dutch springs is boring

[Sean326]

I've been diving on and off since I was about 15
(24 years) and I've dove wrecks, walls, caves etc. from south America to northern Ontario (Ice as well).

And I love Dutch

I also have a family and run my own business, for the most part if I want to dive (except for a couple of multi week trips through the year) I have to settle for a quick two tanks with my buddies. I live in Doylestown about 45 min. from Dutch and I can leave my house at 7:15 dive two tanks and be back home by 12:30.

I simply cannot take whole days or weekends off to go diving on a regular basis.

Dutch allows me to satisfy my addiction, stay married and run my company. I also have found that when I can help out one of my instructors with their students it's very rewarding. I'm also working on my Dive Master and I can do that at dutch as well.

Two months ago I dove Turks & Caicos, last month I dove Jamaica and you know, they were really cool and way more interesting than Dutch. But I can't do that every other weekend like I can Dutch.

One more thought, as I was gearing up on the dive boat off of Provo (Turks & Caicos) watching the guy next to me strap his BC on the tank upside down I realized that most divers that I've seen could use lots more time at a place like Dutch.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Interesting comments...
Personally, I can find absolutely fascinating stuff to watch in every body of water (swimming pools excepted) in which I have ever been diving. There's more going on in one square meter of bottom or wall - fresh or salt, mud or sand or reef or rock - than on all 300 cable channels, 24 hours a day.
It's a matter of focus and observation.
Rick

 

[gfisher4792]

Personally, I can find absolutely fascinating stuff to watch in every body of water (swimming pools excepted) in which I have ever been diving.
Rick

Yeah, never saw anything fascinating in pools, maybe scary/disgusting, but not fascinating. Makes me wonder why I swim laps...

Anyway, I hope to make it out to Dutch sometime, next time I get to PA. Haven't been since I finished up at PSU.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Also living around here there are many requirements to get on the boats. For example
1 - On most trips you need at least AOW, not everyone has it
2 - Doubles or a pony

Plus a season pass to Dutch costs less than even just 2 boat trips.

And there is the whole hang out factor everyone mentioned. You can get a much larger group together at Dutch than you can on a boat. You can do the top side hang on a shore dive too, but many spots you'll only be able to get one dive in due to tides.

Don't get me wrong I sometimes get a little bored with Dutch (as Frank pointed out), but as VT said there are many places in the lake few people know about, because they just always head to one of the BIG attractions. We will find that damn hole one of these days!!!

I just got my AOW in the fall and do plan to hit some boats this year. Also want to do some shore diving. But I also want to check out some of the other fresh water spots around here. And when all else fails or even just because it's easy, convenient, and takes no thought, there is always Dutch.

As many others have pointed out. A day under water is better than...well a day doing just about anything else. And as Rick said there are many things to see in any body of water.

 

[Sean326]

And there is the whole hang out factor everyone mentioned.

I agree, I dive with a great group of people at Dutch, we dive then take a surface interval around the grill and cooler talking about diving and gear then dive again.... very nice...

I'm not a big "hang out at the bar" kind of guy so Dutch is a nice place for me to relax with friends.

It's really the same as local skiing, I love to ski and love the mountains in Colorado but going to a Pocono mountain and doing a few runs, then hanging out in the chalet is nice to.

 

[oversea]

What is the water conditions like at Dutch? Visibilty? I have never been there and am planning to go this year. I hear there is an old chevelle in there, while I hate chevy's, underwater is a great place to look at one! I have a couple of friends that want to go. Do I need to make a reservation?

 

[Sean326]

What is the water conditions like at Dutch?
Visibility?

40s 15' to 30' depending on the area and silt being stirred up

I have never been there and am planning to go this year. I hear there is an old chevelle in there, while I hate chevy's, underwater is a great place to look at one! I have a couple of friends that want to go. Do I need to make a reservation?

No reservation, check out their web site

http://www.dutchsprings.com/

 

[rjchandler]

$22 plus $5 extra if you want dive after 6? Sounds kinda steep.

 

[Sean326]

$22 plus $5 extra if you want dive after 6? Sounds kinda steep.

I got a season pass for $120.00, I probably dove 10 days since the 1st, so I guess thats $12.00 a day now.

By the end of the year It'll work out to a couple of $ a day

 

[SeaCobra]

Also living around here there are many requirements to get on the boats. For example
1 - On most trips you need at least AOW, not everyone has it
2 - Doubles or a pony
QUOTE]

I'll start off by saying that Dutch Springs is not boring and if you like fish life, there are some neat areas to poke around in. And this is coming from a diver who spends the vast majority diving in the ocean.

BTW - you do not need AOW, doubles or a pony bottle to dive jersey. You can dive jersey with a single tank and good dive buddy and there are plenty of dives to do so.

Diving is fun, not complicated.

JeffH