dutch springs is boring

[phillybob]

does dutch bore the fecal matter out of anyone else but me?
i understand that it is good for cert. and check out dives but after that it is just so monochromatic and 'old'.i'd rather walk off a beach somewhere (for free) and deal with the conditions than pay 21 bucks for a yawn. i'm not saying i'm "joe super diver " but i just don't see it.i did my certs. there a few years back and i've been there a few times since,but jesus,mary and joseph,how many times can you look at that friggin' helicopter? i can tell from all the posts that there are a lot of hard core dutch fans ,so i expect to hear a lot of crap. fire away!

 

[FrankF]

I guess in my eyes diving there is better than not diving at all. You can't always hop a boat or get someone to do a shore dive with you, but there's always someone willing to go to Dutch. You also have to look at the various skill levels of the people diving. I've only be diving a few months, so I value any opportunity to practice and make myself a better/safer diver. I don't want to pay $80 a shot to go out and practice in the ocean when I can pay $120 a year to do the same things at the lake. There's also a social aspect to it, too. We all get together and hang out, dive and talk diving. If we weren't sitting in the sun at Dutch talking to other divers we'd probably all be locked in our rooms surfing the internet for the best prices on bolt snaps.

I agree with you that it is not Bonaire, and that, to quote Grunzster "I practically have my pilot's license from diving the helicopter so many times," but if I had to pick between sitting in my living room watching bad television or heading out to Dutch for a dive or two I'm going with the latter.

Frank

 

[VTernovski]

Actually, I am getting bored of Bonaire... after a while - seen one reef, and you've seen them all. in regards to Dutch though, there are quite a few interesting things that are not on the map, even I haven't explored all of them yet. Most people don't even know about it... a number of those interesting sites along the south wall of the quarry, and date before it was Dutch Springs - the Dynamite Shack, send "bunker", and telephone poles, some on the ground, some still standing with the cables going down, two cars to the east of the dynamite shack, and two cars and two vans to the west that were left there before the quarry got flooded. But even said that, I had quite an eye opening experience last weekend that forced me to re-evaluate my diving abilities altogether, and you will probably be seeing me at Dutch for the next few weeks spending most of my time at 20' on a platform...

but, like the saying says to each its own, if you're bored, then you're bored. There are plenty of other places to dive, it just depends on what kind of goals you set for yourself. nothing is wrong with that.

 

[BILLB]

I dive because I thrive on the challenges. Just to plan, and execute a dive is one of the reasons I dive. I like the feel of both cold and warm water on my skin. I love the challenge of diving when no one else wants to dive due to weather or situations.

Reefs used to bore me but since I have becomed involved in photography, the reef is alive and I simply can not get enough of reefs. The same goes for our Dutch Springs. Every time I go out I find someting new or I "discover" for myself the items other have found. I do a lot of "practice" videos at Dutch. It has helped me become a better underwater cameraman.

Diving Dutch give me the practice I need to do the deep ocean dives I love to do. It can be compared with flyin an aircraft in the Navy ( I am retired Naval Reserve). You train 100 hours for the 3-4 hours to complete a well planned mission.

Beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder. I personally find Dutch quite beautiful. The setting is as good as it gets in these parts and the diving by my experiences is well worth doing again and again.

Recently I had the pleasure of diving at Dutch with some of our on-line members. We had a wonderful time despite the weather and water temperature. The social aspect is a driving force for me too.

Hope to see you at Dutch. I bet I can make you have a good time!

 

[landfish]

I aggree it can be boring but as most are saying you practice and then you practice so it can ony help you when you do the diving you really like.
it is neat to go there and try different things out
you dont want to pay to go on a boat to try something and then find it dont work?
anytime spent under the water is much better then being on top breathing poluted surface air.
just be carefull at dutch not to jump the fence or go in the water by yourself the nazi's are allways just waiting to shoot at you!!

 

[Lat. Adjustment]

I find all fresh water diving boring, be it the lake at the end of my block, Dutch, Willow or Crystal River, unless someone has dumped a body or a Corvette there aren't going to be any surprises unlike the ocean where anything can show up.
Of course this is easy for me to say since I live at the Jersey shore and Dutch is a three hour drive. Latitude Adjustment

 

[IrishAngel]

Dutch Springs has it's uses. It's a good place to learn & practice skills.. work with new equipment.. shake off the cobwebs after a long winter... and to teach. Prefer ocean wreck diving 100 times over.. so that's mostly what I do.. but I live within walking distance of ocean. I might feel differently if I had to drive 2 1/2 hr to the ocean, rather than to Dutch.

 

[Jersey]

Boring? No, I find it too stressful, so I try to avoid it. All those students, running around not knowing what they are doing, dropping on & off platforms, stirring all the silt up, gear all over, honestly, just scares the poo out of me. Everytime I'm there I'm afraid there will be an accident. I don't know, just call me nervous.

That said, I do think it is an invaluable learning, training, skills developing environment, well planned out & executed. As mentioned, much of the fun comes from the social aspect - spending time w/ people who share a particular interest of mine, and then finding other things in common or not. I've made business contacts there, helped others find a new job, and discussed literature. I love to cook & am known for packing up the propane stove, cooking a big roast w/ gravy, cheese & crackers & fresh fruit, nothing better then FOOD between dives!

You are correct landfish - they miss nothing! Couple yrs ago one young AI from LDS tried to sneak back in around 2:30 am (drunk as well), suffice it to say his ticket was punched before his feet hit terra firma.

Jersey

 

[VTernovski]

I find skiing at Hunter mtn too stressful, so I ski on the west side. same with Dutch; I usually dive along the south wall. I hardly ever see anybody venture there. Like I said earlier, there are number of interesting sites along the south wall that were left there before Dutch Springs query got flooded. But the good exploration requires some serious bottom time since you will be at around 70-85 feet. It's also not for beginners, you should have good buoyancy skills. if, for example, you find yourself running low on gas, and forced to ascent without an upline, you don't want to blow your stops. Also, you should have solid understanding of gas managements concepts, rule of halves, rule of thirds, rock-bottom, etc.. So, like some said before - it's a great practice ground to get your skills polished while still exploring the areas of the lake where students don't usually (if ever) venture to.

I also want to scooter the thing in and out... especially on the west side. Apparently it can get pretty eerier when the viz is bad. dead trees and such.... quite a sight! remember Dutch Springs is not all about going to the Helicopter, it could be as easy or as challenging as you want to make it.

 

[frogfin]

You all make good points. The one I haven't heard was the safety staff. I've been diving up there since '95 and I've never had a problem(thank god), but it is nice to know that there are professionals there to help, if I need it. Besides, they are always making improvements. You'd be hard pressed to find many places like DS.The only thing I can't do up there is dig.(I guess I could ,but nothing to find.