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+--- Thread: Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? (/showthread.php?tid=703)
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Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - Chris - 05-29-2003
Ok... I need to find some 'local' hot spots. Living in Dodge Center, though closer to work, is not a great location for me to get much diving in unless I want to drive a couple hours every weekend.
If anyone knows of some places I can try down here, please let me know... If you don't know where Dodge Center is, it's just west of Rochester.
Thanks,
Chris
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - LKunze - 05-29-2003
Chris, where does the dive shop in Rochester go for open water dives? Just curious. I lived in Southwestern MN for years and all the lakes down there sucked for diving. Very shallow and extremely dirty. A lot of farm land down there with run off problems. Fish Lake is supposed to be decent but it's time dependent. As the water warms up the viz goes down. Even up here in the metro area viz is going down already. Was out at Square last night and the viz was way down from a couple weeks ago and water temps are rising quickly.
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - Chris - 05-29-2003
Kinda funny, but they go to Wazee... go figure! I'd have better vis diving in a mud puddle in my back yard than most places around here!
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - tcjtn0 - 05-29-2003
I wonder if the DNR data-base would help find you a spot down there. You could also check with Jose (Okoboji) and see if he knows of anything down in your area. He seems to be pretty good at finding places to dive around the southern end of MN.
Jean
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - Chris - 05-29-2003
Yeah, he mentioned a couple places but I accidentally deleted the message and posted this hoping he'd post it here again.
One quarry sounded like it was only 30 minutes from me, that would be sweet!
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - tbrown - 05-30-2003
Well, when you get it post it if you can.
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - tcjtn0 - 05-30-2003
Look in the Past Get Toghers Archive. There is something about Fish Lake/Okoboji and another quary. You probably already seen them , but I just thought....
Thanks...
Jean
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - josejavierlopez256001 - 05-30-2003
There are three "divable" places in this area. Fish Lake is near Waterville (in between Mankato and Faribault). This lake is spring-fed and visibility can be very good as long you avoid heavy-rains-strong-winds periods. The DNR monitors this lake frequently and water quality is excellent. The lake is located in an isolated area far from farming and urban land uses. The only problem of LeSueur's County Fish lake is that is so vulnerable to climatic changes. The lake does not have algae problems, but is small and any minor summer storm can trash the lake. For this reason, you need to monitor weather patterns before diving this place.
South of Albert Lea (12 miles) is Kuennen's Pit. This quarry is 30 feet deep with very interesting rock walls.
30 minutes south of Albert Lea is Big Blue. This pit is 33 feet deep and there is a sail boat and a diving platform.
Please visit these links:
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - Chris - 05-30-2003
Thanks so much bud... I appreciate it! Will be nice to have here for future reference as well.
Re:Southern Minnesota 'Hot Spots'? - eelpout - 07-05-2003
The moderators comment about Wazee puzzles me. Where else would divers do their open water training dives if you live in Rochester. I have lived in the area for 18 years and there has only been one closer body of water that would be safe to do Open water training dives. That was the Osmundson Quarry in Leroy. That Limestone Quarry used to be shut down after May and it would fill up with water. The call for limestone rock is so high they run the quarry all year now.
Square Lake was the training dive location before Lake Wazee came, the drive to Lake Wazee is actually longer and Lake wazee is deeper and more accomodating to divers.
If you have a better place to have Open water training dives where would you suggest it be done. It has to be no more than a 2 hour drive from Rochester and be at least 60' for AOW, and if you are teaching thge Deep Specialty then it has to be 80' or deeper.