Texas, United States Dive Sites — Page 2

Continued from the Texas, United States dive sites guide, which covers seasonality and planning details.

Sabine

Texas · Up to 13.1 m

Sabine is a dive site located in United States. Depths run to roughly 13 m. The site is reached by boat.

Boat entry

Sabine Nearshore

Texas · Up to 11.6 m

A dive site in United States. The site reaches a maximum depth of about 12 m. The site is reached by boat.

Boat entry

Spring Lake (Meadows Center, San Marcos)

Texas · 3–9.1 m

The headwaters of the San Marcos River, fed by about 200 artesian spring vents from the Edwards Aquifer, with constant 72 F crystal-clear water over archaeological deposits spanning 12,000+ years of human habitation. Diving is tightly restricted: certified divers must complete the Meadows Center's Spring Lake Dive Authorization Course and volunteer with the AquaCorps habitat-restoration program, or do open-water checkout dives through partner shops. It is widely considered one of the best freshwater dives in Texas.

Shore entry

Stetson Bank (Flower Garden Banks NMS)

Texas · 16.8–40 m

A siltstone-claystone bank about 80 miles off the Texas coast, 30 miles inshore of West Flower Garden Bank, added to the national marine sanctuary in 1996. Uplifted siltstone pinnacles at roughly 55-90 ft create a 'moonscape' of ridges covered in sponges, fire coral and Madracis coral, and a wall on the north side drops sharply toward 180 ft. Normally dived from the same Freeport liveaboard trips that visit the Flower Garden Banks.

AdvancedBoat entry

The Blue Lagoon

Texas · 0–9.1 m

Two spring-fed limestone quarries abandoned in the early 1900s and now run as a dedicated scuba training facility about 70 miles north of Houston near Huntsville. The limestone gives the water a blue tint and visibility (often 25 ft or better) that is well above the Texas lake average. Only certified divers and enrolled students may enter; it is one of the busiest open-water checkout sites in southeast Texas.

Shore entry

The Scuba Ranch (Clear Springs Scuba Park)

Texas · 0–19.2 m

A 22-acre spring-fed quarry lake northeast of Terrell, about an hour east of Dallas, opened as a dive park in 2000 and rebranded as The Scuba Ranch. Underwater attractions include 'Sisco' the 50-foot shark sculpture, the S.S. Minnow cabin cruiser, a sailboat, a Cessna and six training platforms served by nine entry docks. A sharp thermocline near 20 ft drops temperatures into the 50s F below.

Shore entry

Twin Lakes Scuba Park

Texas · 0–15.2 m

A 31-acre aquifer-fed lake in Manvel, about 20 minutes south of downtown Houston, run as an RV resort and scuba training park. Sunken attractions include several fishing boats, a school bus, a jet ski and an Airstream trailer, with shallow platforms used heavily for open-water classes. Visibility averages 10-20 ft, dropping below 30 ft of depth.

Shore entry

West Flower Garden Bank (Flower Garden Banks NMS)

Texas · 18–39.6 m

The western of the two coral-capped salt domes in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, about 110 miles off Freeport and 12 miles from East Bank. Its reef cap (roughly 60-100 ft) carries the same dense boulder star and brain coral cover, with deep sand flats and reef margins sloping past recreational limits. Dived from liveaboard charters on sanctuary mooring buoys, usually combined with East Bank and Stetson Bank on 2-3 day trips.

AdvancedBoat entry

Windy Point Park (Lake Travis)

Texas · 0–48.8 m

The best-known scuba park on Lake Travis northwest of Austin, with shore entry to a steep underwater point dropping well past 100 ft. Training platforms at several depths, sunken boats, cars and metal sculptures (diver, sea turtle, shark, manatee) line guide lines from shore. Visibility runs 15-30 ft and the deep water stays cold year-round; depths depend strongly on the lake level.

IntermediateShore entry