Hot Spring Diver @ the Homestead Crater
Imagine diving in hot water. Alright, not too hot. How about close to body temperature? You only need your scuba kit, your swimsuit and maybe a rashguard or a t-shirt. Where can you do that? At the Homestead Crater in Midway, Utah. Yes, Utah–the second driest state in the USA has some of the coolest (hotest?) diving in the world. But, diving a hot spring like the Crater requires a bit of preparation…something you’ll learn in the Hot Spring Diver Distinctive Specialty course.
The Homestead Crater is a natural hot spring. Located on the Homestead Resort in Midway, UT, it was originally a hot spring (hot pot) resort. People came for the hot mineral baths and the novelty of the location. The Crater is a mineral dome, created out of mineral deposits from the hot spring. In the mid 90’s, a tunnel was excavated, allowing easy access to the warm water. Now, the Homestead Crater is the Mountain West hot spot for diving. Easy access to the water, good visibility, awesome customer service and a hotel resort to boot. It doesn’t get better than that!
There are less than 20 Certified Hot Spring Divers in the world! That won’t last. Sign up for Hot Spring Diver today!
As you can see from the picture above, you only need minimal exposure protection when diving the Homestead Crater Hot Spring. The water is 93-95F most of the year. In fact, in the winter with colder air temperatures, the viz below the surface is often better than on the surface due to fog. If you time it right, you can ski in 12-18″ of powder in the morning and then dive in the 95F water at the Homestead Crater in the afternoon. [At some times of the year, you can even work in a round of golf, even though the powder might not be as deep.]
During the Hot Spring Diver Specialty course, you’ll learn how to safely dive in a hot spring by completing two dives at the Homestead Crater in Midway, Utah, USA.
A few people have contacted me with questions about the course. Here’s the nutshell version:
- Minimum age: 10
- Prerequisite Certification: PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Junior Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Recommended: Altitude Diving experience and training
- Number of dives: 2
- Approximate course length: 6-10 hours, including dives and knowledge development.
There is a short presentation that covers:
- What is a Hot Spring?
- Hot Spring Characteristics
- Hot Spring Locations
- Techniques for the Hot Spring Diver
- Equipment considerations for the Hot Spring Diver
My preferred location to teach the Hot Spring Diver course is at the Homestead Crater, since it is an easily accessible dive site for divers of almost any ability. As with any Hot Spring Dive in Utah, it is an altitude dive (dive 1000ft/300m or more above sea level), so I’ll review Altitude Diving procedures as part of the course if needed.
I can arrange for groups to take the course and streamline the process for Crater reservations and assist with arranging accommodations. If you have a dive club or group that want’s to take the course, please contact me.
Sign up for Hot Spring Diver today!
You can learn more about the Homestead Crater Hot Spring here