Diving Marble Falls

[DM Gary]

Thanks for all the input. I've gotten used to good viz at Aquarena and Comal but I'd like to try something new for a change.

Has anyone dove the Nueces at Chalk Bluff? I've read some promising things about it and would like to make a trip soon.

 

[Hover-Stop]

I've been to Inks lake and by the big bridge near the dam the depth is only like 6 feet. Kind of dangerous for boaters/skiers/wakeboarders.....is there anything IN Inks to look at? Where's the deepest part?

 

[scubashawn123]

I have been snorkling INKs not diving, is there a spring located there? or deep hole?

 

[Papa Steve]

Thanks for all the input. I've gotten used to good viz at Aquarena and Comal but I'd like to try something new for a change.

Has anyone dove the Nueces at Chalk Bluff? I've read some promising things about it and would like to make a trip soon.

I've been to Chalk Bluff several times. Viz can be 40-60ft. But deepest I have found is 10 feet. With the lack of rainfall I'm sure even that will be a challenge. It makes for a good night dive. Lots of fish.

 

[DM Gary]

Next time you head up here from Aggieland give me a shout if you want to dive LBJ or MF, I'd be happy to meet you there.

I have a place on LBJ and have been to Lake Marble Falls several times. Ive always wanted to dive them but never tried. I have snorkeled LBJ once trying out some of my new gear and viz was maybe 2ft. where is was.

 

[Foo]

I've been to Chalk Bluff several times. Viz can be 40-60ft. But deepest I have found is 10 feet.

Let me get this straight... FORTY to SIXTY ft vis? Good golly, send me directions NOW. Tell us more about Chalk Bluff please? Thanks!

 

[Papa Steve]

Chalk Bluff is abourt 10-15 miles west of Uvalde on the Nueces River. Here's a link to their website. www.chalkbulff.com


Also here's a post of mine from a couple of years ago after my first visit. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/texas-swamp-divers/189821-chalk-bluff-recent-visit.html

Again, it's not real deep but the viz is incredible. You'll see lots of life underwater . . .bass, catfish, perch, rio grande perch, needle nose gar, and what looks like some type of little tetra.
It gets quite crowded in the summer with swimmers. But even then viz is 20+ feet. If you get up in the morning before the swimmers or go out at night, after things have settle down you can get 40-60 ft viz easy . . if not more.

Nearest place for tank refills is over an hour away in San Antonio so bring what you need. That being said, you can probably get over 2 hours on a single AL80.

At the main diving area, the river is close to 100 yards across. The river stays only 2-3 feet deep until the last 20-30 yards then drops off to 6-10 feet. The water stays a nice, cool 70 degrees. In the summer we take the "Easy up" canopy and some chairs, set them in in 8-10 inches of water on the pea gravel bottom and watch the little ones play to their heart's content.

 

[eieio_24]

me and a buddy went to Inks in August 2007 and freedove the area around Devils Waterhole. This is located inside Inks State park and down a dirt trail. The water then was quite clear, maybe 10' vis max. When you walk down the dirt trail and it stops at a large / huge rock, you can climb over a tad bit of water, up onto the edge of the rock and around to the right along this huge rock. Rounding the corner is a ledge into the water which makes a nice entry. Here was where the water was clear. There were quite a few bass and catfish under this ledge. I live within 10 min from Lake Inks, Buchanan, Marble Falls, and LBJ lakes. The vis in all these is not great, except for that one trip to Inks. I've been checking the boat ramps at Inks and it seems still a bit murky so far this year. Also - Lake Marble Falls and LBJ are both shallow river lakes fed by the Colorado and Llano rivers, though under the US 281 bridge in Marble Falls, the water looks promising along the rock ledges, but I've never been.