Stetson Bank Only Trip Review

[Debraw]

We are back fron the Stetson bank only trip for July 22-23 aboard the MV Spree. Great weather, great crew, GREAT people to share it with and the diving was WONDERFUL. Stetson bank is my favorite dive site and I have been gunning for this trip for the last year and half. I am glad we took the risk and chartered the boat for this unique experience. Stetson is chock full of "critters" ( as Melanie says) and it did not dissapoint. Some of our divers saw a Manta and sharks, but I did not. I was busy looking at the small stuff this time. Lots of Blennies, eels, Honeycomb cowfish, puffer, angels, and well I could go on and on. I did a night dive and in a 2 foot area I saw 2 decorator crabs, spotted eel, and a brittle star. I was mesmerized. There were some jellies out there, so definitely pack some sting relief stuff. I really can not get over the huge schools of fish out there. I saw at least 5 huge Morays this time. Seas were less than a foot and sometimes one foot. We could not have asked for better sea conditions and weather. It was great not to move the boat. We all got familar with the dive site and some of us swam way out and and back and some of us just hung out around the pinnacles. Everyone dove nitrox and there were no incidents of DCS or health problems ( well except for one sinus squeeze, ouch!) . I have done several trips now and the two times I have seen DCS hit someone, they were on air only. I honestly can not say enough about the crew of the Spree. They are what makes that boat run as efficiently and safely as it does. I slept like a rock this time, and the food was good and there was a lot of it! My next trip is in October. I may even try and sneak one in where I am not a trip leader ( or host) sometime in the next couple of months.

 

[texdiveguy]

Awesome!!!

 

[Lukiedukie]

I am just now getting up and about. and I ahve a few things to say. Frist of all I want to thank everyone on the trip. It was an amazing trip that I want to do again next weekend. Debra, Troy thank you for hosting this trip and for having the idea and drive to get it started. A big thank you to the trip leaders and crew for keeping us all safe and all the laughs. I am very glad I got to meet everon e on the boat that I did not already now. Jay thank you for being such a great dive buddy and all the laughs on and off the boat. Mark and Debra thank you for the ride down and back and the almost non stop fun in the car 5 hours flys by when you never stop laughing. THANK YOU ALL.

Now on to the report:

Well after we got down there and got our racand bunk spot we did the breifing before we even left the dock and I was starting to doubt that I should be on this trip. I was alittle worried that I was ready for the conditions. I spoke with the Mel about it and she said "No worries lets go dive" On the trip out to the site I could not sleep I got maybe 1 hour of sleep as I was doing the xmas morning thing. I was out of the rack at 5:15am and it was great there was no line for the head and that was a great way to start the day. Jay and I got to do 6 of the 7 days as we got to sit out a dive after we broke 100' on dive three. Jay hit 103' I hit 108' but I think it was the perfect time for us to take a break.

Dive #1 99' for 22minutes (my tank valve started to leak and had to be rebuilt)
Dive #2 98' for 30minutes (came up the wrong line to the wrong boat but we had a great saftey stop with a school of Baracuda 8-9 of the getting with in 1' of us at times. We made a surace swim form bouy#3 back to #2)
Dive #3 108' for 28 mintues (the currents kicked my butt and we got sat after going to deep)
Dive#4 88' for 28 minutes (night dive amazing is all I can say)
Dive#5 89' for 30 minutes (another amazing dive but the currents got me again)
Dive#6 78' for 32 minutes (this was an amazing dive but we got lost on the way back and had to do a out saftey stop with out a line for reference so we did the saftey in the middle of the gulf. With two huge cudas stoping by to see what we where doing there.)

The list of critters we saw Frogfish rays a few reef sharks, lobsters, Pencil urchins Donkey dung, Lots of Morays a shark that kept popping in and out of the vis range off the wall. Lots of little stuff royal gammas, blennys, brittle stars, Xmas worms, decorator crabs. I can go on and on and on.

This was an amazing trip and the if the dive conditions stunk, which they did not, the food alone was worth the trip and I would do it all again today if I could.

Once again a big thank you to everyone that was involed with this trip. Debra sign me up for the next trip as soon as it set up

Luke

 

[loosebits]

Glad you guys had fun... still haven't been out there, need to correct that someday.

 

[Willie]

Thanks for the report. I hope someone took some pictures. I love those pictures.

Debra, can you post your profiles from your computer, or at least one?

I really wanted to go on this trip, but there was no way I could. I hope I can the next time you set this up.

Willie

 

[Jarrett]

Dang, I guess I shoulda gone Glad to hear you guys had a good time. Its a bummer to hear the Jakester got the sinus squeeze though.

 

[khacken]

Ooooo! Wish I was out there with you guys. I was getting my butt kicked in rescue class. But if the weather improves, I will be out there next weekend.

Lukie, was there a nasty downdraft that pushed you down past 100' or was it a combination of looking at critters, slightly, and a downdraft? I am just trying to gauge how much leeway I need to give myself on the dives next week.

How was the vis out there?

 

[khacken]

Oh, and glad you had a fun, safe trip!

 

[Lukiedukie]

Ooooo! Wish I was out there with you guys. I was getting my butt kicked in rescue class. But if the weather improves, I will be out there next weekend.

Lukie, was there a nasty downdraft that pushed you down past 100' or was it a combination of looking at critters, slightly, and a downdraft? I am just trying to gauge how much leeway I need to give myself on the dives next week.

How was the vis out there?

It had nothing to do with the currents and more us not looking at our gauges. We turned and went though a cut in the wall cap right at the edge of the drop off that dropped about 10' and there was a Jack chasing its dinner. So divers error (not aware of our depth) and looking at critters. When your over the drop off it is easy to drop beyond where your target depth. You can see everything you need with out going deeper then 90' on Stetson. The vis varied from 80' to 50' depending on the currents and how much it was junk it was bringing in. Jellies where out and stinging so wear some sort of exposure protection including reef gloves. Pay attention to the breifing, relax and have fun.

 

[RTRski]

Thanks for the report, DebraW. Wife and I are looking forward to the 3-day trip on Labor Day weekend (not Stetson only, but I assume we'll make it there).

Of course y'all filled up the Spree before we could get on the list, so we're on the Fling with Tom's Scuba of Austin. Maybe we'll come up the wrong rope and get to say 'hi'.

BTW, are the jellys still out in late Aug / early Sept?