I have about three days next week midweek where I can go somewhere. If you were in Dallas and wanted to go somewhere and five on the quickly cheap, where would you go (not local quarries, doing that tomorrow).
Close to Dallas cool dives?
- Thread starter spthomas
- Start date
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I'm in Dallas for work and was looking for dive opportunities as well. The general response I got on another local board was go to the Gulf and catch a liveaboard. There doesn't seem to be anything close by. I'm going to CSSP tomorrow and Sunday. Maybe I'll find someone at CSSP tomorrow who can recommend some other places as well.
Hopefully you'll get some responses here as well. If you do I might steal your answers as well.
Hopefully you'll get some responses here as well. If you do I might steal your answers as well.
There isn't anything close to Dallas. If you don't want to do quarries all the responses are going to include head south, or get a plane ticket, or something along those lines.
Cozumel from Dallas is very easy and fairly cheap. (Depending a little on your definition of cheap). Then there is the MV Fling which leaves for the Flower Gardens every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can catch a day boat out to the rigs out of Port Aransas or Corpus Christi. I think there is one that runs out of Freeport too, but I'm not sure. Then you can run down to Port Isabel and go diving with American Diving out to the rigs or the Texas Clipper. This can be a 12 hour road trip or a short flight. It's almost closer to drive to Orange Beach Alabama.
Good luck.
Cozumel from Dallas is very easy and fairly cheap. (Depending a little on your definition of cheap). Then there is the MV Fling which leaves for the Flower Gardens every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can catch a day boat out to the rigs out of Port Aransas or Corpus Christi. I think there is one that runs out of Freeport too, but I'm not sure. Then you can run down to Port Isabel and go diving with American Diving out to the rigs or the Texas Clipper. This can be a 12 hour road trip or a short flight. It's almost closer to drive to Orange Beach Alabama.
Good luck.
fire_diver
Contributor
If you don't want quarries, then you would probably have to drive up to Tenkiller or Murry lake in Oklahoma.
grantwiscour
Contributor
We have some diving around here but "great diving"...not so much. Lake Murray in OK is fairly close. A quick plane ride to S FL, MX or the Carib is a good option if in the budget.
Locally, Athens SP, Clear Springs SP and Murray are the only places within two hours that I can think of.
Locally, Athens SP, Clear Springs SP and Murray are the only places within two hours that I can think of.
OP
I figure Cozumel will be expensive since I need to go this week and last minute airfare is a killer. I'd rather drive, even if it's 6 or 7 hours just to get away and get wet a couple of days. And a lot of local lakes and quarries aren't open during the week. I'm heading to Clear Springs now.
grantwiscour
Contributor
CSSP should be fun today...maybe you'll luck out and have a little viz. Please post a dive report for those of us who don't get to dive today.
About a four hour drive south is a "local favorite" of ours. Canyon Lake is west of San Marcos and New Braunfels and has some fun spots @ North Park and Holiday Lodge. Some different items submerged for you to check out. If interested I can try to find the underwater maps for these spots. The Comal River in New Braunfels is quite shallow but very clear. It is spring fed and has a few rare critters. I like to find Guadalupe Spotted Bass (TX State Fish), Fountain Darters (endangered specie), Rio Grande Cichlid and some very large plecostumuses that can be spotted on the stairs at Prince Solms Park during night dives. NB is a fun place...lots of tubing on the river during the summer...good scavenging for "treasures" at night after the tubers go back to the hotels. We like the NB/Hill Country 2-3 day trip and like to go a few times every year. You can get some dang good barbeque in NB at Cooper's and McBee's.
