Dive Alabama

We had a lot of fun at Dive Alabama. We went over a weekend and the first day was overcast and rainy, and it really cut down on visibility. The second day was a lovely sunshiny day and visibility was seriously ten times better. I would try to stay in the shallower parts if it isn’t sunny.
The quarry is HUGE, and we dove in several different locations within it. My favorite was sticking to the side with the docks. It’s fairly shallow (you won’t go below 50 feet) but you see so much more. There are a lot more things to see and swim around on this side, and by staying out of the very deep water you stay out of the thermocline and its FREEZING COLD, SO COLD YOU WANNA DIE water. Towards the very back corner of the quarry it’s only around ten feet, and we saw and played with several box turtles, which was definitely the highlight. We also swam along the back wall of the quarry, staying at around 40 feet (again… COLD) and saw a lot of fish there too. We dove down around the sailboat, but it’s deep enough that you don’t want to spend a lot of time around it (COLD COLD COLD) plus it’s kind of creepy and you can’t see a whole lot.
This is a good place for all levels of divers to come… Our group had an open water certification class as well as more advanced divers and everyone did fine. The facilities were super nice… They could have used more picnic tables but we had a fairly large group. I really appreciated the concrete parking lot, it made getting into and out of wetsuits so nice, but I wish they had concrete paths around to the back door to the bathrooms, since they (understandably) don’t want wet gear inside their shop… Lots of ouchy sharp rocks so don’t plan to go back there without shoes! The people working were a little surly (make sure the inspection sticker is intact on your tanks or they’ll give you shit for it and possibly not fill your tank) but all in all we had a blast. Highly recommend!

Used to be called Alabama Blue Water Adventures, now it’s just Dive Alabama.
I just got my open water certification and our check out dives were at Dive Alabama, as it’s the closest clear water deep diving you can get to Atlanta.
I have mixed feelings on the business.
On one hand, it’s a great dive site with clear fresh water down to depths of 140 feet, lots of fish (HUGE catfish, brim and bass), some turtles and various underwater objects (cars, firetrucks, boats, tunnels, etc). So there is a lot to do and see here, and the water clarity was a good 30 – 35′ when we were there, and I’m told the visibility is even better in the winter when the algae isn’t in bloom. There were training platforms at 10′ and 15′ which are great for skills, safety stops and buoyancy control. As a facility, it’s really a great place to dive.
My issues come from the staff, who might be the owner, I’m not sure. The middle aged gentleman filling tanks and checking people out was gruff at best, and down right grumpy at others. There was a family who brought their dog to watch their kids get certified, and the nastiness that this man yelled at them and humiliated them in front of every diver there was just unnecessary. I understand having a no dog policy, you don’t want dogs in the water or near the tanks when they are getting filled, but given the website says NOTHING of this no dog policy and there was no way for this family to know prior to leaving Atlanta of this policy, I feel it could have been handled a lot more professionally. That poor dog spent 2 days cooped up in the car while the kids performed their check out dives, and heaven forbid the parents let him out to use the restroom (and pick it up) then came another yelling from Mr. Crankypants. Yelling at customers across the parking lot just seems so unnecessary. But if it’s his business, he can run it how he sees fit. It just makes me hesitant to return, not because it isn’t a nice place to dive, but because it’s managed by a not so nice person. From tank fills to check out over 2 days, there was never a moment where I thought, wow that’s a pleasant person.

If you’re looking to gain some dive experience, Alabama Blue Water Adventures in Pelham, Ala., is a great place to go.
Also known as the Pelham Keys, ABWA is a 26-​plus acre water-​filled, spring fed limestone quarry. The owners have submerged a lot of fun things to explore and train with, including: concrete pipes that you can swim through, a submerged 19-​foot sailboat, a submerged 25-​foot sailboat, two fire trucks, a school bus, and cars. There are also several underwater platforms for training purposes, as well as a surface platform that simulates boat entry into the water.
The diving depths are four to 140 feet, however, we only went as far as 60 feet on our dives.
The water was very clear on the day of our dives and we saw several species of freshwater fish.
A new dive shop was being constructed when I was there. The current shop is well stocked for dive gear purchases or rentals.
The staff was very professional, helpful and friendly. They know they’re business. ABWA also provides training classes in Advanced Open Water, Nitrox and Rescue.
If you’re a beginner and need to gain some experience, or if you just want to brush up on some diving skills, it’s definitely worth it to make the short trip from Atlanta.