Water temp: 58
Depths: Less than 50 every dive
Dive times: 40 to 60 minutes
Trails: 1, 2, 3, 4
On Friday, January 12, 2007, Chicago Scuba Meetup members Eric, Jim, Mike, Erin and I packed up our gear and made the 5+ hour trek to Bonne Terre Mines for a quick weekend dive trip. Carpooling was graciously provided by Eric (thanks much!) for Jim and me.
Our first day of diving, Saturday, required us to arrive at the mines for a 7:30 AM dive briefing. We watched a safety video, then Jim (our dive leader) gave a thorough dive briefing for trail 1.
Our first dive began at 9AM. We had a skills check - flooding our masks and buddy breathing - then swam around. We saw some old mining equipment, a big pillar of stone that looked like Abe Lincoln, and generally just got a feel for what its like to dive in the mines.
Trail 2 began at 1PM. This is where the diving got FUN. We saw a locomotive (well, some of us did) in the depths. It looked like the Monopoly piece. We also were introduced to some small overhead environments, and, like Jim mentioned, it was sooooo neat to see the floor just drop off to nothing. We were told that we could touch and move anything we wanted, so I found it fun to gather up rocks and watch them fall into the abyss in slow motion. There were several stone pillars, too, that seemed to rise out of the gloom and go on forever. After the dive, we ran back to the hotel to warm up. That shower was much needed, as I was shivering at the end of trail 2.
Trail 4 began at 4PM. I think this was my favorite dive of the weekend. It began by descending in front of a large stone wall. The wall had a hole in it at about 15 fsw which we swam through. We dove the elevator shaft, which is in all the posters of the mine, and next to old stairs the miners used (I wrote my name on the silt).
Day 2 we were scheduled to dive trails 3 and 7, but opted for doing 7 at a later date. Trail 3 was very interesting, though, with tunnels and rooms and, as always, mining equipment to play with. I took a rock as a souvenir, and Jim (the guide) said that was fine. There was a small air pocket on this dive where your dive computer would read that you were still at 30 feet. I got my head in the air pocket but didn't get a chance to check my gauges.
All in all, it was a weekend filled with great company and very fun diving. I came to appreciate how the dives are lead at BTM. Diving in BTM is unique in many respects, one of which is that it truly is a labyrinth.
The staff were great. The dive leaders and 2 safety divers were professional, courteous, and enthusiastic. I was very impressed with everyone at the mines, and felt that on several occasions they went far out of their way for us.
Some tips:
Bonne Terre Mines are located in Bonne Terre, MO (hence the name), and are owned by the West End dive shop in Bridgeton, MO. Make sure that your hotel is in the correct city!
We were all satisfied with the Red Cedar Lodge. Its cheap, comfortable, close to BTM and provides ample warmth for semi-hypothermic divers.
Depths: Less than 50 every dive
Dive times: 40 to 60 minutes
Trails: 1, 2, 3, 4
On Friday, January 12, 2007, Chicago Scuba Meetup members Eric, Jim, Mike, Erin and I packed up our gear and made the 5+ hour trek to Bonne Terre Mines for a quick weekend dive trip. Carpooling was graciously provided by Eric (thanks much!) for Jim and me.
Our first day of diving, Saturday, required us to arrive at the mines for a 7:30 AM dive briefing. We watched a safety video, then Jim (our dive leader) gave a thorough dive briefing for trail 1.
Our first dive began at 9AM. We had a skills check - flooding our masks and buddy breathing - then swam around. We saw some old mining equipment, a big pillar of stone that looked like Abe Lincoln, and generally just got a feel for what its like to dive in the mines.
Trail 2 began at 1PM. This is where the diving got FUN. We saw a locomotive (well, some of us did) in the depths. It looked like the Monopoly piece. We also were introduced to some small overhead environments, and, like Jim mentioned, it was sooooo neat to see the floor just drop off to nothing. We were told that we could touch and move anything we wanted, so I found it fun to gather up rocks and watch them fall into the abyss in slow motion. There were several stone pillars, too, that seemed to rise out of the gloom and go on forever. After the dive, we ran back to the hotel to warm up. That shower was much needed, as I was shivering at the end of trail 2.
Trail 4 began at 4PM. I think this was my favorite dive of the weekend. It began by descending in front of a large stone wall. The wall had a hole in it at about 15 fsw which we swam through. We dove the elevator shaft, which is in all the posters of the mine, and next to old stairs the miners used (I wrote my name on the silt).
Day 2 we were scheduled to dive trails 3 and 7, but opted for doing 7 at a later date. Trail 3 was very interesting, though, with tunnels and rooms and, as always, mining equipment to play with. I took a rock as a souvenir, and Jim (the guide) said that was fine. There was a small air pocket on this dive where your dive computer would read that you were still at 30 feet. I got my head in the air pocket but didn't get a chance to check my gauges.
All in all, it was a weekend filled with great company and very fun diving. I came to appreciate how the dives are lead at BTM. Diving in BTM is unique in many respects, one of which is that it truly is a labyrinth.
The staff were great. The dive leaders and 2 safety divers were professional, courteous, and enthusiastic. I was very impressed with everyone at the mines, and felt that on several occasions they went far out of their way for us.
Some tips:
Bonne Terre Mines are located in Bonne Terre, MO (hence the name), and are owned by the West End dive shop in Bridgeton, MO. Make sure that your hotel is in the correct city!
We were all satisfied with the Red Cedar Lodge. Its cheap, comfortable, close to BTM and provides ample warmth for semi-hypothermic divers.
