Windy Point

[ParamedicDiver1]

Hey everyone, I am thinking of going to Windy Point with some friends to dive. Can anyone give me information about it...I have seen the web site, but I am looking for personal opinions, which days are best for not diving with 2 million students, etc. Also, does anyone have underwater nav points for using a compass and hitting some of the underwater structures. What is the Vis like?? Tell me all you know about it, we would be coming from Houston, so I want to make sure it is worth the 3 hour drive. Thanks everyone!!

 

[Dee]

Hey everyone, I am thinking of going to Windy Point with some friends to dive. Can anyone give me information about it...I have seen the web site, but I am looking for personal opinions, which days are best for not diving with 2 million students, etc. Also, does anyone have underwater nav points for using a compass and hitting some of the underwater structures. What is the Vis like?? Tell me all you know about it, we would be coming from Houston, so I want to make sure it is worth the 3 hour drive. Thanks everyone!!

Let me give it a shot....

1) The middle of the week would probably be your best bet but there are at least some classes out there every day. Since we can only do WP on the weekends, we've learned to avoid it in the summer.

2) I doubt my map would do you any good. It was made several years ago when the lake was full and things have been moved since then.

3) It varies, depending on where you go and how many roto-tillers are in the water. Count on at least 3-5ft about 30ft or so. Below that it gets better but alot darker, you'll need lights. The deeper you got, the 'blacker' the water gets.

4) It would take more time than I'm willing to type! Diving- go around the point and get away from the classes. The camping and socializing always makes up for the crowds. The shovelnose catfish enjoy spooking you!

5) It's always worth the 3 hr. drive.

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

Just finished my AOW and Stress and Rescue there last weekend, love diving there, I've logged about 40+ dives there since Oct (Windy Point Private or Barstow's). Richard and his family do a great job keeping the grounds very clean. Right now visibility is around 10 feet below 50' (thermocline) but temps are in the 70's. Had to get down to 85' to hit 68 degrees, was diving a 2 peice 3mm and was fine. As for land marks there are quite a few, there are site maps at the counter when you check in and pay. Moving from North to South there are about seven or more platforms in the 25-30' range with the current lake level. There are several sailboats and some cast iron "sculptures" to see a turtle, shark, scubadiver. I found an older map, all the landmarks are pretty much right and there are a couple of new things, the depths are about 10 feet off due to current lake levels. I prefer to go during the week because it is less crowded and the visibility stays better without all the BOW classes churning the bottom, not to mention it's $5 instead of $10, air fills are now $6. There is a large HEB grocery store at 620 and 2222 that I always stop at for provisions that's about 5 min fro the park, and there's a LDS just south of 2222 on 620 (about a mile from the intersection) Dive World 2 if you need something. Shoot me a PM when you're coming up and maybe I can arange to meet you out or if you have any other questions. I'll probably be taking the dive team out there wed or thurs next week.

 

[parrottheaddiver]

i was just there doing my cert dives last month (i know, whats a Jersey guy doing in Texas...long story). like Dee said...mid week was really quite and 1/2 the price of the weekend. there were a few people there camping, but aside from my wife, myself and our instructor, there was no-one else in the water (we were there approx 8am-12pm). there are 2 dive shops (Dive World 1 & 2, 2 is closer the lake on route 620, 1 is on 620 about 10 minutes farther away on the other side of Anderson Mill Road) in the area. (there may be others as well that i'm not familiar with)

water temps were in the mid 80 to about 30 feet then dropped to the mid to high 70 to about 60ft. viz was about 5 feet around 20 then gradually increased the deeper we got. when we hit the thermocline about 50 ft it really cleared up but got markedly darker. hope this helps!

