Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, has been visited by mammoths, native Indians, Spanish conquistadors and even famous outlaws. This deep well of clear, artesian water now hosts thousands of wet-suit-clad divers each year. Also known as "Nature's Jewel," it's a favorite site for dive training because of its consistent year-round water temperature and good visibility. Besides drawing divers from all across New Mexico, the spring attracts migrations of divers from Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

Before the Divers Arrived
The Blue Hole's popularity grew around 1930 when the cross-country highway called Route 66 opened up through Santa Rosa and right past the spring on a section of road that is now called Blue Hole Road. The Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway crossed eight states and three time zones. Weary travelers stopped at the Blue Hole for water and a cool dip, plus took advantage of the town's numerous motels that opened up along the thoroughfare. The highway was moved north a short distance to its present location in 1937.

The Swimming Hole Becomes a Dive Site
In the 1960s the Blue Hole did a short stint as a government-run fish hatchery and later came under the control of the city of Santa Rosa for use as a recreation site. The invitingly clear water in the 81-foot- (25-m-) deep bell-shaped spring well is produced from a cave system near the well's bottom that generates about 3,000 gallons per minute. The surface of the site is roughly oval-shaped with a diameter of 80 feet (24 m) at its widest point and approximately 60 feet (18 m) at its narrowest. The Blue Hole widens the deeper it goes until the diameter reaches 130 feet (40 m) across at its deepest depth. Divers are not only attracted to the site's depth and water clarity, but also to its consistent water temperature that stays between 61F to 64 F all year. The Blue Hole is open to public diving both day and night, the City of Santa Rosa requires that divers purchase a diving permit from either the City Hall or from the Santa Rosa Diver Center. Police monitor the site for dive certifications and permits. Diving without a permit can result in a $300 fine.

Taking a Dive
From here you can leap off a rock outcropping over the pool's surface and splash into the refreshing spring from a height of 12 feet. Divers enter the water in one of two ways. A rock stairwell with handrails allows for easy entry to the pool where a short ledge rests at about 3 feet (1 m) before falling off into the hole. A concrete ramp protrudes over another section of the site for giant-stride entries. Upon entry, divers can either make a free descent or follow a buoy line down to one of two square, floating platforms. Open Water course students can conduct their training drills in mid-water at a depth of approximately 20 feet (6 m). A buoy line on each corner suspends these floating staging areas. An additional line runs down from the platform to the bottom of the site where it is secured to provide both a steady support for the structure and a handy reference line for deep descents.

A Variety of Training Options
The floating platforms permit instructors to bring their Open Water course students to the Blue Hole to conduct skills for their training dives, but the dive site is also perfect for advanced instruction. Its depth, accessibility for night dives and its altitude of 4,600 feet (1,393 m) above sea level make it ideal for Advanced Open Water or specialty training courses, such as an Altitude Diver. Any dive over 1,000 feet (303 m) should be considered an altitude dive, so the Blue Hole's elevation above sea level would certainly be a factor in any dive planning. While the actual depth is 81 feet, (25 m), the theoretical depth at this altitude is about 95 feet (29 m). This is because there is less air pressure (a decline of roughly 3.1 percent per 1,000 feet [303 m]) the higher a diver ascends in altitude. Since driving to a higher elevation after a dive would basically be the same as flying after diving, divers have to observe special rules after conducting an altitude dive. Divers heading back to Albuquerque after diving the Blue Hole have to off-gas several hours because the highway crosses a mountain ridge of more than 7,000 feet (2,121 m). The risk of decompression illness is increased if the route is attempted without waiting the appropriate time.
Come join us down scenic I-40 through historic New Mexico, you may just get in a few "kicks" off Route 66 when you dive into the clear depths of the Blue Hole.

Trip Includes:
	3 Nights Accommodation (Based on Double) including Continental Breakfast & Hotel Taxes
	2 Days Permits & Entry to Blue Hole
	4 Air Fills at the Blue Hole
	Group Dinner including Tax (not including Alcohol)
	Inaugural Blue Hole Trip T-Shirt
	Rick's Instructor, Trip Leader
	You'll Need:
	Complete Diving System
	Full Wetsuit w/Hood & Gloves
	Dive Light & Backup Light
	2 Full Tanks
	Spare Air (Recommended)