Scuba diving quarry

Wazee Lake near Black River Falls, Wisconsin is a former iron mining quarry now used for scuba diving and other uses.

Scuba diving quarries are depleted or abandoned rock quarries that have been allowed to fill with ground water, and rededicated to the purpose of scuba diving. They offer deep, clean, clear, still, fresh water with excellent visibility, and have no currents or undertow. They are often used as training sites for new divers, where classes and certification 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 airplanes for divers to explore while diving. Many have some manner of dive shop on site to offer air fills, replacement diving equipment, and rentals. Often times 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 suit 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 know 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 Lake, Black River Falls, Wisconsin
• Quarry Park, St. Cloud, Minnesota
• Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake and Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, near Crosby, Minnesota