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Dive Site Comments > American Quarry - PDRA
Kmart - 5/17/2023 11:45 AM
I went scuba diving here on 5/13/2023. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 61-65°F/16-18°C.
40’ max
64 degrees
GreggS - 8/26/2021 4:02 PM
I went scuba diving here on 8/21/2021. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
Kmart - 11/01/2020 6:21 AM
I went scuba diving here on 10/31/2020. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
GreggS - 8/30/2020 6:29 PM
I went scuba diving here on 8/30/2020. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
GreggS - 8/10/2020 10:45 AM
I went scuba diving here on 8/9/2020. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
Took our 12 year old granddaughter on her first dives following OW certification. She did great. Look forward to many more dives with her.
SuperChuK - 7/30/2020 11:35 AM
GreggS - 6/13/2020 4:22 PM
I went scuba diving here on 6/13/2020. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 76-80°F/24-27°C.
Water was in mid 70’s consistently, even at the bottom of the Pit (63 ft). No thermocline since they installed the new aerator system. It has also done away with the darkness in the Pit and the visibility is much more consistent. The only thing that has reduced the viz at this time is all the rain we’ve had lately.
GreggS - 5/31/2020 5:48 PM
I went scuba diving here on 5/31/2020. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 66-70°F/19-21°C.
ScottPadipro - 1/11/2020 6:11 PM
Rating Added: 3
Nice place. Vis isn’t all that great but not bad for a quarry.
Kmart - 7/28/2019 11:55 AM
I went scuba diving here on 6/23/2019. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 66-70°F/19-21°C.
PDRA Treasure hunt day!
GreggS - 10/28/2018 6:37 PM
I went scuba diving here on 10/28/2018. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
PDRA added a houseboat to the underwater items to dive to around 15 yards past the school bus. Terri and I were the first ones to swim to it after it was put in place. A line has been run from the bus to the boat. Water was cool but still in the low seventies for the most part.
GreggS - 5/20/2018 7:15 PM
I went scuba diving here on 5/20/2018. Average viz: 16-20ft/5-6m. Water temp: 66-70°F/19-21°C.
Water was cool, but tolerable. Visibility was excellent for American. Could see from one end of the school bus to the other, which I’d never been able to do before. But don’t expect it to stay that way for long once more people start diving this season.
GreggS - 9/24/2017 6:56 PM
I went scuba diving here on 9/24/2017. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 76-80°F/24-27°C.
Really nice dives today. Visibility was the best we’ve seen at American in quite a while, sometimes being as much as 10-15 feet. Water temps really nice in upper 70’s.
GreggS - 7/30/2017 7:06 PM
I went scuba diving here on 7/30/2017. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
fletch944t - 6/12/2017 6:53 PM
Rating Added: 2
Visibility was poor at best. Probably about 8 feet. It was my first time diving American Quarry as I had just joined PDRA. It was the day of PDRA’s big annual Treasure Hunt.

The visibility would have been understandable had there already been a bunch of divers in the water. However, other than the quarry manager and one or two other divers who went in with the quarry manager, my dive buddy and I were the next two in the water.

Nonetheless, it a good place to practice your diving skills (especially underwater navigation) and I will go back there again after I try out the other PDRA quarries.
Chris0867 - 6/13/2017 7:59 AM
I’ve actually seen much worse. It was about 15’ by the time I hit the water just after 10am.
GreggS - 6/13/2017 9:25 AM
Actually, the viz Sunday was fairly typical of American. Terri and I have dived there many times and it’s usually about what you saw Sunday. Have actually seen it worse. But it is by far the warmest of the 3 PDRA quarries. So there is a trade off there. Oh, and it was a pleasure meeting you. Glad you came over to say hello.
fletch944t - 6/13/2017 11:35 AM
Hey Greg. Nice to meet you and Terri as well. I wasn’t really expecting good visibility anyway. So, I wasn’t really disappointed. I was pleasantly surprised by the water temperature. I ended up diving the 3mm with no hood and no gloves. Never got cold, even when I slid below the thermocline. What I need to do is go out there when the visibility is REALLY bad. It’ll be good preparation for the Cooper River. LOL.
Chris0867 - 5/03/2017 10:03 AM
I went scuba diving here on 8/30/2015. Average viz: 11-15ft/3-5m. Water temp: 76-80°F/24-27°C.
Completed dives for Dry Suit Specialty Certification. Great dives. Calm and fun.
GreggS - 6/05/2016 11:33 AM
I went scuba diving here on 6/4/2016. Average viz: 11-15ft/3-5m. Water temp: 66-70°F/19-21°C.
GreggS - 9/06/2015 6:16 PM
I went scuba diving here on 9/6/2015. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
GreggS - 8/31/2015 9:00 AM
I went scuba diving here on 8/30/2015. Average viz: Under 5ft/2m. Water temp: 81-85°F/27-29°C.
Water was very warm but very murky. Visibility below 30 ft was near 0 without light, 2 ft with.
GreggS - 7/26/2015 6:34 PM
I went scuba diving here on 7/26/2015. Average viz: 5-10ft/2-3m. Water temp: 76-80°F/24-27°C.
Water was very murky today making extremely poor visibility. Water was very warm, however, even at depth. Had fun playing with bream. They were very much unafraid and would peck at our fingers and masks.