Moving to Dallas! In a year. Any diving?

[krame]

Hey all,

I'm going to be moving to Dallas next July from Rhode Island, and I'm praying there is diving to be had. A quick google map search shows there are some bodies of water around, as well as dive shops.

Can anyone confirm or deny that there is local diving in the Dallas area?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[jimbeeler]

Hey all,

I'm going to be moving to Dallas next July from Rhode Island, and I'm praying there is diving to be had. A quick google map search shows there are some bodies of water around, as well as dive shops.

Can anyone confirm or deny that there is local diving in the Dallas area?

Thanks,

Mark

Well...... Kinda sorta... the closest to Dallas is Clear Springs Scuba Park in Terrell. Most often the Viz is pretty poor. I've seen the Viz at 15 feet and I've seen it where I swam into a wall. It's a place to get wet and test your navigation skills, but that's about it. Lots of training goes on there during the summer. I go there probably 5-10 times a year, just to get some water time in. There are a few others in the area, one in East Texas, and more south towards Huntsville and Houston. Then there's Lake Murray in Oklahoma, not too far a drive.

There are lots of lakes here but the viz is very poor in my experience.

Now the good things.... You're close to DFW airport and you can fly to the Caribbean fairly cheaply. You can go to Galveston and catch a charter to the Flower Banks in the gulf or find someone down there with a boat and you can dive the oil rigs.

There may be other options in the Dallas area but that's all that comes to mind right off.

Jim

 

[krame]

Thanks. I was in part debating on buying some new gear, but it doesn't sound like it'll be getting as much use.

It's good to know there are at least opportunities.

 

[jimbeeler]

Hopefully others will chime in about dive opportunities. I know there are those that dive in Possum Kingdom a couple of hours to the west and 20 years ago there was diving at Lake Whitney a couple of hours to the South West of Dallas. There's also Valahalla missile silo to the west and Balmorhea State park with an awesome fresh water, gin clear lake a half day to so to the west.

There are opportunities but most require a bit of driving (Texas is large in case you haven't heard).

Jim

 

[grantwiscour]

Like already posted, it's Texas and not South Florida...good and bad to that.

We have a handful of fairly close places to dive from DFW. Last week, my wife and I spent the day at Athens Scuba Park. They have a good array of sunken vehicles, etc. to see. Viz isn't great and not much depth but much better than sitting on the couch. Clear Springs in Terrell is another scuba park nearby.

We also go down to New Braunfels/San Marcos area and dive the Comal River and Canyon Lake. Too far for a day trip but a fun weekend. The Comal is @ seventy two degrees year round with clear viz since it is a spring fed river. Shallow diving on the Comal but again fun.

I have some friends that dive at Lake Murray in OK regularly and enjoy it. I haven't made the trip yet.

Here is a website that will show you some of the local Texas dive spots. Dive Around Texas | Just another WordPress site
It is part of a scuba challenge program every year to encourage local diving.

There's plenty of diving to be done if you want to dive...we're just not on a tropical beach.

Bring the gear and get wet. When the summer heat really starts pounding the diving feels great!

 

[krame]

Ha. I didn't mention prior, but I'm from Ohio. My first 100 dives were in quarries.

I'm a "have water, will dive" kind of person.

Given I have a little one on the way, I doubt I'll be flying anywhere for diving, but I'm perfectly at home in the muck.

I would absolutely love to dive in a missile silo. I toured one when I lived in Arizona, and couldn't help but think how fun it would be to dive.

 

[jimbeeler]

Ha. I didn't mention prior, but I'm from Ohio. My first 100 dives were in quarries.

I'm a "have water, will dive" kind of person.

Given I have a little one on the way, I doubt I'll be flying anywhere for diving, but I'm perfectly at home in the muck.

I would absolutely love to dive in a missile silo. I toured one when I lived in Arizona, and couldn't help but think how fun it would be to dive.

You'll be perfectly at home here with the low Viz. Like the previous poster mentioned, this is Texas and it gets HOT in the summer. You won't need much of a wetsuit in the summer (I wear a shorty that I can get off and on quickly) when water temps can be in the upper 80's until you hit the thermocline with over 100 on land.

I've never been to Valhalla but I've heard it's cool. From what I've heard you have to transport your gear quite a distance down stairs to the water but once you're there it's neat. Of course then you've got to carry stuff back up.

There are several dive shops in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area (I'm actually south of Ft. Worth). Of course ScubaToys in the NW Dallas area (a veritable candy store) for divers.

Send me a PM when you get here and maybe we can get together for a dive trip to Clear Springs.

Jim

 

[krame]

That would be awesome!

 

[NAM001]

Lake Murry on OK
Clear springs at Terrell 20 mles
Athens scuba park Athens 75 miles down hy 175
Other more distant places
Blue lagoon 3 hrs south on I 45
Lake Travis in Austin
Mammoth Lake in Lake Jackson 30 miles south of Houston

 

[francousteau]

That would be awesome!

I'm an ex-pat here (New Jersey off shore diver). Diving here is what it is You make the best out of it here, in between times when you get to do some real diving. Feel free next year to hit me up if you want to get wet. :cool2: