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Scuba Forum / General / November 2003Diving in...<gulp>...Philadelphia!
Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are my options for diving in Philly? ...A planeride south? --Army George (P.S. Did you order your t-shirt from Scott in time?) > Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am > going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are > my options for diving in Philly? ...A planeride south? you can go just a little south and dive on the boats that run out of the Indian River Inlet in DE. Personally, I pass on those dives, but the locals seem to like them.. The best entertainment is the officious dive shop monkeys you will run into - I have not found a shop in the area that I would buy even an O ring from. Just make sure you have all of your gear, including your mask "nitrox cleaned" by the dive shop which is going to fill your tanks - they don't trust each other there, even though today's DSM probably worked at the shop in question last week. The shops around Philly define the phrase "drooling idiots" and yes, this includes the shop that is sure to have several clueless followers responding to defend. Don't let them touch your gear - any of them. > you can go just a little south and dive on the boats that run out of the > Indian River Inlet in DE. Personally, I pass on those dives, but the > locals seem to like them.. This must be a 'southern Philly suburb' / Delaware thing 'cause it's not a dive that us 'northern Philly' ppl do. In fact, I've never heard of it and no one that I know has dived there. > The best entertainment is the officious dive shop monkeys you will run > into - I have not found a shop in the area that I would buy even an O [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to have several clueless followers responding to defend. Don't let them > touch your gear - any of them. Thank god, I don't have to go into Philly for anything dive-connected... or for anything else except to visit my parents and a few other family members. If you and Cindy need the names of the better dive shops in the area, gimme a holler. They're all outside the city in Bucks Co and Montgomery Co though... a bit of a ride for you. > > you can go just a little south and dive on the boats that run out of the > > Indian River Inlet in DE. Personally, I pass on those dives, but the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > not a dive that us 'northern Philly' ppl do. In fact, I've never > heard of it and no one that I know has dived there. It isn't a D.C. thing either, and I do get out to the Delaware shore quite a bit, and I know the inlet well - I do lots of cycling past it in the summertime. I just don't bother diving there (and until this thread came up, I didn't even know it was an option). Wreck diving off of Hatteras in N.C. is popular with some people - from D.C. it is a long weekend kind of deal (typically take the day off of work on Friday and drive down). The water is somewhat warmer as you are in the Gulf Stream. These dives are not for beginners however. -Eric > It isn't a D.C. thing either, and I do get out to the Delaware shore > quite a bit, and I know the inlet well - I do lots of cycling past it in the > summertime. I just don't bother diving there (and until this thread came > up, I didn't even know it was an option). Hmm. Well now that you know it's an option, do you think you would want to try it ?? I'm kinda interested in diving it simply because I've never heard of it. What's the area like from what you've seen by cycling past it ?? Do you think it would be a good dive spot ?? > Wreck diving off of Hatteras in N.C. is popular with some people - from > D.C. it is a long weekend kind of deal (typically take the day off of work > on Friday and drive down). The water is somewhat warmer as you are in the > Gulf Stream. These dives are not for beginners however. Ahhh. Well... I didn't even mention diving off of NC because it is a far drive to get to and back home. I've dove lots of wrecks there, esp the U-352 and the Aoelus. They are great dives but you need to time it right with the season... again, they don't go out during certain months and some months are guaranteed to be rougher then others. Living outside of Philly, I do not consider NC diving to be anything less than a long weekend and I think that's pushing it. I think realistically, if you live in Philly, you should take a week to be serious about doing the dives off the NC coast. After all, the drive just to get to Beaufort NC from my house is about 8 hrs. It's not like it's right around the corner.... unfortunately. ~Salty, CID~ > This must be a 'southern Philly suburb' / Delaware thing 'cause it's > not a dive that us 'northern Philly' ppl do. In fact, I've never > heard of it and no one that I know has dived there. Barb! It's really good to hear from you. The Indian River Inlet is a popular place where cindy lives (very close to the DE border), but I wouldn't give a nickel for another dive there. Their idea of a good dive is 2 ft of vis and freezing cold water, even in the summer. I'll go to the beach and drive Go Karts instead of that... > Thank god, I don't have to go into Philly for anything > dive-connected... or for anything else except to visit my parents and > a few other family members. If you and Cindy need the names of the > better dive shops in the area, gimme a holler. They're all outside the > city in Bucks Co and Montgomery Co though... a bit of a ride for you. All we currently need any diveshop for is fills. We are both VIP certified, I am an officially carded Gas Blender, and despite having any cards, I can fix any regulator on the planet, including the most farm animal stupid Poseidon second stages. I absolutey refuse to deal with the farm animals at Evie Dudas's place or the idiots who give farm animals a bad name at John Allen's. I don't need any of them. They can thank their gods that I am not interested in this business and that I think their dumbass customers are not worth taking. al > Barb! It's really good to hear from you. The Indian River Inlet is a > popular place where cindy lives (very close to the DE border), but I > wouldn't give a nickel for another dive there. Their idea of a good dive > is 2 ft of vis and