Scientific Diver Course - Aquarena Springs

[cyklon_300]

For those that have taken this course, how many dives are done each day?

Also, since taking the course how often have you dived the springs....

Any other tidbits (was it fun, did you think the material covered was useful, etc.) you care to share would be appreciated.

 

[archman]

For the basic class, you do a skills verification dive Saturday after lunch... that's in the enclosed area (or not if the submarine is still full of water). Saturday evening you have a night dive out in the lake. Sunday morning you have your first "real" dive, and start helping out with simple projects. It's three dives total, plus a fun little boat ride and tour of the aquarium.

After taking the class in October, I haven't dove anywhere else in Texas. I might go to Travis once or twice to feed the fish and visit the deeper ledges, oh and that Clear Springs place way up in Dallas sounds pretty neat. But Aquarena is definitely "the bomb". I think Bridget just recently posted the spring class schedule too.

If you'd like a comprehensive review of the class, I'll link this...
http://scubaclub.tamu.edu/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27

 

[ScubaTexan]

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to dive there again since I completed the course, but I'm hoping to at some point this year.

 

[Blowin Da Bubbl]

I will be diving there for the first time in 2 weeks . If anyone is interested in seeing if they like it gimme a call . Instead of 200 dollars . You can go with my instructor and I for 25. Then if ya like it pay the 200 for the course and you can dive there free for life.

512 282 0389
512 970 4305

Damon

 

[archman]

As a reminder, there IS a moderately difficult underwater obstacle course that you must complete to be checked out for Spring Lake. Usually fairly experienced divers make up the classes here. Instructors, DM's, and techies seem to constitute an unusually high demographic (not that such people are BAD, but it is a little humbling). I wouldn't mention it except towards people just getting into diving, unfamiliar with their equipment, and/or unused to coldwater (for Texas!) diving.
Nobody failed in my class, and I'm wondering what happens to people that do. I suppose you're restricted to the training area, which is still pretty neat by itself (just confining).

 

[daylight]

The Scientific Diver course is very beneficial. The skills test is a fun exercise, but you learn a lot about the endangered and sensetive environment at Spring Lake. Yes, there are folks that have not passed the skills evaluation.
I took the class 4 years ago and typically get back to San Marcos 3-4 times a year to dive. Primarily due to Bridgett's hard work, the facilities and procedures for diving are getting better and better. It's always fun to dive Spring Lake.
If you have an interest in volunteer work and supporting such a facility, then it is well worthwhile.

 

[cyklon_300]

The class review link was especially helpful, thanks archman.

(I noted that class starts at 8am...that automatically loses points in the 'fun' category.)

The website says a slate is required, anyone know if wetnotes will suffice?

 

[archman]

I have this enormous magna-doodle that I lug almost everywhere. During our class I didn't see ANYONE use their slate, 'cept for Bridget writing down our skills test scores. And the divers I've encountered in Spring Lake are not very chatty either. On my last trip in January I (gasp) removed the doodle entirely and dove "naked". I recommended that Bridget should establish a few critical hand signals for her classes... we were all over the place and didn't have much of a clue during the testing. This spilled over into the tour and training dives, where our guides merely pointed and jostled... drove me nuts. I don't know how they train anybody underwater in this manner, and in fact I've dove the last few solo and tried to figure out things for myself. On my last dive I tried my hand at "coontail floating" at "Catfish Hotel" and nearly got wrapped up in it... the water clarity didn't look so hot either.

 

[ScubaTexan]

The skills test is necessary (the hardest part is moving the weight across the grid without dropping it), but after that, the diving is really fun, especially seeing all the underwater life that Spring Lake has to offer. If you go into the Photo Gallery, check out my picture of the Cream of Wheat -- it's the way the lake bottom "boils" as the spring water comes to the surface. I also have a picture of a gar from Spring Lake in my album.

 

[archman]

All my gar photos look like poo. But now that I have a vaunted DIGITAL CAMERA, the rules have changed!!