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WINTER 2017
LOCAL DIVING
DUTCH SPRINGS
SIGHTS
Among the attractions found underwater are a
school bus, a crane, several boats, a fire truck, a
tanker, old cars and several planes, all of which lie
at depths between 20 and 100 feet. A jet, added in
2016, is suspended at around 30-40 feet so divers can
visit it and stay off the silty bottom. Being suspended
also makes the jet look like it’s flying through the
water; it’s a fun swim-through and a great subject
for underwater photographers. The jet replaced a
helicopter that had been suspended at the spot for
years but had begun to deteriorate; it was moved to
another location close to the old pump house.
In addition to enjoying the sunken attractions,
divers can spend hours diving along the pretty
rock walls around the quarry, following the old
roads past trees and telephone poles to the sunken
dynamite shack or visiting the pump house that
used to keep the water out of the quarry. The water
has a lot of beautiful vegetation and several species
of fish, including koi, rainbow trout and largemouth
bass. The koi are a little shy and usually hang out
around the staircase near the pump house.
Many of the attractions can be explored using
established routes, and yellow ropes lead from
the submerged platforms down to some of the
more popular sights. Other attractions such as the
trolley, the Army truck and the Helldiver plane
are not marked, so good compass skills are useful
for finding and exploring them. Several floating
docks and submerged platforms are accessible
from shore and are great for practicing skills and
keeping classes off the bottom. These objects are
all marked on the surface by floating balls that can
easily be seen from shore.
One of my favorite parts of the quarry is the
island in the middle near the peninsula side.
It starts at 60 feet, and its top is usually only a
few feet underwater. It can be seen from shore,
especially when the water is really clear. A Cessna
airplane sits on the edge of the island at 25 feet
and is a great spot for photography. There is also
a lot of plant life and young bass that hide in the
rocks around the area. From the plane, divers can
head straight to the crane or the bus or take a
longer swim out to the tanker.
Twice a year, on Memorial Day and Labor Day,
the North East Diving Equipment Group sets up
on the “student side” of the quarry in about 5-20
feet of water and gives the public the opportunity
to try diving with hard hats. They bring different
From top:
A diver walks down to one of several of Dutch Springs’
floating docks. The jet is suspended in 30 feet of water; from the
bottom it looks like it’s still soaring. Many fish species, including
these bass, live in the quarry. The school bus is a popular
attraction; yellow ropes guide divers from it to other attractions,
including a fire truck and a Cessna aircraft.