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Blue Hole

THE BLUE HOLE

Certification Page

Hello To All of Our Students

We hope you are all excited about the upcoming certification trip. Soon you are going to be certified to dive anywhere in the world there is water!  Below you’ll find some information on the upcoming Blue Hole Certification trip and a tentative itinerary. If you still have questions please let us know.

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Students complete 4 training dives under close supervision, and after successful completion of the dives, students are awarded a lifetime ticket to enjoy the underwater world with the PADI Open Water Diver certification.   Cards will arrive in the mail from PADI headquarters in about two weeks. Temporary cards (if traveling for vacation sooner) can be issued right away.

The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, is a circular, bell-shaped sinkhole, natural spring pool. It is one of the most popular dive destinations in the US for SCUBA diving and training. It is a clear blue body of water with a constant 64 °F (18 °C) temperature and a constant inflow of 4000 gallons per minute. While the surface is only 80 feet (24 m) in diameter, it expands to a diameter of 130 feet (40 m) at the bottom. The Blue Hole is popular with divers and swimmers.

 

Blue Hole Fast Facts

  • Diameter: 80' at the surface, 130' at bottom

  • Depth: Over 80'

  • Temperature: Constant 64° 

  • Visibility: 80' when undisturbed

  • Flow: 4,000 gallons per minute; water recycles every six hours

  • Altitude: 4,600' above sea level making the bottom equivalent of over 100' of depth in the ocean

The certification trip and required 4 dives will be conducted over the course of 2 days, normally Saturday and Sunday.  We will meet everyone at Blue Hole, on the east side of the conference center at 12:30 pm on Saturday.

 

The drive from Fort Collins to Santa Rosa, NM is 460 miles and we generally plan on it being a 7-hour drive.  

 

Directions To The Blue Hole:

  • Take I-25 south all of the way to Las Vegas, NM and then about 3 miles past Las Vegas.

  • Look for the exit to Highway 84 to Santa Rosa.

  • Take 84 south for about 40 miles until it intersects I-40. 

  • Take I-40 east for about 20 miles into Santa Rosa.

  • The second Santa Rosa exit is closest to Blue Hole.

 

We normally stay at the Hampton Inn Santa Rosa. We inform the hotel that we will be taking some rooms for the weekend of our arrival.  They give us a diver’s discount and the rooms are convenient to load and unload scuba gear.  When you call the hotel, mention that you are a scuba diver with Colorado Scuba Diving Academy, and they will give you a discounted rate.

The Hampton Inn Santa Rosa number is: (575)-472-2300

 

  • Anyone who is looking for ride-sharing or room-sharing, please contact us and we will get you connected with each other.

 

Things you will need to bring:

  • Your Logbook

  • Swimsuit

  • Towel

  • Drinking water

  • Sunscreen

  • Possibly a bathrobe or big towel (There are warm showers available onsite)

  • sweats and flip flops to wear during surface intervals

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Scuba Equipment Use Agreement Form (you don’t need it if we already got it from you during your class&pool):

Please click HERE for the "Scuba Equipment Use Agreement".  Print it out, sign it and bring it with you (one form per person). YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED ANY EXTRA FOR THE USE OF BORROWED SCUBA EQUIPMENT!!!

However, you are still responsible for the equipment you’ll be receiving and for returning it when required. In case of loss, breakage, etc. you will be responsible for the fees associated with repairs or replacement of the equipment (you will only be charged our cost and not the full retail value).

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  • We provide all the necessary dive equipment for the weekend (only for the Open Water Diver course), you just need to pick it up prior to the weekend. Gear pick-up days and times are usually Thursday and Friday (by appointment), the week of your certification trip. (Sometimes we can do it at a different time talk with Kent or Samuel if you need to).

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Also, Don't Forget:

  1. A Blue Hole diving Pass is $20/person (cash or check only, payable on-site directly to the City of Santa Rosa) 

  2. $5/car cash for parking

(not applicable year-round, only when there is staff on location. Otherwise, it's free)

The Schedule For The Weekend Is As Follows:

 

SATURDAY

  • Meet for orientation and dive briefing at 12:30

  • Assemble gear and get ready to dive

  • Dive 1 at 1:30 pm

  • Surface Interval

  • Dive 2 at 3:00pm

  • Debrief and check-in at the hotel

  • 6:00 pm big group dinner at Joseph’s.  Always fun and yummy!

 

SUNDAY

  • 8:00 am (or earlier) meet at Blue Hole for briefing and assembling equipment

  • 8:30 am Dive 3

  • Surface Interval

  • 10:00 am Dive 4.  Congratulations, you are certified!!!

  • Sign logbooks, debrief, and put the gear away.

  • 12 pm-1 pm hit the road back to Colorado!

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