Diving this weekend 12-15&16th

[Mack Diver]

We got to Aquarena as part of the early group. With only 3 students, things went pretty quick. Sorry I missed you guys. We were done and out of there by 10:45. I had actually thought about hanging around and doing some science diving, but the wife and I went and worked the UT game instead.

So, lets do the preference test:

Lake Travis Aquarena
Water Temp 64 72
Vis 18" 50'
Aquatic Life Minimal Substantial
Entry/Exit Stairs & Rocks Boat Dock / Walk out
Facilities Open air Heated dressing room w/ hot showers

I'm having a hard time picking Lake Travis, unless your main goal is to go deep. I must admit that is the case at times. However, lacking a dry suit, I'll have to stick with the springs this winter.

 

[texdiveguy]

However, lacking a dry suit, I'll have to stick with the springs this winter.

:11:.... you own a dive shop and yet lack a dry suit for yourself....shame!!!

 

[LVX]

We got to Aquarena as part of the early group. With only 3 students, things went pretty quick. Sorry I missed you guys. We were done and out of there by 10:45. I had actually thought about hanging around and doing some science diving, but the wife and I went and worked the UT game instead.

So, lets do the preference test:

Lake Travis Aquarena
Water Temp 64 72
Vis 18" 50'
Aquatic Life Minimal Substantial
Entry/Exit Stairs & Rocks Boat Dock / Walk out
Facilities Open air Heated dressing room w/ hot showers

I'm having a hard time picking Lake Travis, unless your main goal is to go deep. I must admit that is the case at times. However, lacking a dry suit, I'll have to stick with the springs this winter.

I have to say I disagree. I was out at Aquarena on Sunday and I see it a different way.

Lake Travis - low vis gives you the opportunity to fine tune your skills in less than perfect conditions, chilly water lets you keep using that drysuit you paid so much for. Entries and Exits, it is actually harder to get in and out of Aquarena Springs than Lake Travis. Facilities, lake travis, who cares - Aquarena Springs - who cares.

anyway, I will always vote for Lake Travis over Aquarena Springs. I had to go otherwise I would have been at Lake Travis...

Layne

 

[Dutchman]

I would like to dive Lake Travis at some point in the future. What holds me back is the low visibility. It just scares me. One reason for not completing my AOW yet. Being an Ocean diver, I like high vis and open water. Aquarena Springs certification is on my January must do list.

 

[k-valve]

We got to Aquarena as part of the early group. With only 3 students, things went pretty quick. Sorry I missed you guys. We were done and out of there by 10:45. I had actually thought about hanging around and doing some science diving, but the wife and I went and worked the UT game instead.

So, lets do the preference test:

Lake Travis Aquarena
Water Temp 64 72
Vis 18" 50'
Aquatic Life Minimal Substantial
Entry/Exit Stairs & Rocks Boat Dock / Walk out
Facilities Open air Heated dressing room w/ hot showers

I'm having a hard time picking Lake Travis, unless your main goal is to go deep. I must admit that is the case at times. However, lacking a dry suit, I'll have to stick with the springs this winter.

Aquarena...zzzzz....snooore...might as well do some caribbean vacation diving with the touristas on the shallow reefs.

Geez, Mack, no drysuit? Come, man, buy one from yourself and give yourself the wholesale price. I think you can come up with a tax write-off on that too! It's a win-win!

Water Temp
OK, it's 8 degrees warmer at Aquarena. I'll give you that one, but if you had a drysuit you wouldn't care.

Vis
I can see more in Travis in 18" vis (and that's generous for this past weekend) than I can in Aquarena's 50'+. I'm mean, really, what is there to see? Once you've seen one hydrilla plant you've seen them all.

Aquatic Life
Minimal aquatic life in Travis? Come on! There are lots of fish in Travis. Even this weekend with very low vis I saw bass, catfish, sunfish, & Rio Grande perch everywhere I went.

Entry/Exit
I was walking out of Travis this weekend at Bob Wentz. It gets pretty shallow at the point. I'm curious though, what has changed at Aquarena that you now simply stroll out? Last time I was there (this summer) I had to climb out on that algae covered ramp that so many people slip on. Did they get rid of that thing?

Facilities
OK, you got me on that one, but if you had a drysuit you wouldn't care about warm showers...you'd already be warm and dry. You know what they say...after a cold dive a wetsuit divers drink of choice is something warm...a drysuit diver can go for a ice cold beer or something on the rocks instead.

On top of that there is nothing interesting to do at Aquarena...sure you can see, but what? Same old, same old...at least in Travis you can do something different or constructive besides picking hydrilla or fanning deposits off the bottom. Lately, I've been mapping out Bob Wentz Park. A couple of us are going to lay some line for a local shops' Trimix classes in the next few weeks. There are lots of fish in Travis too. Even this weekend with very low vis I saw plenty...bass, catfish, sunfish, Rio Grande perch.

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. Good thing for Aquarena Springs though.

 

[k-valve]

I would like to dive Lake Travis at some point in the future. What holds me back is the low visibility. It just scares me. One reason for not completing my AOW yet. Being an Ocean diver, I like high vis and open water. Aquarena Springs certification is on my January must do list.

You can get your AOW at Aquarena Springs. Just find a shop that is offering a class there. I'm not sure how advanced you'll be once you're finished though.

 

[LVX]

You can get your AOW at Aquarena Springs.

To my knowledge, you cannot get an AOW cert by only diving at Aquarena. There is not enough depth there.

 

[k-valve]

To my knowledge, you cannot get an AOW cert by only diving at Aquarena. There is not enough depth there.

That a good thing! I thought Tom's or Scubaland had done some AOW classes out there...maybe just a portion??

 

[Zinc]

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. Good thing for Aquarena Springs though.

Agreed.

 

[LVX]

That a good thing! I thought Tom's or Scubaland had done some AOW classes out there...maybe just a portion??

There is no way they could do the deep portion of an AOW class there so I assume they were there for only a portion of the class... I disagree with that as well...