August 10th Mammoth Lake trip report........

[scubashawn123]

What can I say but "WOW".........

Met up with a swamp diver Jowen and it was incredible. First I got a complete tour from Mike and Michelle of the facility and pavallions set up for divers to enter different parts of the Lake. The dive shop is attached to some of the nicest stairs and ramps you can imagine to enter and exit the Lake. Mike has sunk over a hundred different items (big items) to find on the lake bottom. This place has all the right inventory, and a really nice fill station. They took care of me on every air fill with my high pressure steel to a working pressure of 3500 pounds. No complaints and very service oriented with a big smile.
When you see this place you will know why Mike has such a big smile on his face. I don't think there is another place like it in the USA. Way to much to see in a single day.


John and I met for the first time diving together in the morning and we were the first ones there to suit up. Later we met some other really nice divers from the area. We decided to start our first dive by taking a compass heading for the nose of the C130 and sure enough I hit the tail. That's my good navigation skills coming out. At least I found it our John would have had my hide. The better portion of an hour was spent entering and exiting the entire wreck site. It is way too much fun. We had 6-8 foot visibility, water temperature on the surface 90 degrees, 85 down below. Depth for this site was around 37 feet deep I think. Somewhere in there. Lots of cool fish hiding out, especially when you enter the 2 seat cockpit area with windows and instruments everywhere.

When it cools down it would be a lot of fun to meet up with swampers at this location for a weekend outing. What an awesome place to explore and my hats off to Mike and Michelle for making it all happen.


Regards,

Shawn O'Shea

 

[MichaelBaranows]

Shawn,
It was nice to meet you again. I would thank you for saying go things about the staff. We try out best to make you feel welcome. This C-130 is going to be a great dive. I dove it twice this weekend and I am sure in a few more weeks I will have it down where all the fish are hiding. There is one perch on the tail just below the flag that really likes my video camera.

 

[scubashawn123]

Shawn,
It was nice to meet you again. I would thank you for saying go things about the staff. We try out best to make you feel welcome. This C-130 is going to be a great dive. I dove it twice this weekend and I am sure in a few more weeks I will have it down where all the fish are hiding. There is one perch on the tail just below the flag that really likes my video camera.

Likewise, I looked at your photobucket and did not see any pictures from yesterday. Did you get any good pictures yesterday to post. That was you heading out with your camera set up wasn't it? When John and I were heading to the resturant next door to get some really great food for low prices. (gas prices in Clute and Lake Jackson were about 50 cents less than Austin area) I had breakfast there this morning before leaving town. Really glad I finally checked out Clute Texas South of Houston. Pretty close to my home in the Austin area.


Shawn O'Shea

 

[MichaelBaranows]

Likewise, I looked at your photobucket and did not see any pictures from yesterday. Did you get any good pictures yesterday to post. That was you heading out with your camera set up wasn't it? When John and I were heading to the resturant next door to get some really great food for low prices. (gas prices in Clute and Lake Jackson were about 50 cents less than Austin area) I had breakfast there this morning before leaving town. Really glad I finally checked out Clute Texas South of Houston. Pretty close to my home in the Austin area.


Shawn O'Shea

yes, that was me with the camera. I haven't gotten a chance to download any video yet. And I left me camera at the shop so it will probably be next weekend before I get a chance to post anything. i get a few seconds of of some perch that I looked Ok on review but I am not sure yet.

 

[scubashawn123]

yes, that was me with the camera. I haven't gotten a chance to download any video yet. And I left me camera at the shop so it will probably be next weekend before I get a chance to post anything. i get a few seconds of of some perch that I looked Ok on review but I am not sure yet.

Be sure and let us know when you post your video so we can check it out. Have a great week.



Shawn O.

 

[scubashawn123]

I forget to mention that we decided to stay at the LaQuinta motel. With AAA discount we got the room for around $75 a night, it turned out to be only 5 minutes away from Mammoth Lake. Hydrosports is the entrance to Mammoth lake, full service dive shop with pool and many extra's, a great resturant next door. Clute has numerous varieties of motels right in the area, but they were all booked up this weekend except LaQuinta. We got a continental breakfast with fresh fruit in the morning, and coffee of course, then at the end of the day we would come back to jump in the pool and cool off before crashing for the night. The whole Lake Jackson area is really nice, and easy to navigate off of 'this way" and "that way". If you live around there you know what I am talking about. Fresh seafood was awesome at all the different resturants we tried. I was mostly hooked on the fresh tasty shrimp this weekend.

Shawn O.

 

[txmanager]

I'll be there in SEP. My Dad still lives down there and has been diving the lake since it opened. Between your good report and his, it's driving me nuts having not dived it yet. That's ok...1st week of SEP I'm there.
Mike and Michelle are great prople. The shop is outstanding. Maybe we can organize a Swamper weekend down there sometime. I know of a couple different BBQ pits we can pull over there and make a weekend of it!

 

[scubashawn123]

I'll be there in SEP. My Dad still lives down there and has been diving the lake since it opened. Between your good report and his, it's driving me nuts having not dived it yet. That's ok...1st week of SEP I'm there.
Mike and Michelle are great prople. The shop is outstanding. Maybe we can organize a Swamper weekend down there sometime. I know of a couple different BBQ pits we can pull over there and make a weekend of it!

Brandon,

I did you see the back of your High School. Pretty cool. I thought the layout of the lake for navigating turned out spectacular. North is directly to your left, East is straight ahead, South headed us over to the F5 fighter plane, and space shuttle objects, then I always new that due West got me back to the platform. Makes for a nice navigating grid when you looking for all the items he has dropped underwater.

I still need to email your Dad back, sorry to hear about his misfortune with the accident. Hope to dive with him soon also.

When in September are you thinking? Lake Travis underwater clean up is September 7th....................


Shawn O.

 

[txmanager]

When in September are you thinking? Lake Travis underwater clean up is September 7th....................


Shawn O.

I fly into Houston on the 31st. Will be there all week and will make multiple trips to Mammoth. We are also diving the Sea Center that week. A little volunteer work in the Gulf tank. That should be interesting. I will be heading back to AUS on that Thursday (4th). I plan on making a morning trip with Lake Travis Scuba on the 6th. Taking my Dad out with them for the first time. Then will join LTS again on the 7th for the LT Clean Up in Devils Cove. If anyone else wants to dive Mammoth or Lake Travis Scuba that week, let me know. Would love to have you out.