South Padre Island Diving

[Rolling Ox]

Hey everyone Im traveling to South Padre Island, TX in late December. Was wondering if anyone has recommendations about diving there. Charters? Shops? Sights? Any advice would help thanks!


Phillip Walter

 

[Jax]

The Texas coast from Beaumont to Port Isabel/South Padre Island. The ... Much of this area has less than 3 feet (or 1 meter) of water depth.

Texas cruising area maps

Basically, no diving. Unless you like diving in 3 feet of water. You can take liveaboards out to the Flower Gardens, which is many hours out. Sorry.

 

[Doc]

Check DiveSouthPadre.com where you will find Tim O'Leary's American Divers.

While you're there on SPI, visit the Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle Rescue center.

 

[Jax]

Check DiveSouthPadre.com where you will find Tim O'Leary's American Divers.

While you're there on SPI, visit the Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle Rescue center.

I was corrected by someone - Deep Six « American Diving, South Padre is the site for above.

 

[diversteve]

There's the Texas Underwater Park.

On this trip 7.2 miles off-shore, you will see tugboats and an two oil rigs and a USN work barge along with 32 reef balls in depths of 65 - 73 feet. In addition to the scorpionfish, you'll find lots of tuscalated blennies, plenty of curious little arrow crabs, loads of tropical fish, and an abundance of gamefish, all enjoying life on a pair of oil rig jackets, a Navy repair barge, and a sunken oceangoing tugboat. The tug is 60 feet long and sits upright and intact on the seabed. For divers qualified to penetrate wrecks, it offers two wheelhouses to explore, and it's engine room is also interesting to see. The Navy barge is 150 feet long, and is sitting on its side, approximately 100 yards to the tug's east. Due to its position, it is accessible at a depth of just 40 feet. Maximum depth here is just 72 feet of water, with areas that are suitable for open water training as well as more advanced dive classes.

 

[gkrane]

I am moving to that area next month. You can dive the Texas Clipper wreck as well. I was surprised to hear that all the close diving has just terrible visibility for the majority of the time. I guess it gets better on the rigs that are a ways out. The Flower Garden trip leaves out of Freeport, TX, but seems to be a nice trip. Cost is around $600 I think.