The Sinking of The Quest - Willow Springs, PA

[TravisD]

This might mainly be of interest to divers who trained in the mid-atlantic area, and dove Willow Springs.

This is a video that Smokey Roberts produced, documenting the sinking of The Quest, out in the middle of the lake/quarry. Smokey was a film maker, and owner of Smokey's Diver's Den in Lancaster, PA. (More info at SR-Pro.com - About Us - Smokey Roberts ) Smokey passed away in 2020.

Quality is not so-so - this was ripped from a DVD that we believe was created by projecting/video camera capturing the original 16mm film. Nick Caloyianis was able to acquire this from Smokey's estate.

The stocky gentleman being interviewed is Nathan King, the original owner of Willow Springs Park. He was a professional boxer, and also part of the "King World" family that produced the "Our Gang" series and others.

 

[mje113]

Wow, thanks for that video! I did my drysuit class on that wreck, in willow springs, in maybe 1 foot of vis--just earlier this year. Remarkable how different it is in this video than the reality today.

 

[TravisD]

Wow, thanks for that video! I did my drysuit class on that wreck, in willow springs, in maybe 1 foot of vis--just earlier this year. Remarkable how different it is in this video than the reality today.

Guessing you were there before the treatment happened. There was a very bad algae bloom middle of this year - they actually closed for a while because of it. They ended up spending a tonne of money on treating it, and lately the viz has been back up to ~20-ish feet.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-scuba-invests-80-000-to-bring-clarity-to-willow-springs-lake-divers-photos-video/article_edd77376-596b-11ee-9412-cbf9c2096c99.html

 

[mje113]

Yeah, I think I must have been there ~April-ish. If they have indeed improved viz that much they should try to get the word out. They don't have a good reputation with almost any divers I talk to. Most completely write it off as an option. I know lots of us NE divers would love to have another option.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

Yeah, I think I must have been there ~April-ish. If they have indeed improved viz that much they should try to get the word out. They don't have a good reputation with almost any divers I talk to. Most completely write it off as an option. I know lots of us NE divers would love to have another option.

Yeah, I made two trips to Willow Springs in 2022. The first was in June and the visibility was awful. I would have written the place off but had paid for 3 months. I returned in July and it was better and I made sure to use lights. I didn't bother going back as the conditions suck, they charge a lot and there are no facilities.

I am hoping to get into Lake Hydra (Dutch Springs) in 2024.

 

[TravisD]

Yeah, I think I must have been there ~April-ish. If they have indeed improved viz that much they should try to get the word out. They don't have a good reputation with almost any divers I talk to. Most completely write it off as an option. I know lots of us NE divers would love to have another option.

They mostly mention this stuff on their Facebook pages. Viz reports frequently turn up there - both on the "community" page as well as the "Divepeer" page.

The day-entry price is indeed steep - if you're going to go more than two days in a 3 month period, the 3-month membership pays for itself. That said, I know they're dealing with the same insurance rate hikes that the instructional world is seeing, along with the investment to staff - unlike old Willow that was kind of self-governing, the numbers that are there now need staff to keep roadways clear and such. They've also been investing in replacing docks and other upgrades.

At least we have a place(or two) to dive up this way...