Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

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Local Diving It is Not the Caribbean but It Can Still Be Fun

On the east coast they say boating and watersports season runs from Memorial Day to Labor day. After that you put your boats and equipment away and get ready for your winter activities. There may be some practical reason for this up north becasue traditionally in September the cold winds start to blow and the temperatures begin to drop. But, we live in the South! Here the temperatures merely moderate and in fact it is just pleasent outside. Sailors all know that this is one of the better times for sailing becasue the winds blow steadier and it is not as hot on the water.

Divers too find that the weather makes being at the lake more enjoyable. The temperatures mean the barbq grills can come out again and sitting and talking during the surface intervals are more relaxing. The water temperatures remain warm so diving in lighter suits is still possible. Of course with cooler nights, the water temperature will drop but until November, you can add some layers to your wetsuit and keep diving. (I am a little bit of a wimp these days and when the temperature drops below 76-78 degrees I switch to a drysuit).

This past Sunday, Joe Henry, Zac Gay and Naomi decided it was time to get wet and go diving. I haven’t been in a rebreather for a while so it was a good opportunity to test the new cells and jump back into silent diving. Zac brought his rebreather as well and we both made Joe jealous (he is going to put his together and get some new cells now.) Diving in a Texas lake is definitely not the Caribbean, but it is wet and there are fish. We had about 8-10 feet of visibility which was not too bad considering we had some rain recently.

The thing about diving locally is you have the opportunity to work on your buoyancy and trim instead of fighting with it on your vacation. You can also try out different equipment configurations or even different equipment! Budding photographers can practice with their cameras and try new of different techniques. It is a good opportunity to practice gunning lines or running navigation courses. Remember, what you work on locally makes your next trip more enjoyable and your diving better.

So, I would encourage you to head out and go diving! Join us for a local dive or just pick a lake that is close and go for a day or choose one a little further away and make a weekend out if it. Your diving will improve and your attitude will also improve.

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Hello from Houston, Scuba Diving in Micronesia, Update 8

Jim With Sharks, photo by Katrina Adams
Jim With Sharks, photo by Katrina Adams

We have been home now for a week and I finally feel like I am back in the right time zone.
We had a fun time in Kosrae and got to experience life as eco-tourists for a week.  Of course, nothing ever really dried out and when I opened my bags, I knew what my Mother felt like when I returned from camp.  Holland laughed when we were talking about it and she said “i added Lysol to the laundry just to make sure that smell went away.”  It seems that when clothing is put away in a travel bag for 30 hours where it was exposed to sun on a runway, the belly of three jets and who know what else, it takes on a life of its own.  I had to fight the washing machine to just take the clothes — it was not in the mood for cleaning them.
Scuba diving in Kosrae is a little different from other Pacific destinations.  The reefs are made up of lots of hard corals with some soft corals.  My experience in other areas is that the soft corals are more abundant that the hard corals.  One of the more interesting coral formations is a spreading pillar coral which may explain some of the local legends about small cities underwater,
Of course, during my two week absence, Dive Mom saved up a lot of tasks for me including the bill paying and inventory functions of Oceanic Ventures and Eric and Ann, Inc.  This meant that I had a lot of accounting to do — which I hate.  I also have a lot of other demands on my time from students and clients needing equipment and a schedule for training.  Life just does not go on hold while traveling in the Pacific.
I have over 500 photographs from my stay in Kosrae to process and ??  I will be posting some of those soon.  I know that Holland and Steve have been working on their photographs from Chuuk because they have been posting them on Facebook.  And I must say, they took some really fun photographs.  I can’t wait to see what they turn in for the Photography Contest.
 
Keep checking back — I leave for Fiji on Thursday!

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Local Texas Scuba Diving – Reveille Peak Ranch

Quarry at Reveille Peak Ranch
The Quarry

Off the beaten path is a little known dive site in Texas.  It is just four hours from Houston, in the Texas Hill Country.  This site, the former home to the Dixon/Southwestern Mining Company is an open seam graphite mine.  Once the site of large draglines and steam shovels, it is now a water filled oasis in the heart of the Llano geological uplift.  This crack in the earth is filled with rising ground water, a natural spring and rain water and prneudes a natural habitat for a small number of fish and turtles.  You will find most of the fish in the shallows among the hydrilla plants that occupy the first ten to fifteen feet of water.  Below that, there are relatively shear walls or granite, marble, limestone, sandstone infused with graphite.  It is this graphite which makes the deeper depths. Interesting.  The bottom is covered with black sand and sparkling graphite.  But, this dark bottom and the orientation of the body of water make the deep parts of the seam as dark as a cave dive – little to no natural light can be seen at the bottom.   And the bottom is relatively deep with depths ranging from seventy to one-hundred feet.

