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

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

Scuba Diving Activities

by

Where was your favorite dive?

Anjelica asked me where was my favorite dive. This is a question I get a lot. And the answer if not that simple. Diving is a series of moments in time and I have been lucky to have had a number special moments over the past forty years of diving. Like many divers, there is still something special about my first open water dive. No it was not somewhere exotic nor was the water particularly clear. But it was my first time to breath underwater and to see what was really there up close. My first dives were in Possum Kingdome Lake near Ft Worth and it was a cold, rainy day in March. But there was something so special about that day and that experience that I can still picture in my head today.

I remember some spectacular dives in Fiji where Ann and I spent our honeymoon. The corals were alive with color and seemed to go on forever. The While Wall remains one of my favorite dives in all of Fiji. It is a wall of blue-white corals that open in a current to feed and completely cover the wall from forty-five feet to one-hundred twenty feet. A truly spectacular sight.

Indonesia holds a lot of memories with schoold of bait fish swishing back and forth in various formations (remember that scene from Finding Nemo?) The schools of jacks and barracuda are entrancing at Mary’s Island in the Solomon Islands.

There are lots of stories but instead of only hearing mine, I would love to hear yours. Please take a moment and let me know about your favorite dives and help answer Anjelica’s question.

by

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.

by

Baylor College of Medicine Try Scuba Event

It was a beautiful Saturday and an ideal day to go diving, even in a pool. We were joined by a group of Baylor College of Medicine students joined us for a TryScuba and Diving Rescue Medicine seminar. The event was coordinated by one of our clients, Nick Peoples, who is a medical student at Baylor.

After a brief introduction and welcome from our Medical Advisor, Dr. Michael Coburn, the students learned about what it was like to become a diver and go diving around the world, a little bit about the possible complications divers can suffer from and then to actually try scuba. For the few Club members already certified, we offered a Megalodon Rebreather demonstration. Dr. Melvin Harrington, from the Orthopedics Department at Baylor, jumped in on this opportunity as well.

During the day, Instructors Joseph Buren, Zac Gay, and Joel Hershey discussed SCUBA and took the students diving in the pool. They showed them a few skills and then they were off, working on becoming neutral and playing some underwater games. Zaide Scheib and Nick Peoples swam around capturing the moments and interacting with the students. David Snyder, one of our Technical Rebreather Instructors acted as the certified diver ring master with a Megalodon 15 rebreather. These divers thought it was “pretty cool!”

The one thing the physicians stressed to the students was “do it now. We know you are busy but you have more time to complete the training now than you will when you finish school and start your residency.” By doing it now, they open the doors to some fun recreation during their time as students and later as physicians.

Some have taken this advice to heart and are exploring diving and becoming a diver.

To see more of the days adventures, follow this link.

Dr. Michael Coburn Welcomes the Students and Talks About Why He Started Diving
Joseph Thompson Discusses Diving Physiology and Its Effects on Divers
Eric Keibler Discusses What it is Like to be a Diver, Where We Dive and the Steps to Become a Diver
  • David Snyder Introducing Rebreathers
  • Joel Hershey Discussing Diving
  • Zac Gay Getting Potential Divers Started
  • Joseph Buren Introducing Diving

by

It Felt So Good to Get Wet!

A few weeks ago, we had about twenty divers join us down at Mammoth Lake for a fun day of diving and exploring. And the main feeling from everyone was…”It felt so good to get wet!”

With the onset of the COVID-19 local diving opportunity generator, many of our divers have been looking for someplace to just go diving since all of their summer vacations plans changed. We have been trying to help people keep diving and having fun.

Mammoth Lake Photos…

  • Social Distancing Equipment Zone
  • Pavilion From Water
  • Native Protector
  • Colton & Daniel Getting Ready
  • Kevin Ready to Go
  • End of Day Fried Pickles

We are continuing with our regular visits to the Beautiful Blue Lagoon, the second weekend of every month, but we have been trying to schedule some other diving activities.

Upcoming Diving Events

In August you will find us up at Lake Travis (August 21-23) at Windy Point. If you have not been to Lake Travis, there are trees, boats, cars and fish to look for underwater as well as depths down to 140 ffw. There is a fill station on site so you only have to bring one or two cylinders. Some of the families have decided to rent houses on the lake so that everyone can come up and enjoy a change of scenery. If you would like to learn more about the weekend, send Dive Mom a note.

On September 13 we are having a Family Fun Day up at Beautiful Blue Lagoon. This is a great day for divers and non-divers alike. Dive Mom will e on hand to lead snorkeling tours and activities for the younger kids while divers will have some challenging compass courses to try and navigate.

In September, we return to Mammoth Lake (September 19) for another fun weekend of exploring boats and planes as well as a hunt for King Kong and the Woolly Mammoth!

Dive Mom is also looking into putting together a trip to Bonne Terre Min in Missouri and the Valhalla Missile Silo. If you are interested, send her an email to put you on the list for information when it becomes available.

by

Jess Stark Is an Inspiration

Recently, our “favorite four year old”, Jess Stark was mentioned as a diving role model by Jona, the Cruise Director of the Philippine Siren.  Jess was diving with us on our recent trip to the Philippines aboard the Philippine Siren when he met Jona.  Like he does with everyone, he charmed her but more than that he impressed her with his stories and his love for diving.  Jess is a beautiful diver underwater and he loves being there.
Someone asked me why do we refer to him as our favorite four year old?  Well, he is a little mischievous and like a four year old he sometimes wanders off in the airport, the hotel and underwater.  Never far but something has caught his eye and he is then focused on it.  So like a four year old, you sometimes have to keep an eye on him.  But don’t worry, he loves the title!
Here is Jona’s, the cruise director on board S/Y Philippine Siren comment”

“My diving role model is Jesse Loren Stark. He is a US Navy Veteran Diver, who has more than 8,000 dives under his belt. He started diving when he was only 14 years old. He’s worked in nuclear power plants, as a rescue diver for the police and as a boat captain for a few years. His life story is an inspiration to many and his love for the ocean is immeasurable.”

Thanks Jess, we can’t wait to go diving with you again!

by

Archaeologist Staci Willis, PhD to Speak At Social Club Meeting

Staci Willis, PhD Diving in Albania

Are you interested in unexplored shipwrecks lying hidden on the ocean’s bottom just waiting to be discovered?  This is Dr. Staci Willis’ passion and this past summer she and a team of investigators explored a portion of the coast of Albania looking for some potential excavation sites.  For more than six days she and her fellow researched dove on various sites from 15 meters to 24 meters (50 feet to 80 feet) in an area around Corfu Chanel.
Their investigatory dives were successful and they will be returning next summer to start an archaeological dig on one or two of the sites.
Dr. Staci Willis is currently a Professor of Anthropology at Houston Community College and the Co-Principal Investigator of the Albania Ancient Shipwreck Project. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Ph.D. in Anthropology, specializing in Nautical Archaeology, in 2016. In addition to her most recent work in Albania, Dr. Willis has also participated in a number of other underwater excavations, including a 7th-century BC Phoenician shipwreck off the coast of Spain, a 1st-century wreck in a river of northern Italy, and and 1st-century wreck in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Staci will be discussing her work and these dives at the January 17, 2019 Club Aquarius Social Club meeting.