Scuba Point Closed
- Thread starter Joe-Diver
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The shop may be closed but the owner Todd has set up a boat operation that provides a great day of diving. I have taken a small group out with him a couple of times this winter. Todd has a couple secret spots where you can search for lost "treasures". It's also a great way for divers to improve their boat diving skills before a first trip. Hells Gate is also a fun shallow dive.
Todd has also mentioned a house boat that will be available this summer for groups that want to camp on the water.
There actually might be more diving going on at PK this year.
Todd has also mentioned a house boat that will be available this summer for groups that want to camp on the water.
There actually might be more diving going on at PK this year.
richerso
Contributor
Somebody keep me posted on this. I will be honest here. Since I became a certified diver in 2003, I have never been impresse with PK. I have heard all of the urban legends about "the great visibility" but I have never seen it. Honestly, I am probably the biggest skeptic in Texas when it comes to talking about the "awesome" visibility at PK. Lest anyone get insulted, I have tried diving at SP and various boat dives multiple times at various parts of the lake. I will apologize to everyone right now, because I know this statement will upset some people.
Please forgive me. I just don't believe the "great visibility" legend. I do apologize. If you have seen this great visibility thing, I congratulate you. You have seen something that is only mythology to me. Congratulations.
Please forgive me. I just don't believe the "great visibility" legend. I do apologize. If you have seen this great visibility thing, I congratulate you. You have seen something that is only mythology to me. Congratulations.
OP
Rich, I haven't seen consistently good vis at PK since the late 70's to mid 80's. There have been times though, and they've always been below 40' and the haze layer. I had a dive there last summer before the floods...swimming along the cliff at SP, I was at 50' and could see the bottom with my light at 75'. Look up and it was "maybe" 3' vis.
The best I ever saw was on a dive back in '94....took a buddy down to the base of the cliff, at that time it was 80'...completely dark....but the vis was incredible. It had to be 35' or more swimming above the silt at the base of the cliff. I had never seen it like that before, and have never seen it since.
As a kid back in the 70's, I remember snorkeling around Hell's Gate and the water was very clear, probably 20' or better. That was back when you could jump off the cliff and nobody cared....heck, the Lake Patrol would stop and watch....and chat with Dad while he was drinking a beer....that was back when that stuff couldn't hurt ya...
Lake is getting old and silting up....probably never be like it used to.....at least consistently.
The best I ever saw was on a dive back in '94....took a buddy down to the base of the cliff, at that time it was 80'...completely dark....but the vis was incredible. It had to be 35' or more swimming above the silt at the base of the cliff. I had never seen it like that before, and have never seen it since.
As a kid back in the 70's, I remember snorkeling around Hell's Gate and the water was very clear, probably 20' or better. That was back when you could jump off the cliff and nobody cared....heck, the Lake Patrol would stop and watch....and chat with Dad while he was drinking a beer....that was back when that stuff couldn't hurt ya...
Lake is getting old and silting up....probably never be like it used to.....at least consistently.
ZzzKing
Contributor
I've only dove there once and it was last year a couple of weeks before the floods. I remember good visibility in the 15-20' range down deep. Closer to 3-5 feet above 30', though. The limestone cliffs are pretty cool to dive along.
John... I do remember better lake conditions at PK in the early 70's......you were probably still in a wee little diaper then 
.....yea go ahead and say it---DANG he's old--lol!!!!
Funny thing about diapers, for most of us we start out in them and then in our later years we go out in them.
.....yea go ahead and say it---DANG he's old--lol!!!! Funny thing about diapers, for most of us we start out in them and then in our later years we go out in them.
richerso
Contributor
"In the early 70's " ????
Do you have any idea when I was born ???
Sorry. Just had to throw that jab in. I will give you the answer at our next dive. Ha!
Do you have any idea when I was born ???
Sorry. Just had to throw that jab in. I will give you the answer at our next dive. Ha!
Good Visibility? I never go into a lake expecting good viz. But there is plenty of great diving around here. It's a shame that viz is so closely related to good diving. I see too many people refuse to dive locally because they want great viz.
Guba
Contributor
I can only echo others.
In the early 70's, I wasn't a diver, but I snorkeled in PK. Typically, one could snorkel in 20 feet of water and watch the fish along the bottom. Since becoming a diver (nine years ago), I haven't seen surface clarity like that. However, all things are relative. PK remains one of the few lakes within my comfortable driving range that is even remotely diveable. Therefore, while vis might not be "great", it's still one of the best AVAILABLE dive sites around.
In the early 70's, I wasn't a diver, but I snorkeled in PK. Typically, one could snorkel in 20 feet of water and watch the fish along the bottom. Since becoming a diver (nine years ago), I haven't seen surface clarity like that. However, all things are relative. PK remains one of the few lakes within my comfortable driving range that is even remotely diveable. Therefore, while vis might not be "great", it's still one of the best AVAILABLE dive sites around.
OP
Why? Very few people wish to poke around in a murky environment. Some do, and there are folks who post here that relish it. But in the overall diver population they are the extreme minority.
Personally, I like at least 10' of vis to get me to dive regularly. I draw the line at 3' or less, so I won't dive Lake Texhoma and am hesitant to go to Lake Murky simply because I've been there many, many times and like I said above, I like at least 10' vis. Deep in PK and Travis are usually consistent enough pus some of the quarries around.
I've given up on Canyon....sure do miss the glory days of Squaw Creek....man, I remember some days of 20' vis off Swim Beach in that forest.....
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