Mscdex
Contributor
Fall/winter are here and I would like to dive in an indoor pool. Anyone ever do this outside of training? Are there any places near Washington DC that allow this?
Anyone dive in local pools?
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You'll need to contact your local dive shop for this. Each shop has an agreement with a pool and I've never been able to find a pool that will allow a diver to use their facility without a sponsoring dive shop. Pool time is very expensive and the shops are usually happy for non-students to help pay for the pool time. The Dive Shop in Fairfax has pool time at the YWCA. Adventure Scuba in Chantilly has pool time at Cub Run and Oak Marr Rec Centers. Virginia Scuba in Manassas uses Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center. Atlantic Edge in Maryland uses pools all over Maryland.
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Mscdex
Contributor
that's a smart idea. I usually work with Atlantic Edge. Have any of you had issues with chlorine on your gear?
This may be slightly off topic... but why don't you go diving instead?
I make a regular trip to one of three aquariums up here on the east coast. I've also done Mt Storm and hope to go this winter. There is diving (of a sort) in the winter but it is a bit harder to find off-season. For me, it's worth the value I get by keeping myself always in good diving shape.
Pedro and Mscdex you are close to several lakes that have decent vis though are indeed cold. You are close to dutch springs (there are special winter openings), bainbridge which vis is great in the winter and open year round, lake rawlings and a few others. All these are cheaper in the long run and more fun then a pool. Many diveshops in MD come down to PA through out the winter for diving. A lot of the students still dive 7 mil suits while the rest dive dry.
For the pool at our shop if we don't have a full pool and you want to get in you pay the cost for a opening which ranges between 10 and 20 dollars depending on the pool. In my opinion it is worth the extra travel time to hit a local lake. Remember in the winter most of the people stop diving and algae dies off so visibility is usually amazing.
For the pool at our shop if we don't have a full pool and you want to get in you pay the cost for a opening which ranges between 10 and 20 dollars depending on the pool. In my opinion it is worth the extra travel time to hit a local lake. Remember in the winter most of the people stop diving and algae dies off so visibility is usually amazing.
genxweb, I'm not sure how you classify them as "cheaper in the long run than a pool" but I will give you "more fun". With all the local quarries being ~$20 for a day pass, pool diving, if in a group, is significantly cheaper, especially if you have to drive a long distance to any of the lakes/quarries. None of the local quarries I know of have consistent winter hours. I know Millbrook and Dutch both have winter openings but, at least for Millbrook, it's only 1 day per month. That's maybe 4 dives, if you're really motivated and/or make really short dives.
My LDS (Adventure Scuba in Chantilly, VA) rents out one of the local pools and charges $25, I think, for a 3 or 4 hour block of time. I'm sure other shops do too.
Our local pool will rent out the deep end for $60/hour. With 6 people you get 2 hours of dive time in warm(ish) water that you can practice skills for the same price as just the entry fee to one of the local quarries. Of course, I've never been able to find anyone to split the cost with me but that might be easier now.
Anyone in the Dulles/Chantilly/Herndon area interested??? Hell, it's still closer for Chevy Chase than any of the lakes or quarries plus you have warm showers and clean bathrooms to use...
---------- Post added October 10th, 2013 at 03:47 PM ----------
I heard you can now only do Mt. Storm from a boat so double check your options before showing up...
My LDS (Adventure Scuba in Chantilly, VA) rents out one of the local pools and charges $25, I think, for a 3 or 4 hour block of time. I'm sure other shops do too.
Our local pool will rent out the deep end for $60/hour. With 6 people you get 2 hours of dive time in warm(ish) water that you can practice skills for the same price as just the entry fee to one of the local quarries. Of course, I've never been able to find anyone to split the cost with me but that might be easier now.
Anyone in the Dulles/Chantilly/Herndon area interested??? Hell, it's still closer for Chevy Chase than any of the lakes or quarries plus you have warm showers and clean bathrooms to use...
---------- Post added October 10th, 2013 at 03:47 PM ----------
I heard you can now only do Mt. Storm from a boat so double check your options before showing up...
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Only the soft rubber stuff.
I'm in the pool a couple of times a week and it bleaches the hell out of my wesuit and boots, but other than that, no problem.
As long as you consider exposure protection to be a consumable, you'll be fine. If you went once a week, you could get 3 or 4 years out of a wetsuit before it really got bad.
