Roll Call for all Mid-Atlantic Bottom Feeders

[letterboy]

Hey out there. All you bottom feeders sound off and let's see who is out there. Many times I have needed or looked for local dive buddies and get togethers but there never seems to be enough people on this forum to scare up any real interest.

The Mid-Atlantic area is huge and that makes it hard to plan alot of things like big meetings and such. But getting together and conversing on SB shouldn't be a problem. Then one thing may lead to another.

Many of the members on this forum come and go and I have noticed a lot of us, myself included, only seem to post when we need water temps for Mount Storm or Summersville lake and that's fine to a point. I know many of the folks that dive these places personally and they don't even know about SB, and that's my fault I guess. I plan on doing something about that.

Having a lot of dive buddies I really never worried so much about this particular area of the board but I would like to know some folks that I could dive the Great Lakes with or go out off the coast of VA for an afternoon of diving or dive some of the quarries in PA. Problem is we don't have enough folks chatting it up to get things going. I can't even name a single dive shop in Va. much less know what dive sites are out there.

Mrs Prages, bless her heart, has tried to get some interest started in the past and hosted a few gatherings around our area. I even made it out to one. We need more of that.

It's winter here, just look out the window. That makes it a good time to chat it up and meet some of the locals.

Anyone interested?

What are you doing out here???

Anyway I am originally from Maryland, transplanted to Lynchburg Va still go to MD at least once a month. . .

 

[Scubagal4579]

I'm in the Silver Spring MD /DC area. I usually "export" for my diving, I like the Carribbean because of the closeness and temps. I usually make two or three trips a year (but would obviously prefer more). I am open to learning about dive trips around the area but would rather not have to don a drysuit to get wet.

-Scubagal4579

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I'm in the Silver Spring MD /DC area. I usually "export" for my diving, I like the Carribbean because of the closeness and temps. I usually make two or three trips a year (but would obviously prefer more). I am open to learning about dive trips around the area but would rather not have to don a drysuit to get wet.

From the Silver Spring/DC area there is a lot of excellent diving, however, only some of it can truly be said to be warm water diving. For salt water there are four basic areas that are reasonable driving distance for weekends; (N to S) Ocean City, MD; Virginia Beach, VA; Hatteras and the Outer Banks, NC; and Morehead City/Beaufort, NC. The gulf stream comes up the coast as far as Hatteras, then it is directed out into the Atlantic. This means you have clear, warm, high vis water with turtles, rays, sharks, large pelagics, etc. in Morehead City/Beaufort, and on a good day the offshore wrecks offer world-class diving. It involves charter boat fees and hotel rooms, as well as travel costs, but makes for awesome weekend diving - so long as the weather cooperates. Summer temps can run between 72 to 78 degrees (F). From Morehead City north each location is progressively colder: Hatteras summer temps are mid 60s to low 70s; Virginia Beach drops to mid 50s to high 60s; Ocean City, MD is often the same - but on the deeper wrecks it can get into the low 40s. As with most things, it's a trade-off. Morehead City is a 7.5 - 8 hour drive from Downtown DC so long as the traffic cooperates. (Traffic during summer weekends can be nightmarish...both getting out of the city on Fridays and back into the metropolis on Sunday nights...) On the other hand, you enjoy world-class diving, assuming you don't get blown out. Ocean City, MD is about 3 hours from downtown DC if traffic is light. Plus, you can live on the boat, so no hotel fees. The downside is that the water is much darker and colder. Still, we've decompressed while a pod of dolphins frolicked around us off Ocean City, and there are some very cool wrecks there. [All along the eastern seaboard the wrecks with most history are WW II wrecks torpedoed by the U-boats - of which there are also more than a few out there. You're looking at long boat rides, 2.5 -3 hours out (one way), you're 60-70 miles offshore, but the diving can be bodaceous.]

Freshwater there are four options also, Lake Rawlings (3.5 hours south); Millbrook Quarry (about 1 hour due west from DC, perhaps 1 hour 20 minutes from you); Mt. Storm (about 3 hours west from you); and Dutch Springs (quarry) in PA. Of these, I go to Millbrook and Rawlings exclusively; Rawlings because a camping weekend there with a roaring fire is highly cathartic, and Millbrook simply because you can get out there for a dive at 8 AM on Saturday morning, and be home by 1 PM to do other stuff for the rest of the afternoon. The vis was suck-city last season, not helped by the legions of classes that go there for open water check-out dives, but the convenience simply makes it the logical choice for practicing and skills dives. You may find that some of the others work better for you, but these will be your primary options.

