Smith Lake - Vidor (Report and Story)

[diver 85]

I'm thinking about diving there in the next week or 2------I live in SW Louisiana so I'm used to this stuff-----lol......What's the cost of diving it???.......TIA..I'll post my experience------Oh, btw, one reason I drive around with a 357 sitting about 8 inches below my butt, seriously......



EDIT:-------Whoa Nelly, just read Wetcell's post.Think I might stay with TB Turbine Channel & lake......I don't mind the so called 'people', just don't want to take any part of them home with me......lol......Anyone up for TB this coming(Easter) weekend.......

 

[dan the diver]

I did a few dives there today with my dive class. I wouldent call the people there nice people. With that said the diving was good (it was my first dive ever) the thermocline was at about 15' in the center, the visiblity was only about 4'5" in the center and around the shore 3' ( due to my class). Not much to see there but 2 boats one is under the pvc pipe and it is at 15' just under the thermocline the other boat is un marked (so if you want you can have a game to find it). Also on the northern shore there are tons of golfballs. The cost is 5$ to dive all day ( too high for a place like that).

 

[Cave Diver]

I did a few dives there today with my dive class. I wouldent call the people there nice people. With that said the diving was good (it was my first dive ever) the thermocline was at about 15' in the center, the visiblity was only about 4'5" in the center and around the shore 3' ( due to my class). Not much to see there but 2 boats one is under the pvc pipe and it is at 15' just under the thermocline the other boat is un marked (so if you want you can have a game to find it). Also on the northern shore there are tons of golfballs. The cost is 5$ to dive all day ( too high for a place like that).

Welcome to the board Dan.

Who was the instructor you were doing your class with?

 

[Cave Diver]

After the change I continue to finish up packing the last of my gear. I see a guy (quite possibly missing some important chromosomes) with a 4 wheeler approaching. Now, I had been previously warned that the guy that runs the park is an a-hole and gives problems to lots of people that dive.

He pulls right up next to me and proceeds to tell me. "My momma looked through her window and saw your ass :mooner: hangin out your truck...you are banned permanently from this lake." I proceed to smile thinking , he can't be serious. I then proceed to apologize stating, "I'm sorry about that, I didnt realize you had any changing rooms." His response was; "no apologies necessary just know that you are permanently banned."

So I finish up packing and walk over to my new recent dive buddies to tell them what had happened.

Low and behold 4 wheeler man is back. This time he says "When I said you were banned, I meant right now. I have already called the sheriff." Not wanting any trouble I say my goodbyes and jump in my truck and ride into the trailer park sunset.

Side Note: My wife (works in the state capital) thinks its funny that after all the important people, the nice restaurants, and social functions we have attended that her husband is banned from a trailer park (sober no less).

Moral of the story is don't show your :mooner: in public.

 

[Cave Diver]

Smith Lake used to be a great local "gottah get a dive in" and training lake, but the hurricanes (Rita and Ike) did significant damage to the SCUBA industry in the so-called "Golden Triangle" of Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur. Of the two LDSs, Scuba Brothers and Gulf Coast Scuba, only the brothers shop remains. Smith Lake was also a casualty, since the local sport divers maintained the dive site. Before it was a pleasant TSD dive and had good viz by Texas standards. After Ike, the RV squatters appeared and never left--so now it is indeed a white-trash village. Unfortunately, it may be that those folks are also dumping their sewage into the lake, when I was there a year ago it was pretty much a cesspool.

As for Vidor, it has a sad and pathetic history, but please know that a lot of good people live there and are trying to change things.

WetCell, do you live in the area?

 

[Mitch]

Once upon a time, I thought about dropping in there to check it out and blow some bubbles. However, a friend of mine who once taught classes out of Lake Charles and Beaumont told me to never go there. According to him, it is now a cesspool ever since the trailer park came in. The last time he took a class there, almost all of them had rashes later that day after they got out. Nowadays, he takes classes to Blue Lagoon.

 

[diver409]

Ok, a bit of an update. The manager mentioned above was replaced by a more responsible individual. He doesn't know much about diving, but he's friendly and helpful. I dive Smith Lake on a regular basis for classes. It's convenient and they have a shower, rinse area, tank rack and a couple of sunken boats to look at. The sewage does not run into the lake, it is processed by the wastewater plant in Vidor. It costs $5 to dive there and there is no on site compressor. The only dive shop in the area is Scuba Brothers in Nederland. (BTW - I own it). With that said, Smith Lake is not somewhere I would drive long distances to experience. However, if you're in the area and need to get wet, it's okay. If you want someone to dive with, there's a number of divers there every weekend. Another popular dive option is to jump on a dive charter and dive the oil rigs. The best rigs are 35-45 miles from shore and have very little dive pressure. Most rigs hold hundreds of fish, corals and other life. Dive Safe!

 

[Cave Diver]

Ok, a bit of an update. The manager mentioned above was replaced by a more responsible individual. He doesn't know much about diving, but he's friendly and helpful. I dive Smith Lake on a regular basis for classes. It's convenient and they have a shower, rinse area, tank rack and a couple of sunken boats to look at. The sewage does not run into the lake, it is processed by the wastewater plant in Vidor. It costs $5 to dive there and there is no on site compressor. The only dive shop in the area is Scuba Brothers in Nederland. (BTW - I own it). With that said, Smith Lake is not somewhere I would drive long distances to experience. However, if you're in the area and need to get wet, it's okay. If you want someone to dive with, there's a number of divers there every weekend. Another popular dive option is to jump on a dive charter and dive the oil rigs. The best rigs are 35-45 miles from shore and have very little dive pressure. Most rigs hold hundreds of fish, corals and other life. Dive Safe!

Welcome to the board!

 

[OUTHOUSE]

Ok, a bit of an update. The manager mentioned above was replaced by a more responsible individual. He doesn't know much about diving, but he's friendly and helpful. I dive Smith Lake on a regular basis for classes. It's convenient and they have a shower, rinse area, tank rack and a couple of sunken boats to look at. The sewage does not run into the lake, it is processed by the wastewater plant in Vidor. It costs $5 to dive there and there is no on site compressor. The only dive shop in the area is Scuba Brothers in Nederland. (BTW - I own it). With that said, Smith Lake is not somewhere I would drive long distances to experience. However, if you're in the area and need to get wet, it's okay. If you want someone to dive with, there's a number of divers there every weekend. Another popular dive option is to jump on a dive charter and dive the oil rigs. The best rigs are 35-45 miles from shore and have very little dive pressure. Most rigs hold hundreds of fish, corals and other life. Dive Safe!

So your saying that the inbred on the 4 wheeler is gone?

 

[dan the diver]

Welcome to the board Dan.

Who was the instructor you were doing your class with?

It was allen acord