Addicted2H2O
Contributor
I've been curious about Ray Roberts actually, but as much as I've searched can't find any dive videos of it, either. So if you have any to share, please by all means throw them up!Ray Roberts clarity is more like Lake Travis. Lake Lewisville is really bad.
Do you think Athens is nicer than Scuba Ranch?
I've been to Athens once and honestly I can't give good feedback one way of the other because it just wasn't a good day for me. It was August and pretty hot out that morning. And I got there sometime around 10:00-10:30. Got all my gear on the dock and got all kitted up ready to dive when I discovered I'd lost my truck keys. Spent about 30 minutes retracing my steps looking everywhere for them and to no avail. Finally I decided the only other possibility I could think of was that they must've fallen between the boards in the dock and were laying on the bottom underneath. So I donned my gear and hopped in the water. Searched for about 5 minutes and sure enough found them on the bottom in about 8 ft of water under the dock. Grabbed and set them on the dock to dry (keyless remote and all) and finally made my dive. But by that time I was already sweltering hot and the water wasn't exactly very cool. I lasted about 20 minutes underwater before I started feeling nauseous due to heat. I did set down on one of the "platforms" and switched from my ffm to a conventional mask and reg. I left my mask off for a couple minutes and was "fanning" water in my face trying to cool off but it didn't help much. So after getting a mask back on I lasted maybe another 5-10 minutes and called the dive. At that point I was too hot to make another dive that day and was very discouraged so we packed it in and went home. I actually still have a rain check for admission there for a day of diving but haven't taken an opportunity to go back. Water clarity compared to Scuba Ranch....it's more blue, but I wouldn't say it's any clearer. And of course the red mud on the bottom doesn't help. Of the two I prefer Scuba Ranch because the training platforms are much nicer and it seems to be a bigger dive area. And a little less primitive as far as facilities, etc. And the new owner is doing a lot to make it more of a family park for more than just diving. And although sometimes the visibility isn't great, it's a great place to learn/practice navigation.
Usually if I want to dive "blue" water without going to the Caribbean, I'll drive down to Huntsville and spend a day at Blue Lagoon. It's about like Athens but visibility tends to be maybe a little better, especially before noon when all the swimmers get there. Actually that's where the picture in my avatar was taken. And it's not bad for night dives, either! If you don't mind dodging bats on the surface!