handben
Contributor
I hope that we are not overwhelmed with trip reports about the Flower Gardens; but when I am going somewhere, I love to read others experiences. So here goes another trip report.
For starters, I flew in from Baltimore to Houston where I was picked up by my brother who drove in from Austin. Having some 5 plus hours to burn before boarding time, we headed down to Galveston for an early dinner. We made it a bit too early to Freeport (around 7 PM). Unfortunately, there is not much to see or do in Freeport that we could find. There was a nice looking restaurant across the road, but we had just eatin so we didn't try it.
We did park and milled about a bit and talked with some of the other passengers as they were arriving. Of note, there are many fire ants in the grassy area where the cars are parked. I must have gotten a dozen or so bites on my feet (had on Keens). Also as it approached dusk the mosquitos came out in droves. You really cannot board the boat till 8:30, as they are trying to get everything ready and packed for you.
Once aboard everything was smooth, there was some hot snacks (egg rolls, mmm) and other stuff; paperwork to be filled and the captains orientation. Then we were underway. We all picked out our bunks and put away our stuff. Most went to bed fairly early so we would be up in time for the 7 AM dives. There was a light breakfast prior to the dive. I will post my dive book logs for the 7 dives:
Dive #: (FG 1)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 7:05 AM
Location: Flower Gardens West Bank Buoy 1
Weather Conditions: Thunderstorming, otherwise nice, started dive at first light
Water Conditions: 1-2 foot seas, mild current 84 degrees
Max Depth: 83 feet Average 62 feet
Equipment: Too much wetsuit. Nitrox 33%, lights
Narrative:
Lots of barracuda, jacks, the coral was very healthy and abundant
Dive #: (FG 2)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 10:20 AM, Surface Interval: 2:38
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Flower Gardens, West Bank Buoy 1
Weather Conditions: Clearing up
Water Conditions: 100ft vis mild current
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 65 Feet
Bottom Time: 38 minutes
Special Equipment: Took off the wetsuit, just dove with my attractive new white shirt and black shorts, 8 lbs weight (seems about right); nitrox 33%
Narrative: Nice dive, big groupers on wall, neat shrimp and crabs under coral ledge
Dive #: (FG 3)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 1:31 PM Surface Interval 2:32
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: HI 376 (Rig)
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Water Conditions: 100 ft vis, minimal current, temp 84
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 46 Feet
Bottom Time: 47 minutes
Special Equipment: Same as # above, nitrox 33%
Narrative: 1 big tame turtle and I looked at each other eye to eye for about 2-3 minutes before he took off and we played a brief game of chicken before I yielded. Strange catipillar looking worms, 1 smaller turtle. Pods of dolphins schooling during SI.
Dive #: (FG 4)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 4:45 PM
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Flower Gardens East Bank Buoy 3
Weather Conditions: Sunny warm
Water Conditions: 85 degrees, good vis slight current
Max Depth: 79 feet Average Depth: 58 Feet
Bottom Time: 40 minutes
Special Equipment: Nitrox 32%, no wetsuit
Narrative:
Great dive, more good healthy reef
Dive #: (FG 5)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 8:33 PM
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: FG East Bank
Weather Conditions: warm, night-time
Water Conditions: clear, minor current
Max Depth: 75 feet Average Depth: 63 Feet
Bottom Time: 48 minutes
Special Equipment: lights, nitrox 32%
Narrative:
Nice relaxing night dive, so many divers down in a small area was like Alien Invaders, fun to just turn off the light and enjoy the scenary.. Saw moray, lobster, crabs, shrimp, lots of fish trying to sleep.
Dive #: (FG 6)
Date of Dive: 9-2-07
Time of Dive: 6:56 (SI 9 hours 33 minutes)
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Stetson Bank new bouy
Weather Conditions: Still fairly dark, calm
Water Conditions: vis 100+ minimal current
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 64 Feet
Bottom Time: 45 minutes
Special Equipment: light, 32%
Narrative: Brittle star, moray eels, interesting terrain, wall drops off to deep (could see down to 200 feet or so). Many fish.
Dive #: (FG 7)
Date of Dive: 9-2-07
Time of Dive: 10:20AM (SI 2:37)
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Stetson Bank buoy 3
Weather Conditions: Sunny, warm calm
Water Conditions: 100+ ft vis, no current
Max Depth: 92 feet Average Depth: 65 Feet
Bottom Time: 44 minutes
Special Equipment: 32% nitrox
Narrative:
Nice easy dive, minimal current, stingray, sea slug, moray eels.
Other observations: the food was very good and plentiful. Best meals: Beef brisquet and fajitas. The staff works very hard considering that except for the captains, they are all volunteers (work for dives and tips). The bunks are comfortable though small. I recommend bringing good reading material for your surface intervals and also some sturdy clothes pins to hang your towel and suit to let it dry.
In terms of cons for the trip, I am not sure how much we gained by doing nitrox. Our start times and surface intervals were the same as those diving on air. Perhaps we would have hit no decompression limits on air which we didn't hit on nitrox; however we did not stay down much longer than those on air. I thought beforehand that it would have made a bigger difference. In terms of the boat itself, the only constuctive comment (ie criticism) I would make is that the carpeting on the top deck is due for an update. Otherwise things are in great shape.
