Texas Clipper

[Maxrebo81]

Hey Yall,
My family lives near the texas coast. I know its not dive paradise, and I was wondering about the seasons.
Im not new to diving but I had not dived in a while, now that my wife is certified we want to do the two big SW attractions here in TX sometime during the next couple of years:The Texas Clipper and the Flower Garden Banks.
I know that August is the time for the Flower Gardens. And I also am not ready to book a live aboard, I want to get my sea legs back first. So looks like this year we are going to make that drive to South Padre to see the Clipper. Anyway, my question i guess is about the clarity and time of year to make this dive, anyone here done it in spring or winter?
Any seasonal species that may make this trip more worthwhile?
I would much rather do this wreck dive than a river dive, but what does this community think?

BTW she got her PADI open water this summer in Jupiter Florida, I know Texas wont really compare, and we do drive a prius, so driving back to Florida will probably happen before you guys get me on a live aboard. lol.
So yeah the Clipper....
Thoughts?

 

[guruboy]

They have the SPI annual dive week coming up. Might be a good deal on diving.

The boat ride out can be a little rough though.

 

[sea_ledford]

The Clipper is pretty much not divable during the spring, it's just too windy most of the time. Realistically you are looking at June- October for an available window.

-Chris

 

[KevinNM]

Flower Gardens is divable whenever the Fling crew is willing to go there. It was still very warm in October iirc.

 

[Dan]

They have the SPI annual dive week coming up. Might be a good deal on diving.

The boat ride out can be a little rough though.

I agree with you on the "little rough" ride. Some of us donated their breakfast to the fish during our last trip (Sep 2015).

It was red tide season too a couple years ago. There were some dead fish on the beach & people coughing off the red tide algal bloom that got airborne & inhaled during a stroll on the beach while looking at those fish carcasses. Hopefully, no red tide coming to the area while you are there.

 

[Cap335]

You should also look a diving the Kraken out of Freeport or Galveston It is a nice wreck that the State put down early this year and is holding a good diverse fish population

 

[Maxrebo81]

Thanks Cap 335 when is the best season for the kraken probably jun-oct as well.

 

[Cap335]

As long as there is no hurricane I prefer September

 

[Cr.padlo]

what do you think about diving flower gardens or the texas clipper in early march?

 

[NAM001]

For anyone that has done the clipper ,,, I think they wioll all agree the shop is a top class and probably the most organized in their process for the dives.
as operators go Tim is as good as it gets when you learn his background.

Yes dive week is a good time to go and there is usually a discount for the dive but the 20 miles to the site is a bit of a ride.