Look down nervously. Count to three. Hurtle into midair. Let a shrill scream escape and plunge into the cold water. This is what most first-time cliff divers experience at The Offsets, an old quarry where people can cliff dive, camp, swim and explore caves, in Farmington.

“I was afraid to jump; I’m afraid of heights and I didn’t want to get my hair wet,” senior Noor Hashash said.

The Offsets started 28 years ago when owner, Gary Henson, decided to buy the quarry that he has been going to since he was a child. The quarry circles a lake and is 60 feet deep and 5 acres wide. The highest point to jump off of is 50 feet from the water, but there are various heights to choose from.

“I like having a place where people can come and have fun and enjoy themselves,” Henson said.

There’s a waiver that has to be signed before entering, but there’s no age requirement. The only restrictions are no flips or head-first diving off of the high cliffs. Wearing water shoes or old tennis shoes is common because hitting the water can be painful. It’s also common to rent a tube and float after jumping off of the cliff since the quarry is so large.

“You have a lot of things to do and it was a neat place to hang out and be with your friends,” senior Bethany Barr said.

Although cliff diving is the main attraction at The Offsets visitors can still choose from a wide variety of activities. Some of these activities include scuba diving in under water caves and zip lining, however, zip lining is currently unavailable.

“I’ve only been to the Offsets once, my friends took me there for the first time this summer and it was pretty cool,” Hashash said.

To make The Offsets better, Henson plans to add vending machines, lockers and shower houses. This will have to wait until next year because the Offsets’s season will be ending Oct. 31.

“It was a really fun place to go and hang out with friends and I hope I’ll be able to go back again next year,” senior Clarissa Sandboothe said.