Virginia: Lake Millbrook Quarry
Brentsville, Virginia, 20155
May 19th 2019
Dive Buddy: Kody C.
73’ for 20 minutes 39°
30’ for 25 minutes 43°
As nicely set up and clear that Dutch Springs was…Lake Millbrook was not. A privately owned and operated Quarry it has multiple outdated maps and the entrances have been mostly flooded and the visibility was very low. Entrance to the quarry was $25 and needed to be purchased in advanced from Coral Edge Adventures, can be done online or at the shop. Air fills were inexpensive and picked up from behind the changing station.
The water level was at least 5’ higher than posted depths, and all of the steps to get into the water were flooded. Gearing up was done by the cars, and we waded through the flood water to get to the submerged steps being careful not to trip over trees and branches.
We planned to descend on the line for the ship and follow a cable to the plane. Visibility was poor during the dive and once we descended past 40’ the silt and mud filtered out most of the light. While it was dark torches weren’t required and visibility became a bit better as we got towards the bottom around 70’. After swimming around the boat we followed the line to the plane but it ended at a post, we swam back to the boat and ascended.
We did a second dive on the platforms next to the adventure wall, and swam along the wall, again, avoiding submerged trees, branches, posts and other hazards. Even though visibility was poor, it was a fun dive navigating along the wall and having the branches loom out of the murk.
A nice site, but not a place I would rush back to go diving at again.
