CT lake diving

[scubajim]

Thanks for the great advice....Looks like Westhill Pond is worth a look

 

[dbg40]

West hill is the best. Just be responsible so we can keep diving there. My favorite dive is off the pinnacle from a rented boat etc.

There are some nice cliff dives also.

Chris

I went to the scuba shack today to see if I could get anything on the Portland Quarry. Looks like its going private alright, but from what I was told The guy wants to do it up like Dutch Springs! If thats the case, I wont mind spending a couple of bucks to get wet. I was told they are now seeking help with the vis problems so it can be cleared up. they will be installing platforms for schools, and maybe some stuff to look at. Its a pretty big quarry, in fact there 2 of them one is not really accessable right now, but is located across the street from the main quarry. The big one even has an island in the middle, has a beach entry and a depth of about 80'. I didn't get a time frame, but I think they want to get going fairly soon. Sure would be nice to have a really nice fairly deep place to dive in, big plus is that I live one mile from it! Hope I wasn't being handed a load of... Dave.

 

[DWJ]

I went to the scuba shack today to see if I could get anything on the Portland Quarry. Looks like its going private alright, but from what I was told The guy wants to do it up like Dutch Springs! If thats the case, I wont mind spending a couple of bucks to get wet. I was told they are now seeking help with the vis problems so it can be cleared up. they will be installing platforms for schools, and maybe some stuff to look at. Its a pretty big quarry, in fact there 2 of them one is not really accessable right now, but is located across the street from the main quarry. The big one even has an island in the middle, has a beach entry and a depth of about 80'. I didn't get a time frame, but I think they want to get going fairly soon. Sure would be nice to have a really nice fairly deep place to dive in, big plus is that I live one mile from it! Hope I wasn't being handed a load of... Dave.

Do you know if Scuba Shack is going to be the main investor/operator?

 

[dbg40]

Do you know if Scuba Shack is going to be the main investor/operator?

I don't think so, but not sure. no real details were given but I know for a fact that somthing is in the works as I spoke briefly with the selectman and was told by her that a deal is in place, again no details. If any one is interested past this post I can update, if any more details come to light. Let me know if there is any interest in this. Dave

 

[gfisher4792]

That's good to know that the idea for Portland Quarry is still going forward; this topic came up last year when the article hit the Middletown Press, but people were being cautiously optimistic about everything falling into place. If it does open this year, that would be great! Hope the vis problems get resolved.

 

[dbg40]

Im gonna love it , beers at my house after the dive!!!

 

[Tom Winters]

Wow - Squantz Pond and Candlewood Lake brought back some memories of diving there in the late '60's. There also was Crystal Lake out near UConn somewhere. There was a deep old quarry near Thomaston too. Cold at the surface and it just got colder and darker going deeper. I think that quarry in Portland was still a quarry when I lived in CT. The dive reports sound like like a typical quarry dive - cold and dark. As soon as I was old enough, I got out of CT and moved to Honolulu. No lake diving there though.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I live in Middletown just acroos the river from Portland and have known the quarry for years. First off there is loads of nasty crap in that quarry from cars, oil, rusted 55 gallon drums, machinery, cables etc. I understand it may be 155 + (wrong was 75 ft) (via my freinds anchor line not hitting bottom (in his dreams)) deep at parts and was mined in the 1800's.

You can dive it now and there are no signs at all last time I looked at the quarry saying keep out. But it is a high risk dive. Imagine submerging and sinking a bit to fast in the darkness and landing inside a rusted 55 gallon drum or rusted piece of machinery. Its a nasty thought not to mention the water is teaming with bacteria under the oil slick (May be cleaner now and I'll take a look).

I belive it is a tidal quarry because it may rise and lower with the CT River tide (needs looking into but a local explained this to me). Seems to have a tidal mark.

The quarry was shut down in 1938 after being flooded by the river and a few pieces of brown stone are mined here and there since the stuff is expensive.

They have a humongous task to clean up that quarry and make it safe for recreational diving.

(Well someones been hard at work and if they have made progress, I'm getting excited)

Chris

 

[dbg40]

Chris, divers have been in it all summer mapping it out, if you go there now you will find a topo. map on site, they list it as 75' max with about 45' shelvs in spots. I have not seen any tidal movement in it, and have'nt been to the bottom in years but the fire and state police depts. train there and do clean-ups. I have never encountered anything too hazardous in there, but like any quarry people do throw stuff in there.The water however is pretty clean vis being about 20' on a good day at the 45' mark, but drops to about nil at 60', no oil slicks or chem haz. just murky. There are signs in place warning about swimming since the town bought it a while back, and I can tell you first hand that they dont want divers in ether! you should come over and check it out again, is it has come a long way since being listed as an historic site. You may be surprised! Dave.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Dave

Thanks for the clarifications. Thats interesting stuff you corrected me on and I'm glad you corrected me as I've believed most of this stuff for years. I will most definitly will check it out soon as I'm about 5-10 mins away here on the Middletown-Cromwell border.

Thanks again Dave