Revision 2/20/2023 4:53 AM

Rappahannock/Fredericksburg Quarry - Fredericksburg VA

This quarry is closed to the general public, but is accessible to scuba divers under very specific conditions.

It is owned by The Confluence Project (TCP) and managed by the Virginia Outdoor Center (VOC; 540-371-5085; info@playva.com), and is used for kayak, canoe, and paddleboard training. Dive shops interested in using the quarry for dive training and student certification must coordinate with the VOC.

You will need to contact, and be approved by, Candy Patten of the VOC and/or John Garman of TCP in order to get a quarry pass if you want to scuba dive there.

They will only allow diving if you are a dive instructor, are part of a government or private dive team, or are an individual with a dive business. You must also have dive insurance.

The road leading to the quarry from the baseball field was widened to allow VDOT/Wagman Heavy Civil, Inc. vehicles to access the area under I-95 in order to construct additional HOV lanes. There are several new policies and requirements in place at the VOC due to the construction which was completed on January 15 2023.
For your diving convenience, The Scuba Shack (540-373-1030), a local dive shop, is located about 2 miles from the quarry. Mad About Diving (540-424-4973) opened its doors in 2018 and is located in downtown Fredericksburg. Patriot Scuba (703-490-1175) is another shop that frequently visits the quarry. There are a couple of others also authorized to use it.

If you would like to scuba dive in the quarry, call the shops mentioned here to find out if they will allow you to tag along for "fun dives." If so, you’ll probably be required to fill out a waiver.

The quarry itself has training platforms, and several submerged objects. See the dive map for a complete list.

Fauna includes bass, bluegill, painted turtles, freshwater jellyfish, freshwater eel, and white catfish.

Visibility varies greatly depending on weather and human traffic, but averages between 10’ to 20’. The thermocline temp stays a steady 41-45 degrees year round.

Horizontally-suspended silt clouds can be observed in most places and give the underwater environment a ghostly appearance.

The quarry walls offer spectacular views.

The landslide of 2021 caused entire trees (roots and all), tons of clay and sediment to cascade into the quarry. The tsunami-type wave that was produced significantly altered the underwater layout, dispersing those materials all along the sloping sides and bottom of the quarry. Combined with the generally poor viz, diving anywhere except the platform and bus areas can be hazardous.

For divers willing to take the challenge, however, these obstacles offer the opportunity of practicing skills like buoyancy control and tight-space maneuvering. Slowly weaving through the natural "obstacle course" helps develop patience and alertness. Make sure to carry a dive tool that has a serrated edge and knife combination in case of entanglement. In that kind of environment, slow is fast!

Though fishing is prohibited, some folks don’t care about the rules and fish anyway. Broken off monofilament lines, hooks, and fishing lures are encountered regularly, so stay alert.

Large stones and huge boulders are scattered throughout. The southeast area has most of the larger ones. They are packed close together, creating cave-like crevices that provide shelter and protection for fish and eels.

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