[Repost: Color Corrected / Most Commentary Removed]
This was one of a couple weekly Fun Dives run by Sea Level Diving at the Three Oaks Recreational Area in Crystal Lake, IL. You register with Sea Level Diving, they take 6 to 10 people out and provide the logistics. Usually you just buddy up and go diving, but today we had 1 instructor and an assistant instructor with us acting as DMs. Both I have been instructed by and dove with before.
Three Oaks Recreational Area is an old shallow quarry turned into a water park run by the city that has a section built out and roped off for scuba divers. The depth of the quarry maxes out at ~43ft and the scuba area has a dock, couple platforms, some buoyancy rings, some sunken boats and other odds and ends. On this day the water temp was 61F at depth with a noticeable thermocline at ~25 ft. The visibility is never fantastic, but this day was probably average. I was wearing a 7mm wetsuit and was warm a toasty the entire dive.
This is my 21st dive and most of us on these dives are not professional or significantly experienced divers. It's a great and safe place to learn with friendly people and open to divers without a buddy.
