Scuba diving quarry
Encyclopedia
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
that have been allowed to fill with ground water, and rededicated to the purpose of scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
.
They offer deep, clean, clear, still, fresh water with excellent visibility, and have no currents or undertow. They are often used as training
Diver training
Diver training is the process of developing skills and building experience in the use of diving equipment and techniques so that the diver is able to dive safely and have fun....
sites for new divers, where classes and certification
Diving certification
Diving certification is an award recognising a level of ability and knowledge in scuba diving. Divers carry a qualification record or certification card which is required to prove their qualifications when booking a dive trip, hiring scuba equipment or filling diving cylinders...
dives are carried out.
Scuba diving quarries are often stocked with fish, for the divers to enjoy, and often feature contrived “wreck” sites, such as sunken boats, cars, and aircraft for divers to explore while diving. Many have some manner of dive shop
Dive center
A dive center is the base location where sports divers usually start scuba diving. Divers commonly refer to dive centers as dive shops. It is normally a shop selling diving equipment equipped with a gas compressor to fill the cylinders. Classrooms are sometimes available...
on site to offer air fills
Diving air compressor
A Diving Air Compressor is a gas compressor that can provide breathing air directly to a surface-supplied diver, or fill diving cylinders with high-pressure air pure enough to be used as a breathing gas.thumb|right|Filling a cylinder from the panel...
, replacement diving equipment, and rentals. Oftentimes lodging or camping is available on site as well.
Water Conditions
Being lined with stone, instead of earth or clay, most quarries chosen for the purpose of scuba diving have remarkably clear water. This increases visibility to a much larger field of view underwater than is offered by most inland lakes. Clean, clear ground water is the primary source of the water that fills most quarries once they are no longer being pumped out for mining operations. Many quarry mining operations are located in areas where filling from other, less clean sources, such as rivers and lakes is not as likely.Equipment Required
Fresh water scuba diving does not require much different equipment then oceanic diving, although some cold water diving gear is very important, depending on the geographic location and time of year that is being dived. With water temperatures decreasing as depth increases, water temperatures at depth have been known to be as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit. In those types of temperatures dry suitDry suit
A dry suit or drysuit provides thermal insulation or passive thermal protection to the wearer while immersed in water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold water. A dry suit normally protects the whole body except the head, hands, and...
diving is recommended, but in slightly warmer temps, heavy wetsuit diving is possible, and with the use of hoods, gloves and core warming wetsuits, a diver can dive in relative comfort for long periods of time in water temps down to 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Diving in fresh water is less harmful to most scuba gear then salt water, and requires less post dive maintenance.
"Wreck" Sites
Operators of many scuba diving quarries will often add objects or debris fields to the bottom of the quarry for divers to explore while scuba diving. Mostly these are man made objects such as boats, cars, and trucks. Some quarries have such large objects as school busses, small buildings, and even commercial airliners sunken to the bottom. Often these sites are mapped out and marked with guide lines under the water.Types of Fish
Often, operators of scuba diving quarries make efforts to stock the quarry with fish, to provide enjoyment for divers using their facilities. Most common are the same types of fish that thrive naturally in local lakes and rivers. Some quarries are known for the size and quantity of these fish, and some quarries have schools of rare, not often seen species of fish living in their waters, which are not native to the area.Examples
- Wazee LakeWazee LakeWazee Lake is a lake east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, in the town of Brockway, Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The name "Wazee" means "tall pine" in the Ho-Chunk language. The artificial lake is the deepest lake within the state of Wisconsin, with a maximum depth of approximately...
, Black River Falls, WisconsinBlack River Falls, WisconsinBlack River Falls is a city in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,622 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County. The Ho-Chunk Nation has its administrative center in Black River Falls.-History:... - Quarry Park, St. Cloud, MinnesotaSt. Cloud, MinnesotaSt. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
- Portsmouth Mine Pit LakePortsmouth Mine Pit LakePortsmouth Mine Pit Lake, sometimes called the Portsmouth Pit, is the deepest lake in Minnesota at over 450 feet , according to the most recent Minnesota DNR data. The artificial lake is a former iron mining pit in the Cuyuna Range that has since filled with water.The Portsmouth Mine Pit is...
and Cuyuna Country State Recreation AreaCuyuna Country State Recreation AreaCuyuna Country State Recreation Area is a state park unit of Minnesota, USA, being developed to rehabilitate a portion of the Cuyuna Range where mining pits and piles of waste rock were left behind after decades of open-pit mining for iron ore...
, near Crosby, MinnesotaCrosby, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,299 people, 989 households, and 554 families residing in the city. The population density was 755.0 people per square mile . There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of 355.0 per square mile... - Stoney CoveStoney CoveStoney Cove is a large flooded quarry which is a popular inland scuba diving site. It is between Stoney Stanton and Sapcote in Leicestershire in England. There is a diving shop, a pub selling beer and hot food and a diving training facility there.-Background:...
, between Stoney StantonStoney StantonStoney Stanton is a village in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England, with a population of over 3,454 in 2001. It constitutes a civil parish. The village is on a rocky outcrop and was the site of a quarry, which was closed in 1958...
and SapcoteSapcoteSapcote is a small village in the south west of Leicestershire, England, with a population of approximately 2,700. The well-known inland scuba diving site Stoney Cove is nearby.It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Scepecote...
in LeicestershireLeicestershireLeicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire... - Dosthill quarry, near TamworthTamworthTamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders... - National Diving and Activity CentreNational Diving and Activity Centre (Chepstow)The National Diving and Activity Centre is a large flooded quarry at Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Wales at Chepstow. It was formerly Dayhouse Quarry, a source of limestone, which was flooded in 1996. The diving centre opened in 2003.It is an inland scuba diving...
, at TidenhamTidenhamTidenham is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean of west Gloucestershire, England, adjoining the Welsh border.The parish includes the villages of Tidenham, Beachley, Boughspring, Sedbury, Tutshill and Woodcroft, and according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 had a population of 5,316...
, GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....