Scuba Diving at the Kahnawake Quarry Near Montreal

The Kahnawake Quarry is also known as the Bedard Quarry. It is a mere 9.8km (6 miles) from the Total Diving Montreal dive center in NDG, Montreal.

Please note that the dive site we use is a private site and it is only opened to Total Diving for our certification dives and some organized dive days. The quarry is located inside the Mohawk Community of Kahnawake. We are guests. Please adopt a respectful behavior.

You are regularly welcome to the quarry as "sport divers".
Simply check our schedule of dive adventures and book online.

What's underwater?

We are quite privileged to have access to a dive site so close to Montreal. But it's more than just a dive site that is "so close"... It's also one of the best dive sites in Eastern Canada!

It offers great diving all year round.

The visibility is quite good for a fresh water Canadian dive site. It varies from 30 to 80 feet (10 to 25 meters) - much better than in the St. Lawrence River.

The quarry is fed by fresh water sources. So, of course, it never gets as warm as what you would encounter in the Bahamas! There are 2 thermoclines. During the Summer months, the first one is typically around 30 feet (9 meters). You should plan to dive with a 7mm 2-piece wetsuit with hood and gloves.

Click on this image of the map to get a printable (Adobe Reader) full page version of the scuba diving map of the Kahnawake Quarry.

Motor boats are not allowed on this body of water covering about 1.5 square kilometers (370 acres). But we don't need one! Close to our dock, we have access to areas well suited for the PADI Open Water diver course, PADI Advanced Open Water diver course and all PADI specialties to the exception of drift diving! We use it also for our technical diving training and practice sessions since we can reach depth below 130 feet (40 meters).

There are areas with silt and other areas with a rock bottom. Because it used to be a quarry, it also has many cliffs to practice wall diving.

Already, there are a few interesting sites to visit, including a small boat wreck, and we will be setting up more underwater dive sites during these coming months. You will also encounter some marine life including pike, tilefish and perch. You can also see turtles and even a good Canadian beaver!

Check out some historical information about this quarry if you want, and let's meet underwater!

What is available at that dive site?

We built a U-shape dock to accommodate big groups of divers. It has an exit platform, in the middle of the U, to help you get out at the end of your dive.

For certification courses, we have an amazing underwater platform at 27 feet (8 meters), right next to an area of 50 feet (15 meters). There's also a network of obstacles to practice your underwater buoyancy. It's the dream dive site of all dive instructors!

On land, before your dive, you'll find stations to setup your dive gear as if you were on a dive boat! It's good practice ;)

There's a dive shack for you to be able to change in a dry room if it's a rainy day.

There's a depanneur and a snack bar on location. You’ll find hot and cold sandwiches, soup, good coffee and the like.

The owner of the depanneur & snack bar, Ms. Alex Rice, is welcoming us to use her bathrooms until we finish building our own. However, please be mindful of not covering her floors with too much mud and water!

How do I get to this dive site?

In short, simply follow the 138 from our dive store to our dive site! Both our dive center in NDG and our dive site in Kahnawake are located on road 138. It can’t be easier than that now, can it?

This route will bring you South on Mercier Bridge. Shortly after, you’ll see a dive flag and an arrow. Follow the arrow!

For more details, click on “View Larger Map” below the Google map and follow the driving directions from our dive center. If you want driving directions from another point of origin, simply type it in!

Scuba Adventures - SCUBA DIVING AROUND MONTREAL