Is Bonne Terre worth it?

[trashman]

I do not go into decompression when I dive the city.We are generally diving 30% nitrox.You do run out of bottom time before you run low on air especially since I dive a 120.As long as you are out from under the overhead enviornment you can get up high enough in the water column to stay out of decompression.Just keep plugging away on the trails.I am lucky to have 2 friends who are just as crazy about the mine as I am.One of them has 100 dives at the mine and my goal is to catch up to him.There is alot of really cool stuff to see on trails 5-20.I have forgotten the trail #'s but once you get above trail 10 it gets really intense.You are only 1 hour away,it takes me 7 hours with the hammer down to get there.

 

[kimbalabala]

Steve - thank you! This is great news! I pictured myself hauling everything (including tanks and weights) up and down 10 flights. The reality is much better than the horror I imagined! Even better, I live south of St Louis so this would be a close dive for us (and we have 8/7 semi-dry suits).

Thanks again!!!

 

[srhein]

Three of us drove down from Michigan last month to dive the Bonne Terre mines. The mine itself is extremely impressive, great visibility and cathedral like dimensions. I didn't have any trouble with the water temp, but two of the 14 people who started out with our group quit after one dive because the 58 degree water was too cold for them.
There were a few things about the dives that were less than optimal for me. First of all, 14 people of varying skills is too many in one group! I can't count the number of times that somebody dropped down on top of me. We tried to stay toward the sides or at the back of the group, but there are some swim thrus that are done one at a time, so people pile up and it becomes chaotic for a while.
Another minor problem was the changing dive times. Dives were moved up or back an hour or so from what we were told when we booked. Not a big deal, but with our large group somebody always didn't get the word, and we ended up waiting for somebody to rush through gearing up.
I called ahead to make sure that they had DIN tanks available, and was assured by the gentleman on the phone that they did. However, when I arrived at the bottom of the trail they didn't have enough DIN tanks for Nitrox. Let me stress that the staff is excellent, and worked hard to make sure that our dives went as well as possible. I ended up being provided with the personal tank of one of the staff members. When you call to make arrangements you are actually calling a dive shop in St. Louis, and not speaking to the staff at the mine. There is no dive shop in Bonne Terre, so bring what you need. I think that the mine staff are over-worked and underpaid. If I heard correctly the dive leaders work for discounts at the St. Louis dive shop and free dives at the mine. One slightly disconcerting note was that the safety diver bringing up the rear of our group had just done his first dives in the mine the previous weekend, volunteered and was put on staff for the next weekend. He was a nice guy and a good diver, but...
Due to the structure of the mine we ended up doing a lot of changes in depth over the course of the dives, especially trail #4. If you have trouble equalizing you might find that problematic. One of our divers had enough ear problems by then that he didn't try the third dive on Saturday.
As clearly stated on the form that will be faxed to you when you make reservations there are no refunds for any reason. One of our original group tore some knee ligaments a couple of weeks before the dive and had to cancel. Despite providing doctors slips etc the best resolution was that I have a four dive credit waiting for me if I ever go back. Again, that policy was clearly stated up front, so I really have no complaints.
As a previous poster mentioned definitely eat at least one meal at Marios! Also, if you are staying the night the Depot is reasonably priced and very nice. When included in the dive package it ends up being $40 a night, and it is within walking distance of Marios and a 2 minute drive from the mine itself.
All in all I am glad we made the trip to Bonne Terre, just not sure how soon I will do it again considering the 10 hr drive for us from Michigan.

 

[Lorax]

Impressive pictures. We live in KC, so this seems like it will be one of our first trips, and hope to do the cave certification there.

 

[trashman]

Well,its been over 3 months since I dove at the mine so I guess that means that its time to come back.I will be diving the city and whatever other trails John can come up with on Oct 16-17.I am so ready to slip under the water at the mine and swim down some dark tunnels.Maybe The Rotator,Pearly Gates or just do 5 dives to the city.Whatever we do it will be a blast.I'll post a report when we get back.Scuba Steve

 

[MrCultureJammer]

Every now & then I see or read something about this dive site, and think "maybe I'll put it on the list when I'm in STL over xmas." Living/diving in SoCal and having the Channel Islands out your back door even gets repetitive after a while.

Then I go to their website, and read about all the rules and BS restrictions, and especially the COST!! $65 per dive with a 2 dive minimum even when I bring tanks and weights and everything I need myself? This sounds like a Midwest scam and a half. And for that $130, I have to troll around in a potentially big-ass group of tourists who will undoubtedly complain about a little 58 degree cold (I dive dry year-round out here in CA) and slow me down?

