Colorado Diving???

[Ann Marie]

Hi!

I'm going to be coming to Colorado in July for a mini-vacation. My husband and I will be staying in Avon which I believe is on Bever Creek Mountain about 100 miles outside Denver. Is there any local diving in that area? I see on the resort's website they list all sorts of activities except diving. Are there dive shops that book trips to different lakes? Whats the diving like? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Ann Marie

 

[Doc Intrepid]

My experience with diving in Colorado is in the lakes up around Leadville, and a couple very small extremely high lakes. Uniformly they are very clear, offering excellent vis, but nearly sterile - especially at high altitudes where they freeze in the winter. Some are stocked, however, I never saw any signs of life during the dives I made. Legend has it that there is a small train in Yankee Doodle Lake, which is up near the pass closed by the cave in that led from Winter Park to the Peak to Peak highway. There is a dry cave opposite the lake, so it could well be that some small mining cars are in there. I never had the time to lug my stuff up that high to look for it.

Lets say that diving in Colorado, except for training purposes, made me want to think about flying to some warmer destinations. But there are a number of Colorado divers on this board, and some of them may have some more intriguing spots for you to try out. FWIW. YMMV.

Doc

 

[BurBunny]

There is a dive shop in Eagle-Vail (about 10 minutes from Avon which is near, but not on, Beaver Creek). The name is Beaver Divers. You might want to contact them about any local trips. Do be aware that any diving up there is going to be in VERY cold conditions, and you also need to accommodate the high altitude.

 

[Capnsnott]

SOrry to burst your bubble, but there is not a train in Yankee D. I spoke to a S&R diver that was looking for two victims of a car crash into the lake. I also spoke to a train history expert on the area and he confirmed it as well.

As for other dives up in the hills. I reccomend Jefferson Res if you can get that far. Decent amount of fish and some cool FW shrimp down below about 70'. The res is at 10500' elevation though. Most of the lakes up there will have decent vis, but they are all cold. We dove Jefferson in June and it was 47*.
Sorry I can't be of much use to you. If you hook up with the Beaver Divers, leave us a post here. I would like to head up that way to see what they dive, maybe a couple of us could come up and dive with you guys too.

Greg

 

[Ann Marie]

Thanks for the information. I don't know if it is worth the hassle of lugging my dive gear for those conditions. Except for the fact that most diving in So Cal lately has been done either way off shore or in a pool. I'm so over rain.

I'll check into the dive shop, thanks. Maybe I'll just play the golf widow and spend some time in the spa.

 

[Divedoggie]

Thanks for the information. I don't know if it is worth the hassle of lugging my dive gear for those conditions. Except for the fact that most diving in So Cal lately has been done either way off shore or in a pool. I'm so over rain.

I check into the dive shop, thanks. Maybe I'll just play the golf widow and spend some time in the spa.

The closest diving to Avon is....not close. We tend to settle for low viz, freezing water, and shorter, shallower dives due to altitude, because we don't live near the ocean! We get excited about it because its all we've got.