223 replies to this topic

[Mitch0129]

I was suppose to be first on the list. I get no around here. Put me somewhere on the list please.

I'm glad you spoke up. I was wondering if you were going to come on the trip this time ... or was I going to have to talk you into it!

[WreckWench]

Hey girl...you are now officially FIRST on the list!

I am soooooooo glad you are making it! Now can you recruit a few more folks to join you???

[finley]

Hey girl...you are not officially FIRST on the list!

I am soooooooo glad you are making it! Now can you recruit a few more folks to join you???

HHHHMMMM...... HEY WENCH ...did you mean "now" instead of "not".... ain't it fummy how we make mistakes (especially without our glasses)

[WreckWench]

Too funny...yes it was a typo...gosh I have to slow down typing!

But I have the ability to fix it...LOL!!! -ww

[finGrabber]

'Punk!!

and Mitch!!

this will so much fun and such great diving too

[ScubaPunk]

My recommendations for out-of-towners:

Country Hearth Inn - Freeport
1015 West 2nd Street
Just offf I-36 & FM 423
Freeport, Tx
888-325-7818
Price: Around $50.00
Hotel Link: Country Hearth

Happy Hour suggestion:
On The River Restaurant
919 W 2nd
Freeport, TX
979-233-0503

The Hotel and the Restaurant are right next door to each other and a short distance down and across the road from the boat.

Bush Interconnental airport is north of Houston and about a 1 1/2 or 2 hour drive from Freeport. Hobby airport is closer to Freeport, about a 1 hour drive. If you choose to get a hotel near the airport, keep these drive times in mind for the return trip to the airport after the long boat ride and the Happy Hour!

[finley]

FYI..I live by Bush Intercontinental and will be glad to pick anyone up that needs it..don't know my exact plans ( drive down night before..morning of.) but I have time..

[ScubaPunk]

FYI..I live by Bush Intercontinental and will be glad to pick anyone up that needs it..don't know my exact plans ( drive down night before..morning of.) but I have time..

We are due at the boat at 8:00 pm, so there's no reason to get there the night before or the morning of. Last year people were arriving between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Except Mitch, who came and went and came back again so fast, I don't know when he got there!

[finley]

FYI..I live by Bush Intercontinental and will be glad to pick anyone up that needs it..don't know my exact plans ( drive down night before..morning of.) but I have time..

We are due at the boat at 8:00 pm, so there's no reason to get there the night before or the morning of. Last year people were arriving between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Except Mitch, who came and went and came back again so fast, I don't know when he got there!

excellent...I can pick people up at airport and we can head down..and if we are running late, .we can take the "Mitch Houston to Freeport Express"

Edited by finley, 12 February 2006 - 09:54 AM.

[Capn Jack]

can I rent tank and lead from the boat or should I get it locally.

From the Gulf-diving FAQ -

Air Tanks?
Each diver should bring one full cylinder. Both boats have one adapter to fill high-pressure DIN valves, but will only fill to 3000 psi—the boats do not provide high-pressure fills. If you are bringing a cylinder larger or smaller in circumference than an aluminum 80, please bring a bungee cord to secure it—our tank racks are made for 7 ¼” tanks. Doubles are not allowed. We have rental tanks available for divers traveling from out of town. Please let your dive shop know your air tank needs.

Nitrox Tanks?
Nitrox prices remain the same as last year and include tank rental. Personal nitrox tanks will be allowed, with the following requirements: the tank must be properly labeled, pointed out to and flagged by boat crew, filled with 32% EANx, and analyzed in front of a boat divemaster or Captain before getting underway. Only 32% EANx is allowed. There is no discount on the nitrox price for using a personal tank. Tanks larger in size than 100 cf will be charged double. Doubles are not allowed. Please let your dive shop know your nitrox tank needs.

Weights?
Divers need to provide their own weight and weight belt. If coming from out of town, the boat is able to provide lead but needs to know approximately how much is needed in advance. There is always some lead on board for anyone who is a few pounds light.

[WreckWench]

Payment Update:

Hey Karl aka ScubaFanatic...got your deposit!

[mantarraya]

FYI..I live by Bush Intercontinental and will be glad to pick anyone up that needs it..don't know my exact plans ( drive down night before..morning of.) but I have time..

We are due at the boat at 8:00 pm, so there's no reason to get there the night before or the morning of. Last year people were arriving between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Except Mitch, who came and went and came back again so fast, I don't know when he got there!

I may try to go on this trip as I typically do the Gardens a couple of times a year. July/Aug/Sep is definitely the time to do it. Deciding between this and Holbox/Coz right now.

Regardless of my decision, anyone who does get down early and wants to chill on the Galveston Beach and use my house as a place to shower/change/drink/bbq etc is welcome. I live on the far west end of Galveston and it only takes 15-20 minutes to drive there from my house. We could make it an unofficial SD Happy Hour spot.

[scubafanatic]

Payment Update:

Hey Karl aka ScubaFanatic...got your deposit!

Hi Kamala,

Thanks for the update!

Karl

[scubafanatic]

FYI..I live by Bush Intercontinental and will be glad to pick anyone up that needs it..don't know my exact plans ( drive down night before..morning of.) but I have time..

We are due at the boat at 8:00 pm, so there's no reason to get there the night before or the morning of. Last year people were arriving between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Except Mitch, who came and went and came back again so fast, I don't know when he got there!

I may try to go on this trip as I typically do the Gardens a couple of times a year. July/Aug/Sep is definitely the time to do it. Deciding between this and Holbox/Coz right now.

Regardless of my decision, anyone who does get down early and wants to chill on the Galveston Beach and use my house as a place to shower/change/drink/bbq etc is welcome. I live on the far west end of Galveston and it only takes 15-20 minutes to drive there from my house. We could make it an unofficial SD Happy Hour spot.

....for what's it worth, I just got back from Cozumel 2/10 - 2/13/06, and so far I just haven't had the heart to do a trip report just yet, suffice it to say Cozumel has been NUKED and transformed into an underwater wasteland.....I don't anticipate a recovery for decades, if not centuries, and that's not considering the ongoing environmental pressures of mankind and global-warming on any possible reef recovery.........although I know SD.com just did a New Year's trip there for a week and it's participant's may offer their own perspective on things.

I've done 3 FG/Stetson trips so far, and the pristine, healthy nature of the reefs/fish/big animals is WAY better than Cozumel (I've done 4 weekend trips to Cozumel over 2 1/2 yrs, so I'm somewhat familiar with what Cozumel is/was before Wilma/Emily)

...Cozumel shocked me so much I'm replacing it with FG/Stetson for my 'value' priced trips and have penciled in 2 July/ 1 Aug / and 1 Sept trip out there this summer....for us Texans within driving distance, it's quite a blue-water-diving bargain.

Holbox sounds unique, although it's not for me, as 4 snorkel dives, even with Whalesharks, doesn't compute value-wise....and I will take my chances maybe scuba-diving with Whalesharks at Flower Gardens as I did Labor Day weekend '03

...it's not my intention to bad-mouth any SD.com trip destination, I volunteer my observations to anyone here 'torn' between selecting the Flower Gardens July trip versus the July Cozumel trip in the hopes I can help some of you make a well-informed decision, and avoid an expensive/frustrating mistake.

Karl

Edited by scubafanatic, 19 February 2006 - 09:25 PM.

[mantarraya]

Man, is Coz really that bad? Most people have told me that there was quite a bit of damage to the shallow reef areas like Paradise, but the deeper areas were basically all good, except for a little silting and sand shifting here and there. Also, heard Punta Tunich was affected significantly.

What sites were particularly bad? Don't tell me the Columbia reef system is that bad. I love that area!

I love diving the Flower Gardens, and will definitely do them at least 1-2 times this year as I usually do. However, George Schmahl (Sanctuary chief) says that the bleaching is much worse this year due to very warm water conditions of the past few years. They are still more pristine than almost anywhere else close to us, however.

Because I live in Galveston, I can pretty much drive over there anytime. Also, it is very challenging diving, and I always like to go somewhere else first each year to get my skills back to 100%. I was diving the Banks the summer the Spree lost their first 2 ever divers - one a couple of days before the D2D trip I was on, and one the day after. Poor Melanie was a basket case, as the conditions were pretty tough (current ripping) at times. I always listen to the DM very carefully there. If they tell me it is dicey, I stay on the boat. 150 mi offshore is a long way to be if something goes wrong.