About a four hour drive south is a "local favorite" of ours. Canyon Lake is west of San Marcos and New Braunfels and has some fun spots @ North Park and Holiday Lodge. Some different items submerged for you to check out. If interested I can try to find the underwater maps for these spots. The Comal River in New Braunfels is quite shallow but very clear. It is spring fed and has a few rare critters. I like to find Guadalupe Spotted Bass (TX State Fish), Fountain Darters (endangered specie), Rio Grande Cichlid and some very large plecostumuses that can be spotted on the stairs at Prince Solms Park during night dives. NB is a fun place...lots of tubing on the river during the summer...good scavenging for "treasures" at night after the tubers go back to the hotels. We like the NB/Hill Country 2-3 day trip and like to go a few times every year. You can get some dang good barbeque in NB at Cooper's and McBee's.
driftwood
Contributor
If it wasn't midweek, I would tell you to get in touch with Robert at Welcome to Lake Travis Scuba You might want to give him a shout and see if he has anything going on.
You could also try both the San Marcos and Comal Rivers. Best to have two vehicles since they are drift dives.
You could also try both the San Marcos and Comal Rivers. Best to have two vehicles since they are drift dives.
Wheeler Branch park in Glen Rose is 2 hours from Dallas. Not bad. Typical Texas Swamp Diving.
tom.bresee
Registered
Strictly geographically because I live in Dallas I would say this (strongly suggest you contact them directly, who knows, hours may change):
- Clear Springs (I'm pretty sure only open Fri, Sat, Sun). I got my OW there, not bad loc. Approx hour outside Dallas.
- Lake Murray OK (scheduling to do my AOW deep dive there, water levels are pretty low this year in general, one of closer locs that is somewhat deep if that's what your looking for. Approx two hours outside Dallas, and yes, its Oklahoma. I don't know much about Athens Scuba Park, maybe check that out too. Never been.
- Lake Travis, Austin. Approx 3.5 hours outside Dallas. Austin is always fun to chill out at too. But if you are only thinking midweek call some guys down there, not sure when they dive.
- Canyon Lake: friend went there couple weeks ago, supposed to be not bad, 4+ hour drive. Viz supposed to be not bad.
Just be aware it's not gorgeous awesome high viz Bahamas, its TX. If you have some time I would tend to read what everyone else is writing about alt locs, don't want you to get your expectations sky high. If ur into Underwater Nav, great place to practice at...
---------- Post added July 28th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ----------
Clear Springs:
www.clearspringsscubapark.com/
Summer hours of operation
Friday 10:00am to 8:00pm.
Saturday 8:00 am to 8:00pm
Sunday 8:00am to 6:00pm
Athens Scuba Park:
http://www.athensscubapark.com/
WED thru Fri 10am to 5pm, sat/sun 8-6
So if you really are looking for midweek, you have options.
- Clear Springs (I'm pretty sure only open Fri, Sat, Sun). I got my OW there, not bad loc. Approx hour outside Dallas.
- Lake Murray OK (scheduling to do my AOW deep dive there, water levels are pretty low this year in general, one of closer locs that is somewhat deep if that's what your looking for. Approx two hours outside Dallas, and yes, its Oklahoma. I don't know much about Athens Scuba Park, maybe check that out too. Never been.
- Lake Travis, Austin. Approx 3.5 hours outside Dallas. Austin is always fun to chill out at too. But if you are only thinking midweek call some guys down there, not sure when they dive.
- Canyon Lake: friend went there couple weeks ago, supposed to be not bad, 4+ hour drive. Viz supposed to be not bad.
Just be aware it's not gorgeous awesome high viz Bahamas, its TX. If you have some time I would tend to read what everyone else is writing about alt locs, don't want you to get your expectations sky high. If ur into Underwater Nav, great place to practice at...
---------- Post added July 28th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ----------
Clear Springs:
www.clearspringsscubapark.com/
Summer hours of operation
Friday 10:00am to 8:00pm.
Saturday 8:00 am to 8:00pm
Sunday 8:00am to 6:00pm
Athens Scuba Park:
http://www.athensscubapark.com/
WED thru Fri 10am to 5pm, sat/sun 8-6
So if you really are looking for midweek, you have options.
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