Diving with John Kitchen at Millbrook

This past weekend John wanted to do a couple of dives, Neither one of our schedules had time to run down to Lake Phoenix, so we opted for Millbrook Quarry which is just around the corner.  This is where I leaned to dive year ago. Back then there where Zebra mussels in the water. While and invasive species they did a great job at filtering the water.  They were eradicated several years back. Since then the turbidity be come a near constant layer of almost ick.  The few time I have been there over the last few year I have found the layer which starts ta about 10 ft is dense enough the top layer of water is heating to near 80 degrees in the summer time, the bottom of the lay is between 25-35 ft and is about 50-60 degrees and you need lights to dive it.  

Needless to say this is why we stopped training here.   But John needed a couple of dives to help him on his way to dive master.  Top side it was late summer early fall day.  the dive well here  is the  video   we are round  30 ft deep.....

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After dive selfie  

DC DIVE Show and Millbrook Demo Day

This week Fall starts so it must be time for the 2nd annual DC Dive Show.

This year it will be held September 25th and 26th at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in Maryland. I am planning to go Friday evening.

Then on September 27 Demo Day will be held at Lake Millbrook in Throughfare Virginia.

Two great events in one weekend. See all of the latest dive gear and cool places for dive travel at the show on Friday evening and Saturday, then come to Lake Millbrook on Sunday to try your favorite gear from the manufactures who where at the show.

I hear Virginia Scuba is going to have thier famous pulled pork again, hot off the smoked barbaque.

No diving but worked at the dive shop this weekend.

Not much diving for me lately. I was helping out at the dive shop this weekend. While most of the shop personnel spent the week in Cozumel, I offered to open the shop this weeked to help the other staff working this week.

The shop has put together FUN DIVES on these dates:
August 23, September 14, October,4 and October 18

From their webste:
"Join Virginia Scuba for a fun dive at Lake Millbrook! If you need a dive buddy, or just want to get more time in the water with other divers, then come out to the shop for this fun dive at Lake Millbrook. Our staff will be out to help you have a good time!

Meet at the shop with your gear at 8am. There is no charge for fun dives, however, you need to provide or rent your equipment and entrance ticket to the quarry."

Search and Recovery Class

Spent the mornings this past weekend with two wonderful ladies teaching them how to do Search and Recovery. The was a particularly good weekend to be in Millbrook Quarry because it has been raining for the last week or so and the water was pretty stirred up. You could not see more then twelve inches away from you.

The Search and Recovery Diver Specialty course teaches you effective ways to find objects (usually lost) underwater and bring them to the surface. I had the ladies conducted search patterns to find various "lost" items.  One of them we actually lost on Saturday, I couldn't even find it.  Jen and Sherece where determined to locate it and did so first thing Sunday morning. They handed it to me and while we were talking about how their exercise went, I dropped it, truly it was an accident. Honest.

We went out to the platform and practice deploying a lift bag, tying knots and bringing our "lost" item to the surface. As a measure of testing their new skills, the ladies where determined to find the item I had drop. They develop a new search plan and pattern then executed it perfectly. Needless to say once they surface with our "recovered" item they would not let me hold on to it until we where well on shore.  Smart decision ladies! :-)

Thanks for a great class, lots of fun and laughs! Congratulations Jen and Sherece on completing your Search and Recovery Diver Specialty as well as earning your Master Scuba Diver Certifications! Hope to see your names on the shops Master Scuba Diver plaque soon.

Open Water Certs Easter weekend

It was 43 degrees at the platforms, 30 feet down.  I had two Open Water Student who wanted to get their Open Water Certification completed this weekend.  It rainy, damp and cold on Saturday, Sunday was sunny but the chilly wind was blowing.  They where troopers about getting this done. They drove down from New York on Easter weekend to complete their certs.  Congratulations to Alissa and Brent; they are Certified Open Water Divers. Great job!

Whites Dry Suit Demo Day was Great.

Okay, it was rainy, it was cold, it was muddy, but what better conditions to check out one of coolest dry suits on the market! There was a good turn out for those who wanted to try before you buy, several people came prepared to earn their Dry Suit Speciality certification.  The quarry was 44 degrees, the air temp was in the high 50's and pleanty of mud to go around.

Whites Dry Suit Demo Day Saturday.

Saturday April 11 at 11 AM at Millbrook Quarry Whites Manufacturing maker of Whites Dry Suits will a have trailer full of Dry Suits available to try and dive!

Stop by the Shop get your Quarry pass (it will save you money VS buying at the gate) then join us to see all of the cool stuff that Whites Diving has to offer in dry suits; like their Fusion Dry Suit, that's what I am looking at.

Should be a lot of fun and with the Dry Suit you won't notice the chilly water temperature.

Look for updates and pics after the event.