As Published in 'The Paducah Sun" newspaper August 5, 2002 by Molly Harper, Page 1A

Mermet Springs has clear reputation for fun

Underwater visit: An unidentified diver maneuvers through the entry of the sunken Boeing 727 featured in the film 'U.S. Marshals.' Mermet Springs draws divers from throughout the United States and Canada every summer weekend.

Scuba divers go inland in Massac

Training, fish,
sunken attractions and even a cleaning service attract people nationwide to the quarry.

 " You wont find this anywhere else. ... They're constantly improving things here, just for the divers' ease and convenience." -- Steve Smith America" section of August's Dive Training magazine, Mermet attracts from 100 to 200 divers from throughout North America on a summer weekend.
  "You don't find this sort of quality or professionalism at
most dive sites," said instructor Bob Arisman of St. Louis, who recently brought several students from the Florissant Community College Diving Club to train on the site's fiberglass training platforms. "This is the clearest water in the Midwest. As far as inland diving goes, this is some of the best around." The
platforms, at various depths up to 85 feet, allow divers to touch

By Molly Harper
The Paducah Sun

MERMET, ILL.
 While scuba diving may call to mind exotic seaside locales, Mermet Springs operator Glen
Faith is determined to give divers a first-class underwater
experience just a few miles from home.
 "When I came to the quarry, all I could see was potential," Faith said of opening the		 spring-fed former limestone quarry to fellow divers in 1995.
Faith has dived since 1987 and has been an instructor for 10 years.
 "At some sites, you have people collecting money, and after that you're pretty much on your own. I really wanted to develop this into a complete diving experience, including everything a diver could want or need, right here."
  Located just off U.S. 45 in Massac County, the more than eight 		acres of water features a sunken phone booth, school bus, tractor-trailer, an underwater petting zoo filled with concrete lawn animals and the plane featured in the film "U.S. Marshals."
  The quarry is stocked with bluegill, sturgeon, albino catfish, and is one of a few dive sites in the country where paddlefish or spoonbill flourish. Recently rated the top dive site in Illinois by Skin Diver magazine and in the "Sites Across
Please see DIVERS / 12A
Page 12A
From fame to fathoms: The Boeing 727 featured in the film 'U.S. Marshals' was lowered into Mermet Springs in March 1998. The plane is one of many attractions, including a school bus, phone booth, tractor-trailer rig and a lawn animal petting zoo, underwater for scuba divers' amusement.
Divers have inland fun in Massac

Continued from page 1A above

down without stirring sediment on the quarry bottom and clouding the water. Mermet's visibility ranges from 10 to 50 feet.
  Faith said Mermet's uncom- monly clear water can be attributed to the surrounding limestone and a drainage system designed to protect the water
from runoff. Mermet employees can also be found underwater with pool brushes, clearing silt away.
  "That's how seriously we take this," Faith said. Mermet features amenities not available at most sites, including campgrounds, covered pavilions, shower houses, concessions, equipment
rental and sales facilities and maintenance stations. An on-site classroom allows instruction from the beginner's level to instructor training.
  "You won't find this anywhere else," said master diver

Steve Smith of Herrin. "It's great just to be able to get out of the sun, to get your equipment out of the rain. They're constantly im- proving things here, just for the divers' ease and convenience." For Faith's staff of volunteers and instructors, who remember when the quarry was a litter-strewn hole in the ground, watching the operation grow is gratifying. "We used to get 25 divers on a weekend, and I told Glen
that one day we'd
see 500 here," said Metropolis resident Patrick Dresser, one of Faith's first instructors. "To see everything take off the way it has is really neat." Ron Dunning of Golconda recently earned his open water diving certification through Mermet. A former lifeguard indulging his love of aquatics, Dunning said he was surprised to hear about the facility after living near it for nearly 10 years.
  "I've always been interested in

 the water," he said. "I don't remember when I learned to swim; I always just did. I guess it's because I'm a Pisces. I've tried snorkeling, but this is an entirely different experience. You
can actually stay down there and take a good look at things."  Dunning admitted that the learning process is complicated. "There are so many things you
have to remember," he said. "You could mess up pretty easily. That's not scary, it's just not something for someone who
doesn't take it seriously. This is not a drinking sport."
 A late starter, retiree Jim Bumpous of La Center recently completed the certification course with his son, David, and David's wife, Shannon, of Paducah. "This is just something else I had to do," he said. "This is something I've always wanted to try. My wife says it's another hobby I don't need, but I'm having a great time."

 David Bumpous, an environ-mental health and safety
engineer, said he was impressed by the precautions taken for the divers' protection. "If you do
something wrong, you do it over and over and over again until you
get it right," he said. "There are so many sites out there that say,
'Well, you showed up for class. Here's your certification card.' They do a great job of making sure we don't get hurt. With my wife and my dad involved,
that was very important to me." After seven years of seven-day workweeks and constant improvements, he still enjoys his hobby-turned-lifestyle. "I love what I do," he said. "I get to share what I love with people every day. It's bigger than I ever imagined it would be."



For more information, see www.mermetsprings.com or call 618-527-DIVE.