richerso
Contributor
Here you go Swampers! ! !
I was in need of a mental health break on Friday so I loaded all of my gear in my truck and headed north. Well, at least I claim I loaded all of my gear into my truck.
I had a nice peaceful drive up I-35W and into Oklahoma. I found Lake Murray. It hasn't moved which is a good thing. I don't know what I would have done otherwise.
Somewhere north of Gainesville, I had this vision that my dive boots were still sitting next to the door (my house). Yep. That's my dive boots. There they are. They are not here in my truck. Crap! Now that I think about it, my dive flag is sitting there too! Oh well, I ain't turnin' around now. Crap!
Last weekend at Murray, I heard a rumor that there was a dive shop around there somewhere, so needin' boots and a flag, I decided to go look for it. Found it! Scuba J's Dive Shop located at the Murray marina just a couple of miles away from Marietta Landing. Of course, Scuba J only works on Saturday and Sunday. This being Friday, I was out o' luck.
I decided to go dive ye' olde crab trap. I found a pair of old velcro sandals in the truck that I decided would just fine as a substitute for dive boots. I think I have ruined them now and I may have to go purchase a new pair but that's another story.
Anyways, I pull up at that old spillway tower and start to survey the site. There is only one other vehicle in the area. Wouldn't you know, there's a hillbilly family (no offense to anyone from east Texas), that's fishin' right at the spot where I wanted to drop in . . . . . . . . and, they are casting their reels right into the area of the crab trap! Crap! Right where I wanted to dive!
So I head to my back up site. You guys and gals know it. The sandy beach entry point over at Marietta Landing. Since I didn't have my dive boots, I conscripted my open-toe velcro sandals into service as a substitute. They worked. Mostly. But I think I have ruined them now. Since I didn't have my dive flag, I opted to dive sans dive flag. I don't want to hear any crap from anyone about this ! Okay?
Not really having any dive objective other than just recovering my sanity, I headed north on a 30 deg compass heading. I finned along for a while. The sandals worked well. (Don't worry. I also had fins on. I am not completely insane yet. That comes later)
After finning along for a while to the north, I found a max depth of 42 ft. I turned to the east and kicked along for a while over a mostly featureless terrain. At this point I was beginning to get bored. I decided to turn south, head in closer to shore and look for the infamous scuba park. After reaching a depth of 30 ft. I turned and followed the shore in search of the scuba park. Found it. I hadn't actually spent any time around the scuba park before Friday. I have heard people talk about it but I hadn't really spent any time there. It was interesting what with the boat hulls and the motorcycle and all. I found two training platforms. Is that all of them?
After this, I headed back to my entry point. I overshot the beach by about 100 ft or so. I popped up, looked around, and thought, hmmmm, that sucks. So I set a new compass heading for the beach. After getting out of the water, I lounged around the area for a while, cleaned my gear and surveyed the water damage to my leather sandals. Oh well. What can you do?
On the trip back to TX, I had to stop in Marietta for gasoline. You know, it's that liquid that makes my truck go. It costs a lot of money these days. Anyway, I got back on I-35 just in time to fall in six vehicles . . . . . . count 'em . . .. . six vehicle behind the OU football bus convoy complete with state police escort rolling down the highway -- blocking up traffic. Now I went to OSU. I never got a state police escort when I came to Texas. Well, except for that one time; but that's another story too.
I certainly never got a state police escort while I was being chauffered in a tour bus. I am kind of jealous. Really.
Oh yea. Water temp: 77F at the surface and it only got to 74F at 40 ft. Vis: about six feet. Nothing more. I couldn't see my fins from my eyeball/head location.
I was in need of a mental health break on Friday so I loaded all of my gear in my truck and headed north. Well, at least I claim I loaded all of my gear into my truck.
I had a nice peaceful drive up I-35W and into Oklahoma. I found Lake Murray. It hasn't moved which is a good thing. I don't know what I would have done otherwise.
Somewhere north of Gainesville, I had this vision that my dive boots were still sitting next to the door (my house). Yep. That's my dive boots. There they are. They are not here in my truck. Crap! Now that I think about it, my dive flag is sitting there too! Oh well, I ain't turnin' around now. Crap!
Last weekend at Murray, I heard a rumor that there was a dive shop around there somewhere, so needin' boots and a flag, I decided to go look for it. Found it! Scuba J's Dive Shop located at the Murray marina just a couple of miles away from Marietta Landing. Of course, Scuba J only works on Saturday and Sunday. This being Friday, I was out o' luck.
I decided to go dive ye' olde crab trap. I found a pair of old velcro sandals in the truck that I decided would just fine as a substitute for dive boots. I think I have ruined them now and I may have to go purchase a new pair but that's another story.
Anyways, I pull up at that old spillway tower and start to survey the site. There is only one other vehicle in the area. Wouldn't you know, there's a hillbilly family (no offense to anyone from east Texas), that's fishin' right at the spot where I wanted to drop in . . . . . . . . and, they are casting their reels right into the area of the crab trap! Crap! Right where I wanted to dive!
So I head to my back up site. You guys and gals know it. The sandy beach entry point over at Marietta Landing. Since I didn't have my dive boots, I conscripted my open-toe velcro sandals into service as a substitute. They worked. Mostly. But I think I have ruined them now. Since I didn't have my dive flag, I opted to dive sans dive flag. I don't want to hear any crap from anyone about this ! Okay?
Not really having any dive objective other than just recovering my sanity, I headed north on a 30 deg compass heading. I finned along for a while. The sandals worked well. (Don't worry. I also had fins on. I am not completely insane yet. That comes later)
After finning along for a while to the north, I found a max depth of 42 ft. I turned to the east and kicked along for a while over a mostly featureless terrain. At this point I was beginning to get bored. I decided to turn south, head in closer to shore and look for the infamous scuba park. After reaching a depth of 30 ft. I turned and followed the shore in search of the scuba park. Found it. I hadn't actually spent any time around the scuba park before Friday. I have heard people talk about it but I hadn't really spent any time there. It was interesting what with the boat hulls and the motorcycle and all. I found two training platforms. Is that all of them?
After this, I headed back to my entry point. I overshot the beach by about 100 ft or so. I popped up, looked around, and thought, hmmmm, that sucks. So I set a new compass heading for the beach. After getting out of the water, I lounged around the area for a while, cleaned my gear and surveyed the water damage to my leather sandals. Oh well. What can you do?
On the trip back to TX, I had to stop in Marietta for gasoline. You know, it's that liquid that makes my truck go. It costs a lot of money these days. Anyway, I got back on I-35 just in time to fall in six vehicles . . . . . . count 'em . . .. . six vehicle behind the OU football bus convoy complete with state police escort rolling down the highway -- blocking up traffic. Now I went to OSU. I never got a state police escort when I came to Texas. Well, except for that one time; but that's another story too.
I certainly never got a state police escort while I was being chauffered in a tour bus. I am kind of jealous. Really.
Oh yea. Water temp: 77F at the surface and it only got to 74F at 40 ft. Vis: about six feet. Nothing more. I couldn't see my fins from my eyeball/head location.