 

[c-monkey]

We did 8 dives this weekend with OW classes so we had to stay above 60' and the shallow viz was really bad (1-3'). Under 50' the viz improved significantly even to the 20' range at times. The temp was 84 at 30' and around 75 at 60'. To avoid the crowds I would definitely recommend mid-week diving if you can swing it. Bring a shade canopy in case all the tables under the trees are taken. Bring a tarp to put your gear on, Richard tends to mow randomly and you'll end up with grass on everything. Like J.S.D. said, the map is good- just off on depth due to the lake being low.
If you do end up diving on a weekend, let us know so we can say hi (we're usually there with classes). We havent met many "non-Austin" SB members in person yet, plus we'd be happy to show you around.

 

[AggieDad]

What everyone has said about mid week is correct. There is also Mansfield Dam Park across the lake. It has always been empty when I have dove there. It's really hard to beat Windy Point because there is always some great people around. Maps avaiable at check in are accurate except for depth. Bring Vienna Sausage and cheese whiz. Afternoons on the weekends the fish aren't as hungry.

I was there yesterday afternoon. We really need to talk to Richard about having a Scubaboard sign in sheet so we can meet everyone that is in the area. Or maybe have a ID flag for everyone. See a flag then walk over and see who is there.

 

[Firefyter]

Bring Vienna Sausage and cheese whiz. Afternoons on the weekends the fish aren't as hungry.

[HIJACK]
I don't know anything about Windy Point or anywhere else on Travis, but IMHO this is a verrry bad idea. The BOW classes still do that at CSSP, despite signs everywhere saying "Don't Feed the Fish". The end result is perch the size of a large skillet that eat everything in sight, including your ears. The nasty little buggers are called perchana around here, and it's extremely common to see divers exiting the water with bloody ears. I've even seen one guy come out of the water with a bloody nipple where a perch bit him....lol. He said it latched on and didn't want to let go...lol. They get to expecting food from divers, and they're really aggressive. Just my .02, YMMV.
[/HIJACK]

 

[Ten9T6]

[HIJACK]
I don't know anything about Windy Point or anywhere else on Travis, but IMHO this is a verrry bad idea. The BOW classes still do that at CSSP, despite signs everywhere saying "Don't Feed the Fish". The end result is perch the size of a large skillet that eat everything in sight, including your ears. The nasty little buggers are called perchana around here, and it's extremely common to see divers exiting the water with bloody ears. I've even seen one guy come out of the water with a bloody nipple where a perch bit him....lol. He said it latched on and didn't want to let go...lol. They get to expecting food from divers, and they're really aggressive. Just my .02, YMMV.
[/HIJACK]

Yes....my wife has come up with bloody ears at CSSP. So, on the next dive I covered my ears and one of the perchanas went to work on the back of my neck. It was a well exicuted sneak attack at 25 ft. I never saw it coming. I used to feed the fish (a while back and not at travis or CSSP), but I stopped after I got mugged a couple of times when I ran out of food.

now..back to Windy Point... I will be down there on the 6th of August for most of the day and would like to meet up with some of you. I dove there during my advanced, but didn't get to see much of the park.

Kenny

 

[AggieDad]

[HIJACK]
I don't know anything about Windy Point or anywhere else on Travis, but IMHO this is a verrry bad idea. The BOW classes still do that at CSSP, despite signs everywhere saying "Don't Feed the Fish". The end result is perch the size of a large skillet that eat everything in sight, including your ears. The nasty little buggers are called perchana around here, and it's extremely common to see divers exiting the water with bloody ears. I've even seen one guy come out of the water with a bloody nipple where a perch bit him....lol. He said it latched on and didn't want to let go...lol. They get to expecting food from divers, and they're really aggressive. Just my .02, YMMV.
[/HIJACK]

You are correct that is shouldn't be done....but the only problem I have noticed down here is a few nibbles on hair with air bubbles. Maybe what you guys need to do up there is eat a few of them. Maybe give the fisherman a day of no divers and let them fish them out and have a big fish fry. I sure wish I could catch a few of these perch on my fly rod. It would make a great fight.

Now if my nipples had been bitten then I would think a lot differently.

 

[Foo]

Even heard of a guy at CSSP who got came out of the water with a bloody lip from a perchana attack. ack! Please don't feed the fishies!