Blue hole..why so many tragedies??

[Sparks]

On a recent trip to Dahab we went for a dive at Bells. We got kitted up at the Blue Hole & started on the short walk to the entry point. On the way we saw brass plates on the rock face bearing the names of many divers lost diving the hole. I asked our guide how many had died there & he said "well over 100"
I was quite shocked at this......clear warm water & a gentle current!! How have so many divers come unstuck here?

[e14724]

The sense that clear water is safer than the usual murk, pushing their limits? Im not too sure, I would like to look at each case individually, i bet there would be a trend.

[David D]

As I understand it, the 'classical' method of diving the Blue Hole is enter at the Bells, drift along the reef wall, dip down to 60m and enter through the arch into the Blue Hole itself.

Factors which could contribute to the high rate of accidents at this site would include.

lack of training,
lack of redundant gas,
poor gas management,
strong and unpredictable currents,
narcosis and/or over-confidence.

It's been a few years since I've been at Dahab, and I was happy to follow the guide over the saddle at 6m rather than attempt the arch at 60m. From memory it seemed quite a long drift from the Bells to the Blue Hole. It's not a dive I would attempt with a single cylinder.

[IanDennis]

Its exactly that warm clear water that makes some people think its easier to dive to depth. Whilst with the right equipment and mentality diving this interesting location can be a lot of fun, there does seem to be a trend of single cylinder "macho" diving. Some divers see it as a right of passage which is a highly dangerous route to follow.

I like the blue hole and bells to blue hole is one of my favorite dives- looking down into the deep blue water is truely fasinating. As a site it offers really good conditions to learn trimix/advance trimix diving, unfortuantely the ease of depth also offers the potnetial for more accidents to occur. As has been said on the board before it makes little difference whether its warm or cold water, its still 40m, 50m, 60m, 70m,80m etc.

I feel sorry for those that have died at Blue hole and hope that future divers who visit the site appreciate that looks can be deceiving and appropriate equipment should be use if diving to these sorts of depths. Unfortunately there is still likely to be a hardcore of those who set out to set if they can beat the odds.

Ian

[Sparks]

I hadn't realised people had attempted this on singles....they must have been on air too!!!! Lunacy!!

[steve2056]

Some info on the Blue Hole and a project to map it in 2002:

Divernet | Dog Days in Dahab

Blue Hole Maps

Steve

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Sparks

I hadn't realised people had attempted this on singles....they must have been on air too!!!! Lunacy!!

One person went through the arch with errrr

no tanks at all???? kind of made a mockery of those that couldent manage it on 2700ltrs of gas

ATB

Mark

[drysuit repair dave]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

One person went through the arch with errrr

no tanks at all???? kind of made a mockery of those that couldent manage it on 2700ltrs of gas

ATB

Mark

Quite a few people have freedived through the arch. It has even been done with no fins (breaststroke all the way!)

cheers
dave
drysuitrepair.co.uk

[IanDennis]

Just watched the Utube of the freedive through the arch- almost made me want to take up freediving- one very well trained and fit freediver

Wonder if Tanya could do it??

[Helen F H]

Bevan Dewar Dahab Arch freedive video

This is the best video of the freedive of the blue hole i have ever seen. Beautiful footage and music.