More Diving at Aurora RES

[Mpscubatoytech]

Just got back from the res water temp is 47 vis was 8 to 20 feet no fish were seen and some mud bugs were seen thay are starting to move faster now and fighting more with each outher some of them were missing a claw or more

 

[reddiver970]

Was the vis 8 to 20 feet or 8 to 20 inches

 

[syonker]

Hi Gang...

...the vis was 8 to 20 feet.

I was Mpscubatoytech's buddy on this dive. I posted this in the original thread as well...

Well, it's getting warmer down there. The low temp was 48F/8.9C degrees, but the average was around 50F/10C degrees or so at depth. The surface temp was 55F/12.8C degrees.

There were families and groups "wading" at the beach.

Here are a few specific considerations around new rules and current park conditions:

• Build about 30 minutes total add-in time to your trip because they don't know how to issue the SCUBA passes or keys at the gate yet, so you have to go to the main office. I wish they would fix that because it really cuts into our time when we have commitments before and after. Oh well, they'll get around to it.
• They now offer a night-diving permit with one week's advance notice. I haven't tried it yet, but if someone is interested, let me and/or Mpscubatoytech know - I'd like to try it sometime out there.
• If you are boat diving in Aurora Reservoir (which frankly I don't understand because I don't recall them allowing boats in the SCUBA area and I don't recall them allowing SCUBA in the non-SCUBA area, so how does that work?), they require the boat to fly the Aplha flag...that's a new one.
• They want the divers to have a surface buoy per team. We've been skirting that one so far opting to carry along an SMB we can deploy if we need to, but it is listed on the sign.
• There is still a sign at the SCUBA area that says "SCUBA AREA CLOSED FOR THE SEASON". Pay no mind to it because they are obviously willing to take your money for the season now.

Happy Bubbles!



-S

 

[reddiver970]

That is pretty impressive vis for Aurora. Maybe we should have an RMO afternoon and night dive get together sometime. The odds of seeing fish will be much better at night.

 

[syonker]

Hi Red,

Yeah, that sounds like a good time. I'm sure MP and I would be game for something like that.

Also, I noticed your sig-quote from Dave Barry...has Dave written something about diving, because if he has, I *really* would like to read it.

-S

 

[reddiver970]

There is a book called " Down Time, Great Writers on Diving". Dave Barry had written an article for a magazine about him getting OW certified and it is in this book. It's very funny.

 

[syonker]

Thanks for the book tip, Red...I have placed an order for it with Amazon. Can't wait to read it!

-S

 

[blue-tonic]

I am looking at diving at Aurora Res in the early part of July. Do you think the water temp will be higher? I'm from Texas and will be passing through and have that as one of my many dives on the way back to Texas.

 

[syonker]

Hi Blue,

Right now our observations are that the water temp in the local reservoirs is rising about 5 degrees every week and a half to 2 weeks.

Aurora will be *very* diveable temperature-wise in July. I personally have not dived it in July, so don't know if there are algae blooms in Aurora like there are in some of the others...perhaps Mpscubatoytech or someone else can elaborate....?

-S

 

[georoc01]

From what I have seen the last two years, the Algae Bloom at Aurora is very pronounced, taking vis to near zero conditions.