4/17/05 Dive Report for Lake Rawlings, VA

[pairizarry]

I arrived to Lake Rawlings, VA (southwest of Petersburg) at about 10:30 am, after 160 miles (almost 2 ½ hr drive) from Northern VA. I was there for a cookout and diving with the NC Wreck Divers from Scubaboard.com. This was my 2nd dive with them at Lake Rawlings. We had a total of 9 divers. When I arrived the 1st group was in the water, while my group got ready. We got in at about 11:30 am and did a surface swim near the bus and descended there. We had fun doing “wreck penetrations” on the bus. The temp around the bus was around 55 at about 30 ft. The vis was probably around 15-20 ft.
Dive stats for dive #1: 54ft, 46 min, 49 degrees.

After a 2 ½ hr SI, where we ate and talked we were ready for some more diving. At about 3pm, we did a surface swim to the surface marker of the boat with the wheelhouse and descended. One of the guys in our group was disappointed in the boat because it was as small as the other ones. It would be nice for them to put 100-200 ft boat in these quarries. The vis was about 5-10 ft now. Lake Rawlings has yellow line/ropes that connect each wreck, so even in low vis you can find your way around.
Dive stats for dive #2: 57ft, 31 min, 49 degrees (Fill was 450 psi less than 1st dive)

If you haven't been to Lake Rawlings, you need to go. I can't compare it to other quarries other than Millbrook in Northern VA (Haymarket, VA) and Lake Rawlings blows it away.

My next scheduled dives are with Lynnhaven Dive Center, VA Beach, VA on Sunday 5/22 (Super Dive Weekend) where I will be diving the JP Morgan wreck. If I get 2 dives in, I will be able to move my logged dives to 51-100.


Pedro

 

[Hoyden]

Glad to hear you had a good time down there. I was at Millbrook on Sunday finishing my rescue class. The water temps weren't bad compared to when we were there last month - 57 at the top and 47 at the bottom - it felt practically balmy

Jakcie

 

[pairizarry]

Congrats on your Rescue Diver cert. I will go for mine next year.

I guess the Mt Storm trips have been cancelled since the news that the plans for the dive op have been tossed. I will have to check if and when VA Scuba is going since I would like to get an Altitude Diver cert.

The temps weren't that bad. I guess you stayed warm doing all the skills. It still must have been a little chilly the 2nd or 3rd dives of the day. I would say Millbrook's cold water training made the 49 degrees at Lake Rawlings very tolerable.

Are you officially on the NAIB diver rotation? When you do get on let me know and I will come down on one of your days. I should be hearing something about the Oyster Conservation diving in May when the volunteer dates get released.

Take care

Pedro

 

[Hoyden]

The Mt Storm stuff is just delayed until they turn on the heat . As sson as the power company starts using the water for cooling and the lake heats up, they plan to do a weekend up there. I have one more day of class room training at NAIB (this coming Saturday) and then we should be assigned to teams to start the dive apprenticeship (6 days of that) - then we'll be diving regularly. Once I get on a team I'll try to do a write-up on it.

See you soon,

jackie

 

[Warthog]

Some of Sterling Silver Scuba's instructors are headed up to Mt. Storm this weekend to get their Altitude Instructor rating. If you're interested in getting an altitude diver rating you might want to contact the shop (silverdivers.com). I'll let you know what they report for the water temps.

Thanks for the update on Lake Rawlings, I'm thinking of heading down there sometime b4 Memorial Day to see if my RV will fit

-Warthog

 

[Don Burke]

Thanks for the update on Lake Rawlings, I'm thinking of heading down there sometime b4 Memorial Day to see if my RV will fit

I expect that the most you will have to deal with is a branch or two on the access road.

Some of the dive shops use box trucks and they do not seem to have a problem.

I would bring a bowsaw and maybe a pole pruner just in case.

 

[Warthog]

The water temp at Mt. Storm on Saturday 4/23 was 60 degrees. Cold, windy, and miserable...or so I was told. I was in a nice tosty building all day Saturday.

However, I made up for it on a 90' mapping dive for my DM Sunday at Millbrook If I recall correctly my computer said 42 degrees down there. Actually, it wasn't all that bad in a hooded 7mm w/5mm gloves. It was colder on the surface than in the warmer/shallower water.

-Warthog