Lake Denton

[CBulla]

Thats insane. The owners, 4 brothers, own the property and live up in N. Florida. Know whats screwed up with that is that it my dive instructors from early dive training who built and placed those platforms and ran all the line, tank gaveyard, boat, etc., in that lake.

Ugh... this is sickening

 

[Willuw]

No idea - just relaying the information I received from the shop who asked me to help..Apparently they tried to fight it (shop owner & wayne mitchell) but got no where so moved on to lake tulane

 

[Scubakevdm]

It was'nt taken to take it - it was taken along with everything else to be moved to a lake where people will be allowed to dive and can enjoy it..

It was an artifact, as well as a neccessary part of the ecosystem. Kermit Crabs depend on those as their only source of shelter. Though this was just a Kermit, when you pull a stunt like that, before long some joker comes along and rips all the platforms and everything else out of the lake. It's only a matter of time until every damn piece of diving playground and instruction equipment is torn out of there. Mark my words.

 

[BWDscott]

Lake Denton is reopened.

The county blocked off (to cars) what used to be the boat ramp and put in a parking lot just accross the street. There is a dumpster and port-o-lets there for public use.

I was there about a month ago. The water was real low (down about 5'), but the place still looked good. All of the underwater features are still intact... although, I could not find the pup-tent.

As most divers remember... the divers took the rap for the rowdy locals that constantly trashed the place.

Hopefully, that will not continue...

I like the lake because it's just a short trip down 27 from me, and a great place to experiment with new gear in a familiar environment.


Stay safe...

 

[ScubaCoach]

I was at the meeting yesterday with the small committee that is advising the county commisioners on the situation. A landowner was there that owns the small plot of land adjacent to the "boat ramp." He would be willing to do a swap. He would give the lot to the county if the county would agree to close a road and boat ramp on another lake where he would like to develop a gated community (and there were a couple of more requests in the offer). Of course the fishermen in the county were not happy with that. The residents do not really want a "beach" on Lake Denton either. I am a bit upset with some of the things that I was told after the meeting, which I will address in another post. The committee voted to see if this short term fix will work (which I think it will not) and Mr. Crews will submit his land swap offer to the county with numbers attached, etc.

The county now charges 25.00 to dive and boat on Saturday and Sunday 8-4. Monday-Friday(8-4) there is no charge to dive using the access, however, there are only 8 parking places. They will be installing a gate within the month, and are in the process of hiring an attendant to oversee the operations. Like others have stated, many of us will be diving Tulane in the future.

If you REALLY want to dive Denton, there is the camp there that has been opening up for divers for much less than the county is charging. The owner told me yesterday it's 10 dollars for divers and instructors are free. (don't quote me on that, please call and find out) He's got places to change, picnic tables, and I believe they have renovated some bathrooms that are not portajohns!! Contact

I was also told by a retired instructor that Lake Olivia (on which he lives and dives on) is another decently deep lake. This lake is just west of Avon Park.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[ScubaCoach]

My earlier post was just the information. This one is a bit more, because I'm somewhat dissappointed in some of the things that I was told. BEWARE, it's a rant, but please understand my point before flaming!!

I went to the meeting yesterday to defend the local and out of town divers. I was tired of them being looped in with the low-lifes that have been causing trouble down there. I explained to them that all agencies have very high standards, including processes where we can report instructors and other dive professionals that are engaging in behaviors that not in compliance with each of our agencies standards.

I also explained to them that we are eco-friendly (like it was said, take only pictures, leave only bubbles) and that we value the water that we dive in and the areas around it.

After the meeting I was approached by a couple of very upstanding gentleman that wanted to thank me for my input, but they wanted to let me know some things that they didn't want to bring up in the meeting when I was defending the dive community. They said they didn't want to embarrass me.....and believe me I would have been with what they told me.

I was not aware that many of the the reports of "public nudity," leaving trash, relieving themselves on the side of the road in plain view and unsafe behavior were caused by divers. Not all of the reports and certainly not most of the reports were divers, just a good number. The people that come down there to swim and cause trouble after hours are a bigger problem.

