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Cat Nickell and husband Mike are among the dedicated scuba divers who explore the depths of Lake Travis.
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 hey say they are hooked. Some admit they have an obsession. Others even claim an addiction.
The way many scuba divers at Lake Travis describe their passion might be hard for dedicated landlubbers to fathom. But spend a day or two with these divers and you will get a shot of something intoxicating. Maybe it's their joy, their general good natures or their enthusiasm for their sport. They want to share it, even if it is sometimes difficult to explain exactly why diving provides such an exhilarating experience.
On a recent weekend at Windy Point Park on Lake Travis, dozens of men and women donned gear weighing as much as 75 pounds — including wetsuit, weight belt, buoyancy control vest, air tank, regulator, fins and mask. (Remember, this sport is all about equipment; after all, "scuba" stands for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.") They descended metal stairs and limestone outcroppings to disappear into the water.
Don Barrett, a dive instructor from Waco, watched as two students submerged for a rescue training dive. Ten years ago, the building contractor was married 30 feet below the surface of Lake Travis while he and his bride exchanged vows on a submerged platform. The marriage didn't last. But his love continues for this place to dive and teach new divers.
"The training facility is so much superior to anything else" in the region, Barrett said.
Travis' dive community
A 64-mile-long reservoir formed by the damming of the Texas Colorado River, Lake Travis is the lone flood control reservoir in the Highland Lakes chain. Managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the lake is a source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and a draw for thousands of recreational swimmers, fishers and boaters.
Lake Travis also is one of the most popular freshwater scuba diving locations in the Lone Star State, according to divers and industry experts.
"In general, most people in Central and eastern Texas go to Lake Travis," said Mike Hill, the Gulf Coast/Caribbean regional manager for the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (or PADI), the world's largest dive training organization. "In the dive stores I talk to, if they want to make a dive of any depth, they go there."
Don't get the wrong idea. Divers would prefer Cozumel and Bonaire, world renowned diving destinations famous for tropical weather and crystal clear blue waters.
Though it's not the Caribbean, Lake Travis is the next best thing, many area divers said. That's because of its proximity, amenities, calm currents and general good visibility for a freshwater lake. Since 1986, Lake Travis has benefited from a state ban on the discharge of wastewater and other pollutants into the lake; the state has listed Lake Travis as the clearest reservoir in Texas for many years.
"While Lake Travis' chief purpose is to help protect downstream communities from floods and to supply people with water, LCRA is proud to manage the lake so it can be enjoyed by many recreational users, including scuba divers," said Suzanne Zarling, executive manager of LCRA Water Services.
Zarling, a scuba instructor with more than 20 years of experience, recently participated in an expedition to explore the USS Perry, a minesweeper sunk during World War II off the Palauan islands. The wreck is nearly 300 feet deep and accessible only to expert divers using specialized equipment. Despite such experiences, Zarling said: "I dive in Travis a couple times a month. It's a great place to dive."
Buoyant business
By all indications, the regional scuba market is healthy. One of the most popular diving spots on Lake Travis is Windy Point Park, a privately held park that caters to divers. Other Lake Travis locations that attract divers are the adjacent Bob Wentz Park at Windy Point and Mansfield Dam Park, which is equipped with platforms for divers. Both are public parks owned by LCRA and operated by Travis County.
"We're a landlocked community, and we have eight dive shops in town and some of the dive shops have more than one location," said Steve Wurfel, manager of the north Austin location of Scubaland Adventures. "I'd say we're doing pretty well."
Variety of divers
The lake attracts numerous diving instructors whose students are required to have four open water dives before they receive certification from international diving associations. Some divers said they use the lake to practice as they prepare for their next overseas trip. Others said they simply enjoy the scene and jump at any excuse to dive.
"This is the lake of least resistance," said Arlington resident Steve Shipe, who joined about 25 other members of SingleDivers.com during the group's recent weekend diving roundup at Windy Point Park. The Dallas-based group links single divers with buddies.
Lake Travis provides the most convenient location for members statewide, whether they are traveling from the Houston area, Dallas-Fort Worth, South or West Texas, he said. Many of the group's divers camped in tents under live oak trees close to the shore. Others stayed at an Extended Stay Hotel in northwest Austin.
Ex-eye doctor logs 8,000 dives
One of the most frequent divers at the lake is a former eye surgeon, Mike Nickell.
Nickell, 51, has been diving since he was 10 years old. He now owns Austin Aqua Sports, which bills itself as Austin's longest continually operated scuba diving center. The shop supports five instructors, and each year certifies an average of 300 to 400 divers.
Though Nickell has logged more than 8,000 dives, he hasn't had his fill. Three days in any typical week, Nickell, his wife, Cat, and like-minded pals head to Lake Travis. Emerging from the lake after a recent dive, Nickell looked at the large gadget strapped to his wrist. His illuminated diver's computer showed he went 111 feet deep. (Recreational divers rarely break the 100-foot mark and are advised never to pass 130 feet.)
"The deeper we dove, the clearer it got," he said. Underwater cleanup
Helping to maintain the lake, many divers said they plan to participate in the 11th annual Lake Travis Underwater Cleanup scheduled on Sunday, Sept. 18. Last year, hundreds of diver volunteers hauled more than eight tons of trash from the lake.
Clay Bishop, an Austin Realtor who has made 300 dives, recalled hauling three bags of garbage, mostly beer cans, from about 85 feet deep last year.
Among those joining these divers again this year will be the Eels on Wheels, an Austin-based nonprofit group that supports disabled scuba divers, principally those confined to wheelchairs.
"We have a common goal: to clean the lake, get together and meet friends who dive," said Jill Crocker, the group's volunteer secretary who also serves as chief of staff for state Sen. Kim Brimer (R-Fort Worth). "It's just fun. You've got to give back."
Allure of diving
While inevitably there is trash to clean up, the divers say more often they witness wondrous, and sometimes even wacky sights.
A native of Louisiana, Cat gets a kick out of photographing crawfish on the lake's bottom. Others talk about "flying over" submerged objects such as the large stand of pecan trees, boats, an old Ford Pinto, dilapidated barns and farm houses, a bridge and a windmill. Then there is "Stella," the name divers have given a mannequin dressed in a red teddy that someone submerged in the lake near Starnes Island.
Weightlessness is one of the big draws. You've seen those images of astronauts floating in space? Scuba diving is like that.
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"It's like floating," said Justin Anderson, a technician at Samsung Austin Semiconductor who has been diving for more than a decade. Sometimes after a hard day, he likes to sit on the lake's bottom, plunge into a meditative state and let the stress float away.
After coming up for air — the uncompressed variety — divers usually leave plenty of time to socialize and share their experiences. After all, scuba divers are supposed to dive with buddies for safety reasons.
"It's a social sport," Nickell explained, sipping a Michelob Ultra and preparing to grill burgers in the moonlight after a recent evening dive at Mansfield Dam Park.
Boisseau is Web editor for LCRA.
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