Ques about Flower Gardens

[Jethroish]

I'm in Oklahoma. Wife and I are wanting to plan a dive for early spring.
Is it best to schedule/book through a dive shop in the Houston/Galveston/Freeport area?
What type of suit is needed in the spring? 3mm full? more? less?

Next, I am not looking to get pummeled by the dive board police....

We have only been diving since March 2005. We have logged about 20 dives, including 2 trips to some Panama City wrecks (4 dives 70-80 feet), and will probably have a few more before then. We both have computers and will dive nitrox if we go.
We tend to be very conservative with our diving.
Would this be a little much for us at this point? I mean, it is not a trip I would consider if we had not done the dives off PCB.
Thanks

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I hope what I have to say is not considered pummeling. I attempt to give people honest answers that are based on opinion and experience.

Early Spring in the gardens... only about one in 6 or 8 trips goes due to weather. Water temps are in the upper 60's. Some people are comfortable in a 5mm and a hood, others need more protection than that. Bring a hood and gloves.

The greatest issue in the spring is the surface conditions. Getting on a ladder in 4-5 foot waves takes timing, patience, and some strength. Not guaranteeing the waves will be 4-5 foot, but I won't guarantee they will be less than that either.

If you are comfortable in the water, the gardens should be fine for you.

You can book through any shop. It really doesn't make a difference. Shop around, you could save $10-20 apiece. Print off your releases, fill them out, ask the shop to fax you their releases and have them done before you go.

Have fun.

TwoBit

 

[Jethroish]

Thanks TwoBit. No that was not pummeling, lol. It was what I was looking for.

Sounds like we might rather wait until later in the spring. I would rather not deal with rough seas nor the risky weather.

Guess we might take a look elswhere.

Thanks again.

 

[redacted]

Even 5mm is probably too light. I'm fairly warm blooded, but in mid march I was cold in Henderson GC 5mm with beanie & 3mm shortie. OK for the first couple dives but you can make 5 dives that first day and it drains you. I had 2 chemical heater which I used in the pm dives. Next year I'm taking 7 of the chemical heaters. They worked great wraped in a neoprene pocket to protect from burning and dropped down the front of the wetsuit.

Spring trip are rough. Some folks didn't make a single dive between seasickness and ladder shy.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

I'm in Oklahoma. Wife and I are wanting to plan a dive for early spring.
Is it best to schedule/book through a dive shop in the Houston/Galveston/Freeport area?
What type of suit is needed in the spring? 3mm full? more? less?

Next, I am not looking to get pummeled by the dive board police....

We have only been diving since March 2005. We have logged about 20 dives, including 2 trips to some Panama City wrecks (4 dives 70-80 feet), and will probably have a few more before then. We both have computers and will dive nitrox if we go.
We tend to be very conservative with our diving.
Would this be a little much for us at this point? I mean, it is not a trip I would consider if we had not done the dives off PCB.
Thanks

I'll be honest with you:

I think you'll need significantly more experience for this trip.

A caveat: my experience in the Flower Gardens is summer only. But the diving at that time of year is, apparently, much more forgiving than spring.

The Gardens and Stetson are, first off, pretty deep at their shallowest point. As a result, you'll need to be fully comfortable in a free descent with limited points of reference. It also is quite possible there will be significant current...significant enough that you'll be forced to drag yourself down a mooring line.

We had good visibilty and reasonably slack current for some dives. We also had murky water and ripping current for others. These conditions can and did change during dives (they got worse). How comfortable are you with doing a safety stop in the water column if this occurs and you lose your bearings? What about your navigation skills?

Exits can also be challenging. The ladders are long and the boat can buck like a bronco. You'll have to remove your fins and haul yourself along a line to get to them. If the swells are up, you may have to wait quite a while for divers in front of you to get on board.

Finally, are you comfortable in all of this knowing you won't have a divemaster or guide around to assist you?

The Flower Gardens and Stetson are well worth doing...but they are serious dives and have the potential to significantly punish the unprepared.

 

[Jethroish]

thanks for further input.

 

[Cudabait]

Several things......

Being in OK you'll want to maximize your chances of making a trip without being cancelled. It is always a possibility, regardless of when you book. However, July, August and early September are the best times. I think the boats will begin posting their 2006 schedules in November or December. Check their schedule and contact the shop blocked in for those dates to book a trip.

Flower Gardens trips involve boat diving techniques which differ and are more advanced than Caribbean boat dives. I would suggest you do an Advanced course and do some more dives between now and next summer. The advanced course will give you some additional skills that will certainly make one more capable and comfortable at the Flower Garden Banks. Some additional dives will afford you the opportunity to exercise the skills.

The Flower Gardens are a great dive and everyone should have the chance to dive there!!

Regards,

 

[TwoBitTxn]

The Gardens and Stetson are, first off, pretty deep at their shallowest point. As a result, you'll need to be fully comfortable in a free descent with limited points of reference.

Every single dive briefing I have listened to has contained the words, "Do not do a free descent. Use the side line to go to the mooring line and descend on the mooring line."

Follow your dive briefings.

TwoBit

 

[fairybasslet]

Every single dive briefing I have listened to has contained the words, "Do not do a free descent. Use the side line to go to the mooring line and descend on the mooring line."

Follow your dive briefings.

TwoBit

I agree. I was there over Labor Day and we always were told to descend on the mooring line. The only time we were told not to hold the line during an ascent was at the platform.

 

[trixiegirl1970]

I am booked for the Flower Gardens in October through Gulf-Diving. Now I am nervous. But thanks for providing the input, I will do more dives in the lake before I go now.