When people think of diving, their thoughts naturally turn to tropical locations with warm waters and beautiful coral reefs. They imagine the seemingly endless variety of fish, crustaceans and invertebrates inhabiting the sea. Maybe they think of the many wrecks waiting to be explored. Few people though, think of the many inland lakes, quarries and rivers offering sights that cannot be found in large bodies of saltwater. These fresh water environments create eco-systems abundant with unique opportunities that divers may never experience if they overlook the value of these bodies of water. I was reminded of just how unique these environments can be during a recent trip to central Wisconsin.

Ah, Wisconsin. Home of cheese curds and micro-brews, boutique wines and more cows than the human population of Phoenix. This particular weekend, it was also home to one of Diving Unlimited International's demo days. The DUI crew brought out the tents and enough dry suits to outfit an army. I was sent to the lake to photograph the event and take notes for our publication and, like the others, I have had the chance to attend, this was a great one. DUI really knows how to host an event!

I arrived to the lake a day early and had a chance to go check it out. After entering the county park we headed off down the road that follows the shoreline past the primitive campgrounds and through the 9 hole frisbee golf course. A map from the kiosk at the entrance showed five different dive sites, all easily accessible from the shore with buoys clearly marking the training platforms at each location. Immediately I knew this would be a lake I would have to get in and see first-hand.

I swung by Wazee Sports Center and sat down for a chat with owner and local dive guru Keith Cormican, who has been diving the site since before it opened in 1995. He gave me a quick history lesson about how the site was developed as an iron mine and then converted into the county park after it was abandoned and the pumps were turned off. If he hadn't mentioned that I would never have suspected the site had been a mine, as it appears to be a natural lake set between beautifully forested hills.

The versatility of the lake for diving is almost endless. Easy entry points from the shore and many training platforms make Wazee Lake a popular place for new divers and classes. Technical and public safety divers use the lake for training as well. During the winter months, divers can be found cutting holes through the thick ice to take advantage of the 80'-100' visibility. With depths up to 355 feet, it is the third deepest lake in Wisconsin. Visibility averages 30'-40' during summer months but often improves as one descends deeper than the second thermocline at 60'. Bring a dry suit, this one is cold.

The weekend I was there, a class from Marineland Dive Center in Onalaska, which also has a satellite location just five miles from the lake, was certifying a group of new divers. Jason Zwiefel from Marineland said they prefer the boat ramp near Prince Bay Landing for check-out dives as it frequently offers better visibility and a gently sloping entry into the water.

Wazee Lake has several things to explore in its waters. Massive quarry walls surround the lake reaching extreme depths. Sherwood Forest, which was swallowed when the quarry filled, sits on a shelf at 60' just waiting to be explored and the Wazee wreck, a 32' cabin cruiser is easily accessible to divers.

As the lake has been developed for diving, several attempts have been made to place more items in it to create points of interest for divers. At one point an effort was made to put a school bus in the water but the local government has denied every attempt, claiming the metals would pollute the water. Local advocates of developing the lake for diving argue that possible contaminates are removed from structures before they would be placed in the lake but opponents have not been swayed. With the size of the lake and the variety of depths, Wazee Lake has the potential to be one of the best fresh water dive sites in the nation.

After my chat with Keith from Wazee Sports Center it was clear to me if I only had the chance to squeeze in one dive during my visit it had to be a site called Sherwood Forrest. I quickly made a couple new friends and headed to the entry point.

It was a short surface swim to the buoy marking a training platform at 60' and we descended along the line. Just past the platform, the wall of the quarry dropped quickly to 220', well beyond recreational limits. We continued our decent to 120', passing through two thermal clines where we explored the massive wall of rock. Visibility was great below the first 60' and enough light penetrated the depths that no lights were required. Floating weightless above the abyss I realized just how massive this quarry was.

After about 15 minutes we rose to a shelf at the top of the wall that ran at 60' of depth. We were entering the forest now and I got my first look at the 40' tall trees that had been swallowed when they let the quarry fill. Void of all leaves, the massive trees stood ominously like skeletons giving me the sense that I was in some Tim Burton movie. At one point the trees and branches were so thick we had to swim single file through them as if we were following some underwater trail seen only by my guide. Huge bass swam lazily through the branches, looking at us with curiosity. This was a completely unique experience.

Our great oceans, without a doubt, offer beautiful diving. The variety of diving in the oceans seems endless with their different environments. Sometimes though, divers tend to overlook the opportunities they have in their own back yard. I hope I never get to the point though when I cannot appreciate the wonderful, unique opportunities that lie just a few miles away. This trip made me thirsty to explore the lesser known dive sites of the world. Wazee Lake, an abandoned iron mine, is a gem for divers.

For more information including detailed technical data, swing by one of the local shops and look for a guide book written by John Janzen titled "The Diver's Guide to Lake Wazee" (Inland Sea Corp., 2004). Maps are also available at most local dive shops and the entrance to the park. ■

Special Thanks to Wazee Sports Center.