I traveled to St Louis specifically to do the 5 dives in a weekend at Bonne Terre Mine. I have over 650 dives and I guess Id call myself an experienced diver. I prepaid the dives, the gear, and the hotel at the Depot as is their requirement. Below are details of the dives and diving operation.
Travel:
I got a cheap flight from Newark so the car rental and flight were about half the cost of diving. The mine is located about an hour south of St Louis and is very easy to get to (two roads). It paid for me to take a Friday and Monday just to be able to do all offered dives and relax a little on Friday night.
The Operation:
In most ways, I must say it was smooth but there were some negatives I've detailed below. My payments were handled easily and professionally. There are rules for diving that were not clear to me prior to arriving and diving. For instance, you must surrender your C card AND your license when you are in the mine. You need to remember to get them back if you drive off for lunch. I didnt. They say lights are not allowed. BUT, they are allowed after the first dive, in addition, you can take a camera after the first dive too. The dives are run like a military operation. There are sets of 8 divers that enter at 8am, then a different set of 8 divers enter at 9am. This operation requires a leader, two in-water guides, and two spotters in boats above the water. Quite a tactical mess. They seem to do pretty well at it though. I was reminded of the Cozumel cattle cars a bit on Saturday but Sunday was lighter so more attention.
You must carry your gear in for the first dive. It is a steep walk downhill and in the dark. You can go slow but you should be in good shape. The platform is large enough for several groups of 8, there were plenty of tanks. I dove nitrox but most didnt. The staff was helpful with gear and prep but they insisted the dive go in as planned. That said, there is little time for food between dives. I would suggest bringing lunch in the morning because if you go out, you,ll be late. There is no food on property but you can get snacks and a soda if wanted.
The Diving:
It is surreal. The columns, caves and passages are awesome. You will be amazed. The trails are all unique and the paths are filled with relics, caves to enter, windows to fly through. Really cool. The staff is incredibly aware of every diver and the guides are front and back of the entire group, constantly counting to 8. All dives are group dives led by staff. It is very cold (52 degrees). I wore a drysuit and my hands were cold on one 60 minute dive. Most dives were around 40 minutes. Anyone wearing a wetsuit was freezing. There are many carts, implements, wiring, piping from the mine since it was working when shut down. The staff is very knowledgeable about the mine, the history, and the trails. Everyone does the same 5 trails on their first weekend in the mine. After experience, Im guessing you can request certain trails but Im guessing Ill never get that chance.
The Hotel:
The mine owner recently bought an old train depot and has started opening it as a hotel. I stayed in a refurbished railroad car with one room and a bathroom in back. I was comfortable enough even though there is no working television and no wifi. Those are requirements in this age, Id say. I would have liked better to stay at the Super8 that does offer both for a little more cost. The depot is not near enough to the mine to make a difference. Go for the chain hotel until they fix the depot up.
Negatives:
I was surprised that very new divers (4-6 dives) were even allowed to dive this area. It seems to me to be for very experienced divers. The staff does a great job but most divers that were in my group had no concept of buoyancy or trim. Im not a great diver but I looked perfect compared to some there. The silt, getting kicked in the head repeatedly, all bothered me greatly. I opted to stay away from the group for most of the dive. The problem is that I had no light, and the guide would often show his light on some object of interest. I ended up missing quite a bit this way. I know it is a business and they need to have customers but I was a bit surprised by it all. The mine is Missouris dive certification area so it is understandable.
Overall:
Just to end on a good note, I was greatly impressed with the staff. They were all friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and just basically good people. Overall, Id say it was a good and worthwhile experience.
---------- Post added December 6th, 2012 at 07:50 PM ----------
Sorry: link to youtube video of my dives.
Bonne Terre Small - YouTube
Travel:
I got a cheap flight from Newark so the car rental and flight were about half the cost of diving. The mine is located about an hour south of St Louis and is very easy to get to (two roads). It paid for me to take a Friday and Monday just to be able to do all offered dives and relax a little on Friday night.
The Operation:
In most ways, I must say it was smooth but there were some negatives I've detailed below. My payments were handled easily and professionally. There are rules for diving that were not clear to me prior to arriving and diving. For instance, you must surrender your C card AND your license when you are in the mine. You need to remember to get them back if you drive off for lunch. I didnt. They say lights are not allowed. BUT, they are allowed after the first dive, in addition, you can take a camera after the first dive too. The dives are run like a military operation. There are sets of 8 divers that enter at 8am, then a different set of 8 divers enter at 9am. This operation requires a leader, two in-water guides, and two spotters in boats above the water. Quite a tactical mess. They seem to do pretty well at it though. I was reminded of the Cozumel cattle cars a bit on Saturday but Sunday was lighter so more attention.
You must carry your gear in for the first dive. It is a steep walk downhill and in the dark. You can go slow but you should be in good shape. The platform is large enough for several groups of 8, there were plenty of tanks. I dove nitrox but most didnt. The staff was helpful with gear and prep but they insisted the dive go in as planned. That said, there is little time for food between dives. I would suggest bringing lunch in the morning because if you go out, you,ll be late. There is no food on property but you can get snacks and a soda if wanted.
The Diving:
It is surreal. The columns, caves and passages are awesome. You will be amazed. The trails are all unique and the paths are filled with relics, caves to enter, windows to fly through. Really cool. The staff is incredibly aware of every diver and the guides are front and back of the entire group, constantly counting to 8. All dives are group dives led by staff. It is very cold (52 degrees). I wore a drysuit and my hands were cold on one 60 minute dive. Most dives were around 40 minutes. Anyone wearing a wetsuit was freezing. There are many carts, implements, wiring, piping from the mine since it was working when shut down. The staff is very knowledgeable about the mine, the history, and the trails. Everyone does the same 5 trails on their first weekend in the mine. After experience, Im guessing you can request certain trails but Im guessing Ill never get that chance.
The Hotel:
The mine owner recently bought an old train depot and has started opening it as a hotel. I stayed in a refurbished railroad car with one room and a bathroom in back. I was comfortable enough even though there is no working television and no wifi. Those are requirements in this age, Id say. I would have liked better to stay at the Super8 that does offer both for a little more cost. The depot is not near enough to the mine to make a difference. Go for the chain hotel until they fix the depot up.
Negatives:
I was surprised that very new divers (4-6 dives) were even allowed to dive this area. It seems to me to be for very experienced divers. The staff does a great job but most divers that were in my group had no concept of buoyancy or trim. Im not a great diver but I looked perfect compared to some there. The silt, getting kicked in the head repeatedly, all bothered me greatly. I opted to stay away from the group for most of the dive. The problem is that I had no light, and the guide would often show his light on some object of interest. I ended up missing quite a bit this way. I know it is a business and they need to have customers but I was a bit surprised by it all. The mine is Missouris dive certification area so it is understandable.
Overall:
Just to end on a good note, I was greatly impressed with the staff. They were all friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and just basically good people. Overall, Id say it was a good and worthwhile experience.
---------- Post added December 6th, 2012 at 07:50 PM ----------
Sorry: link to youtube video of my dives.
Bonne Terre Small - YouTube
