Eastern Oklahoma Scuba is OK!

[pcowboy6196]

Was Tim Knight your Insturctor? I was told the lake was getting better in vis.

My instructor was Randy Piper with Poseiden Adventures. Great guy. And yeah the vis was decent when I was there and there had been alot of divers on site before we went down.

 

[Trisha]

Hey Teresa38, welcome!
We dove at Fisherman's Point Saturday. Horrible visibility -- we sent Richard, my better half, down with the dive flag and actually held the line on the way to meet him. Otherwise, you'd lose your buddy in the murk!
Take a good light and a 5-mil wetsuit, because it didn't get better until 30 feet down. Two weeks ago it was okay at 20 feet. Blame the rain.

The new scuba park is a section buoyed off, just look for the dive decals on the vehicles. The bathhouse is nearby, just up the hill. Camping is all around, and so far every time we've arrived there were swimmers as well as divers in the water. Look for dive flags, since it's popular for instruction.
The entry is the old boat ramp, so it's an easy walk. We have been using the large boulders lining the ramp to gear up, but a tarp or folding chair helps.

To get to the sunken bus, take a heading from the ramp to the tall white buoy marker on the left corner. That's SW. Surface swim out within 20-30 feet of the white marker and decend. The top of the bus is around 17-19 feet (I did my safety stop there), the high end is at 25 feet, the low end is at 34 feet. It's an interesting swim-through, and best of all the bluegills and bass like it. The viz didn't open up Saturday until I was at the open hood of the bus, around 30 feet. Two weeks before I could look in from the back and watch my husband at the side entrance.

Stay around 20-25 feet and aim north along the shore to find a pair of boats, a plaque about the new scuba park, and a single boat. We heard about another plaque at the bottom of a tree out west the bus, at around 60-70 feet, but get good directions from someone who has found it.

Also, Big Daddy's is just outside of the Lake Tenkiller State Park entrance. Great barbeque and onion rings. We often do our surface interval there. We've never gotten airfills there, and I believe they are no longer available.
Gene's AquaPro is at Strayhorn Landing in Gore, and this is where we have gotten our tanks filled. (918) 487-5221

 

[Bill51]

I know of an A Frame with a broken hot tub overlooking Tenkiller that might make for a great place to warm up after a dive if we can get an invite – hint, hint, hint. Should I bring my gear next time I head back that way?

 

[tech24]

Hello Teresa:
I just Dove at Tenkiller Crappie Point, Sunday19 June 2005. the visibility was about 6" until we decended to about 30 feet it was very clear there about 4 feet.i am going to lake Ouchita Arkansas Sunday 24 july I will let you know how it goes it is suppose to be much clearer than Tenkiller.


tech2424

Hello fellow SCUBA divers, after Bill51 turned me on to this website I just had to "Post" now I am confused, am I writing or ridding? Just to set the story right on Tenkiller Lake. I also was certified in this lake with a 6'' vis and the instructor having to shine a dive light in my face to see if I took of the mask, and me with contacts had to close my eyes, it was quite an exciting moment. To say the least when we were done and He saw the look on my face (smile from ear to ear) he told me if I could have that much fun in this vis, much less not panic, I could dive anywhere. Putting it lightly if Tenkiller is my only option to get wet, I will. But if I can get in warm water and see something besides perch and catfish I am a happy camper! It is a big lake and maybe at one time "The clearest" in Oklahoma, but I can't see it (or though it). The very best vis I have yet to encounter is about 5'. Question, where is the new SCUBA park at?
I just moved back from Florida and would like to check this out.

Teresa38

 

[Teresa38]

I know of an A Frame with a broken hot tub overlooking Tenkiller that might make for a great place to warm up after a dive if we can get an invite – hint, hint, hint. Should I bring my gear next time I head back that way?

The hottub will be fixed asap, Jeff the Muffdiver will be there to fix it! Grab your gear and head this way.

 

[Teresa38]

Hello Teresa:
I just Dove at Tenkiller Crappie Point, Sunday19 June 2005. the visibility was about 6" until we decended to about 30 feet it was very clear there about 4 feet.i am going to lake Ouchita Arkansas Sunday 24 july I will let you know how it goes it is suppose to be much clearer than Tenkiller.


tech2424

Hey there tech. I am a Whirlpool worker myself (wish it was Baldor). Have a blast at Quchita. I will be at the cabin this weekend at Tenkiller.
(Fixing the hottub) and maybe a quick dive! Let me know if you ever need a dive buddy.