Diving in PA State Parks?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

I feel discriminated---LA Co Certification is excluded from the list of certifications allowed to dive in the parks.

That is an incredibly short list of approved agencies. I wonder who approves agencies and what is the criteria?

Of course it says, "The following are approved certifying agencies." It does not say they are the only approved agencies and it does not say agencies not listed are not approved. I take it as a list of examples of what an approved agency might look like.
The way it is worded doesn't really make any other interpretation possible.
 
I feel discriminated---LA Co Certification is excluded from the list of certifications allowed to dive in the parks.

This wound exclude @drbill, @Scuba Lawyer my self and numerous others with LA Co UW Instructors association where it all began in 1954

@Basking Ridge Diver do your duty and educate the masses

SDM
Sam, when does anyone ever check your C-card? Most of the rangers would amused or not even realize diving is even permitted. I have been to the bottom of enough East coast lakes to report that they are only fun if you enjoy silt... lots of it, going down another meter or two. A silty bed of mud as far as the eyes can see (usually around 6 to 8ft)
 
Hi
I was diving at Raccoon Creek State Park (near Pittsburgh) 2-3 weeks ago.

The (shallow) 2/3rds of the lake near the beach was iced over. We dove the deep section (25ft) on the dam side (which had no ice). Water temp was 39degF. Viz was about 2ft near the perimeter of the lake, and around 4-5ft near the center of the lake.

The maps on the state park website about buried items was wrong. We found items that were not on the map, and items on the map we could not find (granted viz was limited). The primary item you will find are different types of wood cribs designed for fish habitats.

To dive there the park office sent us a form to fill out with their rules and send back with a copy of our c-cards. They signed the form which is valid for the entire calendar year (ie all of 2018 for us). When you get to the park you need to check in at the park office, and then we just called the office on the way out.

Here is what they sent me for their rules:
Skin diving - only mask, fins and snorkel is not permitted.

Scuba diving - self-contained under-water breathing apparatus is permitted on the lake EXCEPT within 100 feet of the beach area from mid-May to late-September; within 300 feet of the spillway, dam and the dam control tower; the boat launch cove and any other area designated as off limits due to weather, special events etc.
Dive flag must be shown at all times
No diving at night
No diving under ice
All divers must be certified
No diving alone
No spear guns or bang sticks/No underwater fishing
No removal of historical or archaeological artifacts
No underwater cave diving
The Department does not accept any responsibility for the diver's safety, diver's equipment or any hazardous conditions the diver may encounter.
You must notify the park office prior to diving


This is awesome info thank you for sharing your dive. Did the forms only cover the one park or was it on file for all the parks in the state too? Very reasonable and simple procedures to do some local diving.
 
I looked all over for the Delaware Water Gap train wreck for an hour on July 4, 2018 but couldn't find it. I used this link as my guide but didn't see a yellow I-beam. The visibility was 10-15' and the water temperature 83 F. My maximum depth was 38'.

PtOfGapSign070418.jpg DelRvr070418.jpg
 
This is awesome info thank you for sharing your dive. Did the forms only cover the one park or was it on file for all the parks in the state too? Very reasonable and simple procedures to do some local diving.

Just that park
 
If I'm not mistaken,
I'd also be interested in hitting some of these up in the western part of the state. I'm just south of Pittsburgh in Canonsburg, PA.

Jim,

Don't you teach near one of the state colleges north of Pgh? Strawberry Reservoir or something?
 

Back
Top Bottom