Ben
For starters, I flew in from Baltimore to Houston where I was picked up by my brother who drove in from Austin. Having some 5 plus hours to burn before boarding time, we headed down to Galveston for an early dinner. We made it a bit too early to Freeport (around 7 PM). Unfortunately, there is not much to see or do in Freeport that we could find. There was a nice looking restaurant across the road, but we had just eatin so we didn't try it.
We did park and milled about a bit and talked with some of the other passengers as they were arriving. Of note, there are many fire ants in the grassy area where the cars are parked. I must have gotten a dozen or so bites on my feet (had on Keens). Also as it approached dusk the mosquitos came out in droves. You really cannot board the boat till 8:30, as they are trying to get everything ready and packed for you.
Once aboard everything was smooth, there was some hot snacks (egg rolls, mmm) and other stuff; paperwork to be filled and the captains orientation. Then we were underway. We all picked out our bunks and put away our stuff. Most went to bed fairly early so we would be up in time for the 7 AM dives. There was a light breakfast prior to the dive. I will post my dive book logs for the 7 dives:
Dive #: (FG 1)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 7:05 AM
Location: Flower Gardens West Bank Buoy 1
Weather Conditions: Thunderstorming, otherwise nice, started dive at first light
Water Conditions: 1-2 foot seas, mild current 84 degrees
Max Depth: 83 feet Average 62 feet
Equipment: Too much wetsuit. Nitrox 33%, lights
Narrative:
Lots of barracuda, jacks, the coral was very healthy and abundant
Dive #: (FG 2)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 10:20 AM, Surface Interval: 2:38
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Flower Gardens, West Bank Buoy 1
Weather Conditions: Clearing up
Water Conditions: 100ft vis mild current
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 65 Feet
Bottom Time: 38 minutes
Special Equipment: Took off the wetsuit, just dove with my attractive new white shirt and black shorts, 8 lbs weight (seems about right); nitrox 33%
Narrative: Nice dive, big groupers on wall, neat shrimp and crabs under coral ledge
Dive #: (FG 3)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 1:31 PM Surface Interval 2:32
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: HI 376 (Rig)
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Water Conditions: 100 ft vis, minimal current, temp 84
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 46 Feet
Bottom Time: 47 minutes
Special Equipment: Same as # above, nitrox 33%
Narrative: 1 big tame turtle and I looked at each other eye to eye for about 2-3 minutes before he took off and we played a brief game of chicken before I yielded. Strange catipillar looking worms, 1 smaller turtle. Pods of dolphins schooling during SI.
Dive #: (FG 4)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 4:45 PM
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Flower Gardens East Bank Buoy 3
Weather Conditions: Sunny warm
Water Conditions: 85 degrees, good vis slight current
Max Depth: 79 feet Average Depth: 58 Feet
Bottom Time: 40 minutes
Special Equipment: Nitrox 32%, no wetsuit
Narrative:
Great dive, more good healthy reef
Dive #: (FG 5)
Date of Dive: 9-1-07
Time of Dive: 8:33 PM
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: FG East Bank
Weather Conditions: warm, night-time
Water Conditions: clear, minor current
Max Depth: 75 feet Average Depth: 63 Feet
Bottom Time: 48 minutes
Special Equipment: lights, nitrox 32%
Narrative:
Nice relaxing night dive, so many divers down in a small area was like Alien Invaders, fun to just turn off the light and enjoy the scenary.. Saw moray, lobster, crabs, shrimp, lots of fish trying to sleep.
Dive #: (FG 6)
Date of Dive: 9-2-07
Time of Dive: 6:56 (SI 9 hours 33 minutes)
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Stetson Bank new bouy
Weather Conditions: Still fairly dark, calm
Water Conditions: vis 100+ minimal current
Max Depth: 87 feet Average Depth: 64 Feet
Bottom Time: 45 minutes
Special Equipment: light, 32%
Narrative: Brittle star, moray eels, interesting terrain, wall drops off to deep (could see down to 200 feet or so). Many fish.
Dive #: (FG 7)
Date of Dive: 9-2-07
Time of Dive: 10:20AM (SI 2:37)
Dive Buddy: Jim
Location: Stetson Bank buoy 3
Weather Conditions: Sunny, warm calm
Water Conditions: 100+ ft vis, no current
Max Depth: 92 feet Average Depth: 65 Feet
Bottom Time: 44 minutes
Special Equipment: 32% nitrox
Narrative:
Nice easy dive, minimal current, stingray, sea slug, moray eels.
Other observations: the food was very good and plentiful. Best meals: Beef brisquet and fajitas. The staff works very hard considering that except for the captains, they are all volunteers (work for dives and tips). The bunks are comfortable though small. I recommend bringing good reading material for your surface intervals and also some sturdy clothes pins to hang your towel and suit to let it dry.
In terms of cons for the trip, I am not sure how much we gained by doing nitrox. Our start times and surface intervals were the same as those diving on air. Perhaps we would have hit no decompression limits on air which we didn't hit on nitrox; however we did not stay down much longer than those on air. I thought beforehand that it would have made a bigger difference. In terms of the boat itself, the only constuctive comment (ie criticism) I would make is that the carpeting on the top deck is due for an update. Otherwise things are in great shape.
Ben
