Bonne Terre Mines, Bonne Terre

This location is VERY interesting. The amount of work the miners put into this thing, and then to see it full of water, is just mind boggling. There were, however, several down sides: The water is flat cold. You do get used to it after a while but it certainly saps your energy and the overall enjoyment. This is also not the safest dive I have been on. This IS NOT for the beginner diver and there seemed to be a push by staff to get divers into the water. Buoyancy control is somewhat of a challenge under the circumstances and I saw several divers go waaay too deep. The staff divers were good about going down to bring them back up but this just led to confusion and ultimately an unsafe situation. To top it all off, I understand one of their staff divers died while diving alone very deep several years ago. A big no no at any competency level. This is not to say their staff is bad: Some seemed very professional and others did not - I guess that is true where ever you go. So, overall I would say that if you are an advanced diver and you have a thick wallet, may be worth it to go there to at least see it.

I thought the site was fantastic. Vis was great (but limited to the lighted areas and the extent of your flashlight). The history on this place is fascinating, and, if you pay enough attention, you can really visualize the work it took for this enormous operation while diving. Pros: for beginner to advanced, something for everyone to see; it's completely guided so no worrying about getting lost or pre-planning routes; not diving? No problem, there are other things to do there and in town for the unfortunate non-divers; visibility is spectacular; history is phenomenal; safety is not overlooked (there were safety divers everywhere plus a safety kayak following the tour) most of what we saw was highly photogenic so for those photographers, the lighting proves a very dramatic and incredible scene; and there are many different tours so if you keep going back there, there's much more to see. Cons: for those who don't like guided tours, either get used to it or go to a different site; for those who don't like cold water diving, cowboy up or go back to the Caribbean you sissies; for those who get a little spooked by dark places or somewhat tight places, maybe talk to a DM there ahead of time for your options. Seriously, there's so much to see there, unexploded dynamite sticks still lying in boxes, drills still stuck in the wall, ore carts, etc, just don't forget this is a historic site. Also do NOT forget your dive log if you're wanting to return for more diving. Happy Diving! K

Expensive, but worth going at least once. Vis is over 100 feet. The water is cold so bring a dry suit if you got one. There is one bass that lives near the dock, so check him out. Everyone has an different version of this place, so I decided to check it out for myself. Other than being a little, expensive I give it a big thumbs up and have been back several times. Be prepared for the boring safety video and make sure you understand how the system of numbered trails works. They are broken into sets of 4, and you must do 3 or 4 to move onto the next level (and see the cooler stuff). So if you want to go back without repeating anything, you might want to do the 3 dives a day. Each dive is 60 bucks or so.

I guess this is a shore dive as there is no boat involved, however you have to pay like your boat diving in Hawaii. An abandoned lead mine that filled up with water and is lit up from overhead lights. No life to speak of but an interesting underwater history tour. Water is 56 degrees. Entry is easy from a dock, however it's a nice hike down stairs/trail to the entry point.

I guess this is a shore dive as there is no boat involved, however you have to pay like your boat diving in Hawaii. An abandoned lead mine that filled up with water and is lit up from overhead lights. No life to speak of but an interesting underwater history tour. Water is 56 degrees. Entry is easy from a dock, however it's a nice hike down stairs/trail to the entry point.