass of wine, and the place could make a killing! Heck, rinse facilities, and overnight gear storage at a few dollars a pop, and BAM, insto CASH! Some overnight camp spots with hookup, and BOOM, more dough! Why are they not hiriing ME to plan this thing! :mooner:

In the mean time, while I was there Stella's place was flooded due to rain, and full of mud. The compressor was working, and she does good fills, so all was well except for the slipery (and I'm very sure actionable) conditions surrounding the broken down LDS. :lol:

I would expect SantaRosa to mismanage this entire thing, and my BET is that gov. officials will grease their buddy's palms to the tune that they run out of funds before things ever get completed.

 

[DandyDon]

I was diving BH and Rock Lake last week and can say that Rock Lake is not for sale.

You did dive Rock Lake? I was told that it sold already?

Who did you contact for admission, please...??

 

[fire_diver]

Unfortunately it sounds as if the powers that be may not be very savvy when it comes to this type of thing (obviously). :shakehead

Sad but true. I have used Santa Rosa as a stopping point ever since I found it by accident several years. I had driven past the city year after year until I had my kids. Then I needed a place that was a good stop in the trip. While roaming around the town, we FOUND the blue hole. Never head of it before.

Now, I sit back and think, "Why the hell aren't those idiots promoting themselves?" More people stop at Clines' corner every day than at Santa Rosa. The local govt officials need to invest in some highway signs advertising thier Rt 66 shops and restaurants. Thier lake park (which is really nice) and other attractions. How many signs have we all passed for "THE THING"? I see signs for that over 300 miles away.

I think it is simple laziness. Ever since the interstate was built, no one wants to try. They sit back and cry about the loss of patrons and money because nobody stops anymore, but they don't try to attract new customers.

FD