Polish-German Demo Days - Discover the Hunsfels Quarry

We came to Hunsfels quarry because of the first edition of Polish-German Diving Demo Days. The event opens a series of three events, which as DIVERS24 we prepared together with the Taucher.Net magazine.

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Thesecond and third instalments of the series will take place in July and September at Sparmann and Hemmoor quarries. These will certainly be great opportunities to learn about or revisit these wonderful dives. In addition you will see what the exhibitors have prepared for you. It is worth noting at this point that we have managed to gather an international group of manufacturers and representatives of diving brands.

The first edition saw exhibitors from Germany – Aqor, Garmin, Taucher.Net, Nanight and Paralenz, from Poland – Mola Mola Wear, Hi-Max, Seaya and DIVERS24, as well as from the Czech Republic – Divesoft and Malta – Malta Tourism Authority. Despite the very changeable weather the local diving community came out in large numbers. As we are in the middle of the event, it is difficult to summarize, but there are no dissatisfied people. On site there is a relaxed atmosphere well known from similar events in Poland, which always encourages conversations and making new acquaintances.

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A little about the area

The Hunsfels quarry is located in south-west Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, about 85 km from Frankfurt am Main. It is the main dive site in the region and has only been in existence for 2 years. Until recently, the quarry was active and limestone was extracted here. However, in 2010, during the excavation works, workers pierced a water vein and the whole excavation was flooded.

The local diving community decided to take advantage of this situation and started to work towards making the dive site accessible. Eventually they succeeded and the region gained an intimate and very interesting diving location. The site both above and under water looks very good. The rocks surrounding the flooded quarry are quite high, lush with vegetation and inhabited by many species of birds, among others. The beautiful views and sounds of nature create a wonderful composition that allows you to relax before and after diving.

Underwater, on the other hand, is no less interesting. From the car park to the water we have to climb a small hill. Both at the bottom and at the top there are a lot of tables, which make it easier to dress your equipment. However, we can transport heavier items such as bottles down with the help of trolleys. At the very entrance to the water we have prepared a large, stable metal platform with a separate exit and descent. There is also a small jib and ropes with loops, which allow prior immersion of stage cylinders, dpv scooters or cameras. A nice convenience that allows you to dive in comfort and dress all your equipment before you go exploring. Everything is supervised by the dive base staff Hunsfels Tauchen.

Diving in the Hunsfels quarry

The Hunsfels quarry, although not large, certainly requires 2-3 dives to get to know it well. Especially as the maximum depth here is as deep as 54 metres, which is certainly a great asset. Unfortunately, since the water vein, the breakthrough of which led to the creation of this place, is connected to the drinking water resources, it is forbidden to sink various installations that could make the diving even more attractive. Nevertheless, it is still interesting and quite varied.

Just as on the surface, under the water there is no shortage of vegetation and various rock formations. These will certainly make any dive more attractive, especially if you take a camera with you. The visibility under water varies. Up to the depth of about 15 m it is quite decent and conditions do not differ from other places of this type. Unfortunately, the next 10 m is a very poor visibility and a journey through milky suspension, which disappears around 25 m. Below this depth the conditions are perfect and we can fully enjoy the underwater views.

According to what we have been able to establish, we are the first Poles who have reached Hunsfels and dived here. All the more we felt obliged to initially describe this place, which from a diving point of view is very attractive and has a lot to offer. It is certainly the type of location that is missing in Poland. Very decent surface infrastructure and a body of water attractive for divers from OWD level to advanced technical divers. Undoubtedly the disadvantage is the large distance from Poland, but being in the area it is worth making a small stop and giving a dive in Hunsfels.

Malta is a great place for a diving trip. Very diverse in terms of diving sites and level of difficulty. You can read more about diving in Malta in Carollina Wells’ article, which we published in issue 17. DIVERS24 quarterly! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while the printed version can be purchased from our webshop.