Took My Boat Out For A Rig Dive This Weekend

[Captain Hardhead]

My 25' Center Console made it's first Rig dive this past Saturday. Based on suggestions this board made, I chose to drive from Pasadena to Matagorda and launch. We went to rig A-19 which was only 32 miles from the Colorado River Jetties.

I took two other divers to see how all the gear would fit and what were the best ways to enter and leave the water from my boat. Three divers worked well, exept it kept us out longer than four would have because of surface times.

The Rig was acually 3 large rigs connected by catwalks in 130' of water. While the vis was not the best (maybe 35' to 40') there were plenty of tropical fish and we even saw a very large turtle with 3 lings tagging along.

As for the vis, it looked like we were in a cloud of, hate to say it, sperm. It wasn't stirred up bottom or little particles. We went by another rig (A-21) which was smaller and in 120' of water on the way in for the last dive and it was the same there.

I am asking if this is normal for this time of year or maybe just something that happens.

Either way, the trip was great, I only used 1/2 a tank of fuel and I will definitly be going out of Matagorda again. The water gets deep so fast and it was not really that much further to drive than Freeport, but a whole lot less crowded.

~~ HardHead

 

[wrongkey]

You must have hit it on a bad day. The visibility is normally quite a bit better than you described. It can change quickly, though. I've been out there when the visibility on the second dive has been significantly degraded from the first, and I'm at a loss to explain why. Glad you got out.

 

[Hawkeye Mark]

Have been to Brazos A-19 two or three times. Good place to dive because of the three separate platforms. Lots of places to hook up. However last time we were there there was all ready one workboat tied up. Another sport diving charter(will not name) was all ready hooked up. Another workboat approached to unload. Captain of charter did not want to move and got in argument with workboat captain. Finally did move. Keep in mind these are primarily business operations, not a sport diving destination. Dispatcher on platform called us and asked us to move since we were under a crane. We immediately unhooked and went elsewhere. Plus with workboats running its not too safe to be diving near them.

My 25' Center Console made it's first Rig dive this past Saturday. Based on suggestions this board made, I chose to drive from Pasadena to Matagorda and launch. We went to rig A-19 which was only 32 miles from the Colorado River Jetties.

I took two other divers to see how all the gear would fit and what were the best ways to enter and leave the water from my boat. Three divers worked well, exept it kept us out longer than four would have because of surface times.

The Rig was acually 3 large rigs connected by catwalks in 130' of water. While the vis was not the best (maybe 35' to 40') there were plenty of tropical fish and we even saw a very large turtle with 3 lings tagging along.

As for the vis, it looked like we were in a cloud of, hate to say it, sperm. It wasn't stirred up bottom or little particles. We went by another rig (A-21) which was smaller and in 120' of water on the way in for the last dive and it was the same there.

I am asking if this is normal for this time of year or maybe just something that happens.

Either way, the trip was great, I only used 1/2 a tank of fuel and I will definitly be going out of Matagorda again. The water gets deep so fast and it was not really that much further to drive than Freeport, but a whole lot less crowded.

~~ HardHead

 

[archman]

Geez, I'm surprised the charter boat captain was given so much latitude. I'd consider that trespassing, hooking up to a working platform. I was always under the impression that recreational boats were allowed to come near operating rigs only as a courtesy.

 

[Captain Hardhead]

Have been to Brazos A-19 two or three times. Good place to dive because of the three separate platforms. Lots of places to hook up. However last time we were there there was all ready one workboat tied up. Another sport diving charter(will not name) was all ready hooked up. Another workboat approached to unload. Captain of charter did not want to move and got in argument with workboat captain. Finally did move. Keep in mind these are primarily business operations, not a sport diving destination. Dispatcher on platform called us and asked us to move since we were under a crane. We immediately unhooked and went elsewhere. Plus with workboats running its not too safe to be diving near them.

There was one workboat on the outside rig and one fishing boat tied to the end of the one we dove. Since we stayed inside the rig, I was not worried about the fishermen. Turned out they also had a spearfisherman in the water.

I will go again, but I am wondering what months of the year that it will not be worth it.

~~ HardHead

 

[wrongkey]

Hardhead, I think it's always worth it, but when the weather cools down, the times when the necessary sea conditions line up with a weekend get infrequent and short, so planning becomes a real problem. That said, I haven't been out in the colder months, largely because we've not succeeded in putting a trip together and went on to other things. IIRC, we threw in the towel last year around the end of October or so. Normally, the visibility this time of year is a lot better than you experienced. A quick check of my log showed 100+ on a trip toward the end of August, and 40 around this time last year. There were trips after that with better visibility, but they didn't make it into the log book.

 

[outlawaggie]

Geez, I'm surprised the charter boat captain was given so much latitude. I'd consider that trespassing, hooking up to a working platform. I was always under the impression that recreational boats were allowed to come near operating rigs only as a courtesy.

Hooking to the rig is a courtesy. Coming near it is not. The oil company owns the rig and the rig only. the water is fair game regardless of how close it is to the rig.

Hardhead, if you ever need company PM me. i fish out of matagorda a lot.

 

[bfuqua]

Hardhead, I think it's always worth it, but when the weather cools down, the times when the necessary sea conditions line up with a weekend get infrequent and short, so planning becomes a real problem. That said, I haven't been out in the colder months, largely because we've not succeeded in putting a trip together and went on to other things. IIRC, we threw in the towel last year around the end of October or so. Normally, the visibility this time of year is a lot better than you experienced. A quick check of my log showed 100+ on a trip toward the end of August, and 40 around this time last year. There were trips after that with better visibility, but they didn't make it into the log book.

Are there reasonable dive charters to these rigs? I live in the Clear Lake area and wouldn't mind going down that way.

 

[outlawaggie]

Are there reasonable dive charters to these rigs? I live in the Clear Lake area and wouldn't mind going down that way.

Wolf Charters ( http://www.wolfcharters.com )

I haven't been with them yet but i've heard good things.

 

[Hawkeye Mark]

Regardless of who owns the platform, its not too safe to dive around it when there are several workboats running. Better to go someplace else. Thats why no one dives actual drilling rigs(mobile units such as jack-ups,semi-submersibles). There is too much surface work activity. Its not safe.

Actually for instance at Brazos A-19, Shell is the 100% owner and operator of the federal lease which encompasses a much larger area than the area where the structure is erected. But to an oil company the water has no value. What has value for them is the oil & gas reserves beneath the ocean. Production platforms whose production has permanently ceased are nothing more than a liability to an oil and gas company. If they can be turned into artificial reefs so much to the good. If not it costs big money to abandon and remove the structures. Some people ask why a lot of the nearshore platforms have been removed. Generally after production has ceased, the MMS gives the operator one year to remove the platform. There are some exceptions though. I used to manage operations accounting for offshore for two independent oil companies. Dealt with this stuff every day.