Western PA Diving

[darylm74]

Any divers that dive regularly in the Western PA area? I know there are a few quarries around here but don't know anything about them. I have a drysuit but don't get trained until the beginning of May. I was thinking about picking up a 7 mm and doing some shallow diving.

 

[diver_paula]

Daryl,

If you come across any information I'd be interested as well. My parents live in Clarion and I visit fairly often. No reason to keep the visit all above water.

Paula

 

[Garfish]

Hey Daryl:

If you know where Splash water sports dive shop in Greentree is located, near pittsburgh. Check with them for they generally go up to Strawberry Quarry close to Volant Pa.
I been their once, it's not bad for diving. Their most definently a thermolcline there in summer ,one would want to us a 7 mill or drysuit. They have a few platforms their & some things to see.
You can also check out the yough dam on the other side of uniontown pa.
Most of us divers in w.pa. usually go down to Mt storm lake in north eastern w.va. for diving. Check it out.

Have fun & most important "safe diving"

Sam.................

 

[JRRKAR]

I had to do some diving in the Mon for an upcoming transportation project. After two days of diving, only at one point I had a few inches of viz along the very bottom. Other than that I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. And on some of the dives we lost all daylight only a few feet below the surface. We were diving just downstream of the new dam. So I can say for certain, don't bother diving in the Mon! (unless you get paid to dive, and then by all means, it's a way to get out of work and into some tanks!)

Jeff

 

[Garfish]

Hi jrrkar:

Do you work for a Consulting Engineering firm which provides underwater bridge inspection on major reconstruction highway projects?

I seen your above reply and could not help to think that your were in that line of work.

I know what you are talking about when you mentioned about bad vis & total darkness when diving. It sucks.

The company that i work for, a local consulting engr. co. in downtown Pittsburgh has been known to have certified divers to do underwater bridge inspection work on several local rivers.

How do you like your job and currious what the pay range is.

I'm a Nicet cert. inspector for heavy highway construction projects which usually i work along with pa.dot. Mostly roadway but now & than i do a little bridge insp. work.
Although i'm a AOW diver i never thought about doing underwater inspection work.

Anyway i thought i would ask:

Safe diving

Sam...................




:

 

[JRRKAR]

I work for a consulting engineering firm that does designs of transportation projects. We also do inspection of bridge structures for PennDOT and construction inpsection of new bridge and transportation project. We do not do any underwater inpsections. For this project we had to investigate the area where the Mon-Fayette corridor of the turnpike crosses the Mon. We were checking to see if there was any habitat where threatened or endangered species might be displaced in the new highway crossed the river. The main environmental person in our Pittsburgh office is a diver and new I was also, so they asked if I could come out for a few days to help with the investigation. I am a structural engineer located in our Harrisburg office.

I'm not sure of the pay range for inspectors, but if you wish, just PM me and I can give you the name and number for our head of inspections in our Pittsburgh office. I know they are always looking for inspectors. Inpsectors usually go where the current jobs are so they are always looking.

I don't think I would want to dive in those conditions daily. It's a bit freaky loosing all daylight only 12' down. But it was fun for a few days since I got paid to do it.

Jeff

 

[Boater Dan]

Someone had mentioned Strawberry Quarry. I believe that Ocean Odessey out of Cranberry also uses that Quarry. Scott's Scuba out of Freeport owns and operates Crusty's Quarry near the Grove City Outlet Stores in Mercer County, but I think it is pretty much reserved for his classes and customers. You can always call the store and ask.

I saw the posts regarding the Mon. The Allegheny is not much better. I had done several recovery dives in the Allegheny last year and the best vis I had was about a foot.

Happy Diving!

 

[Garfish]

Hi jeff:

Thanks for your reply and consideration though i don't think i would want to do under water inspection at this time ,although i love diving very much. I was just curious about the pay and percentage of divers in this line of work.

For most of my highway construction inspection work has been in pa.dot district 12-0 . Either 1-70 and/or I 79. It's been a little slow for the past few years and now most of the work is either been in 11-0 or the turnpike commision.

As for the turnpike inspection work, a local firm located in Rostraver Pa. have the consulting contract for the first 3 section of the Finlay Connector. I have my application in for this project. I have worked for this consulting group before and they are highly respected.

It seem like the southern beltway & tie in's to Mon valley expressway will all come together in the near by future. Heaven knows we sure need it.

It must be nice to dive & to get paid for it. At no daylight at 12', that got to be bad.
At 50' i would say its normal but at 12' wow.. I'll go to fla springs.. lol

Anyway thanks and it was nice chatting to a fellow diver and engr.

Safe diving.

Sam:

 

[Garfish]

Hello Boater Dan:

What part of w.pa are you from? I live about 30 mi sw. of Pittsburgh. Yes , i have been to strawberry quarry once. It was okay if you wanted to get wet.

I have been up a couple of times to Ocean Odessey and Conrad said they also use the same quarry for local training & fun dives.

Crusty quarry near grove city, heard a little about it but never checked it out. Maybe some day i would like to.

Have been to a couple of quarrys out in Ohio. Gilboa & Portage quarrys. Really enjoyed diving their. Can't wait to go back.

Have fun & most important "safe diving"

Sam......

 

[darylm74]

I am in Crafton/Ingram and right down the road from Splash. I also have been to Ocean Odessey. My biggest problem is I need some drysuit training. I bought a Viking Xtreme from Bob3 but have not been able to get trained on it yet. Everyone is either too busy or they don't want to train, even drysuit, in colder water. I'm needing some diving before my cruise at the end of May so for now I'm going to head back home to Tennessee and dive with my original instructor. I will hopefully get the drysuit training early in June and my advanced this summer as well. Hopefully we can hook up and do some diving sometime. As for Mt. Storm, I was going to go there but I heard one of the generators was not running and the water was not near as warm as usual and you needed a drysuit, instead of being able to get along with a 7mm like you can when both generators are running.

Thanks