CSSP vs Athens

[DivingLonghorn]

I am trying to get our and do some diving in the area and was wondering what everyone's take is on CSSP and Athens. I live in Waxahachie so the drive time is pretty much the same to either. I understand that CSSP is colder but has fish. Ahtens is warmer but has no fish. I know there are other sites, but I want a dedicated diving park so that I can practice some skills so that I can be a more effecient diver. I guess the best way is to do a poll, so here it is...

 

[Dee]

I've been to Athens once, several winters ago when I DM's for a class in 42º water. That one weekend isn't enough to judge but I would choose the place with the fish. There's just something extra to diving in live water and interacting with the life in it. Yes, the perch get a little nippy from time to time but I still prefer that to no life at all.

I do not miss diving the Blue Lagoon which is too alkaline for anything to live in it. Give me nippy perch, crawfish, turtles, frogs and water bugs anytime!

 

[SeaHunt]

CSSP is bigger, deeper, clearer, cleaner, and at least for me closer.

Also, there is something in the water at Athens that turns dyed blonde hair GREEN!

I dove Athens for my OW cert. and on Sunday, day two, there were some really pissed off women who were fit-to-be-tied when they showed up that morning with green and I do mean green, hair.

Geeeeepers, I'm ex-military and they were saying things I'd never heard before!

 

[Fetch]

Dee once bubbled...

I do not miss diving the Blue Lagoon which is too alkaline for anything to live in it. Give me nippy perch, crawfish, turtles, frogs and water bugs anytime!

Not true! When I was there a few weeks ago, there were little fingerlings of some type swimming around. Quite a few of them, too

jeff (Proud member of the "Blue Lagoon Antidefammation League" )

 

[double125's]

Just wanted to throw in my .02 worth. I have never dove either but athens is on my to do list. I E-mailed the owners and asked a couple questions here, this is what I came up with on athens: They are over priced, visibilaty sucks, there is no fish life due to high levels of acid (make sure you clean your gear real good afterwords), they do not allow solo diving the owners seam real anal and it is not worth the drive (8 hrs for me). However, I am not one to be discouraged by others opinions and I want to dive it for myself (at least once). The reason I want to go is I like penetration dives and they have a house boat, airplane and bus plus they just installed a new "fake cave" system, if you look at rodales web site ( www.scubadiving.com ) they have an article on it in there "diving USA" section. Keep in mind its deep spots are 35 ft and average is 25 ft. As for the operators of the park I would say they could kiss my *** if I did not already have my heart set on diving it. The entry fee is $25 and non diving guests pay the same price. Check out there web site. I believe it is www.athensscubapark.com.
With that being said I plan on diving it within the next month so I can comment further on it then.

 

[double125's]

Lets try that link again and see if this one works better
http://www.athensscubapark.com/

 

[sealskin98]

check out both?

Personally, I prefer CSSP...mo' fish.

 

[Texass]

Calvin is a good'n in my book. Yeah, he's a bit anal about some things - like you WILL present a valid C-card and have a buddy if you want to dive. But hey, it's his pond.

Athens is really only 15' deep and overrun with OW classes. Add the mega silt to the classes and you get viz issues. Most of us in the DFW/Tyler area have been out there so often we don't need a compass anymore to navigate from one sunken boat to the next. Heck if you aren't sure where the main attractions are, just head for the silt clouds.

I gave CSSP my vote because, well I like it a lot better! CSSP is fairly new and the fish don't stay in the same spot dive after dive.

That said, Athens is still worth a "Been there - done that" T-shirt.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

My divemaster group and I were discussing this very subject last night over cold 32oz Shiners.

Athens

Pro's. Lots of submerged stuff. Busses, a jet, boats, a fake cave system. Hot and cold running showers. An on site shop. A pool and hot tub. Lots of shade trees. On site food vending. Warm (almost hot in the late summer) water. Private docks.

Con's. Vis can go from great (50+) to crap (0) in a hurry. The alum Calvin treats the water with ruins the chemistry for life and it turns bleached hair green. It will wash out. Its hard to sleep through the trains if you are camping.

CSSP

Pro's. Lots and lots of fish/ aquatic life. Plants. Some different sunken stuff. Sheer walls with plant life cascading down. Huge rocks to swim around. On site food. Nice camping. Its a bigger lake. No trains.

Con's. Still developing. Its only two years old for pete's sake give it a break. No private docks. Below 35 feet its cold (below 70*F year round). Algae blooms can rook vis as the water warms.

Athens.. $25 per person per day. Camping no additional charge. Everyone pays the same fee. Too many occasions of swimmers turning up in scuba gear.

CSSP...$20 per person per day. Swimmers, site seers, snorkelers pay something else. Don't know off hand what the price is. Camping is extra $5.

HTH.

TwoBit

 

[ScubaTexan]

...since I happen to like both places.