Lake Rawlings protecting from Millbrook Divers

[Doc Intrepid]

Your knowledge is incomplete, Chris, about many things. I currently live in Arlington and dive both Millbrook and Rawlings.

 

[chrpai]

Doc-

I did a search in this group by your name and found no previous posts. Also nothing in your profile stated anything about the Northern VA area. It appeared that you were from another region taking a crack at a dive shop that I happen to like. I know the kind of hornets nest that was get stirred if I was to go into PNW and complain about 5thD. Fair enough?

 

[CelticRavenVA]

no no really, so you can't carry a knife for safety in rawlings? Do they allow fishing there??? Do they make the fishermen go and collect their fishing line they cut loose when it gets snagged?

 

[Don Burke]

Wow... first new thread in weeks here and it sure did get nasty fast in here....

Hey Don, so there are no knives in rawlings at all??? Or no knives that can be used to break up clams... Would seem to me that the safety of the mater would outway the handful of morons that feel the need to break and kill things...

More on the point, WTF is a zebra mussel and how would one live in my gear to get transported (still living) to another freshwater area?? We are asuming that all gear is washed and cleaned after each use like it is supposed to be.

Zebra Mussels are freshwater critters that get carried around on boat hulls and assorted other wet things (in a larval stage). Apparently, they came here in ballast water in ships going from overseas to the Great Lakes and have been propagating around on recreational boats and in BC water.

It is not unusual for freshwater fishermen to fish several lakes in a day. I think I remember seeing where DGIF found a wet boat hull with larvae on it on it's way to being launched.

They are a very intrusive species and clog up assorted water intakes at various plants. The interesting thing is that they make the water in the lakes and ponds very clear by removing most of the food from the water, starving native species. Some people like the clarity.

I've been guilty of not washing out my gear before.

I don't know if Rawlings has prohibited knives. I do know it was being considered.

There are many places that prohibit knives. I carry a line cutter and usually a pair of shears. Since fishing is prohibited in Rawlings, the lack of a knife isn't much of an issue. If I were running Rawlings, I'd sell cheap line cutters and trauma shears at cost as a PR move.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

(ahem) ... OK kids, let's play nice ...

Thanks Don, for putting this thread back on an informative track.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[chrpai]

Zebra Mussels are freshwater critters that get carried around on boat hulls and assorted other wet things (in a larval stage). Apparently, they came here in ballast water in ships going from overseas to the Great Lakes and have been propagating around on recreational boats and in BC water.

You forgot to mention that bird droppings also transport them.

I don't know if Rawlings has prohibited knives. I do know it was being considered.

A quick check of their website and you would know that they have.
http://www.lakerawlings.com/scubadiving/index.htm
"WARNING! Dive knives are banned beyond the chain gate leading to the lake. A land violation carries a $150.00 fine; A diving violation carries a $300.00 fine. PLEASE DO NOT BE CAUGHT BRANDISHING OR CARRYING A DIVE KNIFE into the lake. We will have no choice but to issue a violation."

Note how they use the works 'no choice but to issue a violation', 'violation..find', 'brandishing' .... these are criminal terms not contract terms. Did they all get deputized or something?

Either way he said earlier that divers don't need to be educated and that such overboard reactions don't need to occur. Seems that they already have occurred in the past. Frankly, I liked going to Rawlings on wednesdays when it was nice and quiet, but it was too much of a zoo for me on weekends.

 

[Don Burke]

A quick check of . . .

Thanks for the input. I've still got you on speed dial. Thanks

 

[Don Burke]

More on the point, WTF is a zebra mussel and how would one live in my gear to get transported (still living) to another freshwater area??

Virginia Tech has some words on the subject:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/fisheries/420-900/420-900.html

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Doc-

I did a search in this group by your name and found no previous posts. Also nothing in your profile stated anything about the Northern VA area. It appeared that you were from another region taking a crack at a dive shop that I happen to like. I know the kind of hornets nest that was get stirred if I was to go into PNW and complain about 5thD. Fair enough?

Chris -

A review of your profile reveals that nothing is stated about any area at all, nor is there much in the way of any other information. Your profile is empty. Yet...here you are.

If you were to complain about 5th D I would first inquire as to when you were last there, before I assumed you were engaging in intracontinental sniping.

Know what happens when you 'assume'?

 

[Errol Duplessis]

Question #1 ... are you declaring yourself an official agent for Lake Rawlings?

I am the President and General Manager of Lake Rawlings, so that makes me an "official agent" (of something).

Question #2 .. If so, how you do you reconcile your above statement with the fact that Lake Rawlings created a draconian knife ban complete with $300.00 "fine"

Why are you so defensive about our policies? The dive knife ban (not draconian, it has utility) has begun to pay some dividends for us. We don't see scuba instructors and divemasters (and divers in general) opening clams to feed the fish anymore. And we haven't found a punctured marking buoy for over a year and a half. We don't see idiots cutting the rope rail around our dock with the dive knife. The Z-knife and snips are welcome at Lake Rawlings (not macho enough for some divers, I know). If you knew our lake, you would also know there are no real (only imagined) obtrusive dangers - so why is a dive knife ever needed in our lake? If I were a smart scuba instructor, I would simply slip a small sheathed knife inside my BC pocket (where it cannot be seen), and not tell anyone but the DM on duty that it was there. That way, macho diver will fulfill his desire to carry a dive knife. The problem we sometimes face is "six-pack Tony", who wants to carry a sabre-length dive knife on each thigh, two more on each forearm, and two more on the BC. That's OK for the ocean and Millbrook, but not Lake Rawlings. And, we do not tell the folks at Millbrook what to do or how to do it, now do we? So, let's at least be civil to one another, and not get too defensive about this situation.

As for Doc Intrepid..... what do you have to contribute to this thread? I don't show any previous posts to this forum from you, and to my knowledge your not a member of the midatlantic community.

Be nice, he was simply sharing information!

Errol Duplessis,
President, Lake Rawlings :54: