Dive Review of Scuba Shack, McAllen, TX in
The Continental USA/Gulf of Mexico

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Scuba Shack, McAllen, TX, Nov, 2010, by Mary K Wicksten, TX, US ( Contributor 17 reports with 8 Helpful votes). Report 5768.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Dived the "Texas Clipper", WWII vessel deliberately sunk off South Padre Island, TX. This could have been a spectacular dive but visibility was horrible--barely 6 feet at best. The anchor line was attached to the ship at 80 feet. One had to swim up to the ship's bridge area at 65 feet but follow the side of the ship back to find the line. This really limited one's time at depth, even with Nitrox. I followed "Texas", a good guide who knew the ship and was able to show me some points of interest (lifeboat davits, bridge, anchor area, etc.) For a visiting diver, even with a map, it was all but impossible to know where you were and far too easy to end up in a deep, dark place. I saw some triggerfish, small corals, a blue angelfish and a couple of rock hinds, but just about anything could have been just out of sight. Nobody aboard could take any photos due to silt in the water. Scuba Shack took us out on a catamaran that usually was used for dolphin watching. Lots of room but NO tank holders and scant shelter from the wind--brr! Crew was helpful but nobody checked the heads before we left port. Both were out of order but had to be used anyway by the desperate.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Cozumel, Bahamas, Bonaire, Florida Keys and inland, California, western Mexico, Galapagos, Hawaii, Fiji, S. Australia, New Guinea, Yap, Palau
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	73-77°F / 23-25°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	5-6 Ft/ 2-2 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	Depth limit 130 feet.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Scuba Shack, McAllen, TX in The Continental USA/Gulf of Mexico

Scuba Shack, McAllen, TX, Nov, 2010,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Scuba Shack, McAllen, TX in
The Continental USA/Gulf of Mexico