Open Water Swims at Dutch Springs

Years ago I was training for a triathlon with Team in Training under the  coaching of Bryan Meyers.   Bryan is a great guy and terrific coach.  He knew we were all nervous about the open water swim portion of the race and assured us we would do fine-we had a secret weapon.  That secret weapon was Dutch Springs.   What is Dutch Springs we asked??  It is the perfect spot for open water swimming!!  This quarry was formed as the Portland Cement Company began mining limestone in 1935 and began to flood soon after.   Water would be pumped from the quarry until it closed for good in the 1970's.  You can still see some of the pump houses in the water today.  The quarry is as deep as 100 feet in spots and has great visibility-up to 30 feet in areas which makes it one of the top scuba venues in the country.  On a sunny day you can see some of the sunken diving treasures-planes, platforms, etc., fish, stone outcrops and scuba divers!  They have also added a very fun water park-my favorite is the Blob!

That first year of training was very special.  My good friend Kath Hester and I would carpool to get there.  We had the entire 50 acres of water to ourselves-and somehow still managed to bump into each other while swimming!!  We still laugh about that!  Kath wasn't fond of swimming over the sunken airplane and I think of her every time I see it.  She and her husband Tom are now living in NM and baking their delicious Bakehouse bread! 


Over the years I have been back to train with friends and other TNT coaches.  The perimeter is a great 1.3 mile swim-perfect for us triathletes.  You can always stay and play in the park after your workout, too!


Most recently I have been training there for Ironman Lake Placid.  There is a loop of buoys Bryan had shown us that is about a 1/4 mile.  Melissa and I went there last week and I completed 10 loops.  She finished a little before me and took some photos from the lookout above where we swim.

I highly recommend Dutch Springs for open water swim training.  There just aren't many venues where you can get in that kind of swim.  Bring the whole family and enjoy!!