Where to dive locally in the DMV?

[freedc]

I love Lake Phoenix but I've done it a dozen times and want to try something different.
Lake Millbrook in Haymarket, Juturna Springs, and Dutch Springs all closed, right?

Hyde Quarry -- is it open to recreational divers? Is there anything worth seeing there? I remember it being a training site for first responder divers.

Anything else within 4 hrs drive of DC?

 

[TravisD]

Hydes has been closed for over 5 years now and not open to diving (other than maybe local public safety diving)

Dutch Springs is now Lake Hydra and open to diving -- but you must be "under the care of" an insured pro (DM, instructor). There's some locals that you can hire near there, or see if a shop is making a trip - I might run one later this year...).

Willow Springs and Lake Allure are both operated by "Dive Peer" which is basically the Lancaster Scuba folks. Both are open to certified divers as well as being used for classes.

Juturna is a dead deal (again other than some PSD use).

During Oyster season, there's bay diving from either Annapolis or Kent Island.

TLT charters (I think) is running dives out of Ocean City, at least they were last year.

 

[Paladin]

Summersville Lake, near Summersville, West Virginia, has some very good diving with an on site dive shop.

 

[OTF]

You could drive a few hours up to NJ or down to NC both of which have world-class wreck diving. But you would want to make it a multiday trip given the drive times and early boat departures.

 

[telemonster]

Millbrook is dead, the owners of the property use it for construction dirt coming and going and it washes into the quarry. Scuba can't compete with the easy dirt money. I just heard that the shop that used to have the lease (Coral Edge Adventures) is no longer. I did my CCR training with them and they were always fine, but after covid they ran really tight hours that made it difficult for someone working a job to get over there.

As mentioned Hydra is only under insured party supervision. I did a vintage diving thing there with some friends (NEDEG?) and it was pretty cool, but that was mostly tethered superlite type try dives type stuff. Unfortunately Hydra is something of a hassle for any kind of normal diving.

Raleigh has some lakes/quarries but that is probably a 5 hour drive. Fantasy Lake and one other.

NoVA needs more quarries that is for sure. With the population density it's a shame there isn't one of those tanks or something like in Germany (Adventure Park) or something for training. Everything good is priced out of the region, unfortunately.

Going to try to get to Lake Phoenix soon. Just hit VaScuba Friday to get some tanks VIPed and turns out my delay in getting the tanks over there, I just missed the Hydro date on my two CCR tanks. Ordered a pair of new ones from DGX that should be here this week and will probably need to get them filled by either Va Scuba or Drew over at DiveVentures depending on where I can get when.

Someone mentioned NJ and NC, that is at least 4 hours each way.