Flower Gardens Trip Report

[BradJ]

I was on the Spree this weekend. The seas were pretty large going out Friday and all day and night Saturday. They were consistently in the 5 - 6 foot range with the dive ladders coming out of the water. It calmed down on Sunday for Stetson which was a nice relief.
While the seas made getting back on the boat a challenge, it was the strong current on Saturday that made it interesting. They were running from the stern to the bow of the boat and would suck the lines under the keel. Nothing like fighting a strong current all dive only to be ascend under a 100' boat crashing down on you trying to get out.
But overall the trip was great. Just about everyone saw a number of hammerheads as well as eagle rays. The weather wasn't bad, pretty warm and sunny at times. The crew was great and really made challenging conditions bearable and safe for all of us.

 

[all4diving]

How many dives did you get in each day?
Do they allow doubles?
What was the vis?
Which reef did you dive?
How many divers on board?
What are the sleeping quarters like?

Sorry for the 20 questions. Thinking about gettng some buddies to do this trip later this summer but don't know much about the conditions. Thanks in advance for your info. Any additional info would be appreciated.

 

[HammerNoMore]

I've never dove with the Flee/Spree but I can answer these for you for the SeaSearcher II.

How many dives did you get in each day?

It often depends on the weather and other conditions but as many as 5 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday.

Do they allow doubles?

I doubt it but you could ask. The SSII only supplies air so the usefullness of doubles is questionable.

What was the vis?

I had around 60' in March.

Which reef did you dive?

Typically all three: East & West banks of the Flower Gardens and Stetson. You should also get a rig dive on the way back in.

How many divers on board?

The SSII does 16. When I went it was not full and was very comfortable. It would probably be a little crowded if full. I understand the Flee/Spree do nearly twice as many and are only about a foot longer. It doesn't sound pleasant.

What are the sleeping quarters like?

Bunks. The SSII had a large room in the stern with 8 bunks. Two in the middle with 4 bunks each. And another in the front that can accomodate a couple. (I know this doesn't add up to 16 but 16 is what their website says.) Each bunk has a curtain for privacy.

Sorry for the 20 questions. Thinking about gettng some buddies to do this trip later this summer but don't know much about the conditions. Thanks in advance for your info. Any additional info would be appreciated.

It's a great trip and I loved it. It's not the most challanging dive in the world but definatly not for a beginner either. If you are prone to seasickness start taking somthing early. When I went the currents were mild, but I understand that is not always the case.

The bottom is 60-80 feet for all dives. You are not led by a DM so are responisble for your own navigation. They have dingys if you screw it up but if there were swells, spotting you could be a problem.

Usually all 3 boats are at the same spot. If you surface at the wrong boat they will transfer you by dingy but be prepaired to be harrassed mercilessly by your fellow divers .

James

 

[BradJ]

What James outlined is pretty much true for the Gulf Diving boats, the Spree and the Fling.

How many dives did you get in each day?

We did four dives on Saturday, they called the night due to high seas. Last time I went out when the weather was good we did five dives including a night dive. I think that's the most they will do in one day. Two of the dives were on the West Bank and two were on the East Bank. They usually give the option of doing a rig dive instead of one of the reef dives if the weather is cooperating.

Do they allow doubles?

They are strictly planned no decompression diving so doubles would really be unnecessary. They do allow oversized cylinders and pony bottles for emergencies. Nitrox is available but they don't do high pressure fills.

What was the vis?

It was probably about sixty feet on the Banks but a lot less at Stetson, maybe thirty feet which is typical.

How many divers on board?

They pack them in. A full boat like this past weekend carries 34 divers. It can get crowded come dive time but sleeping, eating and SIs aren't as bad as you might think. Unlike the SSII, they have a big deck on top that spreads people out.


It really is a good trip. The crew is very friendly and helpful. Like James said, the conditions really make a difference as far as the difficulty of diving. If the currents are moving you have to watch it, but they manage to keep it safe for all but the really inexperienced.
I would probably have tried the SSII but most of the dive shops I use go with Gulf Diving. If they do more dives combined with the smaller crowds, they might be a better choice.

Hope that helps.

Brad

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I have dove both.

The crowdedness of the Gulf Diving boats, in my opinion, is noticable but bearable. It is possible to get away from the people.

Watch the clock. When you are getting close to the two hour mark, be ready to hit the water as soon as the gate opens. That gets you away from the crowds gearing up.

I don't see doubles being useful on the banks. I do, however, see the availability of Nitrox as a HUGE bonus and worth the extra expense. The gardens were made for nitrox. The Gulf Diving boats pump 32%. The time and safety margin is worth it.

The bunks are ok. I would guess about 36" wide or so. Maybe a little more. Don't expect much privacy on either boat.

HTH

TwoBit

 

[BradJ]

You know, I thought diving EAN would really pay off out there too (which I did on my trip). But that wasn't my experience.
I was solo so I got paired-up with a guy that was diving air. Everyone else had a buddy in advance. I was a little ticked that I might lose some bottom time but it didn't happen.
The guy was a real good diver with a lot of experience and we talked in advance about how to handle the possible conflict. We both used Suunto computers, mine set to EAN and his air.
We were both pretty light breathers with a lot of bottom time on all the dives and we did them all. I figured at first it wouldn't pay off much with the first dive or two, but would really catch up by the third or fourth. He never ran out of bottom time by his computer though. Didn't even come that close he said.
He did dive slightly more conservatively than me, maybe three to five shallower most of the time, but nothing substantial. All I can guess is the mandatory 2.5 hour SIs really give you back time.
I need to check my dives against air tables, the computer probably bought some extra time, but our profiles were pretty square.
I don't know, kind of makes you re-think that extra $$$ for EAN.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

IMHO,

The benefits of the EAN isn't just in extended time, but in the added margin of safety. That is intense diving. The ladder rodeo getting back on the boat can rattle the body pretty good. I also noticed a difference in my exhaustion levels after 8 dives on air and 7 dives on EAN. I don't know if it was the added O2 or mental or what.

Just my....

TwoBit(s)

 

[BradJ]

Is there really an increased safety margin? The incidence of DCS is so low to begin with, now maybe if you dive EAN within air limits, I don't know.
I personally haven't realized the "feel better" benefits of EAN and to be honest, the people I see in my line of work that are on 100% O2 all the time don't look like they're feel ing all that great. But they're in the hospital so...

 

[steleehin]

all for diving the web site for fling and spree is
www.gulf-diving.com it can answer all questions.