Pennsylvania: Dutch Springs

For the month of July, I've been spending every Tuesday evening at the Prospect 

Park YMCA working towards my scuba diving certification.

Five weeks, five classes, one multiple choice exam and two days in Pennsylvania
at Dutch Springs Quarry, I am finally a certified open water scuba diver. It was a whirl
wind of events the past couple of weeks with my triathlon training and scuba diving
certification classes, not to mention work, but it is all leading up to the finale which
will be discussed soon.

But first, Dutch Springs Quarry... 

In 1933 the National Portland Cement Company purchased

about 300 acres from several farms near Nazareth, Pa.

By 1935 the company had completed construction of a cement 

plant and began mining the adjacent limestone for use in cement 

manufacturing. Soon after the mining started, the quarry began 

to flood, and it became necessary to pump water out to keep the 

quarry operating.

When mining operations were stopped during WWII, the water 

rose again.  When the company was ready to resume mining

after the war, the quarry was completely flooded and had

to be pumped dry.

The quarry continued supplying limestone until the 1970s when 

National Portland Cement went out of business.  When operations 

ended and the pumps were shut off, the quarry, now as deep as 

100 feet in some areas, flooded again, becoming a 50-acre lake.

In 1980, the property was purchased and converted into one of 

the largest fresh-water scuba diving facilities in the country.  

Dutch Springs is spring fed from an underground aquifer 

that seeps through the limestone, filtering it to provide 

20 to 30-foot visibility, which makes it ideal for scuba diving. 

Today, Dutch Springs has expanding to include the Aqua Park, 

Sky Challenge, and NorthStar Adventure, which provides 

adventure-based teambuilding experiences for corporations 

and other groups.  Our goal is to make Dutch Springs 
a recreational facility with adventure fun for the entire family.

During the two days I did four dives, two a day, varying from 25 to 45 minutes 

with a maximum depth of 52'. As we were getting certified in a quarry vs. the ocean 

(salt water) the water was much colder and we were wearing a very heavy, 7mm, 

Farmer John, wet suit, which is made up of two pieces and extremely hard to get 

on and off.

Waking up at 6am both days, driving 1.5 hours, diving, and driving 1.5 hours 

home was exhausting. Even though I had a blast, I was glad that the weekend had 

come to an end and I was officially certified. Thankfully Sara went with the the first 

day for a refresher drive so I had some company and some support during my first dive! 

... and August Adventure: Part II, will be announced shortly!