windy point conditions 5/13

[shaggie]

I was at Windy Point the day before moms day. Not many people there and beutiful weather! I met my buddy there at 9am and were in the water by around 9:30. The vis in the top 35ft was pretty murky, but once you got below that it was 10-15 down to about 85ft. At the edge of the trees it was more on the 15 side. By the time we got down to 100 ft it was about 3-5 ft (ick!) and not worth staying there. On the way back, We found treasure, a Johnson 14inch bronze prop in mint condition!
Water temp was 73 at the surface and a refreshing 59 at 85ft.

I hope that weather and water are as nice for next weekend!

John

 

[Mack Diver]

Arrgh, now we're gonna have every scurvy dog in the county a huntin treasure there. I think you'll be usin the orchard to string up the varmints.

 

[BrianV]

I was there exactly one weekend before you and the conditions were much worse; I guess since there were a lot of dive schools from Dallas in town on my weekend. Vis at 90' was less than 3' for me, and it was 57F down there.

 

[Ed Marshall]

I was there with JonAustin on Friday, May 12th. There was no one else in the park when we got there. The weather was gorgeous, but visibility was about 4' down to the thermocline at 40' or so. Yuck. Below that, it opened up to about 15' but we turned back at 65' because it was way too cold for my 5 mm suit. We thought we could find the Pinto in short order before the cold got to us, but no.

Ed

 

[PvilleStang]

Man, you could have found it, just keep on movin'! 5 mm should do you for 5 minutes or so. Just head down chain one, find the correct depth (66'-71' right now, I believe) and kick like H&LL for a minute or so, and you'll run head first into it! My thing I always think in that same situation is how I'll be steaming it up on the way back to the surface.

 

[deepwaterferret]

When you say Windy Point, are you talking Barstow's (private) or the public park that actually encompasses the point?

Thought they are side by side, they are a world apart as dive sites, by my reckoning.

Barstow's is filled with students, has most hazards and challenges removed, except for the pecan grove, and by midday is all mucked up on any given weekend. But topside it is very nice and you can't beat it for classes.

Windy Point Public usually has no divers or only you, your buddy and maybe some other pair. You're on your own down there. You can find stuff there if you look around, but you can also get a little bit lost if you don't know how to navigate. Top side is overrun with non-divers who covet your table for a bbq.

Has anybody been really deep at Windy Point public? I've been down to where the occasional big trees start, which is currently at about 85 to 90 feet, but have not gone any deeper there. If there is a grove of trees or some other attraction, I have not been deep enough to see them.

 

[deepwaterferret]

Shoot, I mapped Windy Point private for my dive master class, and could have told you exactly where that Pinto is. I measured it's distance from the chain and exact depths, but now I can't find my map. If I recall from memory, at normal elevations the top of the Pinto is about about 75 feet and the botto is at about 85. So 65 sounds about right for the current elevation.

It is about 10 or 15 feet to your left from the chain at these depths. Measure your distance by your kick cycles and if you have gone very far and don't find it, make a u turn and make a sweep pattern. It's not hard to find, but in low vis, you can swim right passed it if you are too high or too low. The map that they give out there is pretty accurate as to its location.

Once you've found it, it is real easy to find again.

 

[Ed Marshall]

Yeah, I've been to the Pinto numerous times. It's often the first step of our dive plan at WP. I knew it was going to be cold down there, but I thought it would be an easy mark due to the 15' difference in depth from last year. That cold really gets to me, though!

Ed

 

[shaggie]

Yeah, I've been to the Pinto numerous times. It's often the first step of our dive plan at WP. I knew it was going to be cold down there, but I thought it would be an easy mark due to the 15' difference in depth from last year. That cold really gets to me, though!

Ed

I usualy dive with a 5mil full suit and a 3mil hooded vest this time of year. I don't have alot of extra insulation on my bod and it keeps me warm enough. Still it feels sooo good when when you come up over the thermocline to that 70deg water!

 

[Ed Marshall]

You are right about that -- almost like getting back in a hot tub after jumping in a cold pool.