Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri

[Elkman]

A couple people asked me last night about my Discover Scuba dive in Branson, Missouri, so I figure it's a good time to spill the beans about the trip.  I went there with my family (my parents, sister-in-law, and two-year-old nephew) in late July.

It all started when I went to on Table Rock Lake to rent a Waverunner.  They didn't have any available, but I noticed that they had a dive shop and a "Discover Scuba" class.  So, I signed up to take the class the next afternoon.  They showed us some of the basics of the dive equipment and then we took a boat ride to the opposite shore of the lake.  The instructor showed us how to put on the equipment and how to breathe from the scuba equipment, and then checked on us to make sure we were comfortable with it.  I didn't have any problems with it, so I went underwater with a dive buddy (another student who was working on his AOW certification).  We swam around for a while, cracked open a few mussels, and fed the fish.  After a short trip to the surface, where the instructor gave the other student a skills lesson, we went back down again and checked out a few underwater treasures, including an old safe, a diver statue, an old cash register, and an old credit card imprinting machine.  (I think they had cleaned out the office or something.)  We fed a few more fish.  Unfortunately, I ended up jamming my fins under a rock, and they came off.  Rather than actually looking for them, I signalled my dive buddy to go back to the surface.  The instructor looked for the fins, but couldn't find them.

As far as the details that other divers might care about, the lake was nice and warm.  The water temperature was probably about 70 degrees or so, and I was able to dive in a sleeveless shorty wetsuit.  Visibility was good, probably about 15-18 feet if I remember correctly.  The lake bottom was fairly rocky in that section, so that's probably why it was so clear.  We didn't go very deep -- probably about 15 feet maximum, which was fine with me.  The marina has worth checking out.

I liked the class enough that I came back here and decided to take the classes and get my certification.  Actually, I was already checking out local dive shops and locations via the Web even before I left Branson.

There are plenty of other things to do in Branson, of course.  There's plenty of country music shows, the Branson Scenic Railway, and other opportunities for boating and fishing at Table Rock Lake and the downstream Lake Taneycomo.  My nephew enjoyed feeding the fish at the fish hatchery on the downstream end of Table Rock Dam.  Fortunately, we didn't go to the Yakov Smirnoff show.  In any case, it makes a good destination if you have non-diving friends and family who want to come with.