Texas Divers.....HELP! What is Abilene Like?????

[Debraw]

LOL! Oh man welcome to the swamp. Let's just say you are going to be great at navigation before it's all over with. Good news is you are closer to DFW and there a few flights a week to Cozumel!

 

[Guba]

Hi, Jim
Well, welcome to Texas! I think you'll find that the place is full of pretty friendly folks. However, after Hawaii and diving four times a week, I might have some bad news for you. The dive opportunities are quite a bit fewer and farther between than you are used to. That doesn't keep us from trying to get underwater as much as we can, though. To Parrothead's list I would add a couple of quarries (one near Huntsville and the other near Terrell, Texas), the Comal River in New Braunfels, Aquarena Center (also in New Braunfels), and of course, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 110 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico (I'm a volunteer for the NMS, and I live 8 hours from the coast!) In short, you may have to drive quite a bit more to get to dive sites and they will be a LOT less pristine than what you might be used to. However, there are some really unique dive sites and opportunities if you'll just remain flexible.
I invite you to take a look at our group, the Christian Divers of Texas (www.cdot.1hwy.com). We try to get daytrips, weekenders, and even some more extensive trips together, particularly through the spring, summer, and fall months. Come share the fun with us! We'll be glad to show you around some of the Texan dive sites.
Take care, and as I said before...Welcome to Texas!

 

[scubatexastony]

He said close.... NOTHING is close in Texas, well, maybe family and friends, but that a different use of the word. Welcome to the great wide open..... I sure miss it

Abilene is WAY out there though. Plenty mesquite for BBQs! and jackolopes!

tony

 

[tedj01]

I hope you like prickly pear and mesquite and I hear it rains there every three years or so. One time I was there and everything looked real odd. The guy I was with was able to explain it to me. He said that it had rained about 10 days earlier and I just was not used to seeing plants in the area that were not brown. The plants actually had a green cast to them.

Just kidding!

It can be very dry and warm there. Lots of hunting, fishing, BBQ, and beer drinking in the area. Its kinda fun!

 

[dgreenh]

The local lake in Abilene is Lake Fort Phantom. The water will stain anything you wear nice shade of brown. Mostly used for skiing, wakeboarding and fishing when there is water in it. No good for diving at all unless you are one of those touchie feelie divers that lives for zero viz. I grew up in Abilene with the B-52's from Dyess circling 24x7. Nothing close to dive in. As mentioned Del Rio, Possum Kingdom and the missle silo are probably the closest. The Fort Worth area is closer than Balmorhea. I don't know where people like to dive around there. Your drive & dive trips will be several hours each way. Better take up another activity to fill in the surface time. There are a couple of dive shops in Abilene, they might schedule day trips. The Dive Spot is the only one I have ever dealt with. Ask for Jay.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Abilene from Oahu? Welcome to Hell!

 

[BlueMoon]

Abilene is not HELL, you can see it from here but Abilene is OK.
Welcome to Abilene. Give us a shout when you get here.

 

[carlislere]

Your going to need another shot, bud!

 

[ScubaTexan]

Your going to need another shot, bud!

He's going to need another fifth...

 

[daniel f aleman]

Actually I like Abilene... it's OK enough... but I was refering to scuba diving in Oahu versus that which one can find in/near Abilene.