FIXXERVI6
Contributor
How dare they mess up the beauty of the flooded sand pits and quarries with all that junk!
Its only junk on the surface!
The Great Travis Traverse
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Its only junk on the surface!
I refuse to use a buddy line, but thats just me.
If you don't think there is a need for a line then go for it with a compass, didn't say it couldn't be done without one, there are just some advantages to having one vs not as I stated, and the primary purpose, just out having fun with it, I don't expect to discover spanish gold or set some world record or anything like that, its an excuse to go play in the mud.
And you forget, we are not just following line, line is being laid by navigating with a compass, if you don't want to follow the line then, well, don't I guess
Its fun, gives the dive purpose, and adds an extra layer of safety, I've given info to some of the others here that if they want to go add to it, or like make jumps off of it or whatever, I dunno, its like, why do they sink a plane in cssp or make a big steel shark, gives you a little play ground as mud reefs aren't quite the same as salt ones.
I have also given sound safe information to readers here.
We all agree that lines and compasses can and will be used underwater for navigation, and in some cases both at the same time! The purpose of diving is to have fun in a safe manner and return in good shape -agreed!
If fun is laying a line across a certain part of Travis, go for it, not saying anything negative about that issue.
Hey, Rick, glad to hear there is still some interest in this project. If you need any help give me a shout. Not sure what my plans are over the next couple of weekends, but if I can I'd be glad to lend a hand where you need it. I guess I see this as good practice to keep skills sharp and just something to give some purpose to diving a lake many of us have 100's of dives in, but that's just me.
I haven't been down to the river bed lately, but I can tell you that viz was excellent around 100' near the Shaker Plant last weekend. It seems as if it has been improving over the last couple of weeks. You're right about the layering though, so no telling what you might find in the 150'-160' range...and no telling how long the good viz we have will last. You know Lake Travis, one week viz is awesome and the next it's down to zero. I bet the water is pretty cool down that deep regardless, so come with your warm undergarments for that. When Zinc and I dove the Shaker Plant this weekend temps around 100' were in the 53 degree range. Brrrrrr....
A word of advice to anyone thinking about looking for that line and trying to follow it... The river bed (where that line runs) is basically a big ol' mud flat with what is usually pretty freakin' poor viz. It's not a dive for anyone without experience at depth, in cold water and low visibility conditions. Trimix, doubles (or a rebreather), decompression gases and drysuits are the name of the game down there in the deep, dark and cold. On top of that you probably won't be able to read your compass or gauges and the flat surface of the bottom of Lake Travis has very, very few reference points. It's not for the faint of heart and certainly not for the inexperienced. If you're not prepared for all of that...mentally, physically, gear and training...save yourself some scary moments, and possibly your life, and get the experience and equipment before you start exploring down there. Just my two cents...I'm not your momma. LOL!
I haven't been down to the river bed lately, but I can tell you that viz was excellent around 100' near the Shaker Plant last weekend. It seems as if it has been improving over the last couple of weeks. You're right about the layering though, so no telling what you might find in the 150'-160' range...and no telling how long the good viz we have will last. You know Lake Travis, one week viz is awesome and the next it's down to zero. I bet the water is pretty cool down that deep regardless, so come with your warm undergarments for that. When Zinc and I dove the Shaker Plant this weekend temps around 100' were in the 53 degree range. Brrrrrr....
A word of advice to anyone thinking about looking for that line and trying to follow it... The river bed (where that line runs) is basically a big ol' mud flat with what is usually pretty freakin' poor viz. It's not a dive for anyone without experience at depth, in cold water and low visibility conditions. Trimix, doubles (or a rebreather), decompression gases and drysuits are the name of the game down there in the deep, dark and cold. On top of that you probably won't be able to read your compass or gauges and the flat surface of the bottom of Lake Travis has very, very few reference points. It's not for the faint of heart and certainly not for the inexperienced. If you're not prepared for all of that...mentally, physically, gear and training...save yourself some scary moments, and possibly your life, and get the experience and equipment before you start exploring down there. Just my two cents...I'm not your momma. LOL!
