gNats
Guest
Hello everyone,
Just back from a weekend dive at Oronogo Quarry in Oronogo, MO. I flew down to dive with a group of people most associated with the ScubaToys forum. A very small group of locals have started a "dive club" called DDCN (Deep, Dark, Cold, Narc'd). They have an annual dive day each year (okay, this was the 2nd year) on or around March 1 at Oronogo Quarry.
First, let me say if you are considering any diving in that part of the Country, you couldn't meet a nicer group of guys and gals. And, talk about commited to diving. The surface temps were in the 20's, with a wicked wind and snow blowing to almost a whiteout at one point. All in all, there were 28 divers and a few surface spouses. The 28 divers came from several states - I was the farthest flying in, but the divers from Oklahamo and Kansas came as far as 4-5 hours by car. Other MO divers had a several hour car ride ahead of them also.
Only 3 people did not show who were expected, and they were coming from Nebraska.
And, pretty much everyone but the few wetsuit divers managed 2 dives even in these conditions.
Now, the quarry. This is a natural limestone quarry, excavated for years and then abandoned. I don't know all of the details surrounding the quarry, but it is unlike anything I have dove in up here.
The quarry never freezes and the average temp year round is between 45 and 50 degrees surface to bottom. No thermoclines I was told. We dove in 47 degree temps. Unlike Portage and Whitestar, this is a very deep quarry, complete with roads and tunnels. I haven't dove Gilboa extensively, but I do not believe Gilboa has the same depths on average in the "shallow end" as Oronogo does.
The viz was about 3' - 5'. The water is neon green. Not just dark and murky, but almost bright and green, even on the cloudy day I experienced. When I shown my light off to the side away from my dive buddy, all I could see were particles floating, almost suspended. It was an eerie experience and yet fantastic all the same.
Many of the locals talk about the quarry's early bad days. Capt John (the owner) has been cleaning up the site over the past several years and a lot of the divers said there had been some considerable improvements to the landscaping. The quarry was literally abandoned and debris and garbage was left behind to rot. I didn't see any of this evidence on my visit.
Capt John also spoke about his desire to do more to the quarry, including somehow creating a filtration system. I think he was very moved by the number of divers and is now trying to find ways to improve the quarry overall. Over the next several years, this quarry could undergo some remarkable facelifts both on the surface and at depths.
The entry point to the water is down a long (and slightly steep) hill. Needless to say, I found the hill to be the most difficult part of the dive journey.
I know of a small cabin cruiser and a plane in the quarry. I believe there is more, but I didn't catch all of it. I did visit the cruiser. However, I think for most of the divers, the amusement is more the natural lay of the quarry. The caverns and other natural artifacts left behind by the mining.
The entry price was $12.00. Air fills were reasonable at $7 or $8. I did learn from the locals that it is not common to get a full air fill. Most air operators fill under 3000psi, even on high pressure tanks. The way they spoke made me think it was a regional habit.
And, even though the quarry looks to be low-frills, it has certain comforts. There were men and women's restrooms, complete with running water and showers. Capt John had heat going in both restrooms for our comfort. There are some parking lot benches for gearing up and tables at the water entry for additional gearing up and easy removal of gear.
The parking lot is a great big open dirt area allowing us to easily set up trailers, popups, and tents. Grills are permissible.
The quarry was a 15 mile ride from Joplin where we stayed overnight. Joplin had all the necessary amenitities: chain and local restaurants, major hotels, food, gas, and entertainment.
Diving this quarry really prepared me for our Great Lakes. I was able to do a deep dive (100') without a special dive plan and pint of blood <grin>. The viz conditions were probably worse (or comparable) to a bad day on Huron and the water was well, dang cold.
A great time was had by all and I made even more diving friends through the experience. Bonus and Bonus.
Just back from a weekend dive at Oronogo Quarry in Oronogo, MO. I flew down to dive with a group of people most associated with the ScubaToys forum. A very small group of locals have started a "dive club" called DDCN (Deep, Dark, Cold, Narc'd). They have an annual dive day each year (okay, this was the 2nd year) on or around March 1 at Oronogo Quarry.
First, let me say if you are considering any diving in that part of the Country, you couldn't meet a nicer group of guys and gals. And, talk about commited to diving. The surface temps were in the 20's, with a wicked wind and snow blowing to almost a whiteout at one point. All in all, there were 28 divers and a few surface spouses. The 28 divers came from several states - I was the farthest flying in, but the divers from Oklahamo and Kansas came as far as 4-5 hours by car. Other MO divers had a several hour car ride ahead of them also.
Only 3 people did not show who were expected, and they were coming from Nebraska.
And, pretty much everyone but the few wetsuit divers managed 2 dives even in these conditions.
Now, the quarry. This is a natural limestone quarry, excavated for years and then abandoned. I don't know all of the details surrounding the quarry, but it is unlike anything I have dove in up here.
The quarry never freezes and the average temp year round is between 45 and 50 degrees surface to bottom. No thermoclines I was told. We dove in 47 degree temps. Unlike Portage and Whitestar, this is a very deep quarry, complete with roads and tunnels. I haven't dove Gilboa extensively, but I do not believe Gilboa has the same depths on average in the "shallow end" as Oronogo does.
The viz was about 3' - 5'. The water is neon green. Not just dark and murky, but almost bright and green, even on the cloudy day I experienced. When I shown my light off to the side away from my dive buddy, all I could see were particles floating, almost suspended. It was an eerie experience and yet fantastic all the same.
Many of the locals talk about the quarry's early bad days. Capt John (the owner) has been cleaning up the site over the past several years and a lot of the divers said there had been some considerable improvements to the landscaping. The quarry was literally abandoned and debris and garbage was left behind to rot. I didn't see any of this evidence on my visit.
Capt John also spoke about his desire to do more to the quarry, including somehow creating a filtration system. I think he was very moved by the number of divers and is now trying to find ways to improve the quarry overall. Over the next several years, this quarry could undergo some remarkable facelifts both on the surface and at depths.
The entry point to the water is down a long (and slightly steep) hill. Needless to say, I found the hill to be the most difficult part of the dive journey.
I know of a small cabin cruiser and a plane in the quarry. I believe there is more, but I didn't catch all of it. I did visit the cruiser. However, I think for most of the divers, the amusement is more the natural lay of the quarry. The caverns and other natural artifacts left behind by the mining.
The entry price was $12.00. Air fills were reasonable at $7 or $8. I did learn from the locals that it is not common to get a full air fill. Most air operators fill under 3000psi, even on high pressure tanks. The way they spoke made me think it was a regional habit.
And, even though the quarry looks to be low-frills, it has certain comforts. There were men and women's restrooms, complete with running water and showers. Capt John had heat going in both restrooms for our comfort. There are some parking lot benches for gearing up and tables at the water entry for additional gearing up and easy removal of gear.
The parking lot is a great big open dirt area allowing us to easily set up trailers, popups, and tents. Grills are permissible.
The quarry was a 15 mile ride from Joplin where we stayed overnight. Joplin had all the necessary amenitities: chain and local restaurants, major hotels, food, gas, and entertainment.
Diving this quarry really prepared me for our Great Lakes. I was able to do a deep dive (100') without a special dive plan and pint of blood <grin>. The viz conditions were probably worse (or comparable) to a bad day on Huron and the water was well, dang cold.
A great time was had by all and I made even more diving friends through the experience. Bonus and Bonus.