freezing cold water, even in the summer. I'll go to > the beach and drive Go Karts instead of that... Hey Al... good to hear from you too !! I emailed ya back and I hope you received it. Re: the cold conditions and low vis, you have spoiled from diving off SC and Fla. You're right that our diving isn't the greatest here. There are some great wrecks off of NJ but the thing with diving there is that you never know what the conditions will be... one day, the conditions could really suck and the next day, the conditions could be fantastic. Did you like the Indian River Inlet dive ?? > > Thank god, I don't have to go into Philly for anything > > dive-connected... or for anything else except to visit my parents and > > a few other family members. If you and Cindy need the names of the > > better dive shops in the area, gimme a holler. They're all outside the > > city in Bucks Co and Montgomery Co though... a bit of a ride for you. > All we currently need any diveshop for is fills. We are both VIP > certified, I am an officially carded Gas Blender, and despite having any [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > gods that I am not interested in this business and that I think their > dumbass customers are not worth taking. I've never had any dealings with Dudas but my friends have. They don't have unkind things to say about her shop but they also haven't frequented it in many many years. I don't know John Allens. I've heard bad reviews about Blue Horizon. They're all too far for me to visit so it doesn't bother me but I can see where you would get discouraged. The dive shops up this way are decent. > The best entertainment is the officious dive shop monkeys you will run > into - I have not found a shop in the area that I would buy even an O [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to have several clueless followers responding to defend. Don't let them > touch your gear - any of them. I hear they make great cheese steak sandwiches, though. In article <iaLtb.269024$0v4.17583964@bgtnsc04- news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, mikegrayCID@worldnut.nut says... > I hear they make great cheese steak sandwiches, though. That they do - and also fantastic Italian and Vietnamese food. For the cheese steaks, the only ingredient they have that you can't get in FL is real bread. I wouldn't hesitate a for second to eat there, just don't let the dive shop morons anywhere near your gear. It took me a while to get all of Cindy's stuff right. The idiots even screwed up tumbling some steel tanks, and we had to drive them down here to get them straightened out. It looks like I am going to have to live there for a year or so, and right now my options are (1) don't bother with diving, or (2) buy a compressor and gas booster pump and be self sufficient. You just can't imagine the level of BS I have found in the dive shops there. It's nonsense that wouldn't fly for a minute in FL. If I could figure out how to make real bread, I could make a decent living selling cheese steak sandwiches in FL. al > If I could figure out how to make real bread, I could make a decent > living selling cheese steak sandwiches in FL. Speaking of which, conditions have been great here the past few days: 90' viz, 80 degree water, hardly any current, and the bugs are back. How's things in PA? > Speaking of which, conditions have been great here the past few days: > 90' viz, 80 degree water, hardly any current, and the bugs are back. > > How's things in PA? Haven't been there much, but conditions here in SC have finally gotten good. We had the most ridiculous cold upwelling with attendant bad vis all summer, but the autumn weather has finaly fixed it. There is no fix for what's wrong in PA, unless they have foud a cure for terminal stupidity. Doubt it... Private email is coming al > In article <iaLtb.269024$0v4.17583964@bgtnsc04- > news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, mikegrayCID@worldnut.nut says... > > I hear they make great cheese steak sandwiches, though. > That they do - and also fantastic Italian and Vietnamese food. South Philly has some of the best Italian restaurants, maybe better than Little Italy in New York City but you need to stick the long-time established places and not the new "Joe Capo" that just opened up last week. There are also great Italian restaurants in the burbs. And, for the record, those of us who are of true Italian/Sicilian heritage do not consider places like The Olive Garden or Pastabilities to be 'real Italian food'. We actually consider them to be just above a polite joke. The Philly area has outstanding Japanese food and Chinese food... and not all of it is located in the Asian district of the city. My 2 top favorite Japanese restaurants are in Allentown and in NE Philly. The best Mexican restaurants that I've found are near my house. I think this is because when Bethlehem Steel first opened, they employed a huge amount of Mexican immigrants and that the Hispanic population here remains very numerous and true to form. The Hispanic population in Philly itself is numerous too... but I think the area here around me is a bit more "authentic'. We also have great Middle Eastern restaurants. If you and Cindy haven't visited them yet, I would recommend that you try them. Marakesh (spelling) in town is always a favorite. They have belly dancers and the whole bit. <grin> And there is also Madras and another place (which name of escapes me) in the burbs. > For the > cheese steaks, the only ingredient they have that you can't get in FL is > real bread. <snip> Note that you say...'cheese steaks'. This is correct. :) More on this later. > It looks like I am going to have to live there for a year or so, and > right now my options are (1) don't bother with diving, or (2) buy a > compressor and gas booster pump and be self sufficient. You just can't > imagine the level of BS I have found in the dive shops there. It's > nonsense that wouldn't fly for a minute in FL. Maybe what you should do is try to educate the dive shops here... and if not, then educate the consumer, your fellow divers. You could have a market nitch doing just that... set up a club, advertise meetings, etc. You could be the next GI of Philly. Think about it. Seriously. > If I could figure out how to make real bread, I could make a decent > living selling cheese steak sandwiches in FL. Well it seems that real bread is an art that occurs only in Philly, NJ and NY. LOL But now look....you said here...'cheese steak sandwich'. That is not the way to talk in Philly. You need to say...'cheese steak'. That's it. Just cheese steak. Or hoagie. Then stop. To add the 'sandwich' part on is too redundant. It's like saying ... 