Bonne Terre Mine Dive Shop - Bonne Terre, Missouri

Todd B.

Fun experience for the family. Kids enjoyed it.. Especially the boat ride! Definitely something a bit different to do during the hot summer months. Very safe and accessible. The staff was friendly and gave a nice tour. Definitely worth the price of admission for a unique experience.

Anna L.

Loved my time at Bonne Terre Mines! I would love to go back and complete more of the trails! Definitely checked this off my bucket list! I gave it only four stars because the locker room showers and bathrooms were inoperable with no running water, and some of the nitrox tank checks were chaotic with guides not able to find the gauge or unsure how to operate it. Made for a bit of a chaotic start to the dive. Otherwise everything else was great! Will be back knowing these things now.

Josh L.

Bonne Terre Mine is an absolute must! There is simply nothing else quite like it as far as a dive experience. This was my fourth annual trip, and already looking forward to next year. I have dove trails 1-19. Always amazing dives. The guides are extremely professional and friendly. They genuinely care about showing the mine, you having a great time and also keeping you safe. Great dives with Matt again this year. We also did the walk through and boat tour this year and it was great too! Levi was great and very knowledgeable about the mine during our walking and boating excursion. Come see the Mine!

Bill P.

Great dive site. This was one of my bucket list dive’s and everything worked out to be in this part of the country to dive. Well managed program and site with an amazing and unique environment! Gavin , Matt and Mohammed were amazing and were very attentive to each diver in the group and made a technical dive site and challenging environment feel like a walk in the park!

Richard Z.

Great diving experience. Dive Masters were extremely helpful. Group dives were well organized and very safe. Owner was very helpful with parking for my vehicle and trailer. Will be back to do more dives/trails.

Bradley C.

I strongly advise potential divers to carefully consider this review before booking a dive with Bonne Terre Mine Scuba Diving, as there are grave safety concerns regarding the leadership and management of this diving team:

Initial Camera Issue: Upon our arrival, we faced troubling inconsistencies regarding the use of cameras. Despite the waiver allowing camera use after the first dive, one instructor initially prohibited them, only for another to later allow them post-first dive. Although there may be a rationale for this delay to assess group competence, such conflicting instructions resulted in unnecessary confusion and potential risks.

Weight Calculation Discrepancy: There was a significant discrepancy in the instructions provided for weight calculation. One instructor advised a formula of 10% of the diver’s weight plus an additional 6 pounds, while another offered conflicting advice. These inconsistencies could have severe safety implications if divers are improperly weighted.

Group Management Issues:
The most alarming aspect was the inadequate management of the group, especially when safety is at stake. During skills practice (mask removal and air sharing), my 12-year-old son struggled with equalization. Despite being his buddy, no instructors noticed our predicament or provided assistance. It was only after I managed to attract an instructor's attention that I was told to continue the dive, with a promise that my son would receive help. Unfortunately, "help" meant escorting him back to the dock, leaving him alone and distressed, unable to complete the dive safely. Consequently, I also did not complete the safety skill.

Visibility and Safety Concerns:
As echoed in Chris Thompson’s review, only instructors had torches, forcing divers to cluster together to maintain visibility. This lack of visibility heightened the sense of vulnerability and uncertainty about our environment and safety.

End of Dive Chaos:
The dive concluded with a series of dangerous mishaps. One instructor randomly sent divers up due to low air, while the surface instructor shouted contradicting directions, causing confusion and chaos. As the group attempted to regroup, it was discovered that a diver's brother was missing. Alarmingly, the instructors had failed to keep an accurate count of the divers, only realizing the oversight after re-checking. This led to a frantic and belated attempt to retrieve the missing diver.

Personal Disappointment:
I am profoundly disappointed in the instructors’ failure to address my son’s equalization difficulties, opting instead to send him to the dock where he remained anxious. This was meant to be a memorable experience for us, turned into a distressing ordeal.

Several groups, including ours, chose to leave after the first of three planned dives. While the mine itself is fascinating, both the facilities above ground and underwater demand considerable improvements. I have lost confidence in the instructors’ ability to manage emergencies or ensure the safety of divers, particularly concerning my son’s well-being.

Timothy M.

As an experienced technical diver, I went with low expectations, expecting more tourist trap than decent dive experience. However, I was very impressed with the dives! The guides and safety divers take their responsibilities very seriously, and do a good job of making a difficult environment safe for open water divers.

If you only go on the first three dives, you really don’t experience the mine. Make a full weekend of it: the three or four trails on the second day really embrace the mine environment. You get to go down some tunnels, into some chambers and through a few narrow bits.

For recreational divers, this is an amazing opportunity to dive what would normally be an advanced technical environment. For technical divers, there is still enough challenge to be enjoyable. For me, this was especially fun because I could introduce several of my recreational buddies to why I enjoy cave diving! 🙂

I will write a much more detailed review on ScubaBoard. Search for Bonne Terre tmassey and you will find it. But in short, it’s worth the effort for recreational and technical divers alike.

Weber’s W.

This place was very neat. I plan on returning and seeing what all else the trails have to see. Water is a cool 59 degrees. Seven mil wetsuit or better is a must if you plan on diving comfortably. The only downfall is the hot showers were out of order when we were there. Take only what you need because the walk will warm you back up if you are carrying too much. Thank you guys for all the amazing memories!!!!