I humbly submit that the only reason this place is still in business is b/c the Midwest has no other options. Just talking to them on the phone tells me all I need to know about their "take it or leave it" attitude. Wish something else would open up down there and make them sweat their "business model" a little...$130 for that is highway robbery. How do they walk with balls that big?

 

[netmage]

I humbly submit that the only reason this place is still in business is b/c the Midwest has no other options. Just talking to them on the phone tells me all I need to know about their "take it or leave it" attitude. Wish something else would open up down there and make them sweat their "business model" a little...$130 for that is highway robbery. How do they walk with balls that big?

Yup... when your the only game in town, the only other options are 30 degree lake and quarry or something tropical a flight and hotel away...

Had the same feeling when the guy was looking to fund and price "aquarium diving" as n affordable option to a real vacation....

 

[Ninja Diver]

Mr. Culture and Netmage... You two must be EXTREMELY smart to know so much about a place you've never been to. Let me get this straight.....
"BS restrictions" Everyone of those restrictions are implemented for safety reasons. After even the most experianced cave divers see the mine, the COMPLETELY understand why everyone of those restrictions are in place. As far as the cost, I wonder what the THOUSANDS.... not hundreds, THOUSANDS of people that have been to the mine mutiple times would think about "being scammed" over and over an over again.
And you're right ... those bigs groups can get a little crowded. Just ask the two guests that drove over 6 hours down last weekend, who made up their own 2 person group. One logged his 93 dive in the mine, one logged his 62 dive in the mine. Or the dad, his daughter and his son who made up their own group last weekend . They must have hated it.
It's AMAZING that all those "wet suit divers" who slow a professional dry suit diver like yourself down actually don't complain at all. You see we don't promote the mine as having 70 degree water.... They actually know they're going to jump into 58 degree water and some do say "boy that's cold" right before they jump in for the 5, 6 or 20 dive.
Have you heard about the annual treasure hunt where we gave away $50,000.000 in donated prizes? The ONLY treasure hunt that ScubaBoard sponsors..... I wonder if they're in on the scam too?
As far as how we walk.... How do you walk by throwing ANY establishiment under the bus without ever having been there?
Netmage.... How are you qualified or competent enough to make a statement about about a place you've never experianced?

 

[netmage]

Mr. Culture and Netmage... You two must be EXTREMELY smart to know so much about a place you've never been to. Let me get this straight.....
"BS restrictions" Everyone of those restrictions are implemented for safety reasons. After even the most experianced cave divers see the mine, the COMPLETELY understand why everyone of those restrictions are in place. As far as the cost, I wonder what the THOUSANDS.... not hundreds, THOUSANDS of people that have been to the mine mutiple times would think about "being scammed" over and over an over again.
And you're right ... those bigs groups can get a little crowded. Just ask the two guests that drove over 6 hours down last weekend, who made up their own 2 person group. One logged his 93 dive in the mine, one logged his 62 dive in the mine. Or the dad, his daughter and his son who made up their own group last weekend . They must have hated it.
It's AMAZING that all those "wet suit divers" who slow a professional dry suit diver like yourself down actually don't complain at all. You see we don't promote the mine as having 70 degree water.... They actually know they're going to jump into 58 degree water and some do say "boy that's cold" right before they jump in for the 5, 6 or 20 dive.
Have you heard about the annual treasure hunt where we gave away $50,000.000 in donated prizes? The ONLY treasure hunt that ScubaBoard sponsors..... I wonder if they're in on the scam too?
As far as how we walk.... How do you walk by throwing ANY establishiment under the bus without ever having been there?
Netmage.... How are you qualified or competent enough to make a statement about about a place you've never experianced?

If you used your search button you'd know I've been to the mine... So I think I'm more than qualified to lend my opinion on why I will never be back.

I never said it was being advertised as 70 degree water... I said it was being price positioned with a tropical dive vacation being its competition....

It takes a year or two to make something an 'annual' event - no.....?

 

[MrCultureJammer]

"ninja" diver:
No, I've never dived the site, even though I've been in the neighborhood many times. Why?

-many folks here on this board (and other local divers I know and respect in STL, as well as many shops in the area) say they did it once and will not be back. It simply is not worth it, they say. Many mention the cost and the attitude of the folks running the place as a reason as well.

-again, the cost is utterly, completely, thoroughly outrageous. $130 for 2 dives is laughable. Again, I bring everything I need and haul it in/out myself. How is that worth $130? Only in the Midwest, that's how.

-the attitude of YOUR folks on the phone, again, tells me that I want nothing to do with these folks as people, much less as divers.

-the "treasure hunt". Really? You're gonna hang your hat on some lame-arse little "event" like that. Really could care less who/what Scubaboard sponsors.