'A set of double tanks double steel double double doubles.' Hahahahahaha Yous guys need to get with the program. <smiling at ya> Btw, if yous are free in a couple of weekends, we are thinking of doing a tour of the battleship New Jersey and then having dinner in Chinatown. Wanna join us ?? > If I could figure out how to make real bread, I could make a decent > living selling cheese steak sandwiches in FL. Try Spanky's next time yer in town. Almost certainly not the right bread (must be the H2O) but the best around here. FL water is only really good fer one thing! Dave. > I hear they make great cheese steak sandwiches, though. If only I could mail you one my dear. ~Salty, CID~ > I hear they make great cheese steak sandwiches, though. And I bet that you have heard that "Pat's Steaks" is the place to go in Philly. If you have heard that, please let me correct your information source. PAT'S STEAKS SUCK !!!! They use "Cheese Whiz" for crying out loud !! No self-respecting person who lives in or near Philly likes Pat's Steaks. You're less than two hours away from either Dutch Springs or the Jersey coast. Not bad stuff, just get a drysuit. > Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am > going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > (P.S. Did you order your t-shirt from Scott in time?) > Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am > going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are > my options for diving in Philly? Cheezesteak > Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am > going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are > my options for diving in Philly? ...A planeride south? Welcome George !! Your options are diving the conditions that I learned to dive on. Trust me, they suck if you like warm water but they will make you a better diver if you can survive them. LOL 1. Quarries - a. Dutch Springs. A far over-rated quarry for some reason that only the out-of-towners must know 'cause the locals sure don't. Lots of ppl camp out there for the weekends and it has nothing at all to do with diving. b. Willow Springs. The one and only quarry for divers long before Dutch ever existed. Just as cold and much more difficult than Dutch for newbies to dive in because of the vis. Most of the dive shops got together about 10 yrs ago and decided that their students wouldn't be such wimps at Dutch so they pulled out of Willow. c. Bainbridge. On the border of PA and Maryland. My personal favorite so I can't say anymore. :) 2. The Jersey Shore - You can dive the coast from about April to November. During those times, it's up to you to decide if ya wanna drysuit it or wetsuit it. When I dove there, I wore a 7 - 9 mm wetsuit. All operations shut down during the off-months because it's simply too rough of seas. But during the in-season, be prepared to get cancelled the night before, the day of, or during your boat ride out if the sea kickes up. Going out of Brielle NJ is how I ventured... and on "The Venture". :) You've never seen so many orange starfish as you have on a Jersey wreck dive !! Our lobsters have front pincher claws and they will pinch the living hell outta you so be forewarned. 3. Shark River Inlet - A very popular dive. Enter in on the inlet river side, dive along the rocks toward the ocean, circle the point, and exit your dive on the beach. This dive needs to be timed with tide !!!! Bring a goody bag if you like blue point crabs and scoop them up for a nice dinner. This night is popular as a night dive and if timed right, you can dive, then shower on the beach (yea there is a shower on the beach) and dress decent, then go to one of the happening bars/restaurants for dinner right there in town...and stay at a bed and breakfast if ya like. The front strip along the beach is a bear for parking. Try the side streets and avoid the aggravation. 4. The River - Kittatiney Access is a great drift dive. The key here is be prepared to drift and not look at stuff on the bottom 'cause you will be flying down the center of the river. Get in touch with someone who has a boat who will drop you upstream and pick you up. Soooo.... email me if I can help you with any details for diving in the area. And George... you're more than welcome to visit at my house. If you're ROTC, I'm sure you'd have a bunch to chat about with my nephew who is stationed at Willow Grove Naval Air Base. If I can help you make your transition to Philly any easier, please lemme know. Email me at babz(removethis)@fast.net > > Well it's time for Army George to move from Hawaii. Looks like I am > > going to an ROTC position at a university in Philadelphia. What are [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > c. Bainbridge. On the border of PA and Maryland. My personal favorite > so I can't say anymore. :) d. Round Valley Reservoir, over in NJ. If given the choice between here and Willow, go to Willow. If you're ROTC'ing at Drexel University, the best of the local cheesesteaks comes from "Mad Greeks"...3517 Lancaster Ave. For UofP, there's an excellent (& famous) Deli over there that I can find on foot, but I don't recall the name. -hh Okay, so I think I have it.... 1. Pat's uses canned cheese (yuck, that's like cheeze whiz on your nachos in Tucson, Arizona!) 2. There is a better place than inside the Phila shipyard for cheesesteaks. 3. A well run dive club with a shop is badly needed in Philly...where would be the BEST location to put this shop...I'm game :-) > Okay, so I think I have it.... > 1. Pat's uses canned cheese (yuck, that's like cheeze whiz on your [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > 3. A well run dive club with a shop is badly needed in Philly...where > would be the BEST location to put this shop...I'm game :-) You catch on fast George. You'll do well here. :) Btw... did you get my email reply ?? |
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