Stillhouse/Belton Lake

[svnipp]

Well... I get to find out first hand at Lake Travis next weekend. This will be my second dive location ever. All 7 of my dives up to this point have all been out at CSSP, and that's where I'm headed again this weekend. I'm really hoping to hit Lake Murray either late this month or probably the second weekend in Oct. I'll be up to a whopping three dive locations then. I'll probably add Valhalla sometime over the winter to do both altitude and deep, and from what I hear cold.

 

[ftwdiver14]

both of us are probably right, if you look at Matt's posting he said it OPENED up to 20' I stayed close to the shore because I had no marker, no light, and no dive buddy. The deepest I dove there was around 20 to 25 feet and visibility at that level is pretty much 1-3 feet. At least on the day I dove there. Last weekend at Lake Travis visibility was only 5 feet or so, until you went down below the thermalcline and it opened up to 20ish. The general rule seems to be the deeper you dive, the better the vis.

Jalistair is correct. If you dive around the platforms the vis is between 3 to 8 ft. As always it all depends on the day you are diving and the weather conditions. You can pass thru some spots where it is almost 0 vis and you go a few feet farther it can be 8' vis.
Both platforms are around 19' deep and probably about 50' from shore heading about 210 degrees from the big rock on shore.
I hope to get back there at least 1 more time this year. Possibly in about the 18th or so.

 

[oldschool]

I dive at Stillhouse quite a bit. Some buddies and I have been replacing lines at the scuba park this summer and have found some new things as well, at least new to us. I would suggest paying the $4.00. This will allow you to park near the entrance point of the scuba park and off the road. Once you enter the park, head towards the marina. The road will take a sharp left. You will see a covered picnic area down on the left. Make a right as if you are driving down to the picnic area and park in the spots on the left. Once geared up, walk out on the right side of the penninsula. You will see a large concrete block with a half circle cut out of the side. From this block, shoot an azimuth of 207 degrees. Swim out approx 200 ft and you will find the dive platform at about 18 ft depth. Secure your dive flag here. There are lines going out from this platform to different things such as a couple fo wrecks and what is left of the water pump plant before the lake was made. A few feet to the left of the platform is a shorter platform. There are lines from this one as well. The line to the left will take you to what I believe is part of the old Lampasses River channel. Follow the line down the wall to a very large rock at about 60 ft. You can go either left or right and folllow the wall which disintergrates in either direction in about 150 ft or so. The last time I was there about two weeks ago, viz at the bottom of the channel was a good 15 ft. (We are putting together a plan to relocate a third sunken boat we found right outside of the scuba park area in about 30 ft and place it in the bottom of the channel. Viz has been consistantly better there and it would give something a bit more interesting to see.) When you get back to the top of the channel, there is another line that will take you directly to the pump station. Check your air though, It's a good 250 ft swim plus the distance back to the platform. If the weather holds out in Austin, I'm headed to Travis tomorrow (09/03). If not and the weather looks better in the Stillhouse area, I'm headed there.

 

[jalistair]

Ah I would love to join you guys this weekend but I do have to see my mother so I am still planing on diving Athens scuba park on the way up and CSSP on the way down It just so happens that will complete my requirements for the dive around Texas challenge hehe. Of course if things get messed up and I can only hit one of them up then I will have to make a trip to the Comel river Talk about rough decisions

Hmm if your laying new cable then you must be part of the Blue Dolphin dive club? That is the only group of people I hear of diving there. The folks from C&J divers only seem to dive Lake Travis in the summer and Comel River in the winter.

 

[oldschool]

We're sort of doing this on our own. Blue Dolphin is going to help us a bit later with some signage I've designed by printing them out on aluminum. There will be a map of the entire area wihich will be secured to the platform deck. Each line from the deck will have a sign attached as to where it goes. There will be a few signs posted on lines throughout the park showing the way back to the platform. They've also offered to lend us a lift bag when we move the boat to the trench.

 

[jalistair]

Very interesting. If I get off early enough I would like to dive there Thursday evening if you or anyone else wants to go diving.

 

[oldschool]

Sure. It would have to be about 6:30.

 

[jalistair]

Sounds like a plan I will give you a call Thursday for any updates.