Ohio Quarry reviews: Portage, Gilboa and White Star
We started at Portage. Website needs better directions so call before you go or when you get close. Great drive up access to the quarry. No need to carry your gear anywhere. You can park 10 feet from the edge of the quarry. They have a beautiful camp ground with rafts, slides and volleyball courts. You are free to jump off the edge of the quarry right into the water after diving and have a swim. They were very friendly and the dive shop was very well stocked. The price was great. There was a dive group there from Aqua Hut out of Toledo. They were great. They invited us to their after dive party and fed us, gave us tips on Ohio diving and invited us back.
My negatives about Portage: They don't let you bring in pets, which is a negative with us because we always take our dog camping with us but there was a lady there swimming with her labs 30 feet from where we are diving. I think No Dogs, should mean no dogs. But they should allow them on a leash as a lot of out doors people bring their dogs with them on trips. The bath rooms were absolutely disgusting. The smell hit you 20 feet before you get to them. Also the changing rooms where very dirty and smelly. A quick broom through them to knock down cobwebs and an airfreshener wouldn't hurt. They do have a cool airplane to dive through. This probably was our favorite quarry of the 3.
Gilboa - I have mixed feeling on this quarry. At first the staff who check us in where not very friendly. Later on in the day while filling tanks, one of the staff was very helpful and friendly. I think their parking policy is a rip off. You have to pay to dive which is fine. But if you don't want to have to haul your gear 100 yards you have to pay to park in the back which is $4.00 per person on top of the $15 to dive. So it cost another $32 just to park. I can see them charging by vehicle but by the diver?? come on....We had a non diver with us that didn't have a wetsuit so she couldn't even snorkel. You can swim anywhere in the quarry after you are done diving. We paid the $32 to park, go back by the camp sites and there were no parking spots. They should limit the number of vehicle back there if they are charging. Their porta-Johns were unusable. The smell just walking by them was aweful. Even after paying to park, we still had to walk 30 yards to the steps down to the quarry. A couple of very nice guys let us park on their camp site because there was no parking left.
On the plus side, they have some cool things to dive. A school bus, an airplane, helicopter, boats ect. Great diving with pretty good vis. There were tons of people there...bubble every where but you hardly ran into anyone under water. If you go, buy fish food. It is awesome to get swarmed by the fish. Lots of fun. I would like this quarry better if the parking was not so expensive and better access to the water. Check out Vertical Reality when you are there too! Awesome off gassing activities! Nicely priced too.
White Star - our least favorite. There was nothing to see there. Vis was only about 10 feet if that. The only plus about this quarry is it a little warmer than most and even the thermocline at 25 feet wasn't bad. It was tolerable with a 5mm on. Maybe if we wouldn't have done this quarry last, we wouldn't have been so disappointed. It is cheap. No one to show your card too unless you want your tanks filled. You just drop $10 in a envelope, sign a waver and put it in the tube. No dive shop but they do have a little snack shop there and fill tanks. Parking was close and easily access to the quarry. They just need more things to dive.
We started at Portage. Website needs better directions so call before you go or when you get close. Great drive up access to the quarry. No need to carry your gear anywhere. You can park 10 feet from the edge of the quarry. They have a beautiful camp ground with rafts, slides and volleyball courts. You are free to jump off the edge of the quarry right into the water after diving and have a swim. They were very friendly and the dive shop was very well stocked. The price was great. There was a dive group there from Aqua Hut out of Toledo. They were great. They invited us to their after dive party and fed us, gave us tips on Ohio diving and invited us back.
My negatives about Portage: They don't let you bring in pets, which is a negative with us because we always take our dog camping with us but there was a lady there swimming with her labs 30 feet from where we are diving. I think No Dogs, should mean no dogs. But they should allow them on a leash as a lot of out doors people bring their dogs with them on trips. The bath rooms were absolutely disgusting. The smell hit you 20 feet before you get to them. Also the changing rooms where very dirty and smelly. A quick broom through them to knock down cobwebs and an airfreshener wouldn't hurt. They do have a cool airplane to dive through. This probably was our favorite quarry of the 3.
Gilboa - I have mixed feeling on this quarry. At first the staff who check us in where not very friendly. Later on in the day while filling tanks, one of the staff was very helpful and friendly. I think their parking policy is a rip off. You have to pay to dive which is fine. But if you don't want to have to haul your gear 100 yards you have to pay to park in the back which is $4.00 per person on top of the $15 to dive. So it cost another $32 just to park. I can see them charging by vehicle but by the diver?? come on....We had a non diver with us that didn't have a wetsuit so she couldn't even snorkel. You can swim anywhere in the quarry after you are done diving. We paid the $32 to park, go back by the camp sites and there were no parking spots. They should limit the number of vehicle back there if they are charging. Their porta-Johns were unusable. The smell just walking by them was aweful. Even after paying to park, we still had to walk 30 yards to the steps down to the quarry. A couple of very nice guys let us park on their camp site because there was no parking left.
On the plus side, they have some cool things to dive. A school bus, an airplane, helicopter, boats ect. Great diving with pretty good vis. There were tons of people there...bubble every where but you hardly ran into anyone under water. If you go, buy fish food. It is awesome to get swarmed by the fish. Lots of fun. I would like this quarry better if the parking was not so expensive and better access to the water. Check out Vertical Reality when you are there too! Awesome off gassing activities! Nicely priced too.
White Star - our least favorite. There was nothing to see there. Vis was only about 10 feet if that. The only plus about this quarry is it a little warmer than most and even the thermocline at 25 feet wasn't bad. It was tolerable with a 5mm on. Maybe if we wouldn't have done this quarry last, we wouldn't have been so disappointed. It is cheap. No one to show your card too unless you want your tanks filled. You just drop $10 in a envelope, sign a waver and put it in the tube. No dive shop but they do have a little snack shop there and fill tanks. Parking was close and easily access to the quarry. They just need more things to dive.
