Texas Flower Gardens

[rtapia]

I am thinking about going with a group of people on a live-aboard for 5 days to the Texas Flower Gardens...Has anyone been there? What can I expect to see? The company's name is MV Spree....any inof would be welcomed.
Thanks
Ron

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Actually the name of the company is Rinn. The name of the boats they run are the Spree and the Fling.

I have scheduled a number of trips. All have been cancelled. I am scheduled to try again in August. There are a number of people around here who have been.

The one thing I do know for sure and it will be covered in your dive briefings DO NOT GO BELOW 100 FEET.

Have fun.

Tom

 

[Dee]

I've been on the sister ship, the Fling, but they are basically identical.

Rinn packed 30-32 divers on each ship which can get a bit crowded in 5 days! If you don't mind small bunks, even smaller heads, good food, excellent diving, safety policies that you follow or you're out of the water, and have the experience to handle possible strong currents, 4-5ft waves and swells...you'll have a great time. The Gulf of Mexico is not place for beginners and 100 miles offshore is not the place to realize you're in over your head...so to speak.

Coming from out of state, I'd definitely have a solid plan B. Gulf trips get cancelled at the drop of a hat, depending on the weather and forcast at noon on the day you are to leave.

 

[Rick Murchison]

With the Gulf you never know 'til you're there...
It's best to have a good fallback plan. From Montgomery, for example, we can leave about 7AM driving for Freeport; five hours later, at noon, we call Rinn Boats for the go/no-go decision. If it's "go" we continue to drive - if it's "no-go" we hang a left across Lake Ponchatraine for a weekend in the Big Easy.
Rick

 

[redacted]

I'm getting ready for my 5th 2-day trip. I'm not sure I could stand 5 days - It's pretty austere living conditions and challanging diving. Depths are 80 to 100 feet on all dives except inshore rig if they make that stop. The marine life is great. I've seen whale shark, manta rays, other sharks, turtles, and most of the tropicals found in more southern destinations. Rinn boats was recently bought out by a group of old employees including a couple of the boat captains. there new web sit is:

http://www.gulf-diving.com/index.html

Summer trips are fairly reliable baring a hurricane. Spring trips are a real crap shoot with less than 25% making it out. If you need more info, let me know & I'll give you some more links.

 

[rtapia]

Thanks fo the info..this particular trip is scheduled for Agust...some of the people have done it before..but i have come to rely on this board for "in-depth" information..lol
I am a fairly new diver..but hope to have got better by then..planning on doing a lot of weekend fresh water diving around here....ANy other websites, etc would be welcomed.
Ron

 

[rtapia]

I thought I would post some info on the trip in case any of you might be interested. SIS is booking the whole ship ( MV Spree)..

Texas Flower Gardens August 18th to 23rd 7 George & Mark $650.00
Call us at (812) 336-2527 or e-mail us at info@southernindianascuba.com

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi rtapia,

Here is the definitive website on the Texas Flower Gradens http://www.daveread.com/FlowerGardens, by an acquaintance, Dave Read.

Hope this gets you started.

DocVikingo

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Tom Vyles,

Actually, Rinn was just recently bougth out by a group of former employees and no longer goes by that name. It is now Gulf Diving LLC. http://www.gulf-diving.com/info.html.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[scubafanatic]

Ok, just gotta ask.........

Whats' up with the mysterious "DON"T GO BELOW 100 FEET" warning?

......have they finally found the LOCH NESS MONSTER'S
lair .....or what?

.....heck, with a post like that I'd imagine some peoples' 1st dive trip 'goal' will be to check out the 'mystery'...the forbidden fruit!

......or is it just a case of PC-legalese where they don't want to be responsible if anything ugly happens......but I thought that's what all those pre-dive-waviers were designed for ?