Diving in Flower Garden & Stetson Banks on July 20-21, 2019

[Dan]

We got lucky with the weather on July 20-21, 2019 and were able to go out to Flower Garden Banks on Saturday, July 20, 2019 and Stetson Banks on Sunday morning, July 21, 2019 with Fling Charters. This trip was a second attempt this year to go liveaboard diving there. The first try was last month, on June 15-16, 2019.

Here is a short video of what we saw underwater:
This trip was also planned as "check out" dives before our big trip, Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019 to make sure our dive gears (including pressure testing my new custom design PLB1 canister) are in good working order. I got a couple of oops:
1. Flooded my 5 years old SUUNTO Cobra 2 console dive computer
2. Flooded my 10 years old camera Sea & Sea DX2G

I'm glad to find out other than those two things, the rest of the gears are fine. I got replacements for the 2 oops above:
1. SUUNTO Cobra 3
2. Sea & Sea DX6G

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go on the big trip now. I think.

 

[George Monnat Jr]

Nice, I need to go.

 

[RyanT]

Sorry about the floods, just glad you got to get out to an amazing place!

 

[Dan]

We would have dove under oil rig on the 20th. DM already tied a guide line from the boat to the rig. Captain Blanch already briefed us on how to get into the rig. However, the current picked up and the crew decided to cancel the rig dive.

 

[ReefHound]

We would have dove under oil rig on the 20th. DM already tied a guide line from the boat to the rig. Captain Blanch already briefed us on how to get into the rig. However, the current picked up and the crew decided to cancel the rig dive.

Yeah, I tied that line and had to wrap my legs around a pipe to do it. I was worried the current was going to take my mask off as I was tying a bowline. It would not have been a fun dive and we'd have probably been picking up divers blown off the platform. Strongest current I've seen there in a few years.

 

[Dan]

Yeah, I tied that line and had to wrap my legs around a pipe to do it. I was worried the current was going to take my mask off as I was tying a bowline. It would not have been a fun dive and we'd have probably been picking up divers blown off the platform. Strongest current I've seen there in a few years.

Oops, I didn't recognize you were the DM. Sorry! Glad to hear that your mask still on you then.