Visiting Houston for 2 Months - Maybe moving

[chrpai]

I've accepted a new position that will have me TDY in Houston for 2 months followed by either telecommuting from back home in VA or moving to Houston.

While I'm out there I'd like to get some local diving in at Twin Lakes and I'd really like to take a weekend trip out to the Texas Flower Gardens.

I've been doing the research. I have all my gear but I don't want to lug it all down so I'll need some local support in way of tanks and weights.

I'm not sure where my corporate housing will be yet.

 

[Dee]

There are dive shops all over Houston where you can rent gear. Give us an idea of where you're based and we can narrow it down.

If you want to get out to the Flower Gardens you better be making reservations now. Contact Gulf Diving (formerly Rinn boats) or the Sea Searcher. Both charters are liveaboards that generally leave on Fri. night and return Sunday afternoon late. Neither of them deals with the general public, only dive shops. So go to each website and check their calendars. They will show you which dive shops are scheduled and numbers where they can be contacted.

 

[chrpai]

Sorry I didnt get to finish that post cause my baby started crying. I just clicked submit cause I didn't wan't to procrastinate.

I've read trip reports and been to the www.gulf-diving.com site to find the list of diveshops. I'm sure if I call up a shop, make a reservation and tell them I want Nitrox that'll solve my no tank problem. And if I'm really nice to them they will probably bring me a weight belt also.

But I'd rather not just show up and start looking for a buddy. I was hoping to find someone here, a date they want to go and then sign up through the dive shop with them.

And get a couple local dives in at twin lakes to get used to each other.

I've read trip reports and they don't usually mention water temps that much. Seems surface temps are definatly .5mil terriotory, but I've heard mentions of thermoclines. Do I need my 3mil or can I get away with a .5mil?

Thanks

 

[Dee]

For the Gulf your .5mil will be fine. For TL, if you want to go below 20ft, you'll hit temps in the mid 60's. Below about 30ft, you hit temps in the 50's.

I understand your idea about finding a buddy here. Just be aware that most of the trips to the Flower Gardens, especially the best times frames in July-Sept., fill up months in advance.

 

[joens]

go to http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/WestGulf.shtml and you can click on a bouy you want and see the current temps along with wave height and all kinds of other info.
Welcome to Texas
Joens

 

[chrpai]

I found the bouys from various websites, but it was my impression that those are surface temps. I was wondering from collective experience or recent trips what the bottom temps are like. Dee seems to think .5mil would be fine. I would prefer that since its easier for me to pack and I won't need as much lead.

I guess I'll just have to call around and book a trip and hope for the best in when it comes to finding a buddy.

 

[chrpai]

Tell me if I'm being too paranoid here.....

I'm wondering how much my experience ( fun level ) will very depending on which dive shop I book through.

That is, I guess I'm worried about going with a shop that has lots of politics and cliqness within their group or has crammed the boat full with there AOW class where all the divers have an average of 5 dives each under their belt.

I'm used to boats where while there may be a certain core group from some shop or another, there are also plenty of walk ons.

 

[Dee]

Chris...I know what you mean. The clique thing may happen with the Sea Searcher as it only boards 16 at a time so it's easy for a shop or club to book the whole boat or most of it. But the Gulf Diving boats board a max of 33-34 divers at a time. It's common for a shop to book half the boat but it's usually a combination of shop regulars and students.

Walk ons aren't common here because it's a crap shoot most of the year as to whether the boats go out at all. Consitions in the Gulf can and do change at the drop of a hat. In fact the final decision to go or not is made at noon on the day of departure. That makes it rough for those who fly down here for the weekend trip only to have it cancelled at the last minute.

I don't know what experience you have but the Gulf isn't for beginners or newly certified advanced divers..despite what the shops booking the trip will tell you. You need experience in currents, rough seas and have the proper safety equipment to do it, ie. SMB/reel, marker lights, whistle, etc. Being 100+ miles out to sea isn't where you want to have problems or accidents.

As for the temps...water temps at depth are usually 2-3 degrees cooler than the surface temps and there not really a noticeable thermocline.

 

[chrpai]

I was referring to my above water enjoyment and buddy selection.

The diving you described is pretty much what we do up here in the Mid Atlantic ( VA/MD/DE/NJ), except up here its typically 45f at the bottom with very little ambient light and 5-20' vis

Well, least the viz is that good until the guys with the scooters start excavating.

 

[Dee]

You'll have a bottom of around 130-150ft depending on the site, with vis in the 90-150ft range.

I bet you'd do just fine with any group on either of the boats.