FIXXERVI6
Contributor
Hey, Rick, glad to hear there is still some interest in this project. If you need any help give me a shout. Not sure what my plans are over the next couple of weekends, but if I can I'd be glad to lend a hand where you need it. I guess I see this as good practice to keep skills sharp and just something to give some purpose to diving a lake many of us have 100's of dives in, but that's just me.
I haven't been down to the river bed lately, but I can tell you that viz was excellent around 100' near the Shaker Plant last weekend. It seems as if it has been improving over the last couple of weeks. You're right about the layering though, so no telling what you might find in the 150'-160' range...and no telling how long the good viz we have will last. You know Lake Travis, one week viz is awesome and the next it's down to zero. I bet the water is pretty cool down that deep regardless, so come with your warm undergarments for that. When Zinc and I dove the Shaker Plant this weekend temps around 100' were in the 53 degree range. Brrrrrr....
I could use some help carying PVC stakes
I can only swim with 1 at a time
Ping the board when you're heading this way - if I'm free, I'll drop in with you guys.
Trey
Trey
Lake Travis Scuba
Contributor
Let me know if you need any boat surface support.
Robert
Lake Travis Scuba
Welcome to Lake Travis Scuba
Robert
Lake Travis Scuba
Welcome to Lake Travis Scuba
FIXXERVI6
Contributor
This dive won't need it, but whenever and whoever does the crossing will for SURE need it!
I am in DFW like you are, so let me know, and if available...I can do the drop with you, and carry a few PVC stakes.
I could use some help carying PVC stakes
PM Sent...
FIXXERVI6
Contributor
With the help of K-Valve and Zinc we got more line added, sunk two more stakes with a good deal of distance between them so there was a lot of line paid out, time to knot up another reel.
We were diving dry gloves so Kurt wasn't able to get the line knotted off on the last peg, hard to feel to tie knots with dry gloves when the water goes black, so my reel is still down there, please leave it there, we'll cut it free on another trip down with a fresh reel.
Things of note, things have changed down there, first off someone changed the original line tie off, and the cookie is gone.
Second one is there WAS an extra stake down there from a couple years ago, it was gone and now there is a VERY sharp V in the line that wasn't there before, so I"m guessing someone got down there somehow got a bunch of speghetti in the line then took the slack out by sinking that stake making a sharp V so there is some zig zagging.
Same MO as before Kurt paid out line and I ran back and for for stakes sinking them in the muck so I did a brail dive pretty much the entire time.
I LOVE my drygloves, my hands stayed so much warmer and it was easier to follow the line in dry gloves vs 7mm neoprene.
Things move pretty slow when you dealing with vis in the inches to 0 range and trying to work line in the dark with dry gloves on, but progress is being made! My computer is set for salt, I was wearing a bottom timer that was set for fresh and it was reading 169.
I'm hoping that once we finish getting accross the river bed we'll find some trees or something on the other side, it'll go a lot faster if we don't have to deal with sinking stakes.
We were diving dry gloves so Kurt wasn't able to get the line knotted off on the last peg, hard to feel to tie knots with dry gloves when the water goes black, so my reel is still down there, please leave it there, we'll cut it free on another trip down with a fresh reel.
Things of note, things have changed down there, first off someone changed the original line tie off, and the cookie is gone.
Second one is there WAS an extra stake down there from a couple years ago, it was gone and now there is a VERY sharp V in the line that wasn't there before, so I"m guessing someone got down there somehow got a bunch of speghetti in the line then took the slack out by sinking that stake making a sharp V so there is some zig zagging.
Same MO as before Kurt paid out line and I ran back and for for stakes sinking them in the muck so I did a brail dive pretty much the entire time.
I LOVE my drygloves, my hands stayed so much warmer and it was easier to follow the line in dry gloves vs 7mm neoprene.
Things move pretty slow when you dealing with vis in the inches to 0 range and trying to work line in the dark with dry gloves on, but progress is being made! My computer is set for salt, I was wearing a bottom timer that was set for fresh and it was reading 169.
I'm hoping that once we finish getting accross the river bed we'll find some trees or something on the other side, it'll go a lot faster if we don't have to deal with sinking stakes.
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