|
Alabama Blue Water Adventure,
Depths to: 125 feet (38 m) Visibility: Usually more than 25 feet (7.5 m) in the summer, and in the cooler months it ranges from 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m). Water temperature: The surface temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), and the bottom temperature is 52 F (11 C) in the summer, with two or three thermoclines. Aquatic life: bass, sunfish, catfish, brim, bluegill, Japanese coy, carp, rainbow trout, turtles. Fees: $16 per diver per day. On-site amenities: Gear set-up tables with umbrellas, covered picnic tables, decks, platforms and docks, changing rooms, an outdoor hot shower, snacks and drinks, and a dive store. Several lodging options are within a few miles of the site. More info: Call (205) 663-7428, e-mail divealabama@bellsouth.net or visit www.divealabama.com. Open: 9 a.m. to dusk Saturday only from December to February or by appointment; the rest of the year the quarry is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Getting there: From Birmingham, drive south on U.S. 31 to Industrial Park Drive. Turn right to travel west. Continue until you spot Alabama Blue Water Adventure on the left.
|
Wayne
Atchison and his family own "The Pelham Keys," a 26-acre former
limestone quarry in Pelham, Alabama. Variety is not a a problem at the
popular dive site, which carries a fleet of dive attractions. Consider this
underwater inventory: two firetrucks from the 1940s, cars, trucks and boats
ranging from 20 to 70 feet, a 19-foot sailboat with sails up, a school bus,
concrete pipes seven feet in diameter, eight underwater training platforms,
and a surface platform that simulates a boat. Night dives are available on
the first Saturday night of each month or by appointment only, with a
minimum of 10 divers and a notice of two weeks.
