Dive Calendar (1st Draft) for Texas Swamp Diving Team

[TexasMike]

Howdy to my fellow Swampsters!

Here is the first draft of our Dive Calendar for 2002. None of this is set in stone (except for the Rigs & Jazz and Flower Gardens) and I would very much like your feedback, ideas, suggestions, etc. As stated at the Lake Travis Halloween Dive, this is all for you. But for you to really enjoy yourself, I'm depending on your participation. So if you've got something to say about all of this, speak up!

Also, I will admit that I only know about dive sites up here in my neck of the woods (North Texas). If you know of something good within reasonable driving distance for just about everyone, please let me know.

First a proposal:

• In order to try and keep some order to this, I'd like to propose that we pick the "x'th" weekend of each month for our club dives. The exception being when we are going for a long weekend such as Memorial Day or Labor day. Also, by keeping it on a "regular" weekend of the month, it's easier to remember and plan for.
  
  At this time, I'm suggesting we chose the 3rd Saturday of each month. Why? No reason, just seemed okay to me.

Now for the first draft of our Calendar:

February:

• Anti-CAD Dive:

• Tom Vyles says that most of you are "60-70" divers....you won't dive unless the air temp is above 60 and the water above 70 degrees. Help me prove him wrong by joining me out at Clear Springs Scuba Park (CSSP, Terrell TX). Knowing the Texas weather, we'll probably be in a heat wave then and you'll be dieing to get into the water.

March:

• Clear Springs Scuba Park:

• No special event I can think of, just some good times diving with your buddies. But if someone has a different place, speak up! Perhaps a trip to Valhallow? (the missle silo)

April:

• Lake Murry:

• Randy Joy has dived here on several occasions and knows some good spots. And since it's in Oklahoma, I bet we can convince Iguana Don to join us.

May:

• Rigs and Jazz Fest (May 3-6):

• Tom Vyles has set up a weekend of hot diving on the oil rigs of Louisiana and cool jazz in New Orleans. More details to come, but it will be a wonderful time, I gar-awn-tee!
  
  Memorial Day Weekend @ Lake Travis: We've been told by lots of the Austin divers that there are some really interesting dive sites if you know where to find them. Initial plans are to explore as many as possible. And if there's enough interest, we will try to rent a pontoon boat to explore some of the "off-shore" stuff. Travis is very interesting since it has attractions for all levels of divers. We will set up a base camp at one of the parks and then explore from there.

June:

• TBA:

• I don't have any good ideas, perhaps you have one?

July:

• TBA:

• I don't have any good ideas, perhaps you have one? I plan on going to Wreckmania 2002 hosted by Walter and Natasha. From what they have cooked up so far, this looks interesting and we can always make this our dive of the month.

August:

• Flower Gardens (Aug 9-11)
  
  Labor Day @ Lake Travis (Aug 30-Sept 2)

• : We had such a good time Memorial Day weekend, we had to go back.

September:

• TBA

October:

• Cozumel

November & December

• TBA

If you have any input on the calendar, post it here. I would like to finalize this in the next few weeks.

Also, as we grow, we are getting access to some good instructors who would be willing to teach us a class in a group setting for one of our dive outtings (like Walter teaching wreck diving at Wreckmania 2002). So we can do Drysuits in November/December, or Scooters, Rebreathers, and more in another month. Again, this is all for you guys, so let me know what you're thinking.

Safe Diving!!!

--TexasMike

 

[TexasMike]

Well???

Any comments??

 

[Dee]

Well....you don't have Blue Lagoon on there anywhere! :rofL:

What about Clear Springs again in June? And maybe Lake Travis again in September. Those seem to be the easiest for us all to travel to.

I thought Tom's Coz trip was in April or May. If it's not until Oct. we might be able to make that.

 

[TexasMike]

Blue Lagoon.....well, not a real fan of copper tasting water.....

Technically, Travis is September (unless they moved Labor Day on us). That could easily be a 4 day event. And if Beast is cooking and Tony brings his guitar again, I'm staying with you folks at the campground.

 

[Dee]

Oops..I wasn't thinking about Labor Day.

Anytime we're at Lake Travis you can count on two things....we'll be camping and Beast will be cooking!

And I bet we can twist Tony's arm to croon us a tune.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Coz is in October, Louisiana rig diving and Jazz fest is in May.

Note to those going rig diving.. I may have secured free rooming...

I'd rather go to Athens than the Lagoon. Athens can at least have good vis and more interesting dead structures. Blue Lagoon is dead. I did hear TAMU was working in lagoon two to see if it would support fish life yet.

For the record.... I said I was a CAD I didn't say anything about the rest of the swampsters.

Tom

 

[scubatexastony]

OH....I remember!
that's when the wife and I celebrate our Wedding anniversary! :1st:
We'll be there the week of October 4th. (Will be 27 years this October) So i reckon the following week is just a near miss for me ;-(

tony

 

[Dee]

Originally posted by Tom Vyles
Coz is in October, Louisiana rig diving and Jazz fest is in May.

Note to those going rig diving.. I may have secured free rooming...

I'd rather go to Athens than the Lagoon. Athens can at least have good vis and more interesting dead structures. Blue Lagoon is dead. I did hear TAMU was working in lagoon two to see if it would support fish life yet.

For the record.... I said I was a CAD I didn't say anything about the rest of the swampsters.

Tom

I was joking about Blue Lagoon! I spend enough time in that place with classes. And have the brass showing on my first stage to prove it!

There are fish in it now. Well established in Lagoon 2 and getting started in Lagoon 1. A couple of years ago TAMU imported some African Cichlids that like a high PH level. Little brown, speckled torpedo shaped fish about 2-3 inches long that scoot over the bottom. They are thriving but I don't see how unless they've learned to eat mud! The only other life we see there is Dragonfly nymphes in the spring.

 

[scubatexastony]

And if by chance you are driving through Houston on your way there and need a front door I'll be driving down Friday afternoon too.

You taking more than 2 tanks? I have 2 80s and a 40pony but I saw the note on taking 3... I reckon I might just shop around for one more.

See ya' at clear springs soon.

tony

 

[TexasMike]

Tony....

We'll be at CSSP this Sunday if you care to join us. Tom and I have a work dive planned to survey the setup for the Nav and Bouyancy course he has designed. But after that, we'll have some fun.

--Michael