Diving Heber Springs Arkansas

[TheRedHead]

Hi Y'all:

My OW class is doing our checkout dives there and I'm inclined to pass and drive to FL. Has anyone dove there recently? I heard the viz can be really poor.

Thanks!
Susan in Memphis

 

[maggs_the]

Hi Y'all:

My OW class is doing our checkout dives there and I'm inclined to pass and drive to FL. Has anyone dove there recently? I heard the viz can be really poor.

Thanks!
Susan in Memphis

The Memphis Dive Shop goes to Heber every other weekend and they are usually a really fun group to be with. They take the training seriously, but they make it fun for the students. The viz is nothing compared to the Keys, but they won't put you out there where you can't see too bad. After all, they have to be able to see you do your underwater skills. If you go with the Dive Shop, you'll have multiple instructors watching out for you. True, there's not much to see, but even with lim viz (not my fav thing), you can see a few things that spark the adreniline. I've been in the Keys and I've been in Heber. Both are experiences I'm glad I have. Just a suggestion, but I'd do my OW at Heber and save the Keys for exploring the reefs and wrecks. Or, see when they're heading to a quarry for your OW check out dives. Pelham, Alabama is where I did mine and viz was better than Heber plus NO BOAT TRAFFIC to worry about.

 

[TheRedHead]

Hello Maggs:

I ended up doing my open water at the quarry in Madison AL. I did my training at the Dive Shop and they were ok. I did my checkeouts with Earl at Rockdivers and he was a lot more fun and taught me some things I didn't learn during OW class. I didn't want to go to Heber as I have been to that area several times and didn't like it. Too many boats, bad motels (I got chiggers in a Best Western near Cherokee Village).

Why doesn't anyone dive in North Mississippi in your neck of the woods? You've got all those big Oxbow lakes around. Everyone goes to Arkansas and no one goes to Mississippi.

I'm going to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan next month and I want to get in as much practice as I can before the trip. I'd like to be able to drive less than 2-1/2 hours to dive. But I can't find anywhere. Someone ought to make a scuba park near Memphis.


Susan

 

[maggs_the]

Hello Maggs:

I ended up doing my open water at the quarry in Madison AL. I did my training at the Dive Shop and they were ok. I did my checkeouts with Earl at Rockdivers and he was a lot more fun and taught me some things I didn't learn during OW class. I didn't want to go to Heber as I have been to that area several times and didn't like it. Too many boats, bad motels (I got chiggers in a Best Western near Cherokee Village).

Why doesn't anyone dive in North Mississippi in your neck of the woods? You've got all those big Oxbow lakes around. Everyone goes to Arkansas and no one goes to Mississippi.

I'm going to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan next month and I want to get in as much practice as I can before the trip. I'd like to be able to drive less than 2-1/2 hours to dive. But I can't find anywhere. Someone ought to make a scuba park near Memphis.


Susan

here here!! i think Heber is supposed to be fairly decent viz because it's a rock-lake but my experience there was not good. i like the people at the Dive Shop, but you're right, i've learned more outside than i did in there. i CERTAINLY did not like all the boat traffic on Greers Ferry, especially seeing how the other boaters responded (or did not respond) to our scuba flags. but, i still like the group of people.

my buddy and i are going to Pelham, AL in October and did a quickie trip to Lebanon, TN a couple of weeks ago. both rock quarries. i think that is the thing. if we can find ourselves a rock quarry here close, maybe we can make our OWN scuba park? but yeah, it's hard to have a habit like scuba and no place to scratch the itch. that's probably why i've spent all the time and money i have on the extra classes.. so i'd have opportunity to get in the water.

sounds like you're going to have quite a trip. i was trying to go to Roaton but it fell thru so doing Hawaii in Nov instead. hope to hit the Bahamas next March. a guy i've been chatting with thru this board is on Maui and he says he tries to dive every week. but he says his problem is, his dive buddies keep bailing on him. that just blows me away, but i guess if it's that accessible, it's not as thrilling as it is for me and you.

glad you got to Madison instead of Heber. sounds like you got more out of it and i know you saw more! hope your upcoming trip goes great!

 

[maggs_the]

I'm going to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan next month and I want to get in as much practice as I can before the trip. I'd like to be able to drive less than 2-1/2 hours to dive. But I can't find anywhere. Someone ought to make a scuba park near Memphis.


Susan

by the way, me and my dive buddies are going to Pelham, Alabama the weekend of Oct 23 if that will still be before your trip and allow you some practice.

 

[wrin5]

I would just like to say here even though this is an old post but new comers like me doing a general net search...well it pops up and I have to defend Heber Springs here. I live in Heber and I have to say the diving here is wonderful. Scott McCroroy from the Dive Shop II in Little Rock was and is my instructor. He is awesome....First of all these folks are great. I called them on the phone and explained that I had started certification years ago but do to my dad having cancer I had to give it up well I told them dad was gone now and I wanted to dive but I had another problem I am a teacher and a foster parent and could not find the time to drive back and forth to little rock for the classes. Scott fixed that problem right away and had me take the ssi course online and that took three days of honest work and then he met me at the greers ferry lake and and on three separate trips got me certified. I had the time of my life the water here is crystal clear and the trick is to Not Dive on Holidays and Weekends. You will not have issues with boaters then. I just recently spent a week in pensacola and did lots of diving there and yes it was great but I sure missed those calm waters of my lake. The dive shop to has done a lot with our lake to make for better diving experiences. You should see the memorial that they put down that you can dive to and hang out with and read while taking those glorious breaths under water and the fossils set into the rocks are awesome. We have three species of fresh water jelly fish here and some enormous fish to play with if your into that which i am. The dive shop II also offers a nifty dive club for less than 100.00 a year you can meat them at the Heber Springs marina and jump on the dive boat 3-4 times a week and do all the diving you want. Scott is a great tour guide and teacher. I don't know about the shop in Memphis but you can not beat the diving in Heber it is to smooth and the visibility is great. I for one found some of these comments to be a bit bias for new comes to happen across and read. I feel very fortunate to have come across Scott at Dive shop II and to certify right here on my home lake and the thing is they don't just certify and dump you they stick with you and become your friend and life long dive budies and to me you can't beat that with a stick. Dive Arkansas, Dive Greers Ferry its the best in my opinion.

Hi Y'all:

My OW class is doing our checkout dives there and I'm inclined to pass and drive to FL. Has anyone dove there recently? I heard the viz can be really poor.

Thanks!
Susan in Memphis