Quarry Diving: 500 Dives in a Quarry - Are You SERIOUS???

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Drewski

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
658
Reaction score
36
Location
Virginia Beach, USA
# of dives
Sorry, but I've learned over time that provocative titles on Scuba Board seem to get better reads, LOL.

In truth, however, I'm having difficulty understanding the attraction to East Coast quarry diving. Sure, I dive quarries. I use them for warm-ups, gear testing and training skill dives. A few weeks ago, I was speaking with another instructor who had just congratulated a fellow diver for logging his 500th quarry dive at Lake Rawlings, Virginia. 500 dives in a quarry? Really?

Surprisingly enough, and what I really find AMAZING, is the number of divers that show up at these places each weekend. Some dive shops do ALL training there. I've seen divers with custom dry suits, cave rigged doubles, side mount systems, stage bottles and now - get this - rebreather systems with dual computers and full bail-out support. Doing some quick math, one individual was walking around wearing at least $12,000 in gear. Most of this gear looks brand new, with little sun wear and undoubtedly has never tasted salt. Perplexing, given that millions of these people live only a short drive from an ocean with outstanding opportunity. Some folks actually drive further to dive a quarry, than a shorter ride to a boat dock.

So, I'm asking. What is the attraction? Is it easy, cheap, or is it what you trained in? I can understand some of that, but it sure seems to me that if you're willing to spend thousands of dollars on the latest gear, drive several hours in traffic, then wait through long lines of divers at these places, you'd at least want to dive where you get to see more than well-fed Blue Gills and rusty cars?

Please, post some feedback!

BTW, here's what you're missing:

[vimeo]26704030[/vimeo]
 
I dove Lake Rawlings this past weekend, and to be honest I WHY someone would want to dive that place 500 times. The max depth is around 65' and you can see all of the features in the quarry in a few hours.
 
FWIW, I dive Dutch springs usually once a week. Why? For one I do not have a dive buddy for ocean dives. My buddy for the quarry is my 11yr old. The shallow wrecks of NJ seem to be in the 60-70' range, and taking him there is IMO still inappropriate. Can he handle the current, the possible low vis? Captains seem to require redundant gas for NJ dives, he doesn't have the physical strength to do doubles. A pony perhaps but I would have to have him very comfortable with the extra gear, reg, and switchover to it. I am not even sure many NJ captains would let him obboard correct me if I am wrong.

He was certified at 10, last Aug, so almost a year now. He did about 15 caribbean dives in the BVI but has close to 50 dives logged now, the rest all at Dutch.

Last week we skipped, he asked me why didn't we go. I replied that "I was kind of bored of looking at the rusting junk, aren't you?" He replied, "Yes, but I would rather be diving then not, so I still have fun."

I think that sums up why most people quarry dive, it is better the nothing.

For me it a money issue as well since I pay for 2...we have season passes to the quarry, 4 air fills for 12$, 7$ in tolls, $15 for lunch, $20 of gas. So a day at the quarry cost me $54. For me to take my son ocean diving when he is ready for NJ wrecks would be $200 for 2 people boat fees, $30+ in gas, plus food, plus motel unless I want to leave my house at 5am to make a 7am boat. I may be able to afford that a few times a year with my current budget but not much more.
 
With every 500 dives, you get a free one.

(You asked for it!) :eyebrow:
 
In truth, however, I'm having difficulty understanding the attraction to East Coast quarry diving.
I agree with you. After years of diving in East Coast quarries while in college, whatever marginal appeal it may have once had was gone. I have no idea why anybody dives there at all, really.
:confused:

Nope, these days I'm strictly a West Coast quarry diver--that's where the excitement is.

:D
 
Its the excitement of doing the dive. Whenever I show dive pictures from vacations to friends, they already know what to expect, eels, turtles, rays, sharks, walls, corals, some old sunken ships. They ask me it's always the same, don't I get bored of it? Maybe if I went to an aquarium every time to see these things, but it is more of the adventure than being a wildlife lover. I don't see too much Navy Seals, Marines or bubbas showing so much interest birdwatching, which is what much of scuba divers are doing, except underwater.
 
I can see a certain appeal to quarry diving. If all you're doing is testing skills or equipment, then calm fresh water is more convenient. Less gear maintenance anyway.
 
Of my 560 dives, I would say 350 of them have been in the same quarry. Not east coast, by far. Why? Because being landlocked in Kentucky, it is the nearest (1 1/2hr drive), decent dive spot around. The nearest ocean or FL caves is 10 hrs or better. It helps me to keep my basic skills sharp & the hostile enviroment of the deep end (2/3's of the quarry) helps keep my more advanced skills sharp.Yes, I've seen nearly everything down there in the shallows & a buch of the stuff in the deep end, but it allows me some escape from time to time. Having dove the Caribbean some, the Galapagos & Malaysia, I kow there is much better diving to be had, but this is inexpensive & worth the time & effort (to me). I teach at that quarry, I play in it, I practice skills in it,... most of all, I blow bubbles in it.
 
Are you asking about East cost quarry diving or quarry diving in general? On east cost quarry diving I cannot comment but I do quarry diving very often. Why? Because there simply is no ocean around here. So you can choose between no diving and quarry diving... and this is an easy one :D
 
I like to dive the quarry through out the summer. It is easy, cheap and I don't have to worry about anyone calling the dive because the seas didn't agree with our dive plans! Not to mention the rinse off I don't have to do when diving in the ocean. If I'm not in the ocean it is a good second place to dive.
See you topside! John
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom