Longview Diving?

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Check out Clear Springs Scuba Park in Terrell Tx. Great spot and always lots of divers to buddy up with. Clear Spring Scuba Park is "clearly" different

There is Broken Bow lake to the north, but it's probably 3 or 4 hours form Longview, and there is always Lake Travis in Austin. I have never been to Athens, but have heard almost all bad things about that place.

CSSP usually has viz between 12 to 25 feet. Not bad for an inland body of water. All other spots are usually less than that.

Happy diving!
 
It's hard to know what to say about Athens. It didn't open for most of the summer and it's for sale. CSSP really hurt that place.

Tyler State Park is another place people dive. There are people who know it better than I do.

Tonkawa RV park is a little north of Nacogdoches. I used to swim in the spring there. They advertise diving on the website. It should be fairly clear, but I can guarantee it WILL be cold.

Texas Lake diving is for those who don't mind less than 5 foot vis and just need to blow bubbles for a little while.

ScubaTexasTony and Timeliner have both done some diving in another lake around there, but I can't recall it's name.

Good Luck,

TwoBit
 
ScubaTexasTony and Timeliner have both done some diving in another lake around there, but I can't recall it's name.

(boat required) Brandy Branch, the Perky Power Plant lake, or better yet, less than 2 hours north, is Lake Broken Bow, a bit cool at depths, but nice viz and wall stuctures. Lake of the Pines has about 2-5 ft viz, not too deep though, and Daingerfield State Park is like Tyler, shallow with a very defined thermocline, but vis gets up to about 10 ft at times.

>tony
 
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I'm used to diving in Amistad, Canyon Lake, Medina Lake, and Comal River. From what you all have described it sounds like similar conditions. Thanks for the input.

Oh yea.... You'll love it :rofl3:
 
I grew up diving there with an International SCUBA Diving Hall of Famer (Larry Smith--Divers Supply, Longview&Tyler).

Lake O'the Pines--approx halh hour-45 minutes--former site of the Jim Clark Memorial -- Spearfishing contest in late 60's and 70's hosted by East Texas Aquanauts (defunct). The dam area is good (as in Travis "good"--boat needed. Can also dive Sandy Beach from shore area.

Lake Cherokee--same distance only south side of town. The power plant area is good and warm due to powerplant circulation. Boat needed and private lake.

Tyler State Park--best diving--like a 10-20' vis Spring Lake (Aquarena). My favorite. Larry and I did a lot of open-water checkouts there in late 70's/ealrly 80's when I Divemastered for him at Longview YMCA and Kilgore College.

Lake Ouchita, Arkansas is very good for lake diving and not terribly far. Boat needed and available to rent. And the aforementioned Clear Spring in Terrell, just northof Dallas--126 miles away from Longview.

Not familiar with any shops there curently, sorry... Let me know if I can help further. Longview is a nice place to live. Lots of reasonable land in country, good deer hunting, and fantastic piney woods w huge Pine Trees! Not to mention killer Bass fishing at the two lakes I mentioned.
 
Per scubatexastony and timeliner, sure! Try brandy branch some time. From personal experience, make the drive to Travis, CSSP or Broken Bow. All three locations are well worth the time invested in travel. Everyone should try Athens Scuba Park at least once. I know it's been closed most of this year; but I think it finally opened in August.

Athens is interesting. But, it is not very deep; 22 feet at it's deepest spot. There are a lot of underwater attractions there; it's just not deep. Go figure.
 
Athen is a great place to dive. I have helped and participated in many of the wreck sinkings at the park such as the Dart Bus and the Jet. Even though it is not that deep it still is a great place to work on your gear configuration and buoyancy. It has been closed this past summer because of visibility problems but the visibility problems finally cleared up at the end of the season. The owner is concerned about people coming out and enjoy diving there. The owner and his family has always made me feel welcomed when I am there. I prefer it over Clear Springs.



Check out Clear Springs Scuba Park in Terrell Tx. Great spot and always lots of divers to buddy up with. Clear Spring Scuba Park is "clearly" different

There is Broken Bow lake to the north, but it's probably 3 or 4 hours form Longview, and there is always Lake Travis in Austin. I have never been to Athens, but have heard almost all bad things about that place.

CSSP usually has viz between 12 to 25 feet. Not bad for an inland body of water. All other spots are usually less than that.

Happy diving!
 
There are a couple of places we take our our students for their open water dives in Texas. Terrell Texas is our usual spot. The water is usually very clear and it is the only place that we can do a deep dive, and for us, it is right off of I-20, and since we come from Bossier City, LA it makes it easy access for us. We use Athen's as well, and both have different wrecks, platforms to put students on. Athens also offers a walk out type of shore diving. There is also a missile silo you can dive. I have never been to it, but they say it is great. As for Brandy Branch, my first experience there will be on 30 April and May 1. Once I get back, I will write what my impressions are.
 
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