Dutch Springs 22 February 2004

[BILLB]

Dear Wreck Valley diving friends:

I have sent off another Email to Kevin at Dutch Springs about the scheduled diving this weekend. If you do not already know, it was close to zero in my town this morning. In my opinion, I would say we all should make other plans for the next few weekends.

I have requested a special opening at the first possible moment that the lake is liquid again. I have also requested the dates that Dutch will allow us to assist in the annual underwater clean up.

If DawgPaddle can keep us up dated from the air, we could be back at Dutch on very short notice.

 

[DawgPaddle]

Consider It Done...

I wanted to bring back photo's from this past Saturday afternoons' airborne observation, however I kind of forgot to check the batteries on the digital before getting airborne; Bad Me.

I'll be overhead dutch twice on Saturday (2/21/04) and will bring the "fully charged" camera with me then.

However, based on what I saw a coupla days ago, I don't think I'll be diving on Sunday, not Dutch anyways. Way too cold during the nights to allow continuos melting.

Rather than include the pics in this thread, I'll post a new thread when I take the pics so folks won't swim by the dated title of this thread and miss the pics.

By the way, if any other flyers want to take a look, Dutch Springs is located just south of the final approach course into rwy 24 at Lehigh Valley International. It's about 5.1 miles from the threshold. Make sure you talk to approach as it's in the Charlie airspace and just about touching the Delta.

Until Then.....

 

[FrankF]

Damn this ice. Anyone want to go in on buying or renting a Russian icebraking vessel?!?

 

[grouchyturtle]

Damn this ice. Anyone want to go in on buying or renting a Russian icebraking vessel?!?

Can we sink it after it gets warm out?
That way we have a new attraction.
It may get a little crowded if we do that every year though!

 

[BILLB]

I will be in West Florida most of this week. Thinking really serious of taking my dive gear with me. Any takers on joining me and diving off Pensacola, Panama City or maybe Vortex Springs? Just catch a ride with Dawg Paddle and you can be there in a couple of hours!

 

[BILLB]

This is the final word from Dutch. Maybe we can do the March dive.

Bill,
We are not opening this weekend. In March the platform cleaning weekend is the 13th&14th. The group needs to be here between 9 and 10 am and out for the gates by 3 pm. If anyone has push brooms they can bring them. Let us know by the 9th the number of divers you will be bringing in your group.
Kevin

 

[VTernovski]

alright... i am going skiig then.
Hey, BILL, how far is that from Sarasota? any ideas where to dive in Sarasota area?

 

[Sean326]

Too bad.... Bill, please put me down for the clean up weekend

 

[grouchyturtle]

Sure I'm in.
What exactly do we have to clean up?

 

[BILLB]

The March clean up is about taking off the pond scum and zebra mussels on the surface of all the training platforms. You will need to bring your own driveway broom (stiff bristle, long handle) and 4-6 pounds of lead to keep the broom negative. Needless to say this is a very low viz dive! Dutch expects the "volunteer" help to do recreational dives also.

For Vadim, Pensacola is about an eight hour drive from Sarasota. Sarasota has the famous muck dives for pre-historic shark teeth and whatever. PM Walter (Ft. Myers) and he will set you up! Pensacola has excellent wreck diving. I have not been diving here since 1999 but the gulf water is warm (it is about 60F right now) and the viz is always 50+. Deep and not so deep wrecks are here. Mostly artificial reefs. Lots of good photo ops here.