Trying to plan my 2008 dives

After this Christmas I should finally own all my equipment. So I want to hit 2008 diving!

Diving out of Columbia (30 miles west of Hattiesburg) where are some good places to go on a Tuesday-Wednesday? (my off days)

I want to hit the local quaries. (2-3 in AL?) and I want to do Vortex Springs. I kind of want to do some Fossil diving but Venice is a little far.

No interest in rig diving, didnt like it last time.

So whats local, fun and cheap?

I want to get in 100 dives in 2008, or as close as I can.

I'll join you in some FL springs dives. I just bought my 12yo girl a new BC for xmas and of course her first question - when are we going diving?

Morrison is like 10 miles south of Vortex, make a day of it and hit them both. Then stay at Vortex that night, rents some canoes, and go dive Cypress.

shakespear:

I want to hit the local quaries. (2-3 in AL?) .

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In Alabama, there is only one quarry open year round. That's Bluewater. However, it closes for the winter to only weekends/saturdays. But this year due to construction at the site, they are closing all weekends and open only for the first saturday of the month. After the weather gets warm, they'll be open during the week also for when your off days are.

Moulton Quarry is the only other commercially open quarry in Alabama right now. However, it's open only on weekends during the warmer months. But they will open it about anytime as long you have the minimum of 4 or 5 people at $15 each. I know some folks who go over with just 2 or 3 people and pay the minimum for the 4 or 5 and enjoy having the whole place to themselvs.

the other two commercial quarries in Alabama are not currently open. This is Diveland (aka Glencoe) near Gasden and Madison Quarry (known in the past as Rock Divers). Diveland is for sale, but is rumored that it will open for a minimum number of people. Madison got caught up in local politics and changed government owners and the new owner (Madison Water Board) doesn't want to run it as a general admission commercial dive site.

There are a few privately owned quarries that folks can get admission to every now and then also sometimes. But for the most part, all quarry diving now is being done in Bluewater.