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How the other half lives

I was visiting my mom over the holidays back east near Philly they have some dive shops. I was curious if they dove in the winter. They usually don't unless weather is really good and they have a full boat. They go off the Jersey shore, look at wrecks and grab some lobster. The other thing they do is dive a place called Dutch Springs. Its located in the Lehigh Valley, north-east Pennsylvania.

Mostly I used to think of springs, lakes and quarries as just that. However, here's how they make it interesting:

They've sunk:

Silo - An old silo still stands, partially submerged, in 20' - 30' of water.

Tanker - A tanker truck rests upright on the bottom (depth 70-80').
While penetration of the vehicle itself is not possible, this site
offers divers some experience in deeper water and with limited visibility.

Cessna airplane (single engine) - This is a good dive for beginners because of the relatively
shallow water and proximity to the island

Trolley - Built in 1946 by the St. Louis Car Co. for the Kansas City Public Service Co. It ran in Kansas City until 1955 when it was sold along with 39 similar cars to the Philadelphia Transportation Company.

 

Cruisers - There are four wooden cabin cruisers ranging in depth from 40' to 70'.
One is not marked and is ideal for natural navigation training.


These were among the first attractions to be sunk at Dutch Springs in the early 1980's.

Sikorsky H-37 helicopter - sunk in November 1995, is 88' long (including rotors),


27' wide, and 22' high, and is suspended in the water with the top at
about 25' deep and the bottom at 55'.

Fire truck - placed at a depth of approximately 25', is accessible to new and experienced divers.

School Bus - After giving years of dependable and safe service carrying school children, this bus was sunk in October 1995 at Dutch Springs (depth 50'), where it will now amuse divers for many years. The doors have been removed from this vehicle, offering qualified divers an opportunity to practice penetration skills.

Pump station, pumping platform, and three 16" pipes -
Once used to keep the area dry, they remain today in the
east end of Dutch Springs. When limestone was being quarried for the cement industry, water constantly accumulated as the stone was removed.


Also included:

Diamond Reef System - The Diamond Reef System, a group of seven diamonds made from PVC piping, is installed on one of the submerged platforms at a depth of 25'. This allows divers to practice and fine-tune their
buoyancy control, and can also be used by instructors to evaluate students' buoyancy control skills.

For the kids they have a bunch of giant inflatables in their Aqua Park area

And for topside, towering higher than two stories tall, Sky Challenge incorporates a rock-climbing wall with high-ropes course elements into pulse-quickening adventures for everyone.

Everyone entering Dutch Springs must fill out a waiver.

 

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