Mount Storm
February 21, 2007 - 12:45pm — mikesscuba
On January, 13, 2007 the Westsylvania divers made a trip to Mount Storm, West Virginia for a winter dip in the warm waters 
of the VEPCO Power Plant’s cooling lake. Like most dive sites in this part of the country Mount Storm lake is man made and was created in 1962. Nearly 234, 000 gallons of lake water per minute are pumped to cool the system which burns more than 15,000 tons of coal per day. At that rate the lake water is cycled through every 2.5 days.
of the VEPCO Power Plant’s cooling lake. Like most dive sites in this part of the country Mount Storm lake is man made and was created in 1962. Nearly 234, 000 gallons of lake water per minute are pumped to cool the system which burns more than 15,000 tons of coal per day. At that rate the lake water is cycled through every 2.5 days. For the past two years we have chosen to visit Mt. Storm around January 13th for a mid winter dive because water temperatures tend to hover in the 60s. No ice on this lake but the outside temperatures can be frightfully cold. Mount Storm lake is located at an altitude of 3,224 feet, which makes this an altitude 
dive. Because of its elevation the name Mt. Storm lives up to its name. Last year saw winds of 40-50mph and with temperatures in below zero and snow blowing sideways. We had to jump into the water to get warm! This year would be different.
dive. Because of its elevation the name Mt. Storm lives up to its name. Last year saw winds of 40-50mph and with temperatures in below zero and snow blowing sideways. We had to jump into the water to get warm! This year would be different.We left the dive shop at 6am. A small caravan of vehicles heading towards the dive site, but our first stop was at the Bedford Sheetz for a quick breakfast and fuel up. The trip takes about 2.5 hours and for me it is a lot of fun. Kory, a good friend and excellent diver, usually stays with the conversation in the vehicle for 5 minutes then kicks back and sleeps, he can sleep anywhere. Mike and I usually talk about the business, listen to music, share stories, and since we are both new dads, we talk about our sons. Before you know it the trip there is over and we are donning our gear.
This year was great. There was a light rain/snow but this year you could see the power plant. Kory and Dave would be 
diving together. Dave is a great guy, he works for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections but he is also one of our instructors at Mike’s Scuba. Kory and Dave get along splendidly. Mike and I would be diving together because we were using the new full face underwater communicators. The dive was delightful. Visibility was not bad, water temps were in the low 60s, and we saw a lot catfish.
diving together. Dave is a great guy, he works for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections but he is also one of our instructors at Mike’s Scuba. Kory and Dave get along splendidly. Mike and I would be diving together because we were using the new full face underwater communicators. The dive was delightful. Visibility was not bad, water temps were in the low 60s, and we saw a lot catfish. The last part of the trip was a stop over at the Mountaineer Restaurant for some bad food, and sweet tea. The Sweet tea was great, when we asked the waitress what the steaks were like she paused and said “well we are not a steak house. I would not order the steak.” That was good for us so we ordered salads, sandwiches and soups. Not a horrible place to eat but for the next trip we may want to expand our options.
Mount Storm is a great dive site. In the winter there are not a lot of divers. There were only two other divers there that day and they left early. They even knew about Mike's Scuba because of our website,wwww.mikesscuba.com.
Here are some helpful hints for diving Mt. Storm. Mount Storm is a high altitude dive so make appropriate plans before diving. The site does have two porta-johns but no other ammenities. I would recommend you bring a tarp along, to lay your gear on and to have a place to change. Make sure you have a dive flag with you this lake does allow boaters. Finally , make sure you take care to pick up all garbage when you leave. To scuba dive here and anywhere else is a privilege, make sure you leave the site better than how you found the site.
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