Help Planning Rig Trip

[Aggie Diver]

Anyone have contact info. for boats that run rig trips (at least two, preferably three dives)?

We had one that the club used to use extensively, but he keeps jacking up his price every time we talk to him over the last year, so we're exploring other options.

Please post, PM, or feel free to email me (blackwell@tamu.edu)

Thanks!

 

[mikkilj]

My husband and I are getting certified this July... Although we have been snorkeling for a long time (actually snorkeled around the Great Blue Hole in Belize!!), we are obviously new divers. I understand that the Flower Gardens is an advanced dive and we plan on getting our advanced open water cert before attempting that dive. What about the rig dives though? What sort of experience/skills should we have prior to attempting that? As newbies, would we be able to perhaps do a shallower dive? We are excited about getting certified and want to enjoy our c-cards and expand our skills as much as possible, but we want to dive within our abilities and not do stupid things . Any advice is appreciated!

-=* Mikki *=-

 

[Aggie Diver]

Even with your advanced certs, I would recommend getting some diving (a good 30-40 dives) under your belt before trying the gulf (Flower Gardens or the rigs). You can find yourself in over your head in a hurry out there with big seas and more importantly for your diving ripping currents.

I'd say you need about the same experience level before trying a rig. It can be like glass out there with no waves and no current, or it can be rocking to the point where you have to hold on to the rig or get swept off the rig and into the wild blue.

I don't want to rain on your parade on that, but I've got about 150 dives and the rigs are still one of the places I find the most the difficult to dive.

 

[Dee]

Ditto what Aggie Diver said. Whether you dive the Flower Gardens or the rigs, it's still the Gulf of Mexico and conditions can and will change quickly. Get some experience diving in currents and rough sea conditions before you consider going there. We both speak from experience!

 

[redacted]

Trip was set up with Ascuba Ventures in Corpus, but he gave me his card for a private trip. Boat was new and good for about 6 divers. Not specially rigged for scuba but it worked. 12 tanks piled against the stern OK but 18 might be a bit much.

Capt Erik A Strand
Varmint Hunter Deep Sea Charters - Port A
estrand@palm.net
361-749-3778
361-877-7515

If you end up with an extra space, please let me know.

 

[mikkilj]

Ditto what Aggie Diver said. Whether you dive the Flower Gardens or the rigs, it's still the Gulf of Mexico and conditions can and will change quickly. Get some experience diving in currents and rough sea conditions before you consider going there. We both speak from experience!

Thanks for the advice! Now for the million dollar question - where can we get such experience and build our skill level without being in a setting that is too advanced for us?

-=* Mikki *=-

 

[Dee]

Thanks for the advice! Now for the million dollar question - where can we get such experience and build our skill level without being in a setting that is too advanced for us?

-=* Mikki *=-

That's always the Catch 22. We advise you to get more experience before you go to the Gulf but how to get it if you don't go there!

I'd suggest Cozumel first. Get used to the currents. Not just drifting along with them but swimming across them and against them. There are quite a few shore diving areas where you could do this without trying to keep up with a group. Of course, I've done very few drift dives in Coz that didn't involve at least one of those skills.

Second I'd strongly suggest you get rescue training. The skills you'll learn are priceless under any conditions.

If you have to go to the Gulf, make sure you go with a very experienced boat captain in a boat that's dedicated to scubadiving and has all the Coast Guard required safety equipment. Some of the charter boats that will take you out to the rigs also serve as fishing boats. You don't want tanks loose on the deck, gear stacked in piles, the boat overloaded with divers and no O2 on board. I also do not go out in the Gulf in a boat less than 40-45ft long. 5-6 ft seas in a 25-30ft boat isn't fun anymore. The smaller boats also take forever to get out and back.

Also make sure you have a very experienced buddy. If/when the brown stuff hits the fan, you want someone close by who can truly help you. Even if this means splitting up your regular buddy team. That person also need the advantage of the experienced.

Or you can take you chances and book the first charter you find, hope for that you'll have flat seas and hope and pray all goes well. That's how alot of us learned but I also know of several who took those odds and didn't come back. The Gulf can be and is a magnificent place if you're prepared for it, but she has her own set of rules. I don't mean to sound like a nay sayer but I've seen the ugly side of the Gulf more often than I'd like, and seen what can happen to those who aren't prepared to handle it.

 

[mikkilj]

Or you can take you chances and book the first charter you find, hope for that you'll have flat seas and hope and pray all goes well. That's how alot of us learned but I also know of several who took those odds and didn't come back. The Gulf can be and is a magnificent place if you're prepared for it, but she has her own set of rules. I don't mean to sound like a nay sayer but I've seen the ugly side of the Gulf more often than I'd like, and seen what can happen to those who aren't prepared to handle it.

Thanks again for the info! We are booked on a cruise in early Dec. that will be stopping in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Belize... The hours in port stink for that cruise, but we should be able to get some diving in, even if it is just a brief shore dive or two. I'm also reading about other non-Gulf local dive locations to at least get some beyond-certification experience in before we go on the cruise. Anyway, thanks again! Now I just have another excuse to go on more Caribbean dive trips ;-).

-=* Mikki *=-

 

[Hawkeye Mark]

I will second all the above. I have tried to go to the Flower Gardens twice. Cancelled by high seas both times. First trip to rigs I got seasick. Second time currents too bad. Went out twice with a friend of mine last summer on his 24' boat. First time went in all okay. When we came up weather had kicked up and he had to pull off the rig. took awhile to get back on boat. Blew off second dive and went back to dock. Went two weeks later and it was like glass and no current. Four tries and I had one good experience. Will go this summer. Friend of mine who owns boat is dive instructor, certified cave diver and is ultracautious in the gulf. Does not care to take newbies with him out there and will not go out with seas more than 3 ft. I just hit 200 dives and they are the most difficult dives I have done other than the Superior Producer in Curacao.

 

[Aggie Diver]

Another "baby step" way of getting used to current would be to go down to the Comal and camp at Landa RV Park and do a couple of dives there. It doesn't quite compare to the Gulf by any means, but there is a moderate current that, like Dee suggested, you can swim against, across, up and down, get used to having to deal with water pushing you where it wants to take you, not necessarily where you want to go.

I would also suggest Cozumel, that's about all you do there (drift dives in current).

Other than that, I would really research around and like suggested, go out on a *diving boat* (not just a combo dive/fishing charter that has to redneck rig the boat for diving) with a boat captain experienced in Gulf dive trips, and it would probably be a good idea to find an instructor experienced in Gulf trips for the trip as well.

Don't want to scare you off, but like Dee said - the Gulf can be one nasty place.