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Dive Review of M/V Fling in
The Continental USA/Flower Gardens & Stetson

M/V Fling, Sep, 2003,

by Roger Soape, TX, USA . Report 732.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 2 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments A very well run 2-day trip, if a little bit like camping. Boat left the dock at 9:30 pm Friday night and travels while divers sleep. Dawn Saturday found us at the Flower Gardens for a 7:00 am dive - the first of five that day, including a night dive. We made two more dives on Sunday morning at Stetson Bank (after moving during the night).

Thirty plus divers share rooms with bunks and only three heads. Showers on dive deck. Still, all runs like clock-work. No divemasters in the water but they jump in the water first to check out the site, currents, etc., then back on board to give briefing and help divers giant stride in buddy pairs the 5+ feet to the water. Diving at the Flower Gardens was so-so with a loggerhead and a couple of hawksbills, barracuda and a good number and variety of the usual tropical suspects. Stetson Bank was fabulous. Two manta rays - close and relatively unconcerned in 100' vis water! A bull shark or two, lots of spotted and goldentail morays, jacks, snapper, reef fish (large and small).

Food good and plentiful. The galley crew had something good for us to eat after each and every dive. The captains, galley crew and divemasters all love to dive - and it shows. We were told that the two galley guys and the two divemasters work so they can go diving. They take turns diving between the guests dives.

Overall, a very nice get away - especially for a Houston area resident or someone who is in or near Houston on other business. Weather is a concern, though, and trips are cancelled if the seas are rough. Not for beginner divers!

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Little Cayman, Cozumel, Chinchorro, Belize atolls, Dominica, Saba, Turks & Caicos
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 85-0°F / 29--18°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Max 130' on each day's first dive, then no more than 100'. Two and one-half hour surface intervals.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 2 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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