Lake Travis

[hilderwa]

I'm heading out to Lake Travis this weekend and thought I'd ask for a few insider tips to the lake. I am helping out a basic class at windy point and have dove there before but was also wondering what the rest of the lake offered. I have heard rumors of a submerged petrified forrest? Thanks for your info.

 

[archman]

The sunken PECAN GROVE starts between 100-120 feet. It's very hairy and more than a couple fatalities have occurred there, the last one a year or two ago. There's a permanent thermocline down there (brr!), and the water is very opaque. I've never had the nerve to go in past the first couple of trees.

Both Canyon Lake and Lake Amistad also offer submerged forests, probably other deep Texas lakes too.

 

[hilderwa]

Is it hairy because of the depth or other dangers (ie entanglement, low visibility...)

 

[Dee]

Is it hairy because of the depth or other dangers (ie entanglement, low visibility...)

Both. At those depths it's very dark, your light beams is simply absorbed within inches. And the vis can be close to zero, almost blackout conditions. Virtigo is very common with no visual references. The trees are indeed an entanglement. Being waterlogged, the branches don't just break, they bend. So if you do get tangled in one, or more, it's not easy to get out without help. Unless you are in physical contact with your buddy, he/she'll likely never know you are in trouble. It's happened more than once. The 50º temps are normal year round and have already been mentioned

Best stay within the first thermocline in the light. Buddy lines are always recommended.

 

[cyklon_300]

in Travis are not petrified.

I have a different appreciation of the trees than other posters. Granted it is totally dark at depth, and depending on vis it can be a Braille dive. But I have frequently seen excellent vis (~30') in the area of the trees.

The water level of the lake determines the depth you start to encounter the trees. The lake is up right now, so it should be a fairly deep dive. Temps in the trees is ~54F presently.

There are hazards with monofilament, other lines, and silt. You should be careful and have good buddy awareness. It is no place to be separated and entangled.

There are other dive sites at Travis. The area near Mansfield dam features some sunken objects (light aircraft fuselage, some type of barge-looking thing, etc). Diving near the face of the dam, you'll find construction debris from when it was built and some nice vertical limestone walls.

Diving at Tom Hughes park requires mountain goat genes if you attempt to walk down from the parking lot. Some excellent walls here and the site is seldom dived.

If you have access to a boat, there's quite a few other sites that are worth checking out.

 

[Teknadv3x]

.

I have frequently seen excellent vis (~30') in the area of the trees.

I call that the windex layer. It makes the 3 & 1/2 hr drive from Houston well worth it.



Dave

 

[archman]

Is there some particular season or overhead weather condition conducive to the "windex layer?" Everytime I go down there it looks like pea soup. Does it clear up the deeper you penetrate perhaps? We're talking the pecan grove off Windy Point, right?

 

[ScubaTexan]

When I did my deep dive for my advanced open water at Windy Point, we were just above the pecan grove and it was like doing a night dive....and this was in the middle of the afternoon.

 

[cyklon_300]

and the most recent dive in the trees at WP with vis >20' was last November. There was a layer of green crud down to 90', but beneath that the vis was excellent to 140+'.

There is seldom any ambient light in the trees, unless the lake is very low. Using an HID light makes a world of difference.

 

[Teknadv3x]

and the most recent dive in the trees at WP with vis >20' was last November. There was a layer of green crud down to 90', but beneath that the vis was excellent to 140+'.

Gregg please promise you will contact me ASAP if the you see these conditions.

Dave