What's your favorite Missouri Dive Site?

[Atlaua]

Inquiring minds want to know!

[DeepDiverBob]

I havent been to many of the Missouri dive sites, only to a few of them, so I had to go with Table Rock. That might change after this year though. I plan on hitting a lot more of these spots.

[nauifins73]

I choose Beave Lake over Table Rock. Beaver is a little closer as the crow flies and I did my Stress & Rescue at Table Rock. Lots of self inflected Stress on that trip. I do want to see for myself the good vis I have heard about at Table Rock someday.

When you dive Table Rock where do you go?

Oronogo is on the top of my list this Spring as it is close enough for a day dive.

Becky

[Atlaua]

I was the Qual Run choice. I've done some of the others and lakes in surrounding states (which don't count).


I found the vis at Table Rock to be the worst I've ever seen. Bad day? Maybe...

Bonne Terre is a great site but the prices are ridiculous. Quail Run was chosen becasue it is closest to me :D. And small as it is, it's easy diving and you can find good vis, even with classes going on.

James

[DeepDiverBob]

Okay, I have only been to Table Rock once, and that was for my Deep Diver class. The first 35 or 40 foot, I admit the viz was about 10 foot, maybe. But once you got under the thermo, the vis opened up to as far as your light could shine. Maybe I caught it on a really good day.

I agree with your opinion of Bonne Terre, and couldnt disagree with you more about Quail Run. I have been on the platform, and still couldnt see the platform when there are classes going on. If you stay along the wall, you might be able to get 5 to 7 foot vis, at best.

[Atlaua]

I agree with your opinion of Bonne Terre, and couldnt disagree with you more about Quail Run. I have been on the platform, and still couldnt see the platform when there are classes going on. If you stay along the wall, you might be able to get 5 to 7 foot vis, at best.

Oh come on Bob, you've spent more time at QR than I have and never gotten better than 7 feet? :D

Yes, vis around the platforms with students in the water is 3' on a good day, but I've seen 10+ over along the wall with students in the water. And 15+ over on the shallow side.

James

[DeepDiverBob]

I'm sure the vis on the other side of the Island is pretty good, but why in the heck would anyone want to go there?

I stand by my opinion that Rolla is a great place for training and to practice. But thats about it.

[Atlaua]

I stand by my opinion that Rolla is a great place for training and to practice. But thats about it.

Well if they allowed solo diving I'd be down there more often. I love getting under and the proximity is more important to me than the size. Yes, the vis at Table Rock was great below 40', but less to see there than at Rolla, at least at Dewey Short.

I heard from some people at "The Dive Shop" that there is a private quarry near Grant Farm. I missed a plan dive there which drives me up a wall, because I would have had the opportunity to meet the owners. It's one of those places where if you know the right people you can go dive there...:(

I wonder when the quarry in St. Charles (near the Family Arena) will ever close down. There are enough divers in the area we could by the land and turn it into a dive site. That's a pretty deep quarry and would make a fabulous dive site...

James

[Tabasco1955]

Well if they allowed solo diving I'd be down there more often. I love getting under and the proximity is more important to me than the size. Yes, the vis at Table Rock was great below 40', but less to see there than at Rolla, at least at Dewey Short.

I heard from some people at "The Dive Shop" that there is a private quarry near Grant Farm. I missed a plan dive there which drives me up a wall, because I would have had the opportunity to meet the owners. It's one of those places where if you know the right people you can go dive there...:(

I wonder when the quarry in St. Charles (near the Family Arena) will ever close down. There are enough divers in the area we could by the land and turn it into a dive site. That's a pretty deep quarry and would make a fabulous dive site...

James

I've dove Table Rock quite a bit and seen the vis everywhere from very good to terrible, mostly good though except for 2004. Also, (like anywhere) the trick is is to find the good dive locations from the locals for interesting dives, things to see, etc (Dewey Short is not one of them). I had my coolest dive yet at Table Rock this last Summer at Project Aware, me and my buddy were literally surrounded by a school of white bass, they were in a huge school and just kept swimming circles around us like a bait ball, it was incredible!!

As for my favorite dive spot in Missouri, it isn't listed, Bull Shoals would probably be #1 on my list, but I have to agree with Becky on the ones listed and say Beaver even though it is actually in Arkansas. I admittedly haven't been to most of them.

Mike

[Tabasco1955]

As for my favorite dive spot in Missouri, it isn't listed, Bull Shoals would probably be #1 on my list.

Mike

THANKS James!

[Atlaua]

As for my favorite dive spot in Missouri, it isn't listed, Bull Shoals would probably be #1 on my list, but I have to agree with Becky on the ones listed and say Beaver even though it is actually in Arkansas. I admittedly haven't been to most of them.

Mike

Yea, I got that off of ShoreDiving.com for Missouri where they have it incorrectly listed. I wasn't paying attention. Bull Shoals is on the list now. I'd take Beaver off but then Becky would loose her vote :D.

James

[ozarkjim]

In Mo has to be Table Rock. Oronogo is fine for New Year's Day but the vis there has been going downhill too. We end up in Ark at Beaver most of the time and our yearly housboat trip to Bull Shoals is second only to a Carribean trip. You can shoot fish besides carp in Ark. which is a plus.

[scubagod]

You are missing several Missouri dives sites from your list including:

The Offsets / Mine La Montte
Monsanto Lake / St. Joe State Park
Henley Quarry / Jeff City

[theskull]

I voted for Roubidoux Spring, but Table Rock is a very close second. Besides, RBD is only for us cavers and of some interest to Cavern divers.

Table Rock, however, has it all! Only a 3-1/2 hour drive. Excellent dive sites, and more of them than I'll ever have the chance to explore in my lifetime. No entry fee for shore diving. Reasonably priced boat diving. Shallow warm dives in the summer, and deep dives anytime that are not as cold as other local deep dives. Very reasonable hotels and lots of great eating places. Visibility that's nearly always great below the thermocline, and is sometimes quite good above it as well (though not much in recent years). I miss it if I'm not there at least once per month.

theskull