Rock Divers @ Madison Aquatic Park going out of business this weekend...

[ScubaLuke]

Thanks for the warning Luke. I tried to call you today after I went
over there to see if you wanted me to pick you up any tanks.
I guess you were still out working in the yard.<snip>

Yup that's where I was and will be for part of today. Anyhow, thanks for the attempt.

I went out to Wheeler Wildlife refuge this morning and drove past Rock Divers about 9:00 on my way back home and there were a few cars in the parking lot. So it looks like they'll be open for a little while today.

Luke

 

[mike_s]

Yup that's where I was and will be for part of today. Anyhow, thanks for the attempt.

I went out to Wheeler Wildlife refuge this morning and drove past Rock Divers about 9:00 on my way back home and there were a few cars in the parking lot. So it looks like they'll be open for a little while today.

Luke

I called them to see if they were open and had any more tanks as a few
people out of town were still interested in some..... they are open today,
but I don't know for how long today though. They are out of tanks though.

Speaking of Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, have you walked down that new
"birding trail" yet?

 

[ScubaLuke]

Speaking of Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, have you walked down that new
"birding trail" yet?

I haven't been to that one yet. There are actually a whole bunch of sites for birdwatching that are part of the Alabama Birding trail. Some of are places you can hike others are just spots where you can park your car and watch birds. There are some maps here:
http://www.northalabamabirdingtrail.com/

And a little more info here:
http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/birding-trails/birdingMap.cfm

BTW, Outdoor Alabama is a pretty decent magazine. It rarely has SCUBA related stuff but if has a lot of other interesting things.

Luke

 

[mike_s]

I haven't been to that one yet. There are actually a whole bunch of sites for birdwatching that are part of the Alabama Birding trail. Some of are places you can hike others are just spots where you can park your car and watch birds. There are some maps here:
http://www.northalabamabirdingtrail.com/

Of all the pics of people birdwatching and birds on their brochure,
I got a good laugh that they included a pic of a guy "watching'
for birds with his Shotgun. heh.

 

[mike_s]

Rock Divers has (sorta) "updated" their website on the closing .

from http://www.rockdivers.com/

ROCK DIVERS IS CLOSED

Check back for STORE Closed BARGAINS

 

[ScubaLuke]

Here's a link to A Huntsville Times article on the closing of Rock Divers:
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1126603085287110.xml&coll=1

Luke

 

[mike_s]

Here's a link to A Huntsville Times article on the closing of Rock Divers:
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1126603085287110.xml&coll=1

Luke

Though they are leaving, hopefully the first line of the main story is true.

MADISON - The city is looking for a new tenant for the Madison Aquatic and Recreational Park.

.

 

[octotat]

Hopefully they will find someone, I went out there a few weeks back and had a really good time. I was looking forward to a few fall dives there as well as they claimed the water stayed reasonably warm until November. Plus, there was stuff to look at unlike Loch Low Minn here in Tennessee.

 

[rdharbis1]

Does anyone know what kind of investment it would take to operate the quarry for the City of Madison?

 

[mike_s]

Does anyone know what kind of investment it would take to operate the quarry for the City of Madison?

Figure $20,000 to $30,000 to replace the portable buildings.
Figure $20,000 to $30,000 or more for a new compressor with EAN panel
Figure $20,000 to $30,000 for rental tanks and rental gear.
Figure $5,000 for computers and office equipment and cash registers.
Figure $2,000 to fix the broken dock. Maybe more if a large crane is needed.
Figure $10,000 or more for Misc stuff.

Plus Insurance, employees/salary, electricity, etc.
Insurance for dive operations can't be cheap.

Also bringing the place up to code would be a huge issue.
They don't even have plumbing out there for example.
That parking lot isn't ADA compliant either.

I talked to one of the local dive shop owners about it this morning
and neither of us figured you could re-open it with all new equipment
for under $100k.