AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Diving the Blue Hole

Ah, divers. All of 'em experts.<G>

The Blue Hole dive, in and of itself, is not particularly impressive. The other two dives you'll get in that day are much more memorable, IMO.

It's about a two-hour (or more) boat ride out and back and can be flat as Kansas or pretty durn rocky. Just depends.

You'll descend from a shelf at about 20' down to about 132', spend appx. 8-11 minutes swimming single-file around some stalagtites with a DM leading and following the group. Take a small flashlight as there is some (not much) color down there that you won't see without one (Seashell, I generally carry a small one on EVERY dive, just to look in holes or under shelves--pretty handy tool that really isn't a problem to take along. I recommend that everyone do that). Our DM showed me a hole up into a small room in the roof of the overhang that we swam up into and needed the light to see.

The first time, we fed the sharks to pass the time at the long (15 min., I believe) safety stop at the 20' shelf on the way back up. The second time we didn't.

Not a particularly spectacular dive, nor one that is necessary if you have any reservations. Save yourself and the other divers some trouble if you're not comfortable and don't go.

I can't fathom (hehe) two divemasters taking a group of 20 down, but maybe they do. We had, maybe, a dozen. That's about all I'd be comfortable with.

I've got about a hundred open-water dives and love the sport. And I've never experienced narcosis, even down to 144 feet. Some divers don't but that's not to say I never will. Generalizations and "facts" about diving are dangerous assumptions as everyone's physiology is different.

Again, if you want to do the Blue Hole and are comfortable with it, by all means do it. My family had a great time snorkeling the atoll while we dove and said the sealife was spectacular up top. That's always an option, too. Again, the other two dives will be worth your time and effort.

Just my opinions after only two dives in the Hole.

cat, I always have a small flashlight with me too.

In the Blue Hole, I take my big light as well. I too have looked into chambers in the walls of the Blue Hole. But if the diver is not that experienced and doing the BH for the first time, they are probably better off without trying to fiddle with their light.

Also, you may not believe that you have experienced narcosis, many divers don't think they have, yet we all do to some degree. It's physiology after all.

Bigger groups of divers, generally have three DMs in the water with them. As for Amigos, if they have a large group of divers on the boat that day, they will break them into two groups, sometimes even three. I like to be in the second or third group. More chance of seeing the sharks.

Also, I believe that the lip into the Hole is more like 40'.

I've done the Blue Hole, 46 logged in the hole as a part of my 8000 total dives and I'm sure a few I forgot. It isn't pleasant for me. I'm usually one of the Dive masters and responsible for the divers I'm escorting. All I do for that nerve racking 15 min.s is count them. If I'm with 8, I count them to myself, 12345678�12345678�12345678 and so on, for 15 min. The Danger is them wandering down below the 130' dive plan and drifting unnoticed and narced to a depth I can't retrieve them.
In the past I've brought one back from 240' that got away from me during the dive There is a limit to how much I will put my life at risk to save someone else. . I never told him but he was just a few feet away from my waving bye. One of my Dive master friends still feels bad about the one that got away from her. The first rule of rescue is save yourself first.
I'm sure it's an awesome experience as you can read from your other 34 responses.
I'll tell you a short story about my most interesting Blue Hole dive.
This may seem a little morbid but it's the truth and how I feel.
I got a call about a missing diver in the hole from one of the dive shops in San Pedro and was ask to go on a rescue dive to retrieve him.
Remember the Hole is 2hours plus from San Pedro and he has already been missing for over and hour.
So what I'm really doing is looking for the body for the family's sake.
I arrive and three hours plus has passed. I entered the water with extra tanks and a long deep 'non rec' dive plan.
I'm not with tourist and not counting 12345678, just looking for one and he has used all the time god gave.
Your right the fun does just begin at 130 the stalagmites and mites are 110 to 200 and pockets beyond. I tied off bottles at 40 on the lip and worked a horizontal search pattern around the portion of the circumference where he was last seen. I saw the first and only leather back turtle of my life at 140. He was sporting a 6' shell and just cruising, in passing he gave me the same kind of look I gave him.
At 200 I was passed by a hammer head so large I won't even guess for fear of your accusing me of being narced. As far as I could detect he didn't notice me. I gave the search as much as I could afford Deco debt wise. But couldn't go where the body must have been, at 470' on the bottom, where he will remain.
The part that seems a little macob for me is how much I enjoyed my dive not counting 12345678.

Amazing story. Thanks Elbert for sharing.

Elbert,
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting reading. Thanks for a totally different perspective.

Stephanie

I just have to put my two cents in on this topic. I have dived with Elbert Greer before and he is FANTASTIC!!!! I have to admit I think that Amigos del Mar is by far the best dive shop on the island, but Elbert with Ramon's is my favorite DM. OK if anyone gives a crap what I think, I absolutely love Tony with Amigos. He does not talk much on land, but is marvelous down under. He made an ordinary dive at Victoria Canyons one of the best of my life. I must have made that same dive 6 times prior, but with him feeding and playing with the groupers & nurse sharks it was definitely a sight to be seen. Sure got away with the subject of post, but in my opinion the Blue Hole is a dive that should not be missed. Use Amigos and they will send 3 DM's even if you have only a group of 12. They are the goods!

I concur, Tony is a fabulous DM. He can find you the littlest things and he takes very good care of you on the boat. Sure, he's not as funny as some of the younger guys, but it all depends on what you are into. If you are into macro, then Tony is definitely your man.

I will make sure to ask for Tony. I still hve a way to go (Nov. 19th) but spending 2 weeks and so looking forward to it!

Thanks to all of you!!!! By the way, are the pica pica gone?

Hello Everyone: We will be visiting Ambergris the last week of October. I have a couple of questions to anyone who wants to answer: what are the names of close-in dive sites where you can see the most marine life (e.g., moray eels, turtles, grouper, et al)? How many cruise ships dock in Ambergris and on what days? It is not my intention to offend anyone; it is just that I would rather not be on a dive boat with 20 cruise-shippers who are in a hurry to 'get back to the ship' so they won't miss a meal or whatever. I got stuck like that more than once in Cozumel, and as a result I quit visiting what was once a beautiful, unspoiled place.

Also, some dive shop recommendations would be appreciated; we will either be staying at Ruby's or the Coral Beach. Thanks so much!

I would highly recommend Protech dive shop. We returned on 8/19 from two weeks in AC. As new divers we followed a message board recommendation to use Protech and were really glad that we did. Wonderful friendly skilled dive staff who through their patience and instruction significantly helped me improve my diving skills. (Enough so that I dove the Blue Hole as my 22nd dive and had an amazing dive with no problems - it was in all honesty one of the best days of my life - incredible experience). The most we ever had on a boat was 12 (which they broke into two groups), but that was the exception, not the rule. On many days it was about 6. The shop changes out their equipment every six months - so all the rental equipment is in excellent condition. (Roni the owner told me they were just getting ready for the latest order to come in from customs) I will give more details in my trip report if I ever get it posted but you can't go wrong using this shop. Enjoy yourselves. mobunny