Blue Grotto has some of the clearest fresh water you’ll find anywhere. Or at least it will until somebody stirs things up. It only takes one careless diver to ruin the visibility for everyone.
Here are five things you can do to avoid being that person. Note that most of these involve maintaining good buoyancy control and trim.
1 Wear the least weight possible
This applies anywhere you dive, not just at Blue Grotto. Your goal should always be to wear the least weight you can without fighting to stay down. Why is overweighting bad?
- It’s potentially dangerous: Carrying unnecessary weight decreases your odds of survival in an emergency.
- It makes controlling buoyancy harder: Carrying unnecessary weight means you must not only compensate for exposure suit compression and expansion but also for the compression and expansion of air in your BC that is there solely to offset the unneeded weight. This requires more frequent buoyancy adjustments. The less weight you use, the easier it is to maintain neutral buoyancy.
- It can make your feet sink: With most BCs, you add weight to a spot below your body’s natural balance point. The more weight you have, the more your feet will tend to sink.
2 Stay off the bottom
The closer you get to the bottom, the more likely you are to stir up silt. The coolest things to see in the Grotto are well away from the mud. Always remain at least two body lengths from the floor. If you must touch down, use one of the training platforms or the large rocks at the back of the cavern.
3 Stop frequently
If you are constantly swimming, you may be doing what is known as planing. This is when you swim at an upward angle, so that thrust from your fins helps keep you off the bottom. This downward thrust can easily stir up silt.
To avoid this, stop frequently while keeping your fins still. If you find yourself sinking, add air to your BC to compensate. If your feet are sinking, you will need to take steps to adjust trim before the next dive. These steps can include:
- Wear full-length exposure protection: This will add buoyancy to your legs, making it easier to stay level. (You will also need it for warmth.)
- Wear your tank as high as you can without hitting your head. Wearing your tank too low will drive your feet downward. You should be able to reach back with your right hand and grab your primary second-stage hose. If you can’t, your tank is too low.
- Take advantage of your BC’s built-in trim weight pockets: These typically place ballast above your body’s natural balance point, making it easier to stay horizontal and neutral.
4 Eliminate any “danglies”
Dangling octopuses and consoles can easily drag along the bottom. This not only stirs up silt but it can also damage equipment.
- Secure your alternate-air-source second stage in an octopus holder or pocket. Make sure it does not come loose during the dive.
- Your SPG or console should be equipped with a snap that allows you to clip it off to a D-ring on your BC. Not only will this help prevent it from dragging on the bottom, but you also won’t need to hunt for it to monitor depth, time and pressure.
5 Anticipate changes in buoyancy
The bottom of the Grotto isn’t flat. It slopes down at nearly a 45-degree angle. The further into the cavern you go, the deeper you will be.
Anticipate this by adding air to your BC as you descend. Conversely, be ready to vent air from your BC as you ascend. The last thing you want to be is the person who plummets to the bottom when entering or hits the ceiling on the way out.
Don’t be the person others talk about
Visitors to the Grotto invest time, money and effort getting here. They do so with the expectation of enjoying the good visibility for which Blue Grotto is famous.
Don’t be the person who ruins the visibility for yourself and others. Remember that these days, almost everyone carries a GoPro or similar camera. If you spoil things for others, you may find yourself starring in a Facebook or YouTube video commemorating your ineptitude. That’s a starring role you don’t want.