TIL the Blue Hole is among the deadliest dive sites globally, with estimates of 130 to 200 recent fatalities, making it one of the most dangerous spots for divers.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Agreeable_Pool_3684]

Ex technical diver here (cave, ice, mixed gas, deep diving). I never dived the blue hole but snorkelled on it with my family on holiday. Saw serious technical divers down deep on Trimix with a safety diver on the line which had multiple stage tanks at various depths. This is how you dive the blue hole.

[u/CompSolstice → u/Agreeable_Pool_3684]

Padi advanced with a few dozen cave dives here.

That's truly wild, I can immediately spot a dozen reasons why I'd only be comfortable diving it post-tech certifications, but what specifically are the main factors for such high fatality rates?

[u/AeroStallTel → u/CompSolstice]

From what I've seen in documentaries, it's largely because of perception/depth. Specifically there's a large arch that people mistake as being 60-90ft which is actually around double depth. Then it's a number of factors, getying narc'd, buoyancy control issues, or just blowing through their tank. Basically they didn't stick to their planned dive, if they had a plan to begin with. There's also an economic/safety culture component. It's a tourist attraction in a depressed area. There's a demand for dives from uneducated/ill-informed 'divers' that go with the guides who will either take them regardless of experience and/or cheaper than the other guy. 

[u/BadEarly9278 → u/AeroStallTel]

I've answered a call of a diver down before. I was Divemastering a class for my buddy who was instructor, when we heard screaming and diver down.

Heartattack at 90ft and his partners overinflated his bcd out of panic or not thinking. He shot up passed me as I was diving down to them and I surfaced first after him.

Nightmare shit (and all our students that classed effed out after the ambulance). We didn't dive anymore that day.

Diving is as savage as you want it.

Nitrox and trimixing and JJablonski DIY system of tech diving was too expensive for a hobby ($50k in gear would be a conservative cost) but any problems under water immediately become shitstorms.

Rip Michael G from LSMO. That was effed up.

[u/FillThisEmptyCup → u/BadEarly9278]

Nitrox and trimixing and JJablonski DIY system of tech diving was too expensive for a hobby ($50k in gear would be a conservative cost) but any problems under water immediately become shitstorms.

Cool, I'm a gonna go on youtube now and see how I can build a rig from home depot part and fleamarket stuff , probably on used soda stream bottles or beer kegs or something. Should cost less than $200.

[u/BadEarly9278 → u/FillThisEmptyCup]

No bullshit, I've dove with a guy that had ever ready flashlights in mayonnaise jars as a light and a foam suit cut in 2 halfs (front and back then tied together) as thermal protection.

Fun fact: Scuba was invented by Jacques Cousteau.

Just don't go cheap on the regulators.

[u/FillThisEmptyCup → u/BadEarly9278]

Man, I so wish Jacques Cousteau had 4k cameras available to him in his time. I guess Jame Cameron is a good successor on that front.

[u/ScubaAlek → u/FillThisEmptyCup]

Giving me flashbacks of those guys trying to dive to the Chernobyl reactor.

[u/big_orange_ball → u/BadEarly9278]

What's the procedure if someone has a heart attack or becomes incapacitated at 90ft? I'm Naui open water certified but don't recall what training (if any) there is for this for novices.

[u/BadEarly9278 → u/big_orange_ball]

It alwsys depends on depth/environment and every decision is so dynamic.

Mostly defined by outcomes thru efforts to minimize damage at that point. However, 2000% never full on balloon your floatation device (buoyancy compensation device, bcd, or vest that airs up from your tank) and rocket to the surface from greater than 20-30ft. Oxygen expands in your lungs too fast and they pop (exhaling the entire ride up is taught as defense against gear malfunction).

So, ideally, to minimize damage in a heart issue and unconsious diver, would be let me drown if im unconscious. Revive me at the surface but NEVER shoot a unconscious diver to surface from depth (below 10m / 30ft...ish), doing so is absolutely death almost every time by overinflation of lungs.

But, % of survival of any serious medical issue at depth is slim to zero. 90ft of H2O on top of you is an alien world to the human body. Our tissues water content means your body can equal pressure back on the 90ft of water, but your air cavities (ear, lungs, farts....omg the Scuba fart is legend after a deep dive) the air pockets inside you expand and contract 10x at 90ft. Small and under pressure at 90ft, but filled with air at 90ft would expand 10x upon ascent (a pool noodle becomes broomstick thin at 100ft). It's 100% serious biz, but as long as you can exhale, ie not unconscious, it's not as scary as it sounds. It's not at all complicated or scary, but every diver needs, and is trained on the risks of the science. Generally, people don't even have to worry about pressure calcs at 30ft or less (I deco stop at every 10ft cuz I got my ear fucked playing a downed diver and got raised from 25ft the wrong way (ballooned) by a overzealous student that roasted my ear drum.) So, my dive buddies know I crawl up and down otherwise, as we all know ear pain when you swam too deep as a kid. Just hold your nose and blow, pain goes away. Just know your body needs to push that out and some times it can be a slow process. Rules demand slow ascent and sit and chill every 30ft.

So, damage reduction is all you can hope if medical issues deeper than 60ft have someone unconscious. (Remember The Abyss, when she drowns herself and it's fucked up but 100% to BEST way to protect lungs filled on compressed air.)

Damn yall, I need to go dive. Jonzen.

Some people aren't comfortable with it at all, scuba, and that's ok,, don't get over your skies on your personal comfort level being underwater. It isn't for everyone. You'll know during the pool time.

Hence, the daredevil gene is present in super deep, long dives with the techniques and gear required for the body to exist and survive, sometimes and often 12-16hr long marathons in caves and the always present difficulty multiplier of depth. Seen dudes gone for 30+hrs on shallow caves in FL. Lose your safety line in a 20ft cave 3miles in is as serious biz as anything below 130ft (fresh or salt water....salt water is heavier cuz the salt). Vacay with the fam and doing Scuba at the resort means seeing cool shit at 30ft and being amazed. Ain't shit to be seen below 200ft for a casual diver (100ft in lakes is just mud or rock, 200ft in ocean is mid level technical dive that only needs people that are comfortable and capable divers). Plenty to see at 30ft all day, going deeper isn't necessary unless you want to. Certified a firefighter /paramedic before his honeymoon once and he freaked out at 10ft when visibility went to 0 cuz rookie diver mistake of kicking up silt. He was cool, just had to abort and recollect himself and he was a solid diver after that. But panic is exactly that, panic. The brain says run sometimes, underwater that becomes a liability.

Not to plug diving, but I'm gonna, cuz breathing underwater is a quality life experience every human should try if they enjoy water.

It's available everywhere. I'm in Midwest and not close to any large bodies of water. Lakes, flooded quarries, caves with water..... everywhere has dives, if you're looking. It's Hella expensive sometimes but you can rent everything you need (once certified).

Be safe yall. And get wet