Lake Travis Report 8/12/07

[k-valve]

Spent the day diving out at Windy Point on Lake Travis yesterday, so I thought I'd post a report for ya'll seeing as how a bunch of us are going to spend the Sept. 14th weekend camping out there.

First off, the water temp is AWESOME. We're starting to feel a few thermoclines, but I believe it's mostly from the upper few feet heating up from all the sunshine! The surface temp yesterday was nearly 100 degrees...bathwater, baby. At 150' the temp was still 83 degrees. I made that dive in my shorty and was compeltely comfortable.

All this warm water has resulted in poor vis for the top 15'-20' of the water column. It's very poor at those depths. After that it starts to get better and clears up very nicely at 60'-65'. That continues to at least 150'+ which was my max depth yesterday.

It's also very dark where the water starts to clear. Vis was in the range of 10' with my Light Cannon. I think you'd see much further with a hid with a narrow beam like an OMS Phantom or other wreck/cave type light.

Overall great diving! It's busy out there though...lots of classes. Avoid them by entering the water near the public side. No one was diving over there yesterday but me and my dive buddy.

 

[ianr33]

Thats interesting about the viz at depth. last weekend at the dam it was awful below 100 feet or so.
Maybe I should go to windy point instead!

 

[texdiveguy]

FAt 150' the temp was still 83 degrees. I made that dive in my shorty and was compeltely comfortable.

John thanks for the report---sure wish it had worked for me to join up but stayed close to DFW all weekend.

That is a just DANG 'warm' at 150ffw!!!

Glad you had a good safe time diving.

 

[LVX]

Thats interesting about the viz at depth. last weekend at the dam it was awful below 100 feet or so.
Maybe I should go to windy point instead!

Hey Ian,

Want to plan a dive this coming weekend.

thanks

Layne

 

[k-valve]

Thats interesting about the viz at depth. last weekend at the dam it was awful below 100 feet or so.

Yeah, it was the same at Windy Point the weekend before last. It was nice to 103' and then zeroed out...no idea why it was better this weekend, but the trees down there were pretty cool. :14: Pretty pristine too...except for the shopping cart at 145' that some dipstick dumped off their boat.

 

[k-valve]

That is a just DANG 'warm' at 150ffw!!!

Yep...the water is definitely warm right now. Not 100% sure why, but I'd guess that it's probably due to all the water they let out when we were flooding. Mansfield releases water from the bottom of the lake so they let a whole lot of cold water out. Last year about this time I wouldn't dive below 100' feet because it was so darn cold.

 

[Joe-Diver]

Has anyone been down by the dam? We're planning to take some Advanced students there Sunday for the deep dive.....

 

[ianr33]

Has anyone been down by the dam? We're planning to take some Advanced students there Sunday for the deep dive.....

Was there on Sunday.

It is a nice dive right up next to the dam. 2 wrecked sail boats,one at 75 (ish) feet the other at around 40 feet. These are real wrecks,not sanitised artificial reefs

Viz should be good down to 100 feet,maybe further. there are some nice little cliffs at 90-100 and some construction junk from when the dam was built.

A good dive on the Travis Scale and I would imagine a good location for a first deep dive. Stuff to look at,easy navigation and no trees to get tangled up in.

It is best to go down the steps closest to the dam. If you park in the upper area be aware you may get a ticket for not having a camping permit. Happened to me the other week. Good to see my tax $$$ at work

 

[Joe-Diver]

Thanks...It's been a while but I've been there before....I'm looking for a vis/temp/depth report on the dam area....should be similar to WP but just curious if anyone went last weekend...and did you need a light as was mentioned for WP...

 

[ianr33]

Thanks...It's been a while but I've been there before....I'm looking for a vis/temp/depth report on the dam area....should be similar to WP but just curious if anyone went last weekend...and did you need a light as was mentioned for WP...

Viz zero to 20 feet not so good. maybe 3 feet
20-100 very good. 15 feet. Below 100 seemed to be gradually getting worse
Temp at 100 was 80 !!!

You will need lights of some sort below ,say 40 feet,regular rec lights are fine.