Conditions at Athens Scuba Park

[BIGG_BUDD]

Hola Amigos,

I'm heading out to ASP in April to prep for an upcoming trip to Kauai. Has anyone dove their recently? Can you give me the conditions?

According to the site, the viz is 70 feet, and the H2O is 60 degrees. Is that for real?

Gracias,

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

I'd try Clear Springs Scuba Park in Terrell, better water conditions than Athens so I've heard.

 

[Debraw]

CSSp is good but at this time of year can still be quite cold. Athens is good because it warms up fast. Yes, you can get 70 foot viz, provided there are not a lot of people there to stir it up. Athens has a silty bottom and is easily disturbed, forming a cloud underwater. It will probably be more like 70 in the coming weeks if we can keep this warm weather up. CSSP will still likely be in the upper 50's/low 60's in just a few weeks.

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

Thanks for the feedback. I've dove both CSSP and ASP, but like you said debraw, the temp is loooooooooooooow at CSSP. Also, according to their site, CSSP viz in 8-10 feet.

I think I'll chance ASP.

Thanksa gain.

 

[Debraw]

We are going to the Blue Lagoon in Hunstville in a couple of weeks. I expect it to be 70 degrees by then. It's nice there, good diving, clean campsites, cheap.

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

I just learned about blue lagoon. Have you dove there before? How does it rate against CSSP and ASP?

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Vis worse than CSSP. Messed up water chemistry. No life. I'd go to Athens before going to Blue Lagoon. Its closer, the water chemistry isn't as bad, and it can have better vis. It's still cheeper than either one in entry fees, but gas will make that up.

This rain and cold front are going to drop temps again for a few weeks.

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

Thanks for the tip. I'll let you know how ASP goes.

 

[Debraw]

When I first started diving there was no ( GASP!) CSSP! We went down there once to twice a month for almost 2 years. Blue Lagoon is 2.5 hours south of Dallas in Huntsville at mile marker 123. Hang a left after you exit I-45 and go down a few miles on you will see the entrance to the park on your left. It is a treated watering hole and has the same characteristics of Athens. The difference is the platforms are huge and are built off of the bottom with benches all the way around. There is no way to kick up the silt unless you just fall off the platform. There is a boat sunk in Lagoon 1 but that's about it. There are assigned shelters. I like that! I did my rescue class in Lagoon 2 in 1999. As far as comparing it to other diving spots I would have to say, it's better than Athens but not as good as CSSP. We are taking are classes down there for the next couple of months until the water warms up at CSSP and the lake level rises. I probably have at least 100 dives at Blue Lagoon.

 

[Dee]

I also spent 2 weekends a month for several years at Blue Lagoon. The water isn't treated, it's naturally very high in alkaline from the limestone the lagoons are carved from. There are some African gobies in Lagoon 2 from an experiment by TAMU but other than those you'll only see a few frogs around the edges where the water is freshest from any rainfall. The PH is just too high for other life.

When students are taken off the platforms, that's when the viz goes to hell. The bottom is very powdery.

Be very meticulous in cleaning your gear, the water may look clean but it will leave a coating on your gear.