The quarries in the Midwest, on average, are clear. The visibility runs from 10 to 25 ft. Most are also warm, at least in the summer with water temps that can range from 85 degrees on top to a spring-fed quarry bottom, in the low 50s.
You can see wildlife ranging from bluegill, crappie, bass, turtles, and even spoonbills (paddlefish). There are sunken items like boats, cars, trucks, trains, fire trucks, and even airplanes. Some quarries offer easy access to the water, either by just walk-in areas or docks with ladders or stairs. Training platforms are also featured in local quarries. These can range in size and depth for training purposes and are great to just settle down on when adjusting your equipment before you take off on your dive.
Many of us see a quarry as a sparse piece of land with a hole in the middle but quarries are much more than that. Quarries are for mining rock, mostly limestone, which is used for construction of our homes and buildings and as a part of the mining process, the land is stripped of topsoil and trees. The results can make foe a dive like you've never seen before. When you dive a quarry, you are in a different world. Some have lush areas because of the age of the quarry and some have been flooded for years or even decades, and wildlife has recaptured the area. Basically, you're scuba diving in a park where you find picnic areas, canopied areas for diver equipment, air fill stations, and more. Some even have full-service shops, bathrooms, and showers, and offer training.
The Midwest is covered with dive quarries. In Ohio there is White Star and Gilboa. In Wisconsin you'll find Lannon Quarry and in Missouri there's Dive Stop, Quail Run, Capt. John's and Bonne Terre Mines. Illinois is home to both Mermet Springs and Haigh Quarries, while Indiana boasts Dream Lake, Phillip's Quarry and Diving Den. In Iowa the Atlantic Quarry is the place to go. These dive quarries are mainly open in the spring, summer, and fall but in the winter months, some are still used for ice diving and rescue training for fire and police personnel.
So before you write off the experience of quarry diving take the time to visit one for a fun day of diving! You'll be pleasantly surprised. ■
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