Here's a good look of the famous arch crossed by a freediver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrXQbucZUDA
A real shame that this diving site is known for all of these avoidable deaths.
The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
101–110 of 302 posts
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#102Summary: The Blue hole is a natural sinkhole off the coast of Egypt. It is very accessible, there are many beginners, and there are many unscrupulous dive guides which lead to diver depths. Some basic diving rules which when broken lead to deaths: - Not diving with a partner - Diving below the depth you should be - Diving after partying the night before - Rising back up too quickly
I think one big part of it is that tunnnel that leads out of the hole to the open ocean. Tunnels and arches to dive through magically attract divers, also for taking picures. The tunnel's ceiling is at 52-56 meters, which is exactly the depth that compressed air divers think they can risk diving to. The bottom of the tunnel however is at around 100 m, and nitrogen narcosis sometimes causes inexperienced divers to reach it...
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you read your own link? > certified Open Water Divers can take a cavern tour guided by professionals qualified by some of the cave diver training organizations to lead such tours . This is a highly controlled, limited tour along a line into the cavern zone, which is defined as within the natural light zone and within 130 to 200 ft (39-60m) (some minor variations here) of the surface.
Yes, I read my own link. OP was talking about a guided tour.
The case in point is what you said: "Both caves and shipwrecks are allowed with Open Water".
As a rule, they absolutely aren't.
In this specific place, PADI allows some of them to make a supervised dive at a certain site following a specially installed line. This doesn't change the rule, which is "Open Water Diver certification does not qualify you to dive on shipwrecks, nor caves".
At some other place, there may be an option for a person with Open Water certificate to drive a semi-trailer truck, while under supervision from a trained professional, and over a course specifically crafted to minimize any possible collision. This doesn't change the rule, which is "Open Water Diver certification does not qualify you to drive semi-trailer trucks."
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#104I dive for a living, servicing pumps on the bottom of the lake often in black water, no vis in black water, lights are typically useless as the particles in the water reflect back, like a dense fog, I always dive alone. Have dived the Blue Hole in Belize, which the dive masters only allow descent to 140 feet max. I find it interesting that so many Russians are high risk takers who meet their end in the article.
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#105Diving seems like one of the recreational activities where it is easy to end up doing something much riskier than you intended (another I'd say is alpine hiking): 1. Being able to easily sign up for a dive at an all-inclusive resort makes it seem more 'fine', you get a false sense of security that you will be taken care of. 2. Dive shops tend to be fairly relaxed with checking if someone is properly qualified to go o…
I am risk averse, first time I dived it was exactly because how nonchalant way it was advertised. It was an intro to diving course, so it didn’t require any class work. We went straight in the boat, instructor gave basic instructions as we were boating to dive site. Because how it was presented I also didn’t realize how dangerous it is. Only thing they emphasized was to not fly for next 24 hours. Had I knew the real dangers when diving, I probably would have skipped it.
Not saying that it is the right way but dive shops would have a lot fewer customers if they really emphasized the dangers.
Also diving is one of the best the best experiences of my life. It really feels like being in another world. It is extremely peaceful and meditative. You should try at least once.
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#106Lots of things are dangerous. Motorcyclists I know each have a row of busted helmets in a closet. Ski long enough and you'll break something. Bicyclists die on the road every day (in America) and few give it a second thought.
I wonder how diving compares to other off-track sporting activities. Does it have a worse record?
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
Another point is you get much more injuries when the wall is not steep (you slide along, instead of falling in free-air), another are stones if the wall is not steep they roll along the wall. That's a perfect example off misjudge objective and subjective dangers. An overhanging wall is much less dangerous then anything else, but your brain tells something else.
I'd generally trade more little injuries sliding down a shallow wall for one big injury from a free fall.
For that you have a rope, that's the objective part...you would not climb (i hope) an overhanging wall.
>little injuries sliding down a shallow wall
Those are often not "little" the rocks rip you apart, and when you stop you look not human anymore (a bag of flesh)...happens often at glaciers too.
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#108In truth, diving done right is procedures, procedures, procedures. That's why many novices and professionals suck at it. It needs boring personalities, or these that can handle boredom. I don't have to remember about the danger, I don't even have to respect the danger: if I actually go through all the steps and all the procedures, the risk is minimal.
"If there was zero adrenaline, it was a dive done properly."
I've once taken an intro flight on a light aircraft. After I observed my instructor doing all his pre-flight procedures, I reflected "umm, you know, it's actually much less than I do for a simple dive." He thought for a moment, but found an interesting reply: "I'm not an expert, but I think, if we take a number of dives or flights, we have more diving-related deaths than light-aircraft-related." (He was talking about Poland though - i.e. cold water dives.)
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#109Diving seems like one of the recreational activities where it is easy to end up doing something much riskier than you intended (another I'd say is alpine hiking): 1. Being able to easily sign up for a dive at an all-inclusive resort makes it seem more 'fine', you get a false sense of security that you will be taken care of. 2. Dive shops tend to be fairly relaxed with checking if someone is properly qualified to go o…
Yes we do. I have some 30-40 dives done with Advanced open water diving license, but since I only dive in exotic places 1-2 we visit times a year, I always need a full refresh as first dive on every vacation. Not having any scuba equipment at home, the things life all safety and equipment checks, even though easy, just fade from my memory.
I recall, when doing my first real dive (not training in 4m), in Croatia, the instructor took us to 33m. I was showing him this on depth meter, he just signaled OK with fingers. The feeling of being so deep that we didn't see surface anymore, on a first dive was a bit unnerving.
I also have similar experience to yours with shipwreck, although with some 30 dives it wasn't so scary. But we were swimming through narrow passages of very old shipwreck from WWII on Bali, and I felt how tubes are touching the walls. It wasn't a big wreck, but I wouldn't go to this kind of inspection on my own, just followed instructor.
One thing I noticed - a minority of folks are so arrogant they barely follow instructor and do what they want, ie not following the group, swimming lower than instructor etc. Can't comprehend this, I mean you are literally reminded by all senses how you are in very unfamiliar environment, yet some can't show any respect for it, even though they don't have much experience themselves.
Anyway, a very cool sport, although its one way to realize how messed up our environment is, when you see more and more corals dying literally just over few years.
Re: The Blue Hole in the Red Sea is the deadliest dive site in the world
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
Am certain if you ask 100 beginner divers, 99 will have their own brush with death adventures! Mine came in the form of a six foot barracuda getting a bit too close for comfort. I am sure if I hadn't played it cool. Had somehow attacked or acted aggressively to shush it away (when I was a guest in it's deep sea domain). It would have enjoyed a nice lunch of fresh human flesh. The second was going below the hard deck…
Barracudas really aren't dangerous to divers. There are a few recorded cases of bites but I don't think anyone has been killed.
I've read they sometimes bite because of flashing jewelry which they mistake for shiny small fish.