Texas: Flower Gardens &Rigs

MV Fling, MV Spree, July, 1994. "Out of Freeport, Texas, to the Flower Gardens. Trip extremely popular. Both boats totally full ­­ crowded. Crew is experienced and fair. Diving was surprisingly rewarding - many fish, some pelagics. Currents can be dangerous, but crew has a grip on it. $325 for two day trip, but wish for less crowded boat." J. Ware, Port Lavaca, TX

MV Fling, February, 1995. "Due to a succession of fronts and storms in the Gulf of Mexico, this was the first successful trip of the year on the MV Fling. The purpose was to find the hammerhead sharks known to congregate at the Flower Gardens in winter. We left Freeport at 11pm on Feb. 22 and entered the Gulf at midnight. Seas were 3-5', which made sleep near impossible. Thirty divers were stacked like cordwood on the 110' vessel. . . . We arrived at the West Flower Garden Bank at 6am the following morning but found that winter storms had removed all mooring buoys. Rather than spend dive time resetting the buoys, we motored 45 minutes to the East Flower Gardens Bank. Seas had calmed to 2-4' under cloudy skies, and eventually calmed to 2-3' feet. We had sunny skies for much of the trip, a fantastic stroke of luck this time of year. Air temp rose to the 70s both days. . . . Eight dives are planned in a day and a half of dive time (four first day, one night, three second day), and all divers must dive at the same time to keep a schedule for all dives. Entry is off the side of the boat ­- a seven-foot drop. Cameras are lowered to divers by a rope, with the real possibility of cameras banging against the side of the boat as it rolls. A sensible system of guide lines helps divers to the mooring line for descents and back to the boat upon completion of dives. . . . Water egress is at the transom via two ladders. Fins must be removed for the climb, and photographers can clip their cameras to a line provided for that purpose. The cameras are hauled onboard after the diver is back on deck. There is ample opportunity for cameras to be damaged as they are jerked around on the line or from banging into the boat. Photographers opting to keep cameras with them risk damage on the ladder from the sometimes rowdy conditions. Of course, all 30 divers are waiting to perform this sequence at the same time, which can be quite a mess if a surface current is running. The inconvenience of water entry and exit with sensitive equipment is the biggest problem of the boat. Another problem is that there are simple too many people on board. There are lines to get food and standing room only for some meals. . . . The crew is professional and courteous and do their best to accommodate. The diving was good even though visibility was limited to 40 feet or so. All divers saw mantas and many eagle rays, and most divers had encountered with the hammerheads. Several divers also saw blacktips. All divers were forced to swim through an impressive school of king mackerel for both dives at Stetson Bank. . . . The 100' depth limit was not an issue at the Flower Gardens, as the sand was at 70'. Depth had to be carefully monitored at the drop-off at Stetson Bank to avoid being penalized the next dive for violating the depth limit. Due to the quantity of planned dives with the resulting short surface times, I found the depth limitation to be reasonable. . . . The last planned dive, scheduled at an oil platform, was canceled on this trip due to an approaching cold front and a general lack of interest among the divers. All divers on this trip were either from Texas or Louisiana with extensive oil rig experience, and an oil rig dive in limited visibility held no fascination for any of us. . . . The Fling is a cheap and dirty way to gain access to a remarkable diving environment." Coleman Photographics, Baton Rouge, LA

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