O-H-I-O. Yes, Ohio. When I told the woman at the rental car agency in Dayton that I was visiting to scuba dive, she paused, laughed and said that was a first for her. Scuba diving. In Ohio. But there I was. Jumping in a car to drive to the famous cold water destination of Gilboa Quarry. And I have to admit, I had a blast. Strictly drysuit country, the quarry really kinda blew me away. I loved swimming around and through an old Grumman Aircraft they've sunk. The Schoolbus was covered with dozens of robust trout. Next to the Grumman, there¹s an old helicopter, several boats and in the sand, giant catfish. And, with each subsequent dive, I noticed more and more. Such as a skull in the cockpit of the Grumman, a gnome (complete with snorkel) "flying" the chopper and an underwater Christmas tree. There's even a motorcycle you can ride. And, although I didn¹t see one, the quarry is famous for its big paddlefish, up to 7 feet long.

I went during a DUI drysuit DEMO weekend and that¹s the way to get a taste of this part of the world and this kind of diving. The staff and local divemasters were incredibly generous with their time and wit. And everyone that came during the weekend we're definitely living the dive life.

Check out www.divegilboa.com

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