Texas Boasts Unique Scuba Diving Resort

It might not be one of the most tropical destinations in the world but Texas in the United States is home to an unusual diving site that attracts travellers from all over the globe.

Athens Scuba Park is a unique scuba diving attraction that features a 35-foot-deep, eight-acre spring-fed clay pit with blue crystal-clear waters, submerged wrecked vehicles and a 210-foot-long manmade underwater cave.

Developer of Athens Scuba Park, Calvin Wilcher, discovered the old Athens clay pit in East Texas over 20 years ago while he was looking for a good place to scuba dive.

"It's very unusual. I went 'Wow! That's a perfect place to scuba dive. I've got to have that,'" Wilcher recalled.

Over time, Wilcher turned the park into one of the country's top scuba diving destinations that currently sees on average 700 to 800 visitors each week and about 25,000 each season. The park attracts local divers as well as international divers from countries including Australia, the United Kingdom and Taiwan who are taking scuba diving holidays in the United States.

The white clay bottom of the lake allows excellent visibility for scuba divers and there are plenty of sites to explore including two jet airliners, two cabin cruisers, three buses, sixteen speed boats, house boats, two sail boats and nine motorcycles that have been submerged.

"With all the stuff down there, it's kind of like an underwater amusement park for divers," said Staci Murphy, a diver from Canton.
Wilcher added that the underwater cave and sunken objects allow scuba divers to experience "a great training facility," fun and recreation in a safe environment.

The park offers a selection of scuba diving courses from beginners, through to advanced and specialty diving, and Wilcher, a master scuba diving instructor, and his team of eight instructors teach 27 levels of the underwater sport.

"We've trained people from 10 years old to 80 years old," Wilcher said.

The park also offers a unique training program for public safety workers including police officers, firefighters and other government officials.

Scuba diving facilities include a classroom; an 11-foot-deep heated swimming pool; a lake with carpeted underwater training platforms plus coral wrecks; a full-service dive shop; eleven pavilions; picnic tables; docks, bathrooms and showers with soap, shampoo and crème rinse; primitive camping areas and RV hook-ups; a sandy volley ball court, horseshoe pit and basketball goal; and even large cages under trees where scuba divers can safely leave their dogs with food and water while they explore the underwater world.

"There's not another place in the United States that I know of that's set up like we are with all of this in one location," Wilcher said.