Midwestern quarry diving doesn’t have to be low viz

[Marie13]

i was out at Gilboa Quarry in NW Ohio yesterday. I’m used to a quarry where 20ft viz is awesome. We had 50-60ft viz at Gilboa. Silt had been stirred up a bit by the tubes from an OW class earlier in our dive. Dove with a bunch of tech trained buddies from OH. Got a bunch of good feedback. Fun time. Well worth the 10 hour round trip drive and the 1 night hotel stay. Actually ran into @Bierstadt! . He was diving with the photographer. They came from NW PA. We were all in one big bunch on the first dive. They had to leave so my group of 4 did second dives ourself. Had a 5 hour drive home afterwards to beat the snow. Got home 10 minutes after the snow started. Had 2 fab 1 hour dives. Coldest water temp was 51F at 60ft. We didn’t go deeper. Air temp was about 45F, but we had a shelter and a propane heater. Will be out there other times over the winter as long as the roads are clear and there’s no ice on the surface.

I’m the diver with white fins.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Thanks for sharing! Remarkable!

DW

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Yup! Makes me want to visit Gilboa for a dive or two if I am passing through.

 

[Bubblesong]

What are those cylinder things?
That is nice visibility, really gives the location a great atmosphere with the trees too.

 

[Marie13]

What are those cylinder things?
That is nice visibility, really gives the location a great atmosphere with the trees too.

Concrete tubes to swim through.

 

[johndiver999]

Cool pictures. I think the silty water around the pipes adds to the image.

What is going on in the background. Somebody has a freeflow?

 

[Marie13]

No free flow.

 

[FezUSA]

I live in NE Ohio and have thought about trying this a few times, but I only have a 3mm full - which I hardly ever wear as we warm water dive only. If I wanted just to try it, do they have rental suits and what would be needed? I like winter sports so I'm not averse to the cold, providing I have the right gear!

 

[Marie13]

I live in NE Ohio and have thought about trying this a few times, but I only have a 3mm full - which I hardly ever wear as we warm water dive only. If I wanted just to try it, do they have rental suits and what would be needed? I like winter sports so I'm not averse to the cold, providing I have the right gear!

They do have rental gear. Check their website for rates. Call if you have any questions.

Helps if you have a shelter of some kind and a propane heater. We used one that connects onto one of the big propane cylinders.

 

[MrVegas]

I live in NE Ohio and have thought about trying this a few times, but I only have a 3mm full - which I hardly ever wear as we warm water dive only. If I wanted just to try it, do they have rental suits and what would be needed? I like winter sports so I'm not averse to the cold, providing I have the right gear!

Even in the summer, if you want to be comfortable at Gilboa you want at least a good 7mm with a good hood and good gloves. (If you're going past 20 feet deep.) The problem with fresh water diving is that the water is usually clearest when it is cold. Gilboa visibility -- by Ohio quarry standards anyway -- is usually still OK late July through August (15-20 feet). Most other places are pretty green around that time. If the outside weather is good, October is a great month for diving in Ohio quarries because the water is not intolerably cold and it is clearing up by that time -- and you're not overheating or freezing if you're in a wetsuit out of the water.

Marie13 -- those pictures are great. I don't think I've ever seen the "Tubes" that clearly even when I've been right in front of them. Have to finally get that drysuit . . .