anyone ever scuba dive & detect an old quarry bottom say 25-30ft deep?

[WayneCountyDetector]

Yeah, if water was that clear it definately wouldn't be as creepy. Keep us updated I would like to know what you find if you go!

 

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[Keppy]

Well good luck and keep us posted.... You a a lot braver man than i ...... I would never dive in a quarry........As a matter of fact for the last 20 years or so all the further i go in water is waist deep............. Now and then up to my chest.............

 

[inspectorgadget]

Well good luck and keep us posted.... You a a lot braver man than i ...... I would never dive in a quarry........As a matter of fact for the last 20 years or so all the further i go in water is waist deep............. Now and then up to my chest.............

That's how I am with the ocean, ever since I saw a SEA MONSTER in the water at Myrtle Beach! Was about 4 or 4:30PM at high tide on an early September day in 1996. The waves were breaking great & I was about stomach deep walking south & parallel to the shoreline. I turned around & about 3 FT behind me & out in about 1 FT deeper water there was what appeared to be a 15FT to maybe 20FT long telephone pole in the water.

It was brown like the color of pier poles or a phone pole & looked slimy, I stopped & thought couldn't that hurt ya if it hit you, I stood still just looking at it for a second or two & noticed it didn't seem to move with the waves in the water, it was also parallel to the shoreline in about 5 FT of water. So I started to move towards it as it didn't seem to be moving much, waves were breaking over the top of it instead of it bobbing up & down with the waves which I thought was strange. I took a couple steps towards it & I started to reach out to touch it as I was stumped on what it exactly was & what it was doing right there. Before my hand got to it a wave broke over it again & it was GONE! For a split second I was thinking that's strange & then a split second later I had an overwhelming freight come over me as I thought what in the world was that, or better yet where did it go? Oh crap, then I was running out of the water as fast as I could. I still to this day have NO idea what I saw in the water that day, I did not see a fin, flipper or any fish type features. It was long & straight, the part sticking out of the water was almost the exact size of a normal neighborhood telephone pole.

I will swear & attest to this story on my life! Everyone except the girl I was with thinks I'm full of it! Heck she didn't even see it but she saw me as I ran out of the water afterwards, like I saw a damn ghost or something!

 

[Keppy]

That's how I am with the ocean, ever since I saw a SEA MONSTER in the water at Myrtle Beach! Was about 4 or 4:30PM at high tide on an early September day in 1996. The waves were breaking great & I was about stomach deep walking south & parallel to the shoreline. I turned around & about 3 FT behind me & out in about 1 FT deeper water there was what appeared to be a 15FT to maybe 20FT long telephone pole in the water.

It was brown like the color of pier poles or a phone pole & looked slimy, I stopped & thought couldn't that hurt ya if it hit you, I stood still just looking at it for a second or two & noticed it didn't seem to move with the waves in the water, it was also parallel to the shoreline in about 5 FT of water. So I started to move towards it as it didn't seem to be moving much, waves were breaking over the top of it instead of it bobbing up & down with the waves which I thought was strange. I took a couple steps towards it & I started to reach out to touch it as I was stumped on what it exactly was & what it was doing right there. Before my hand got to it a wave broke over it again & it was GONE! For a split second I was thinking that's strange & then a split second later I had an overwhelming freight come over me as I thought what in the world was that, or better yet where did it go? Oh crap, then I was running out of the water as fast as I could. I still to this day have NO idea what I saw in the water that day, I did not see a fin, flipper or any fish type features. It was long & straight, the part sticking out of the water was almost the exact size of a normal neighborhood telephone pole.

I will swear & attest to this story on my life! Everyone except the girl I was with thinks I'm full of it! Heck she didn't even see it but she saw me as I ran out of the water afterwards, like I saw a damn ghost or something!

..... I know what you mean.... I have not been to a salt water beach in years and i have no plans to go to one ......... I hunt fresh water up north here and then most of the time only waist deep .... and some times not that deep......... But were i hunt i really don't have to worry about any surprises......But a quarry you would never get me in one of them.......... But then up here in lake Erie there has been some strange things that happen ..... but that is way off shore in small boats so i stay real close to the shore line............. I had a friend that went fishing out in lake Erie in his small 14 ft boat...........Not that far out...... By him self that was about 20 years ago ...........They found his boat but to this day never have found him........... And there has been so many strange things out there it makes a person wonder what is out there.......

 

[inspectorgadget]

Alright an update for all those following this thread.. Went to the quarry to get a better feel for the depth of the water as a friend told me I was probably way off in my 25 to 30 foot depth estimate. I figured maybe 40' at it's deepest but after a swim & a few free dives I'm now guessing the very bottom in the deepest areas (a lot of it) are maybe 75' or 80' deep. The cars look about 35 or 40' from ya when your in the water but when you swim down (or try to), I get about 30' to 35' deep & the cars look just as far as they did from the top of the water.

