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View Full Version : Lake dive on top of old submerged Dam

Doctor_Reef
10-31-2007, 06:33 PM
These are some videos of our dive a couple weeks ago to see the old Waddell Dam at lake Pleasant...

The top of the dam was reached at 35ft below the surface...the south side of the dam to the bottom is about 110 ft... the north side is at about 240 ft this time of year!!!

The water level is down from last year when we dove the dam...the top of the dam was at 60ft....

Check out these vids...this was a fun dive...The first dive we explored the south side of the dam....we hit the bottom in a shallow area next to the dam at about 80ft....

We dove the north side on the second dive descending down a rope...when we hit 80 ft...someone turned out the lights...so we had with our dive lights about 3-4 ft of vis...the water temp dropped from 75 at the surface to 63 when we hit 115ft.... we left the rope and when horizontal along the dam face and made our ascent at about 30ft a min.... Great extreme dive for sure!!!

Here we are Justin my dive buddy and I tooling along the top of the dam...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/th_Toolingontopofthedam.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/?action=view&current=Toolingontopofthedam.flv)

Here we are going down the south side...you will see the concave shape of the dam and a blue rope that goes to the bottom.... check it out...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/th_DecendingdowntheSouthsideofthedam.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/?action=view&current=DecendingdowntheSouthsideofthedam.flv)
More to follow....
Doctor_Reef
10-31-2007, 06:52 PM
Here are a couple more...

Another south side vid...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/th_SouthsideofDam.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/?action=view&current=SouthsideofDam.flv)

Here is a vid with a rope that goes across the large 250 ft hole cut from the top of the dam down 140 ft to allow water to go over the top as the lake was filled to the new earth dam south of the old dam....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/th_TopoftheDamwithRopeovertheCutoutpor.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/?action=view&current=TopoftheDamwithRopeovertheCutoutpor.flv)
Doctor_Reef
10-31-2007, 07:16 PM
Here is a link to see what the dam looked like before it was cut and lake water filled over the top of it...

http://www.getbentscuba.com/blog/2006/11/old-waddell-dam-lake-pleasant.php

And a vid of us sitting on the top of the dam!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/th_sittingondam.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/Old%20Dam%20Dive/?action=view&current=sittingondam.flv)
Humberto
08-19-2008, 01:46 AM
Hi-My dive buddies and I have been thinking of diving the dam for awhile now and the lake is starting to look really low as of last weeks dive.
Is it necessary to have a boat to access the dam? And more importantly, where is it exactly??? I have a general idea and a few maps so finding won't be a problem. But any pointers might save me some time/air:)

Thanks

Humberto
Doctor_Reef
08-19-2008, 10:42 AM
Hi-My dive buddies and I have been thinking of diving the dam for awhile now and the lake is starting to look really low as of last weeks dive.
Is it necessary to have a boat to access the dam? And more importantly, where is it exactly??? I have a general idea and a few maps so finding won't be a problem. But any pointers might save me some time/air:)

Thanks

Humberto

Hi....you do need to access the dam by boat...we are going to organize a dam dive in Sept or Oct...The dam is just north of the new dam..but to far to swim out to...and you would not be able to drop down and hit it with out a boat to find it first....

Look me up on Scubaboard.com in the Southwest sandsharks group...that is were the AZ divers hang out....I am Reef Man on Scubaboard....
Elsherst
08-19-2008, 11:44 PM
Hey Doc, Nice to see you around again.
Doctor_Reef
08-20-2008, 01:56 AM
Hi Dave..... Good to see you man!!! :)

Here is another dive site you all out to check out....diving the Yukon in southern cal....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/th_Untitled.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/?action=view&current=Untitled.flv)

and the kelp....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/San%20Diego%20Kelp%20and%20Wreck%20Dives/th_P4250002.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v406/RLeversee/Dive%20Shots/San%20Diego%20Kelp%20and%20Wreck%20Dives/?action=view&current=P4250002.flv)
KellyKM19
08-20-2008, 10:54 AM
Thats really neat!
Elsherst
08-21-2008, 01:38 AM
Looks like it was a fun Dive Ron.
Don't know if my wife would let me get into another hobby though, especially with our 5 kids at home.
Doctor_Reef
08-21-2008, 11:20 AM
I understand that for sure!!! :dinner: