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Updated: 2026-09-23 02:51
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What is Haigh Quarry?
Haigh Quarry is a scuba diving site and dive-training facility in Kankakee, Illinois, about an hour south of Chicago. It markets itself as the "Caribbean of the Midwest" — a flooded quarry where you can dive locally instead of traveling to the ocean. The site offers certification classes, specialty and professional-level courses, equipment rentals, and reservations for groups of any size.
What you can actually do there
- Get certified or continue training: Introductory through professional-level classes, plus specialties.
- Fun dives: Pay a daily entry fee per diver and dive the quarry on your own or with a buddy.
- Rent gear: Equipment can be reserved in advance or picked up on arrival.
- Join events: The quarry hosts vendor events and diver-appreciation days, and in October runs underwater pumpkin carving.
- Plan around conditions: The site posts current water temperature and visibility, plus quarry hours, so you can check before a trip.
Who it suits
| Diver type | Why it fits |
|---|---|
| Beginners and certification students | Controlled inland environment, on-site instruction and rentals |
| Local certified divers | Convenient weekend practice without a coastal trip |
| Groups and clubs | Reservations accepted for all group sizes, with gear prepped |
| Traveling divers | Listed among USA Today's "10 Great Places to go Scuba Diving" in the US |
Practical considerations
- It is a quarry, not a tropical reef: expect freshwater temperatures and visibility that change with season and conditions, which is why the site updates temps and visibility regularly.
- You need to complete a liability form; doing it online and printing it at home speeds up entry.
- Hours vary by season — in October, weekends are normal hours and weekdays are by appointment only, with a published closing date.
- There is no parking on quarry property or the road between 11 pm and 5 am.
Your next step: check the current hours and water conditions, then decide whether you need a class, a reservation or just a day pass. If you want to dive elsewhere in the region for comparison, see PADI for course options and DiveSSI for training standards.
What are the current water temperatures and visibility at Haigh Quarry?
Haigh Quarry does not publish a fixed temperature or visibility figure on its homepage; it maintains a dedicated "Temps and Visibility" page that is updated regularly, and that page is the only reliable place to get current numbers. The homepage also notes that in October the site is open weekends as normal and weekdays by appointment, with a closing date of October 30, so late-season conditions change quickly.
How to get the actual readings
- Open the Temps and Visibility page from the site navigation and read the water temperature and visibility entries, which the quarry updates along with local outside temperatures for today and the coming week.
- If the numbers look marginal for your certification level or exposure suit, call the quarry at the phone number listed on the site before you drive out.
- Check Quarry Hours on the same visit, since weekday access in October requires an appointment and conditions reported for a weekend may not reflect a weekday dive.
What to expect and how to plan
Quarry diving in the Midwest typically means cooler water than ocean destinations and visibility that varies with rainfall, diver traffic and depth. Treat the posted visibility as a starting point, not a guarantee: recent rain, algae and silt can reduce it, and it often improves in deeper water away from entry points. Because the site provides rental equipment and takes reservations for groups of all sizes, you can reserve gear in advance and have it ready, which is useful if you are deciding between a wetsuit and a drysuit based on the latest temperature.
For certification courses, specialty training and pricing details, see the classes and pricing pages at Haigh Quarry. If you are planning a regional dive trip and want to compare conditions or training options elsewhere, PADI lists dive centers and certification information, but always confirm local conditions with the quarry itself.
Practical decision rule: if the posted water temperature is below the range your exposure suit is rated for, or visibility is low enough that you would not be comfortable completing your planned skills, postpone or ask staff which areas of the quarry are clearest that day.
How much does it cost to dive at Haigh Quarry?
Diver entry at Haigh Quarry is $30 per diver, per day, according to the quarry's own site. That fee covers your access to the dive site for the day; it is not a class fee, rental fee or reservation deposit. Class pricing is listed separately, so if you are certifying or taking a specialty course, check the Haigh Quarry pricing page rather than assuming the $30 entry covers instruction.
What the $30 does and does not include
| Item | Covered by the $30 entry fee? |
|---|---|
| One day of diving at the quarry | Yes |
| Rental gear (tanks, regulators, exposure suits, etc.) | No — reserved or picked up separately |
| Certification or specialty classes | No — separate class pricing |
| Liability form | No extra cost, but it must be completed |
Practical next step
Before you go, confirm two things on the site: current quarry hours (the homepage notes weekend hours are normal in October, with weekdays by appointment, and a closing date of October 30) and water temperature and visibility, which the site updates regularly. Then complete the online liability form, print it, and bring it with you so you spend less time at the counter and more time in the water.
If you are bringing a group, the site says reservations are taken for all group sizes and rental gear can be staged in advance — useful if you want everyone's kit ready when you arrive.
What scuba diving classes and certifications are offered at Haigh Quarry?
Haigh Quarry lists a class program that covers entry-level through professional-level scuba training, along with specialty courses. According to its site navigation, the class categories are:
- Introduction — a first-try or introductory diving experience for people who are not yet certified.
- Certification — the core entry-level certification path, which is what most new divers need to dive independently.
- Specialties — focused courses that add skills or endorsements beyond the basic certification.
- Professional — training for divers moving toward leadership or instructor-level roles.
- Other — any additional courses that don't fit the categories above.
The site also includes a dedicated pricing page for classes, so costs are handled separately from the course list. For a concrete example: a complete beginner would start with the Introduction or Certification category, while a certified diver who wants to dive deeper, navigate better, or try a new environment would look under Specialties.
Next step: open the Classes section and the Class Pricing page at Haigh Quarry to see the current course schedule, prerequisites, and fees, then contact the quarry directly to confirm dates and whether rental gear is included.
How do I make a reservation for diving or rental equipment at Haigh Quarry?
Reserve through the Haigh Quarry website's Reservations page, or by calling the quarry directly at 815.939.7797. The site states that reservations are accepted for groups of all sizes and that staff will have rental gear ready for you.
What you can reserve
- Diver entry: the posted entry fee is $30 per diver per day.
- Rental equipment: the site says it carries the equipment needed for a safe dive and that you can reserve it in advance or choose it when you arrive.
- Group visits: reservations are taken for any size group.
Steps to follow
- Go to the Reservations section of Haigh Quarry and submit your request, or call 815.939.7797.
- State your date, number of divers, and which rental items you need.
- Complete the online liability form, print it at home, and bring it with you.
- Check Quarry Hours and Temps & Visibility before you travel; the site notes October weekend hours, weekday visits by appointment, and a closing date of Oct 30.
A practical note If you need rental gear sized for several people, reserve ahead rather than deciding on arrival; that is the difference the reservation makes. For a small group arriving on a busy weekend, an advance reservation also reduces time spent at check-in.
What are the rules and regulations for diving at Haigh Quarry?
The rules and regulations page is the authoritative source for diving at Haigh Quarry. The homepage points to it as a standalone resource, alongside the liability form and emergency procedures, which tells you these are the three things to read before you get in the water. Haigh Quarry
What the site tells you
- Rules & Regulations is a separate page in the site navigation, not a section buried in the FAQ. Read it before your first visit.
- Liability form: you can complete it online, print it at home, and bring it in, which the site says gets you into the water faster. Doing this in advance is the single easiest way to avoid a delay at check-in.
- Emergency procedures are published as their own page, so review them along with the rules rather than assuming staff will brief you on everything.
- Entry fee for divers is $30 each per day, per the homepage. Budget for that separately from any rental gear or class costs.
- Quarry hours are posted and updated, and the site notes an October schedule: weekends as normal, weekdays by appointment, with a closing date of October 30. Hours change seasonally, so check the hours page rather than relying on a general reputation for being "open."
- No parking on Haigh Quarry property or the road from 11pm to 5am. If you are arriving early for a dawn dive or staying late, plan where your vehicle goes.
A practical first-visit sequence
- Read the Rules & Regulations page and the Emergency Procedures page.
- Fill out the liability form online and print it.
- Check Quarry Hours and Temps & Visibility, since visibility and temperature affect what exposure protection you need.
- Reserve rental gear in advance if you need it, or plan to pick it out on arrival.
- Bring the printed form and pay the daily diver entry fee.
Decision criteria
If you are certified and just want a local dive, the rules and hours pages plus the liability form are your whole checklist. If you are not yet certified, start with the Classes section instead, since the certification path and the rules for supervised training dives are different from those for independent diving. If you are organizing a group, the site says reservations are accepted for all size groups with rental gear prepared in advance, so reserve rather than arriving unannounced.
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