COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closings are constantly evolving. There is no guarantee that the dive sites mentioned within this article will be open at your time of travel.

Unexpectedly clear water at Blue Springs Resort in Hopkinsville, Kentucky—a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Louisville—provides a training environment to build photography and dive skills independent of weather. Stay in a nearby hotel, or add a little adventure to the experience and camp out with the family.

IF YOU HAVE ONE DAY

Visit as many sites as possible along the pavilion area and down to the shallow-water dive area. Standouts include a 1941 fire truck, one of the first sites created when the quarry opened to diving. Fish congregate in shallow areas but can be found inside cars and trucks. Visibility is generally superior, especially above 80 feet, but heavy rains might stir up the silty bottom. Lines take you between sunken treasures such as rock-crushing equipment and an old television. The small western Kentucky town of Hopkinsville boasts authentic American treats from an old-fashioned ice cream parlor to Amanda’s Cupcake Cafe.

IF YOU HAVE TWO DAYS

Choose a deeper destination along the quarry wall on the far side, where catfish hide. Observe the quarry’s natural landscape and trees at the bottom. Pass the pile of big rocks and the blue boat on the way to the advanced-diving platform. Warm up in the shallow section, where navigational lines run between shallow attractions that range from a vintage motorcycle to a UH-1 Huey helicopter. Snorkeling and freediving are also possible from this area. Afterward, enjoy a glimpse of Southern charm with an adults-only tour of the Casey Jones Distillery, where they’ve been brewing moonshine for generations.

IF YOU HAVE THREE DAYS

Explore the little-seen deep section with a diver propulsion vehicle or as a deep diver to see original components from the quarry, such as the conveyor line and sump-pump hole. This section is the smallest and deepest with the closest proximity to the ledge. Practice taking photographs looking up to create a dramatic effect. Few divers visit the far side near the south ramp, where large trees line the bottom.

More than 37 attractions have been sunk throughout the limestone quarry, providing buoyancy opportunities, photo subjects and interest. Register online so that you can spend more time diving.

Need to Know

When to Go Water is warmest in summer and clearest in winter, although reservations are required for winter diving.

What to Wear Drysuit

Dive Conditions The temperature drops steeply below the thermocline, making drysuits a near necessity in cooler seasons.

Operators Enter the quarry with Pennyroyal Scuba Center.