Central Texas Diving - Lake Travis

[George Monnat Jr]

Here are my notes on the dives I've done in Lake Travis. The rankings are relative to other green-water diving in Texas (not blue water).

Updated: 28FEB2014

Click here to see current lake level.

Click here to see current lake temperatures.

Accessibility: usually it's good, but with the lake still down almost 60' it's bad.

Cost: good, the parks range from $10/car to $15/person and the Giant Stride boat dives are reasonably priced

Visibility: poor to good, typically 2'-8' (has some of the best visibility in Texas lakes, but rain or algae growth can reduce to near zero)

Variety of Sites: excellent, both shore and boat

Wildlife: moderate, mostly typical sunfish, bass and catfish with the occassional drum or dart. There's very little plant life which makes it feel a bit sterile at times.

Sites ('obstacles' means things to see, swim through, etc.):

Lake Travis Shore Dives

Windy Point Private, Lake Travis, Austin - 29 dives, latest October 2012; $15/person weekends;

facilities: excellent; buoy-protected dive area, set up for divers with carts, benches, changing areas, showers, portable toilets

obstacles: excellent; several platforms, several boats, some sculptures/small items, some grottoes, pecan trees down deeper

with lake low can be a hump getting down stairs to water an especially up the stairs while wet and possibly tired

Bob Wentz Park (Windy Point Public), Lake Travis, Austin - 3 dives, latest August 2013; $10/car;

facilities: moderate; buoy-protected swim area, bathrooms above the point

obstacles: moderate; some great grottoes but no wrecks or other man-made obstacles

right next to the private side plus easier access when the lake is low but facilities not near as good for divers and can be crowded with swimmers and people fishing; cool grottos and a few good swim-throughs; they really need to update their pictures, because the lake is more than 50' lower

Mansfield Dam Park, Lake Travis, Austin - 7 dives, latest February 2014; $10/car;

facilities: good; buoy-protected dive are (dedicated scuba park), large bathrooms above the park

obstacles: good; some boats and a plane

there always seems to be people fishing even though there are multiple signs prohibiting them from doing it

With the water low, you can use the boat ramp; just drive down, drop off gear and park up the hill in the lot. A couple warnings with this, the ramp is outside the diving buoys so you should have a float, and animals drink from the ramp leaving feces on it.

Lake Travis Boat Dives

Wreck Alley, Lake Travis, Austin - 4 dives, latest July 2013; went on the Giant Stride from Windy Point Public

obstacles: good; several boats, including a big house boat, and a car

Starne's Island, Lake Travis, Austin - 3 dives, latest July 2013;went on the Giant Stride from Windy Point Public

obstacles: moderate, some grottoes but the treasure hunting is good from the party barges

Oasis Wall, Lake Travis, Austin - 1 dive, latest April 2011; went on the Giant Stride from Windy Point Public

obstacles: good; lots of nice grottoes

[George Monnat Jr]

On all of my dive site posts, please feel free to post your own observations and opinions, including sites that I haven't dove (like Devil's Cove, Hippy Hollow, Shaker Plant, etc.).