The one side that has the cut blocks going into the water at an angle is shallower cause of them & there are tunnels within them you can swim thru but would be impossible to detect in not to mention pretty dangerous. The deep areas are where it's at, I will go back & take a 100ft rope with weight on it & see if I can get an accurate water depth. I know if it's over or even near 90' it would be a very very difficult task compared to say 35' or 40'. The cars on the bottom look to be 40's 50's 60's hard to tell but they are old & most (not all) look to be intact complete cars. Id bet you could even find coins in/under the rear seats of em!

I'll keep this updated when I get a real depth reading!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Stone quarries can be DEEP. The one we used to dive in Missouri was 230 feet deep!

Thanks for the update.

 

[TENNESSEEGAL]

This is a fascinating thread. I dont get creeped out easily but I have to admit after reading about the creature in the ocean and the depths of the quarries I feel a bit twitchy. Lol

 

[maipenrai]

Quarries are Dangerous, and many people drown in them. If your not a certified scuba diver, (with experience) then its no place to be, especially trying to enter old cars and other things. Those few coins that may be under a seat are not worth it.

 

[New Orleans Relic]

Gadget, that changes things. Anything over 65-70ft. divers use dive tables for bottom time and ascention guidelines. I've had about 20dives, most of which were before being certified in 2006. All under 100ft. I'd be in on a dive with others more experienced.
You went dowm 30-35ft? Thats somewhat dangerous.

 

[inspectorgadget]

Gadget, that changes things. Anything over 65-70ft. divers use dive tables for bottom time and ascention guidelines. I've had about 20dives, most of which were before being certified in 2006. All under 100ft. I'd be in on a dive with others more experienced.
You went dowm 30-35ft? Thats somewhat dangerous.

Yes I know it changes things quite a bit that's why I posted the update!

And yes I'm guessing we went down about 30 or 35' on our free dive. Back when I took 3 meter diving in like 6th or 7th grade we used the IUPUI Natatorium in downtown Indy. It was every bit of 25' deep & our coach would throw things in there & have us race to see who could get it off the bottom first. I won almost every time! I figured 25' must be safe so 30' or 35' shouldn't be much different & it didn't feel much different, hell free divers go down over 100FT don't they? What was really fun was swimming down towards the bottom while the coach turned on the bubble machine & getting pushed to the surface like an underwater carnival ride! If you are not aware in diving classes divers practice by diving into a 1 to 2 ft up lifted pool from an up rush of bubbles instead of just flat hard water. The bubbles are very forgiving if you mess up (back or belly busters). Turns the whole diving area into what looks to be a giant hot tub on steroids! Diving into the bubbles is fun & you can't go very deep no matter how hard you try!

So I shouldn't be free diving 30' or so or what?

 

[maipenrai]

Your free diving to 30-35 ft deep? Probably you guessed wrong. If you are, thats pretty good, but if your not certified, then forget scuba. As someone pointed out, the bottom is probably covered in fine silt, and the crystal clear water will turn to mud. Not a place to start your first dives. Besides that, you would need a few bucks to get all that dive gear, that you would need for such a dive. Sounds like you dont have any gear, and will rely on borrowing it, bad mistake. Spend some time at a scuba diving course, then only dive places like this with a buddy and someone on the surface, (a diver). Im sure its a tempting place, but like caves and tunnels, these places are much more dangerous that what it looks like, thats why people die there.

 

[maipenrai]

Your probably alright, free diving, since you have been doing it before, but scuba is an entirely different game, and there is no "guessing" on your depth or time. Free divers go much deeper than 100ft, but that too is a different game, not a guessing game.

New O R, you know it takes quite a man to admit to wanting a more experienced diver along. Congratulations! Scuba diving is a macho sport, and thats why a lot of accidents happen, I know from experience. I havent done All the mistakes, but quite a few. Gold fever is dangerous at 90ft, with a very inexperienced son along.

 

[inspectorgadget]

I don't own scuba gear, you are correct, 2 of my buddies do & I have borrowed their gear before without problem. I'm also not against buying what I need, believe me I have motorcycle, climbing, caving & kayaking gear out the waazoo! Now I'm getting a metal detection gear collection, a new DD coil for the MXT & a submersible detector is next on the list!

My depth estimate is from the size of the rock sections of the quarry walls, they each are over 10' sections, I got down 3 sections so I figured 30 to 35' unless the sections under the water are different from the ones above the water. Depth perception is rough in water as I'm learning!

I am a very experienced caver/cave climber (not so much mountains) but alot of cave climbing, I'm looking for brand new caves to explore all the time & by brand new I especially mean newly opened caves no ones been in or even a cave we have to open or dig out to gain entrance to! I'm a thrill seeker as much as anything else, NO I've never dove & detected but sooner or later I'm gonna conquer it too! The harder it is the more I like it! Base jumping sounds thrilling to me but in Indiana not to much of a base to jump from!

 

[inspectorgadget]

you know it takes quite a man to admit to wanting a more experienced diver along. Congratulations! Scuba diving is a macho sport, and thats why a lot of accidents happen, I know from experience. I havent done All the mistakes, but quite a few. Gold fever is dangerous at 90ft, with a very inexperienced son along.