This is a shame. We need to remember to throw our trash in the dumpsters provided, use the portajohns (or hold it), and change out of our wetsuits in our truck/car/van!!!

When we move to other lakes instead, is this how we are going to treat the places we dive and supposedly take care of?

Thanks again!!
Richard

 

[jldodd]

Does anyone have the particulars on Lake Tulane? Where to park, where to enter the water, basic directions to the platforms?

 

[saltysupply]

I had both of my checkout dives at lake denton last november...was a great lake and the line through the lake was very cool that took you to all the sites, I don't recall seeing a platform. I got certified with the Dive Station and from what I could tell they know the owner of the camp, so might check them out to do dives there...I believe it was $5 for each person diving.

 

[ScubaCoach]

Article from the paper today. If anyone has some suggestions on this Swimming vs. Diving issue, please pose or send me a message. We have a bunch of non-divers making the rules and they are using Dictionary.com as their sources for defining legal terms.


Boat ramp at Lake Denton Access Road to re-open
Diving allowed, swimming still prohibited

Kevin J. Shutt
Staff writer

Wednesday, May 07, 2008


AVON PARK - The Health Department last week cautioned that re-opening the Lake Denton boat ramp and charging for swimming, er, diving might be a violation of state law.

After further review of the newest Lake Denton ordinance that charges $25 per diver per day to access the coveted clear water, Health Department Environmental Health Director Frank Kruppa gave the county the OK to re-open boat ramp access.

"The county ordinance does not allow swimming at boat access points," Kruppa said, during a phone interview Tuesday.

Initially, his concern was that by permitting public swimming at Lake Denton, the county was bound by state law to meet certain requirements, such as regular water sampling and permanent facilities, and to obtain a permit from the Health Department.

But, in a letter to the county Monday, Kruppa said the county could move forward as planned.

"If circumstances should change," he wrote in his letter, "we will take the opportunity at that time to discuss what may need to be done."

Dictionary.com describes a "scuba diver" as a person who uses self-contained underwater breath apparatus to swim underwater.

Vickie Pontius, the county Parks and Recreation director, said the definitions of diving and swimming "certainly was a major discussion" in the past six months of advisory committee meetings.

"The divers do not think that's swimming," she said Tuesday afternoon. "They cut that up and split that up a bunch of different ways."

However, no legal opinion was sought on the definitions of diving and swimming, or if they're one in the same, Pontius said.

When the boat ramp at the business end of the Lake Denton Access Road opens at 8 a.m. Saturday, boaters will have free access to the lake, parking will be limited to eight spots and swimming is prohibited.

Divers, however, will be allowed to enter the lake via boat or by wading into the water from the boat ramp. Either way, they pay the $25 fee.

The fee applies only on weekends and three holidays - Memorial, Labor and Independence days, during the summer swim season, Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The boat ramp will be open year-round, with free access Monday-Friday.

The ordinance doesn't prohibit diving from private property, permitted beaches or from a second, less-used and still free public boat ramp near a phone company office.

Pontius has been clear in noting throughout the process since the commissioners closed this boat ramp access that Saturday's re-opening is a short-term solution.

The Lake Denton committee will continue to pursue a more permanent fix.

The county commissioners' goal was to address concerns of lawlessness and public health issues at the boat ramp, making the popular dive site healthy and safe.

In what Pontius called a "win-win" outcome, the Lake Denton Baptist Camp next to the public boat ramp has enjoyed increased business.

While the ramp has been closed, divers have been paying the $10 fee to the camp to use its facilities, which include a bath house, picnic facilities and permitted swimming area.

Other divers, she said, have begun using Lake Tulane in Avon Park.

"We hope it's successful," Pontius said. "We've tried to account for all situations that may arise."

 

[jldodd]

I think regardless of how they define swimming or scuba diving, the $25 fee is prohibitive. I believe that until they rescind the fee, divers will continue to look for alternatives. I believe that is the true goal of the powers that be is to eliminate diving from the lake.