In fact, if a group of divers is getting together to do some diving over a weekend, you'll likely find that they're heading for one of these eight destinations. (Of course, there are a number of different charter boats at each of the ocean destinations, but this gives you a general idea to start planning for next season...) If you're willing to don the drysuit at all, Chilly Willy dives at Millbrook are a cheap and easy way to maintain skills over the winter. The December dive is next Sunday, Dec 17th; and the January dive is Sunday, Jan 14th. I won't be at this months, but if I'm around I may hit Millbrook in January. It will be weather dependent...... but if the sun is out and they put together a big fire it can be reasonably laid back. The Chilly Willy dives are run by The Dive Shop out of Fairfax, VA.

The fresh water dive sites offer generally suck diving - although they are excellent for teaching, training, and practice. And that's the point: a charter boat 70 miles offshore is a really bad place to discover that your mask leaks, your regulator is breathing wet, you don't really know how to use your compass to navigate, or its been long enough that you're apprehensive about dropping into a hundred twenty feet of open ocean. The open ocean is the shizzle - thats where you want to be. But the weekends spent in the quarries ensure that you're ready for it; they are absolutely necessary for you to be comfortable and relaxed in the ocean.
It's all good. And 2007 is going to be a most excellent season!

Hope this gives you the general lay of the land around here. Welcome to the area.

Doc

 

[Hoyden]

I'm in Rockville - and will dive pretty much anywhere there is water - Ocean City, Va Beach, NC, FL - even been in a quarry or two:14: and the occassional aquarium, where you are guaranteed not to get blown out.

For those of you that may be interested in diving at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the info has been posted above. The written test is this coming Monday evening at 7 PM at the Aquarium - it may be possible to still sign up. The volunteer dive program is a blast and is the only truly local water diving.


Jackie Cooper

 

[pir8]

Hey Jim,

I have been wanting to do some dives in the quarrys in PA for a while, especially Dutch Springs. Why Dutch Springs? I would like to see it because the Rouse's dove it and it is close enough to home for me to make the visit.

Have you been there and would you like to join me there this spring?

I get to Dutch quite often during the season. If you want to set up a ScubaBoard Day at Dutch I would be happy to help in some kinda way.

 

[DennisW]

I live in Williamsburg, VA and I have dived Lake Rawlings, but frankly, quarries are boring. I normally head to Florida to dive warm water. I just hate the cold, so my diving is over until it warms up some. Although the water temps are normally about 70 degrees or so in Florida during the winter and I will do that. Maybe this summer I will try some dives in the VA Beach area.

 

[WVDiver]

Hi all Robert here & I live in Va. Beach, dive in Va. Beach, but I like N.C. also as my wife & normal buddy does not like diving here in Va. Beach, but loves N.C. diving. We went to Utila, The Texas Flower Gardens & a couple trips to MHC last year.
I try to list any dives I have planned off of Va. Beach to try & find a buddy pre trip. I also try to post a trip report after the dive to arrouse interest in diving here.
We have 2 local shops in Va.Beach, Lynnhavenhttp://www.ldcscuba.com/ & Dive Quarters http://www.divequarters.com/. I actually use Dive Quarters most often, but I have dove with Lynnhaven quite a bit & have no reservations going out with them.
I am not a big fan of quarry diving, but know they have their place & will hit 1 every once in a while.
So if anyone wants to do a Va. Beach dive I am always game. I am AOW,Rescue & Nitrox cert with 100 dives with most of them in open ocean so no problems worrying about a inexperienced newbie buddy. I am hopeing to get Adv. Nitrox & DECO done this winter & am just getting into doubles with BP/W tendencies.

Thanks for posting, alot of good intformation here. Especially the dive shops. What is the difference from Va Beach to N.C. diving that your wife prefers N.C.? What are ocean temps around Va Beach in the winter months, any diving possibilities worth pursuing?

 

[WVDiver]

What are you doing out here???

Anyway I am originally from Maryland, transplanted to Lynchburg Va still go to MD at least once a month. . .

Hey John, I am very glad you checked in an posted on this thread. You are another one I would like to dive with in 2007. You always know where you can track me down. So when the weather gets good enough for your area let me know. I'm sure our weather here will be at least several weeks behind yours.

Until then I will see you in the underground.:14:

 

[WVDiver]

I get to Dutch quite often during the season. If you want to set up a ScubaBoard Day at Dutch I would be happy to help in some kinda way.

That's great Pir8. I will be in touch closer to spring and we can plan something for us and JimLap and then anyone who would like to make the trip would be more than welcome.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

What is the difference from Va Beach to N.C. diving...?

Seasonal temps off Morehead City are generally in the 70s with vis in excess of 100' on a really good day. Seasonal temps off Virginia Beach are generally in the high 50s to mid 60s at the surface with vis in excess of 40'. I'm sure it gets better than that on a really good day, but I've never seen it any better and often worse. Virginia Beach is colder and darker, and without all the nurse sharks, rays, turtles, large pelagics, and other features that the NC wrecks offer.

I'll be looking forward to diving with any area divers next year, but suggest that we may have better dives if we try to get a charter together out of Beaufort or Morehead City.

Just MHO...YMMV!