Lake Rawlings for Sale

[tomfcrist]

Last rumor I heard (this week) is that there is already a group of investors that have a deal in place to either buy or lease the quarry from the current owners. Supposedly they are changing the name to Pheonix or something, but are unwilling to spill the beans on the future of the site until Errols lease is officially expired. This could be completely false, its just what I heard. Im not really concerned either way, because if the lake stays closed I'll take my students to FLSP. If it is true, I am very curious to see who the new "investors" are.

 

[markallen53]

I am sorry to hear about your dive site. However, I own and operate "Sarge's Dive Shop" which is located on Summersville Lake in Summersville, WV.
Summersville Lake is called "The Little Bahamas of the East" by "Skin Diver Magazine" because it is the cleanest clearest freshwater lake east of the
Mississippi River. Summertime visibility varies from 20 to 40 feet depending upon rainfall. Our season starts Memorial Weekend and ends after
Labor Day weekend. This is necessary because the Corps. of Engineers drops the lake each fall 77 feet for whitewater rafting on the Gauley River and
for flood control through the winter. Each April 1 they start holding water back to bring the lake back to its summertime pool of 1652 feet msl.
The lake is oligotrophic with steep cliffs that go 75 feet above the water down to a depth of about 100 feet. We have huge boulders, cliffs, overhangs,
swim-thrus, and stumps and fish to look at. The summertiime surface temperature is about 85 degrees. The depth of the lake is 0-300+ feet.
We run diving, swimming, and snorkeling charters on the lake during season. Sarge's is a full-service ERDI / SDI / NAUI dive facility with scuba sales &
service, air, rentals, and classes.
Sarge's is an authorized dealer for: Sherwood, Genesis, Akona, DUI, OTS Full-face masks & U/W communications, Dive Rite Mfg., and Henderson

We are not that far from your area and we would love to take you diving. Check out our websites:
Home
http://www.facebook.com/scubawv
http://www.summersvillelakemarina.com
Mark Allen: 304-880-0451 Email: mark@sarges.net

 

[markallen53]

Check out Summersville Lake in Summersville, WV. Summertime Season: Vis = 20-40+ depending upon rainfall, Temps July-August = 85 degress, Depth = 0-300+
Summersville Lake is the cleanest clearest freshwater lake east of the Mississippi River according to "Skin Diver Magazine".
Sarge's Dive Shop is located on the lake. Full-Service with diving charters 7 days / week on-season (Memorial Weekend thru Labor Day Weekend)
Home
mark: 304-880-0451

 

[NavyGuyAN]

I recently learned of this past weekend and was told that they are actually trying everything that can to to prevent the current owners from renewing the lease and are looking/wishing for someone to buy it and clean/fix it up into an actual dive resort.
Take the Blue Grotto in Williston, FL for example. I still remember when i first got certified there and the place was a dump not as bad as Lake Rawlings was. But it recently sold in the winter of 2013-2014 and they leveled a lot of buildings and rebuild a new bath house, they have an onsite training pool and even cabins to rent out for the weekends there. It would be Fu#king AWESOME if a similar story happens and turns out for Lake Rawlings. If that as the case i think i would actually dive out there MORE than I currently did.
- Thanks for the info MARKALLEN53 I spend a lot of time out in Frost/Dunmore, WV since Virginia Beach is kinda boring, so I'll look into it this summer.

-NOVASQUID - pm me if your looking for a dive buddy. I'm a buddy-less Divemaster in the HillTop area of VaBeach.

 

[hotelconucc93]

Good info on WV. Thanks.

 

[markallen53]

Check out Summersville Lake in Summersville, WV 26651. It is the cleanest clearest freshwater lake east of the Mississippi River.
Season: May-September
Vis: 20-40+ feet depending upon rainfall
Depth: 0-300+ feet
Temps: June = 70-77 deg. July = 80-85+ degrees
Sarge's Dive Shop floats on the lake and is a full-service ERDI/SDI/NAUI dive facility with lake charters for divers, swimmers and snorklers.
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 7 days / weeks on-season
Website: Home
Facebook: /scubawv
Email: mark@sarges.net Cell: 304-880-0451
Shop: 304-872-1782

 

[tursiops]

Check out Summersville Lake in Summersville, WV 26651. It is the cleanest clearest freshwater lake east of the Mississippi River.
Season: May-September
Vis: 20-40+ feet depending upon rainfall
Depth: 0-300+ feet
Temps: June = 70-77 deg. July = 80-85+ degrees
Sarge's Dive Shop floats on the lake and is a full-service ERDI/SDI/NAUI dive facility with lake charters for divers, swimmers and snorklers.
Business Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 7 days / weeks on-season
Website: Home
Facebook: /scubawv
Email: mark@sarges.net Cell: 304-880-0451
Shop: 304-872-1782

Jeez, this is your third self-promotion/ad in one thread. Chill.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[telemonster]

I recently learned of this past weekend and was told that they are actually trying everything that can to to prevent the current owners from renewing the lease and are looking/wishing for someone to buy it and clean/fix it up into an actual dive resort.
Take the Blue Grotto in Williston, FL for example. I still remember when i first got certified there and the place was a dump not as bad as Lake Rawlings was. But it recently sold in the winter of 2013-2014 and they leveled a lot of buildings and rebuild a new bath house, they have an onsite training pool and even cabins to rent out for the weekends there. It would be Fu#king AWESOME if a similar story happens and turns out for Lake Rawlings. If that as the case i think i would actually dive out there MORE than I currently did.
- Thanks for the info MARKALLEN53 I spend a lot of time out in Frost/Dunmore, WV since Virginia Beach is kinda boring, so I'll look into it this summer.

-NOVASQUID - pm me if your looking for a dive buddy. I'm a buddy-less Divemaster in the HillTop area of VaBeach.

Of course the owners are trying to sell it, they're trying to cash out of the Real Estate market before it crashes. They're asking $1 million or something for the property, the business that the owners of Lake Rawlings built is pretty much the only value to the land.

If it's turned more into a resort would the prices have to go up to support it? I think it was fine the way it is/was, the lake is only so big. I have no idea how much insurance and other costs Lake Rawlings get stuck with, no idea on the profit. It's expensive to dive there --- but I can't imagine with any sort of sale of the property at nosebleed levels would the ticket prices go down at all. Being renters of the property there is probably only so much Lake Rawlings was willing to invest, and I'm sure the showers cost a huge amount -- they had to put in a pump system and clear out a field elsewhere for the drain field (it's off to the right when you're driving in.)

Blue Grotto is neat, didn't know they had a pool. It's probably owned by the family straight up.

 

[NavyGuyAN]

TURSIOPS - I actually wounder if the info he is stating is correct. With the current and often bizare water level changes of plus or minus 70 feet.

 

[NavyGuyAN]

TELEMONSTER - New owners at Blue grotto and yes there is a training pool on-site with classrooms aswell. Price hasent changed and is STILL $40 to dive all-day
These are just a few of the NEWLY updated photos from the Blue Grotto Dive Resort in FL facebook page. Just think if this all happened for Lake Rawlings if the right buyer came along...
-New on-site training pool, cabins to staying for the weekend, new dive deck, a few photos of the insides of the cabins, new covered picnic table (dont have to pay for a table like you did at Rawlngs) and the new bath-house