About Chatfield Reservoir
Chatfield Reservoir, in Chatfield State Park south of Denver, provides accessible Rocky Mountain scuba diving with depths to 50 feet and variable visibility. Popular with Rocky Mountain Dive Club for wreck dives on old boats and flooded trees. Surface warms in summer, but deep waters stay chilly at 50-55°F, with thermoclines creating abrupt temperature shifts.
Safety Considerations
Altitude at 5,430 feet requires PADI altitude procedures: shorter no-fly times post-dive, multispecies gas mixes if advanced. Boat traffic mandates surface floats and dive flags per Colorado boating laws; all vessels must carry PFDs. Rocky bottoms snag gear, so use reel and guideline for wrecks. Hypothermia risk high; NPS cold water immersion stats show survival drops after 30 minutes. Pre-dive briefings cover entry points like the marina beach. REI advises redundant regulators tested annually. Respect fishing areas; coordinate with anglers to avoid lines.
Essential Gear
Equip with semi-dry 6/5mm wetsuit from Henderson or Aqualung for milder shallows, upgrading to drysuit deeper. Dive flag kit with 12x12ft float, Halcyon 40m guideline reel for penetrations. Suunto Zoop Novo altitude computer, twinset pony bottles, and backup light. Include signaling mirror and whistle on BC.