Directions to Blue HoleThe Blue Hole is a natural open-water scuba site located in Santa Rosa, NM, about 52/2 hours from the Denver area by car. Directions: From the store, drive SOUTH on Wadsworth to C-470, then East on 470 to I-25. Take I-25 South through Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and continue South to Las Vegas, NM. Just 5-6 miles South of Las Vegas you will see the exit for state road 84. Turn on 84 and head South for about 40 miles until you reach I-40. Exit onto I-40 East, and continue 19 miles to reach Santa Rosa. The Blue Hole is located at the East end of town, so we suggest exiting at the East Business Loop off of I-40, which will put you on Will Rogers Drive, close to many hotels/motels used by divers including: Travel Lodge, Western Hotel, and Days Inn. See hotel contact info below. The Blue Hole is reached by driving West on Will Rogers Drive from I-40., then turning southwest (diagonal turn) onto Lake Drive. Pass Park Lake on your left, and
then see the Clinic (hospital) on your left at the first intersection. Turn left here, which will put you on Blue Hole Road. Drive East on Blue Hole Road, and look for the
entrance gates on your left. The main gates don't open until about 7-7:30am, so if you arrive earlier, you can enter at the gates to the west (before the main gates). Each diver is required to have a park pass, which can be purchased at the Travel Lodge motel, just East of I-40 on Will Rogers Drive. We recommend that our students purchase their passes the evening they arrive, so that its taken care of before our diving begins. Passes are currently $8.00, and are good for one week of unlimited diving. Divers should place their "armband" passes on their BCDs (on a D-ring or shoulder strap) where they can be easily spotted during checks made by the local police. This makes it possible for divers to don/doff wetsuits easily without hassling with an armband. Water temperature in the Blue Hole is 61-63 degrees (F) year-round, making it a nice open-water dive site nearly any month of the year. Local weather can be checked in
advance by clicking on the link shown below. Depth is about 85 feet maximum, with training platforms located at about 16 and 22 feet. The depth makes it possible for us
to do deep diver and Advanced Open Water training at this site. The clarity of the water and numerous fish make it a fun place for U/W photography students to try out their gear and experiment with settings. Exposure protection is obviously required in water of these temperatures. Most students wear 6-7mm John/Jacket combinations, along with hoods and gloves. With this type of thermal protection, our divers find diving in the Blue Hole quite enjoyable! Dry suits are often seen at the Blue Hole, and we offer Dry Suit Specialty certification on any weekend we are diving at Santa Rosa. Students should plan to bring all required scuba gear (mask, fins, snorkel, weights, regulator, BCD, etc.) unless they have made specific arrangements with our shop to bring and provide certain pieces of equipment. The Blue Hole has an on-site "dive shop" but don't expect them to be able to provide anything you might need -- they are there primarily to do air fills, and sometimes are not open on days we're diving. Thus, assume nothing will be available from the on-site shop. Hotels (typical diver's rates) -- be sure to ask for "diver's rates":
|
This sink hole is fed from the bottom by a
natural spring that delivers over 3000 gallons of water into the basin every minute. This influx of fresh water creates a very clean environment, with visibility upwards of 100 feet (when not
stirred up by careless divers).
