Quarry Lake Park Diving

[ppo2_diver]

Today, Jim and I dove Quarry Lake Park in Racine, WI. For those of you who have never been there, I thought I would write up something about it.

The facilities there are really nice. There is a lounge with food and drinks, picnic tables, beach area and running water bathrooms. Oh wait, that is when the season is open. Everything was closed for the season already. :(

Now for the dives. This place would be a great place for diving, except for the poor viz. Near the surface, there was between 5 to 10 feet of viz. The deeper we went, the worse it got. Our max depth was 50 feet, the viz dropped to 3 feet. We almost went to touch contact to get out of there. When we were doing our stops, the viz got better to the point we didn't really need the lights. This was around 15 feet.

Overall, the place isn't too bad if you just need a place to get wet and can handle the bad viz. Plus it isn't that far from the Chicago area. We'll try to hit it again a couple more times this winter, assuming there won't be any ice. :)

[do it easy]

Is this also known as Racine quarry?

[mikiedfd]

So you did make it huh - - - Are there fees? What are the hours??? Who actually runs it?

[ppo2_diver]

I'm pretty sure this is also know as Racine Quarry. We didn't do much research. Just found it on one web site and drove up there.

It's open from dawn to dusk, there were no fees. However, there is a $6.50 non-resident fee during the season. It looks to be run by the county park district.

There were a lot of fishermen (there's a stream right next to it). I'm sure they were saying "Would ya look at these crazy SOBs!!!".

[juls64]

One of our instructors went up there with a student this summer. I can't remember the month. Anyway, it was a big green algae bed according to them. Green fuzzies over the entire place. If its the same place aka Racine Quarry. Also, practically NO vis, according to them.

[sobfrogg]

Sounds like Racine Quarry,
In the past this has been a filthy pit. On a few PSD training dives some of the guys stained their Viking drysuits. The stuff never came off.
Normally in the summer the place is filled w/ people, swimmers, and fishermen. The walk to get to the water is long. Any dive I have done there the vis is poor at best. However if you have to get dry whynot.....
That is the Root river behind the lake. Many people fish it for the Salmon in the fall durring the spawn.

[CaptnDale]

There was a time that Racine Quarry was a good place to dive. In the 70's and 80's it was THE place to go in the Chicagoland area for training dives. The water was clear but cold. I did my check out dive there in 1973 and have made many ice dives in the quarry through the years.

Some time in the 90's the quarry started to change. The visibility gradually was reduced as algae and other nasty stuff started to grow out of control. An overabundance of canada geese foul the water and there is a noticeable sulphur smell in some areas. This is not a good place to dive anymore.

[DeepDiverBob]

I did my check out dive there in 1973...



You did your check out dive the year I was born, just thought I'd let you know. :D

[Wkndbum]

Darn kids!

[MgicTwnger]

I did my checkout dive 6 years before him. Man!!