Line Diving in Dutch Springs Lake

A short video clip of line diving in Dutch Springs lake in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Cold deep thermoclines made for an exciting challenge, at 15 meters (49 feet), it felt like freediving through a bucket of ice-water. From the second I arrived in the thermocline to the moment I left it, I’d have a massive migraine, like the one you get from drinking a milkshake too fast. Definitely takes some getting used to.

The breathe-up also proved to be more challenging than usual, because you can’t get as big of a breath with all the layers wetsuits constricting your rib cage. It’s definitely great for freedive training, if you can dive here, you can dive almost anywhere.

What’s really great about Dutch Springs is the excellent visibility. I didn’t expect such great visibility for a lake. Dutch Springs lake spans 50-acres and is spring-fed from an underground aquifer which filters through limestone to provide excellent visibility.

A massive amount of zebra mussels, a non-native species which have invaded the lake, also contribute to the pristine visibility by filter feeding, removing suspended particles such as algae and bacteria from the water column. The zebra mussels, although they make for excellent diving conditions, are jeopardizing many populations of native mussel species. Of the near 300 species of freshwater mussels found in the United States, more than a third have already vanished or are in danger of extinction, and over 75% are listed as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern on a state level.

Find out more about Dutch Springs at www.dutchsprings.com

This video features the music; “I dunno” by Grapes, http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626, available under a Creative Commons Attribution license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Big thanks to underwater cameraman and video editor: Dean McCormick!