Dutch Springs has been a staple and cornerstone in the scuba diving community in the northeast region of the US for over 50 years. Many divers, myself included, tentatively started their dive training at the quarry with their local dive shop. Dive shops from all over the region, PA, NJ, NY, MD and more, depend on the use of Dutch Springs as a training facility to certify the thousands of new divers each year. Without Dutch Springs, the entire Northeast dive community is on the brink of collapse. 

Divers, dive shops and friends of the community were blindsided this past Friday when it was announced that Dutch Springs will be  sold to a warehouse developer, and could be closing its doors as early as January 2022. This has left the dive community scrambling, heartbroken and eager to make a difference and stop this development to maintain their education center.

Dutch springs is not only a vital piece of the local dive community, but brings thousands of patrons to local small businesses, stores, restaurants and hotels in the Bethlehem area. Not only does Dutch support the immediate local community, but it also supports the northeast dive community and other communities as well. Dutch Springs is a place where new divers, public safety team divers, firefighters, marine units and new dive professionals come to complete their training. Hundreds of small businesses who are already reeling from the COVID 19 Pandemic are faced with the new threat of closing their doors due to this deal. Not only would small businesses be impacted, but big dive gear manufacturers are poised to lose a whole population of eager new divers looking to purchase their own gear and sign up for more courses. In addition to the manufacturers, big dive training companies use Dutch Springs as the place on this side of the United States to certify and test new dive instructors at least 2 times a year bringing divers from all over the country to the quarry. 

Please join together with your local divers to save the heart of our community. Thousands of friendships have been forged over the years while having lunch, diving with a stranger and finishing your first scuba class. Hundreds of us not only found a community at Dutch, but a family that makes every month feel like a reunion. We need your help to make our voices heard and keep Dutch Springs in the NE dive community for years to come.