Lake Tenkiller is the diver’s choice for best overall local diving if you’re coming from the Oklahoma City (or Tulsa) area. Although the lake can be a bit moody at times, it is well worth the visit. Summer surface temps can get into the high 80s. The best diving is usually below the thermocline where summer temps are in the 70s. Tons of aquatic life as well as history.

In the 1950s Tenkiller was just a river. Once dammed and flooded, it’s become one of Oklahoma’s best scuba diving and outdoor enthusiast getaways! The scuba park has plenty of attractions, including sunken boats, an airplane, and huge helicopter. The bottom contour is primarily sandstone, so it’s not stirred up as easily. Shore diving is great as well as remote boat dives. Depth can exceed 150 ft. Map, fill, and lodging info.

A beautiful lake in a beautiful part of the country. Getting there from OKC is a bit of a drive, but well worth it. This lake’s visibility typically handles the spring rains better than others, so Beaver is a common training area of ours in May and June. Summer surface temps are well into the 80s, but there’s usually a much more distinct thermocline than Tenkiller starting around 20′, so bring your wetsuit. Deeper water (below 60′) typically requires a drysuit or 7mm wetsuit, but the visibility never disappoints!

There’s a full-blown scuba park here with plenty of attractions, training platforms, and lots of friendly fish! And to top it off, you’re only 20 minutes from beautiful Eureka Springs for plenty of hotels, restaurants, and shopping opportunities.

Elmer Thomas Lake is a very small lake just over an hour from Bluewater Divers. This is a spectacular dive for an evening getaway or a late afternoon. Surrounded by mountains, the 15 ft. average visibility and abundant aquatic life has made this a favorite for many divers coming from OKC. Make sure you bring some bread to feed the eager school of fish that will be following you the entire dive! If you forget bread, there is an ample supply of mussels buried in the silt you can feed them.

Most of the diving is shallow, and summer temperatures are in the 80s. If you want to dive a bit deeper, in between dams is the place to be. There is a heck of a thermocline if you go deep. Maximum depth between the new and old dam is around 100 ft. NO AIR FILLS AVAILABLE, so be sure to bring plenty of air with you! 

Why would we enthusiastically drive 6 hours to dive 63 degree water? 60-80 ft. visibility, for starters! Yes, the water at Santa Rosa, NM’s Blue Hole is a bit chilly, but it’s one of the very best locations we’ve found (outside of the ocean) for all manner of dive training.

Bottoming out at almost 85 feet with no thermocline and close to ocean-like visibility from top to bottom, the Blue Hole lends itself perfectly to the Advanced Open Water course, as well as the Deep, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, and Altitude specialties. Since the spring-fed water is the same temp year ’round, we like to make a few trips during the winter season when it’s much less crowded. And if you like New Mexican food, Santa Rosa certainly delivers at multiple locations. Ask us for recommendations!

Located about 40 miles east of Dallas, this 26-acre quarry was purpose built for local diving BY divers. There are no boats allowed, so leave your Diver Down flag at home. Scuba Ranch typically boasts 10-15 ft. visibility and has tons of underwater attractions, from wrecks and airplanes to training platforms and even Cisco, the 50 ft. shark! Friendly fish are plentiful.

If you want to go deeper than the average 30-35 ft., the silo will take you to about 60 ft. Just remember your wetsuit. It gets pretty chilly down there. There is an entrance fee, and the park closes at night, but camping, RV sites, air fills, rental gear, snacks, and restrooms are all on site. Check out their website for details and current water conditions. Take a look at their park map here.

Just 90 minutes south of Oklahoma City near Ardmore, Lake Murray has long been a favorite of Oklahoma divers, boaters, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. The visibility can be quite good (10 ft+) if you’re there on an off day or before lots of divers arrive at the scuba park. Summer temps are well into the 80s at the surface.

The primary location of Marietta Landing is usually the most crowded and the first to get silted up, but the site known as Captain America (four driveways in a row just west of the metal tower) is usually much better if you don’t mind the goat trail of a walk up and down the hill. Camping, RV sites, and cabins are plentiful, but there are no longer air fills available at the lake, so take plenty of air and nitrox with you!

Athens Scuba Park has a lot of great “treasures” underwater that are definitely worth exploring, including plenty of wrecks! This spring-fed, warm-water lake runs 20-35 feet deep with a dozen or so docks, camping, RV sites, and hot showers!

There are entrance fees and hours operation to be aware of. Check out their website for the most current info.

Broken Bow, Oklahoma, is just over 3 hours from Bluewater Divers. Although the lake gets very deep, most of the good diving we have found is 40 feet and shallower, where the temperature is in the 70s for summer time. Surface temperature in the summer gets into the 80s.

Visibility is 10-25 ft. spring, summer, and fall. It gets brutally cold below 50 feet, and visibility typically deteriorates. Air fills can SOMETIMES be arranged at the Broken Bow Fire Department; make sure you contact them for availability.

Lake Travis is a very popular lake for local diving located in Austin, Texas. Visibility can be 10-40 ft. Surface temperature in the summer can get into the 80s. Most of the good diving is below the thermocline where summer temperatures are in the 60s. The best diving is spring to early summer. Depth can exceed 150 feet, and aquatic life is great. There are multiple air fill stations as well as knowledgeable local dive shops.