Rocky Mountain Diving

[gadget]

For any divers that live in the Rocky Mountain region, most are aware or have been to the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, NM or Homestead Crater in Midway, UT. Both locations offer year round diving with good visibility, consistent temperatures, and depth enough to complete the PADI Advanced Open Water. “The Crater” offers a unique experience as it is geothermally heated and is inside a rock dome. This allows for “night diving” by simply turning out the lights. For those of you that don’t live in the region and you happen to be traveling through the area and have the time, both locations have dive shops and both are worth the stop, just bring your cert card.

Blue Hole

13517

• Diameter-80' at surface, 130' at bottom
• Depth-over 80'
• Temperature-constant 64°
• Visibility-80' when undisturbed
• Flow-3,000 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

Homestead Crater:

13516

Inside a large rock dome, this dive site is reached by tunnel. The diving area is 60 feet (18 m) wide and the water temperature a balmy 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). The cavern is shaped like an hourglass, with the narrowest point about 35 feet (11 m) wide. The walls of the crater are composed of mineral deposits left by the hot spring waters. Visitors can stay at the on-site Homestead Resort.

• Diameter-60'
• Depth-over 60'
• Temperature-constant 96° (no exposure suits allowed)
• Visibility-60' when undisturbed
• Altitude-5,763

[sarc88]

I just watched a news clip on the Homestead dome - that thing looks crazy!

[alan243]

I teach scuba and use the crater almost weekly, if any SOCNET members want to come dive let me know I have a spare room and gear

[Geronimo82]

I forget where I saw info on Homestead crater, but I actualy thought about going while on the way to visit family in Utah. Sadly, the trip fell through so I wasn't able too. Though now I would have to get my gear checked over before diving it again. Dang marrage and deployments! :smile:

[Carl Spackler]

Don't forget to use the altitude diving tables...;)

From the USN DIVMAN Rev6

6-5.7 Altitude Diving. Divers may be required to dive in bodies of water at higher altitudes. Planning shall address the effects of the atmospheric pressures that may be much lower than those at sea level. Air Decompression Tables and Surface-Supplied Helium-Oxygen Tables are authorized for use at altitudes up to 300 feet above sea level without corrections (see paragraphs 9-13 and 14-6). Transporting divers out of the diving area, which may include movement into even higher elevations either overland or by plane, requires special consideration and planning. The Diving Supervisor shall be alert for symptoms of hypoxia and decompression sickness after the dive due to the lower oxygen partial pressure and atmospheric pressure.

Section 9-13 give all the details/calculations/tables for altitude diving.

[mdavid]

are there any underwater caves connected to those sites?

[gadget]

are there any underwater caves connected to those sites?

None that are accessible.