Things to do / Travel Guide
Freshwater scuba-diving in southeast Texas is usually confined to the rocky spring-fed lakes of the central area of the state, near Austin and the Hill Country. There are many inexpensive dive centers here. Access to the dive sites, equipment rental, and instruction are all in one place. These are good for beginners but don't offer the level of excitement of the Gulf. It can be fun to spot the cat-fish swimming near the bottom of the lake.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the water is murky near the coast, so any dive expedition needs to take you pretty far out before the water is calm and clear enough to see much. The two places that stand out in terms of diving are Freeport and Corpus Christi.
V.A. Fogg
The V.A. Fogg was an enormous 572-foot-long oil tanker that exploded near Freeport in 1972, tragically killing 39 crewmembers. The shipwreck, however, has become a remarkable artificial reef and a home for all sorts of marine life. It is an intermediate-level dive, and while a bit gruesome, it can be an exciting dive for the thrill seeker.
Liberty Ships
Also near Freeport, the Liberty Ships are decommissioned World War II-era warships the U.S. Navy sank, which have since become artificial reefs. Marine life is comparable to that of the V.A. Fogg, but visibility is said to be a bit better. It is, however, a deeper dive and for advanced divers only.
Flower Gardens
Flower Gardens is actually a U.S. marine sanctuary located 100 miles in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Divers can get there from either Galveston or Freeport, and will find over 250 acres of protected coral reef. There are over 200 species of fish, and 250 species of invertebrates, turtles, and dolphins, which are friendly to the boats and divers. There are also large manta rays that allow divers to ride them. It is full of exotic colors and landscapes and shares more in common with diving sites in the Caribbean than elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Dives here are at an intermediate level.
Scuba Diving Spots in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
Scuba-Diving
Malaquite Beach - Padre Island, Texas
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