Aside from the opportunity to try out your new diving lights, the quarry prneudes you the opportunity to use your hoods, gloves, heavy wetsuits or a dry suit.  The water temperature in the quarry was a brisk 71 degrees at the surface to a much colder 56 degrees at the bottom.  But, with all of these variances, there comes a treat in Texas – visibility!  While the first twenty feet had a slight green algae induced hue, the visibility was a respectable fifteen to twenty feet but drop into the cold, dark part of the quarry and the visibility grows to 40 to 50 feet.  Of course, at this part of the quarry, your light is the limiting factor.

Pavilian at Reveille Peak Ranch
The Pavilian at Reveille Peak Ranch

This quarry sits in the middle of a outdoor enthusiasts dream location, the Reveille Peak Ranch.  Designed by owner Vol Montgomery, as a place where you can enjoy activities away from the hustle and bustle of the city but not give up all of the conveniences.  The central feature is a large pavilion with ponds, pools, a commercial kitchen and a bar, perfect for any company sponsored function.  It overlooks a manmade lake stocked with bass and pearch so the fishing is active and the fish are large.  The fact that the Ranch operates a hook and release program and also feeds the fish makes them larger than you might find in a natural lake – of course this is Texas and we only have one natural lake so who cares.  This is a mecca for mountain bikers with miles of trails with different skill level challenges.  There are walking and hiking trails with a new nature center under construction.  Kayakers and paddle boarders will also enjoy the small lake which has trees sticking up from the depths to add to the paddling practice.

Tent Campsite
Tent Campsite

The Ranch also has camp sites scattered around the pavilion area that prneude for tent camping or RV camping with electrical hook-ups for both 30 amp and 15 amp hook-ups.  There are warm and cold water showers for both and toilet facilities near the Pavilion so you don’t have to go too native.  The staff at the Ranch are on hand to help you find your way or to make suggestions.  Andrea is the diving coordinator for the Ranch with John, a former mountain biking circuit rider, is on hand to help coordinate things.  Vol is also on the property to make sure things run smoothly.

The Ranch staff can also host other activities for groups including skeet shooting, children’s activities and obstacle course events. 

While there are some motels and guest cabins nearby, our group of explorers, which dwindled from twelve to six, all stayed and camped at the Ranch.  Ann loves camping so this was just up her alley.  Of course I am not really a tent camper anymore so my solution was to rent a small teardrop camper from a local dealer here in Houston.  It turned out to be the perfect match for the weekend with a comfortable bed and a nice place to prepare food.  Remember our motto here at Oceanic Ventures – local diving is a Barbeque interrupted by diving and as David likes to say, it is all about the food.  Wade brought steaks, potatoes and fresh cord for Saturday’s post dive dinner and I brought two nice bottles of wine to go with it.  I also had a surprise – homemade ice cream, made on site.  Of course it was not the most appropriate dessert because the temperatures dropped to a brisk 48 degrees.  But in my mind, ice cream is perfect any time.  We built a nice fire and shared dive stories and adult beverages until one-by-one we began to fade and drift off to sleep.

The scenery of the Ranch make this a perfect escape for divers and non-divers alike.  The diving, while cold, was interesting and fun.  The geology underwater is interesting with the graphite seams in the formations sparkling in the light.  Navigation is easy since the quarry runs north to south and there are no known caves or major overhangs.  Surface intervals are relaxing with a deck near the campsite or on the floating dock.  There are also hiking trails around the quarry if you feel you need more exercise.

One note for divers – the quarry is not open to the public.  To dive here you must go with a dive store, like your friends at Oceanic Ventures. 

Dive Mom's Birthday BashHow did we enjoy the weekend?  Well, Oceanic Ventures has decided to throw Dive Mom and birthday bash up at Reveille Peak Ranch on 26-28 April 2013 (i.e. this coming April).  Everyone is invited to the party and if you are interested in renting a teardrop trailer contact Charlie at hitchandgoadventures.com ahead of time and let him know you what one just like ours (we have already put in a reservation).  But don’t worry; Steve Soulen will be coordinating the tent campers and the ever present campfire! 

So, mark your calendars for April 26-28 and plan on joining us for a VERY fun weekend!

See More Photos from the weekend on our Facebook Fan Page or by clicking here.