Utah diving

[Angus]

Hey Sven, I thought it would be better to continue this discussion in a thread that was not about carbon fins. Tell me more about Lake Powell as I hope to get down that way before we leave here. Did you ever dive up at Fish Lake or Flaming Gorge?

We went out to Bonneville Seabase a couple of weeks ago. What a swamp. But they are constructing a deep hole and we were informed that the first platform is going to be at -90 feet. But they need to find a way to increase the visibility. As I said the only place I been diving here is Homestead. Best winter practice sight I have been to.

So do you know of any freedivers in the deserts of Utah?

 

[icarus pacific]

freedive UTAH

Hi Mark,

Lake Powell is way to the south of the State, in fact to get to the Wahweap marina, you have to go across the border into Az. The marinas at the North, Bullfrog and Dangling Rope are about 11/2 hrs closer.

You'll hear from the eco-nazies about the travesty that flooding the area to form the Lake caused, but it's just about the best place to sit at the end of the day and watch the bats go after the bugs while the Sun goes behind the sandstone and redrock. Absolutely a listening to Willy Nelson while the blender's workin place! The really sweet way to see the Lake is from a houseboat, and gropus routinely get together to rent them, tie a skiboat on and putt up the ways. There's as much coastline to the Lake as the West Coast of the US so it's pretty easy to find an out of the way place to tie up.

Diving wise, it's your usual fresh water site, that's to say there's not much except for silt covered rocks and the occasional carp or catfish. I did some salvage work there and then took my ex father in law (don't ask...), for a tank, and that's about it for the diving. It's gotta be better than Bonneville, though I've never been diving there. Something about accepting a tropical pond in the midst of Tooele, Kennecott and the US's largest air polluter- Magcorp...

Dive shop wise, it's pretty much limited to SCUBA Utah, up from you in Sandy/Midvale, about 20Th East, 7200 South. It's the usual PADI place with more emphasis placed on matching colors of snorkels and BC stripes, but when in Rome...

Never made it to Flaming Gorge but have heard it's also damn pretty. Other than myself, I never met any other freedivers- just a few purely tankers that did the annual warm water trip thing.

sven

 

[andrsn]

flaming gorge

angus,

i think this spot could be a viable alternative next summer. and shouldn't be too far for you.

i'll keep you posted, cause i'm still talking w/ park rangers there on spearfishing.

later,
anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

spearfishing-wise, it's all for trash fish, like carp and other suckers, hardheads, which resemble a large herring with a flatter head, and catfish. No other game fish can be taken with a spear.

 

[andrsn]

regs

sven,

according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, only 1 area of the 5 in wyoming specifically states:

Area 1 Spear Gun Fishing.
"underwater spear gun fishing is permitted for the taking of nongame fish and whitefish only during the regular fishing season on all the waters in Area I, excluding those waters in Grand Teton National Park."

but,...
Area 4 Spear Gun Fishing.
"underwater spear gun fishing is permitted from June 1 through August 31 in the following waters:
Flaming Gorge; yadda yadda yadda....
All general and specific water creel limits shall apply."

in area 5, it talks about how there's a stricter limit on spearing walleye. i think they're a gamefish.

i know for sure that colorado strictly prohibits spearing any trout, including the mackinaw(laketrout).

i'm still trying to get on the horn w/ some of the officials over there. i've actually been to a few websites where they've mentioned something about spearing lakers.

i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

anyways sven, might you know something i'm not aware of?

warmly,
anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

I was remembering the regs as far as Utah was concerned, but it's been a few years so it's definitely worth a look. I also wouldn't be surprised to find that the "regular fishing season" ends when the ice starts to form on the lakes... And walleye sure are gamefish! You grill those guys over a wood fire and you'll be thinking life's damn good.