Yup experienced people are good to have! I want a lot of input too, tho the potential depth has some what turned me off but until I confirm the true depth I won't make any rash judgments! I'm hoping it's only 60 or 65' deep as much more would be pushing the danger factor quite high for me.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Wait.... are you not a trained scuba diver? I thought from the first post you were. If you arent certified to scuba, don't even think about doing this. I wouldn't even think of freediving a quarry.

 

[inspectorgadget]

Wait.... are you not a trained scuba diver? I thought from the first post you were. If you arent certified to scuba, don't even think about doing this. I wouldn't even think of freediving a quarry.

Not "trained" or certified... Have done it many times tho, will do it many more times in the future, my best teacher is experience! Yes I got the basics from certified people (friends) & that's all I really needed.. I'm not certified in anything but I can do everything I promise! I would pass a certification test with flying colors!

I'm not certified to go 8 miles into a cave, I'm not certified to climb rocks, I'm not certified to do class II-IV rapids on my kayak, hell I don't even have a motorcycle licenses just a permit I renew every year. Is there a place to get certified for base jumping? I don't think so but that wont stop me!

One thing all this should say is I KNOW MY limits, I don't get in over my head, I'm man enough to admit when I might not have what it takes to do something. I am very capable & able, I learn very fast & I don't do "stupid" things!

Whether you think you can or can't .... either way you're right!

 

[bazinga]

I'm familiar with this quarry and I know some divers that have been detecting it off an on for the past 10 years or so. It was once very productive. Now they say it's not even worth their time anymore. But good luck if this is what you choose to do.

 

[maipenrai]

Man, that scares me! Someone that knows it all! Dont have a motorcycle license and just renew the permit every year? Maybe couldnt pass the test, or just cant be bothered with it? You have good friends too, letting you use their diving equipment, even though you are not certified. Of course since you know everything, there is no harm in that. I guess the dive classes are only for stupid people, or for that matter, any other kind of class. Do you know your decompression tables, do you have a depth gauge, do you even have a dive watch?

Good luck! you will need all you can get!

 

[inspectorgadget]

Man, that scares me! Someone that knows it all! Dont have a motorcycle license and just renew the permit every year? Maybe couldnt pass the test, or just cant be bothered with it? You have good friends too, letting you use their diving equipment, even though you are not certified. Of course since you know everything, there is no harm in that. I guess the dive classes are only for stupid people, or for that matter, any other kind of class. Do you know your decompression tables, do you have a depth gauge, do you even have a dive watch?

Good luck! you will need all you can get!

My real scuba diving experience came from diving in caves, to get thru long sumps & to get to underwater tunnels, believe me that's some dangerous diving in cold water I promise! Pitch black, not even having a clue where your going or where you will end up & not to mention in a somewhat cramped area is as bad as it gets! Never had an issue, doesn't mean it couldn't happen but it hasn't. Never had an issue going 165MPH on my bike but I know I could die, it's just to me the risk is worth the reward. Most of the Harley guys I ride with are 50+ years old & almost none of them have a permit let alone a licenses. My bike has never touched the ground in over 5 years of riding & the test here is a joke that a 10 year old could pass. I don't know it all, wouldn't have been asking about it on here if I knew it all, nope Id just be out doing it.

Depth gauge ... check
Dive watch ... check
Tank gauge ... check
Regulator ... check
Mask ... check
Dagger Knife & sheath ... check
Wet suit ... check
Decompression table ... nope never dove in real depths (30-40ft max) but I know to come up very slowly, the slower the better & I can read!

Basically all I borrow are the tanks, vest & fins + minor misc other items when I dive. There are people out there who just "get it" & some that just don't! It's amazing what some humans are capable of with a lot of reading, some trial & error + practice! Would you have been one of the people telling the Wright Bros they were know it all's? Are you one of those who believe if you didn't graduate HS your not smart just because you didn't graduate? Some of the smartest people I know did not graduate & run very successful businesses. Yet some of the dumbest people I know have diplomas & military service & degrees & are still dumb as a rock! Diplomas, certificates, licenses, blah blah most of the time their not worth the paper their written on, they just show you conformed with what society decided you "had" to do first. This country was built by non conformists or we would be called England & some of our greatest hero's are these non conformist but I guess they were all just know it all's huh? I know idiots with diplomas & geniuses with none, go figure! I don't know everything but I do know MY limits & I have dove in much worse conditions than a very clear quarry. I am a non conformist, I march to the beat of my drum, but I'm not a know it all.. There is a HUGE difference!

 

[inspectorgadget]

I'm familiar with this quarry and I know some divers that have been detecting it off an on for the past 10 years or so. It was once very productive. Now they say it's not even worth their time anymore. But good luck if this is what you choose to do.

Well if it's been worked already then I'm not gonna mess with it! BTW how deep is the quarry? These divers you know have to know!