With the closest ocean being over 600 miles away, Blue Meridian Dive Center, nestled just a few miles outside of town on US Highway 81, offers the greater Owensboro area an opportunity to experience the joys of scuba diving seemingly in their own backyard. Blue Meridian is a full service, P.A.D.I., five-star dive center owned and operated by Susie Olliver.
Blue Meridian operates under the slogan, “We love to dive and it shows,” and if you met Olliver, you would certainly agree that is the case. Her passion for diving stems from her grandfather and father, who were both commercial divers for the core of engineers.
“My dad eventually transitioned to scuba and when he got certified — he was excited about it, so he wanted his kids to get certified so he would have buddies,” Olliver said. “I was just doing my open water training to be dad’s buddy, but then I fell in love with it.”
Olliver began diving in her youth but has been actively involved in teaching for 28 years. She spent her first eight years working at the Dolphin Dive Center in Owensboro before opening Blue Meridian at its current location when Dolphin closed. Blue Meridian is approaching its 21st year of operation with Olliver at the helm, offering a wide array of opportunities for divers of all experience levels.
Olliver began her professional career as a computer programmer before entering into her current line of work, a decision she certainly does not regret.
“I kept taking classes and then I got to the point where my next step was to be a dive master, which meant that I could start teaching classes,” Olliver said. “I kept going, and the next thing you know, I was teaching and I loved it!”
The certifications obtained at the center, however, allow divers to explore the depths of the ocean all around the world.
“It’s a unique business to have in Owensboro — a lot of people don’t even know we’re here,” Olliver said. “Its a family oriented sport, we have a lot of things that families can do together.”
Through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (P.A.D.I.), Blue Meridian is able to offer certification cards for people of all ages. The center currently employs two dive instructors in addition to having seven dive masters on staff. Divemasters have obtained some of the highest levels of training in the scuba industry.
Certifications are good for a lifetime but refreshers are strongly encouraged if it has been a while since the last dive. Divers have to be ten years old to be certified and are required to dive with their parents until they turn 15. At age 15, divers can upgrade from a junior card to becoming fully certified with no additional testing.
Blue Meridan utilizes the Y.M.C.A for any training they conduct in Owensboro, but their greatest asset is the Mermet Springs Quarry near Paducah. Mermet Springs offers divers in training, as well as experienced divers, an opportunity to explore some incredible scenes underwater. The plane from the movie, U.S. Marshalls, and a variety of other scenes can be discovered at the Quarry. Blue Meridian also has a pool on site where they offer private diving lessons and other training sessions.
In addition to offering certifications, the dive center offers Dive Travel. Olliver organizes exotic scuba diving vacations for her dedicated clientele on a regular basis. The group is set to travel to Curacao, just off the coast of Venezuela this month where they are set to go on several diving expeditions as well as experience what the destination has to offer on land. While the trips are organized for scuba divers, diving is not a requirement, as many spouses and friends will accompany the groups.
Blue Meridian’s list of services does not end there, however, as they also offer retail, service equipment, provide air re-fills, community outings, and Discover Scuba.
Discover Scuba offers members of the community an opportunity to experience diving free of charge to gauge their interest. Discover Scuba is for people of all ages, but one component of it, referred to as Bubbles, is for youth that want to try the sport. Discover Scuba is available throughout the year upon request.
Blue Meridian is open year round, but their busy season typically runs from May to September, when people are preparing for their upcoming vacations. Training typically concludes near the middle of October. The busy season concludes with an underwater pumpkin carving contest that raises money for local charities.
Olliver loves what she does and finds joy in sharing her passion for scuba diving with the community.
“When I certify someone at 17 and they bring their ten-year-old in here years later, it makes it all worth it,” Olliver said.
