Freshwater Dive Parks

[Teamcasa]

Nemo 33
The Nemo 33 Pool (The worldâ??s deepest recreational diving pool)

 

[Ridalo]

Have you got Gildenburgh Water, Near Peterborough UK?

Gildenburgh Water

RichardL

 

[Peter Buzzacott]

Will the compiled list be available on line?

G'day Herb
The survey questionnaires are entirely confidential and no individual information will be published - that was a condition of me getting Human Research Ethics Committee approval (like the IRB over your way). Although I'm actually collecting data about scuba parks, the survey involves humans so I'm bound to follow a standard set of guidelines.
There are some great websites out there already, like Lake Divers, Lake Lubbers, Shore Diving, UK Inland Dive Site Directory, Texas Diver, etc. I probably wouldn't have much to add to their lists anyway - my results mainly focus on the range of characteristics of scuba parks. I'm hoping to show our local government that the flooded quarries and reservoirs we have down here are perfect for a dive park.
As a bonus, I hope the results might one day help another diver establish a local dive park somewhere else in the world (that would be neat).
You know, they bring money to the local community, they make for regular social events, give people an opportunity to keep their skills, etc. But...despite having thousands of lakes, reservoirs and flooded quarries, and hundreds of thousands of active scuba divers, not to mention millions of tourists each year, I don't think we've got a single inland scuba park in the whole of Australia.
Peter

 

[Spimon]

But...despite having thousands of lakes, reservoirs and flooded quarries, and hundreds of thousands of active scuba divers, not to mention millions of tourists each year, I don't think we've got a single inland scuba park in the whole of Australia.
Peter

I think it's to do with our demographics. 80% of Australians live within 120km of the coast and 50% of us live within 12km of the coast. It's even more extreme if you isolate Western Australia. I'd be much more willing to drive a couple of hours to the coast than dive in a flooded mine.

I suspect it'd be a silly exercise to set up a dive park anywhere except a 'major' city/town. Our biggest inland city is Canberra with a population of 403,118. But even here, it's only a couple of hours drive to the coast.
Our next biggest inland city, Toowoomba comes up at #15 and only 128,600 people, but again is only a couple of hours from the coast.
Our first real inland city is Albury-Wodonga, with only 104'000 people, of which I'd guess not many are divers!

I have no real basis for this, but I wouldn't think many tourists would use an inland dive park. Isn't one of Australia's major attractions the beautiful coast and barrier reef? I sure wouldn't travel here to dive in a farm dam when some of the world's best diving is accessible.

Maybe we're just not that into diving unless we live right on the coast, but I don't see the appeal of diving in a flooded mine. I personally dive for the wildlife, not for the novelty of breathing underwater. Each to their own, but I don't think I'd use a facility like this.

The American distribution isn't nearly as extreme as in Australia. There are significant populations scattered throughout USA.

I randomly picked a couple of places smack bang in the middle of USA.
Lincoln, Nebraska has a population of 254'000
Denver, Colorado has a population of 255'000.
Both are about 1500km from the ocean. Australia just doesn't have anything like that!

But then again, lots of these quarries in USA are close to the sea... Glad you're doing the research to find out! I could be very surprised.

 

[DevonDiver]

Dosthill Quarry, Tamworth, UK (about 30km from Stoney Cove)

 

[DevonDiver]

Nemo 33
The Nemo 33 Pool (The worldâ??s deepest recreational diving pool)

Oh..... fun!!!!!

 

[Peter Buzzacott]

All good points Spimon (thanks for taking the time)
Sydney and Perth are at approximately the same latitude and share much the same wildlife, and we are equally affected by southerly-heading currents. Our dive industries have also grown at comparable rates since the late sixties.
Over here we generally enjoy a busy dive season from November till April, when the sea is calm. Between April and November diving in lakes and flooded quarries offer an alternative to the sea, which we dive in when we can but during this time the sea is often inhospitable. Many of us already dive in freshwater, but there are no dedicated facilities, like training platforms at 20ft for CESAs, attractions at 60ft, spaced 100ft apart for the nav dive, etc. While I was running my own diver training business I'd have four paying customers hoping to finish their course on a certain Sunday and a cyclone would roll in up north and there goes the ocean for a few days. We'd head up into the hills and finish the training, but I always felt a few attractions wouldn't go astray. Even in winter our quarries are warmer and clearer than the very best it gets in the sea around the UK in summer.
I'm not suggesting quarries will ever compete with our fabulous marine environment (we are, afterall, talking about Australia!), but I think a few training platforms and so on would be of potential benefit to our local dive industry, maybe even extend our training season by six weeks earlier, and later (not at full income of course, but maybe add 5% to the annual training income for each dive shop within range, plus sales). As you say, not all dive parks are far from the sea. Probably an advantage actually - to have multiple stable dive businesses and then add a nearby dive park, to augment the local industry.
Also, you raise a good point about our population being significantly less than in the states or Europe. Like you, except within our most populated areas I don't think we have a population dense enough (yet) to warrant an on-site full-time dive centre at a scuba park. I imagine the best management model to adopt over here would be similar to that adopted in the less populated areas overseas, maybe sign for a key at the local tourism bureau, or purchase a day pass to display on your dash, or wear a day wrist-band like Dutch Springs. Maybe the excellent PDRA model might be best out here, where each shop/club join an umbrella organisation. Some parks only allow member-clubs or shops or divemasters with their own insurance to have a key. There are many management models in use out there.
If there was one thing I tried to avoid when I had my own shop, it was canceling a course because of the weather. We've got some perfect sites over here: they're warm, clear, 100ft deep, within an hour and a half of our three biggest cities Perth/Mandurah/Bunbury. It's just right now, apart from bath-warm gin-clear water, they're empty.
Peter

 

[ajduplessis]

You already listed Bass lake in Johannesburg, here are some more

Wondergat Wondergat Dive Site (freshwater holes with cave system, around 200ft deep)

Badgat aka Komti Springs Technical Diving Africa Run by Don Shirley (Flooded mine, around 600ft deep)

Miracle Waters Welcome to Miracle Waters (freshwater holes, around 100ft deep)

Boesmansgat Welcome to Reef Divers (freshwater sinkhole, around 900ft deep) This is the famous Raising the Dead venue!!!

 

[Spimon]

Good points Peter, the training aspect might just be the winner! I immediately thought of this type of facility being provided for those who can't dive in the ocean (ie distance) but I see your concept now. Makes much more sense to compliment the ocean rather than compete with it. Particularly if the right authorities will let you put some interesting wrecks in there.

I'm trying to think what other activities could be combined with a scuba park. Nothing brilliant comes to mind just now (keep in mind it's 3am!)....Golf driving range?

Depending on size and location, possibly the school camp type thing. The one my school went to had canoeing, mountain biking, etc. Another popular Sydney one has sailing and archery. Wonder if there's be any feasibility in something like that. Even if it's not viable to teach school groups to dive (maybe snorkeling?), maybe the surrounding area and lake could be used for additional mid-week income.

Maybe the surrounding dive shops and/or manufacturers would be keen on 'try before you buy' days for potential customers to check out the latest gadgets we don't need. There's always talk on SB about trying various pieces of equipment before buying, but I've certainly never been offered that opportunity by any shops.

Either way, good luck with the project. Will certainly be interesting to see what you come up with. I'm not from a business background so I'm sure you have more of an idea what you're doing than I do.

 

[Peter Buzzacott]

Thanks everyone
I've posted out my last questionnaire so... No More Suggestions thanks.
Pheww.. time to get back underwater. I'm heading here for a dip: YouTube - Serpentine Falls Western Australia
Peter