Question Ohio Diving Options. Am I missing any?

[Scubaguy22]

Newer Ohio diver here.

I live in Southeastern Ohio. I am currently limited to diving within the state due to time and money, but I would like to dive more often and closer to home. As a disclaimer, all of my logged dives have been at Gilboa, so I have no first hand experience with the places I’m about to list. After lots of online research, here are my diving options:

Gilboa Quarry: I got both my Advanced and Open water certifications here, but it’s a 2+ hour drive from me

White star quarry: further than Gilboa

Lake Erie diving: 2+ hour drive, but definitely interested if anyone has more information

Lakeview RV park: really close to home but shallow

North Point Quarry: In Newark but shallow and low vis

Circleville Twin Quarries: now closed

Natural Springs Resort: Might as well be in Indiana, but definitely on the list

Silver Cup Lake/ Sportsman lake: this is the one I am most excited about. I’m going to go make a separate post about it, but I can’t find literally any info online, other than the fact that a new family has bought it and that it used to be a scuba attraction

I am aware there are 27 or so lakes across the state where scuba is legal. I think there is an old post about it floating around on Scubaboard somewhere. I plan on doing all 27 someday just to say I did, but it’s Ohio so that means shallow, muddy and low vis.


Is there anything I’m missing? Diving options in Ohio are obviously limited but I’m wondering if I’m missing something.

 

[Comm]

There is Sugar Grove Quarry - but I believe you need to dive with Scuba Unlimited out of Cincinnati.

Not sure where exactly in southern Ohio you are, but you can also try and get a volunteer job at some of the aquariums. Such as the Newport Aquarium in Northern Kentucky / Greater Cincinnati area.

 

[oldschool45]

Welcome - Pennyroyal Scuba Center in Hopkinsville Kentucky might be a haul. I'm in the Cincinnati area but we are thinking about it for long weekends to keep up skills

 

[happy-diver]

 

[Jhgt2d]

Make sure you add osprey to you list. Captain John is great and runs a really nice boat. Diving the eastern basin of lake Erie is awesome and I can't recommend it enough.

 

[Tracy]

There are lots of cool wrecks in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie. Cleveland underwater explorers would be a good group to reach out to. They might be able to give you more information on charters or boats going out to some of them.
The western end of Lake Erie is quite shallow and warm. The downside of that is visibility suffers for it. Many times summer dives will have 5' visibility. Still totally worth diving, but a bit different than the Great Lakes wreck photos you see online.
Eastern Lake Erie has excellent visibility due to the depth, but you aren't in Ohio anymore.

 

[USdiver1]

Silver Cup Lake/ Sportsman lake: this is the one I am most excited about. I’m going to go make a separate post about it, but I can’t find literally any info online, other than the fact that a new family has bought it and that it used to be a scuba attraction

Many Ohio divers earned their C-cards at Sportsman's Lake back in the 1960s and 1970s [I got mine there in 1977]. I dove Sportsman's Lake up through my college years several times each summer, and look forward to the lake's re-birth as Silver Cup Lake. Hope to dive there again, and soon.

If memory serves, the lake/quarry is around 35 - 40 feet deep, diving used to occur mostly along the south-west wall, as swimmers used the area closest to the clubhouse building that served as a fill station and grill/restaurant. My old logs show bluegill, bass and catfish, plus the occasional turtle as inhabitants.

Here is a recent article on Sportsman's Lake.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/wha...ba-diving-and-mor/XMDL4U347VEKRPXV6R34C3FQRE/

Sugar Grove is in Fayette County [South-Central Ohio] it may be the closest good quarry for you. Dives of 100'
are possible, check with Scuba Unlimited for their Dive-With-Us schedule.

 

[broncobowsher]

Newer Ohio diver here.

I live in Southeastern Ohio. I am currently limited to diving within the state due to time and money, but I would like to dive more often and closer to home. As a disclaimer, all of my logged dives have been at Gilboa, so I have no first hand experience with the places I’m about to list. After lots of online research, here are my diving options:

Gilboa Quarry: I got both my Advanced and Open water certifications here, but it’s a 2+ hour drive from me

White star quarry: further than Gilboa

Lake Erie diving: 2+ hour drive, but definitely interested if anyone has more information

Lakeview RV park: really close to home but shallow

North Point Quarry: In Newark but shallow and low vis

Circleville Twin Quarries: now closed

Natural Springs Resort: Might as well be in Indiana, but definitely on the list

Silver Cup Lake/ Sportsman lake: this is the one I am most excited about. I’m going to go make a separate post about it, but I can’t find literally any info online, other than the fact that a new family has bought it and that it used to be a scuba attraction

I am aware there are 27 or so lakes across the state where scuba is legal. I think there is an old post about it floating around on Scubaboard somewhere. I plan on doing all 27 someday just to say I did, but it’s Ohio so that means shallow, muddy and low vis.


Is there anything I’m missing? Diving options in Ohio are obviously limited but I’m wondering if I’m missing something.

Side track question,
Have family in Ohio, so I was reading this. What caught my eye was the Lakeview RV park. Could you (or someone) throw me a little info on this? It could be real close to some family, but I am probably thinking of a different place.