Dive Review of Fling Charters in
The Continental USA

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Fling Charters: "Flower Gardens Banks, Texas", Jul, 2016, by Mary K Wicksten, TX, US ( Contributor 17 reports with 8 Helpful votes). Report 8990 has 2 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is not a luxury boat. You have curtained bunks, common dining area and dive platform. Some curtains don't quite shut out the emergency lights, so you may want to bring an eye mask. Temperature varied between cabins. Food is "diner style" but filling. You will enjoy the brownies and ice cream after the night dive! Beer available but your first alcoholic drink marks the end of your day's diving. The Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank are 70-120 miles out in the Gulf, minimum depth about 65 feet. Divemasters give a thorough briefing and urge safety procedures. (A pity that a couple of people didn't hear "HANG ON TO THE DOWN LINE!" But yes, they made it back to the boat.) Divemasters do a check on everyone after each dive. Entry is a jump off the side. You grab the side line and may swim against a surface current to follow the buoy line down. You exit by grabbing the back line, removing your fins and timing your exit as a heavy ladder dunks in and out. You need to monitor your time, depth, and location while diving. Plenty of places to explore on the bottom or around the legs of the platform but you need to stay alert. This is NOT a place for beginners. Reefs contain big coral heads or rock pinnacles. Lots of fish schools, all sorts of colorful and cute smaller crustaceans and fishes among rocks and corals. Distant manta, sharks cruising around platform, slipper lobsters and other crustaceans out at night. Great opportunities for any camera.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Galapagos, western Mexico, California, Hawaii, Fiji, Palau, Yap, Australia, New Guinea, Florida springs
Closest Airport	Houston TX	Getting There	You need to drive to Freeport to catch the boat (about 1.5 hour drive). No public transportation.
Dive Conditions
Weather	windy	Seas	surge
Water Temp	81-85°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Maximum of 130 feet on first dive, 100 feet afterwards. 2.5 hours between dives, safety stop for 3 minutes at 15 feet.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Camera tank and table provided. Can arrange for down line on entry or exit. Lots of marine life from fish schools to tiny blennies and crabs. Day and night dives available, different species at each. Big guys (sharks, mantas) tend to be distant--video might be a better way to shoot them.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Fling Charters in The Continental USA

Fling Charters: "Flower Gardens Banks, Texas", Jul, 2016,

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 Fling Charters in
The Continental USA