Conditions at Norfolk Lake

[ppo2_diver]

I'll be heading down to Norfolk, AR sometime this summer. What are the conditions at Norfolk Lake (temps, depths, etc.)? Are there any cheap (not the Ken Pratt type cheap) places to stay or camp? Is there any place to get Nitrox fills?

[scububa]

I'll be heading down to Norfolk, AR sometime this summer. What are the conditions at Norfolk Lake (temps, depths, etc.)? Are there any cheap (not the Ken Pratt type cheap) places to stay or camp? Is there any place to get Nitrox fills?

Not sure about the Nitrox. Call Jordan Marina. If they don't have it, they can refer you. I have never gotten Nitrox at Norfork.

Cheap is a realtive term...There is a campground (state I think) on the sam point as Jordan Marina. There is another campground up at Henderson. Use to be a dock based dive shop there, but it moved to dry land and now I am not sure if it is still there. You can also get fills at the 101 Marina. I am not sure what grade air any of these places have. There is also a resort, Whispering Woods, on the ridge above Jordan. Not on the lake, but nice views. Small, older cabins with kitchens. Grills and picnic tables outside. Also a restaurant on site. Quite place, we like it. Nice big deck to have a glass of wine at sunset. Folks gather there.

You can find almost any depth of diving you like. There are numerous sites around the dam/Jordan area. Bulldozer, VW Van, school bus, cruiser, use to be an old Snap-On tool truck, but it seems to have gone missing? There are some walls and bluffs to dive. There is an old home site on the dam end. There is an old concrete bridge up at Henderson. (Those sites are in the 70 - 80 ft range.) Temps and vis are pretty similar to Table Rock, depending on time of the year. Summer, 80 surface, 50 thermocline usually around 25-30 ft.

Do you use a GPS on the water? Jordan has some site maps and are pretty helpful.

[b1gcountry]

Jordan Marina is where we go to teach OW classes. They also fill Nitrox pretty reasonably IIRC. They have a couple pretty cheap options. If you're flying solo, they have a Bunk House that costs $15/night per person. They also have a place called the Jordan Lodge which can sleep like 10 people, and that is less than $100/night (price depends on occupancy). If you are just heading there with one or two folks, they also have a small cabin that is like $30/night. Don't expect the Ramada. It's kind of like staying at your grandmother's, only your grandma's a redneck.

Vis and temp is highly dependent on rainfall, etc. Summer surface temps will get into the mid-80's. Depths go about to 150' near the damn IIRC. Bottom Temps are always mid-40's. First thermo is around 25' in summer. The Rickety Wreck, The Gypsey, and the Snap On Tool Truck site are all good places to dive. I was actually one of the first guys to dive on the snap on tool truck after it was re-stolen. I only found the hood, the tire, and the cinder block site. It's still a good site. There's also some caves in the area accessible from the lake. Never been there though.

Tom

[MgicTwnger]

Are there any cheap (not the Ken Pratt type cheap) places to stay or camp?
I'll have you know that I've been thrown out of some of the finest hotels.

[h2odragon1]

I'll have you know that I've been thrown out of some of the finest hotels.

How did you get into a fine hotel?

[ppo2_diver]

I'll have you know that I've been thrown out of some of the finest hotels.

Just because you exceeded the $1 per 5 minute limit.

[DeepDiverBob]

wow...I think I am just going to watch this one from the outside, and enjoy.

[scububa]

... The Rickety Wreck, The Gypsey, and the Snap On Tool Truck site are all good places to dive. I was actually one of the first guys to dive on the snap on tool truck after it was re-stolen. I only found the hood, the tire, and the cinder block site. It's still a good site. There's also some caves in the area accessible from the lake. Never been there though.

Tom
So, tell me more about this. I had dove it several times. My daughters and I tried to find it last summer and could not. Then at the marina, they said it was missing. Didn't know what happened. Thoughts of someone moving it as a prank. Also, that a house boat was back in there and a big storm came up, so wonderment about if an anchor cuaght it and drug it away. Anyway, I never heard anymore.

At the Henderson Bridge in Aug. I had 80 deg surface and 60 deg for 25 min at 75 ft. Year before on a short dive to 120' at Walleye Wall, I got 51 deg. And one year at 105' in April I got 51 deg.

[MgicTwnger]

Just because you exceeded the $1 per 5 minute limit.
No, I got mad when the "magic fingers" bed didn't work.

[skdvr]

So, tell me more about this. I had dove it several times. My daughters and I tried to find it last summer and could not. Then at the marina, they said it was missing. Didn't know what happened. Thoughts of someone moving it as a prank. Also, that a house boat was back in there and a big storm came up, so wonderment about if an anchor cuaght it and drug it away. Anyway, I never heard anymore.

At the Henderson Bridge in Aug. I had 80 deg surface and 60 deg for 25 min at 75 ft. Year before on a short dive to 120' at Walleye Wall, I got 51 deg. And one year at 105' in April I got 51 deg.

Aparently some people wanted to move the Snap-On truck to a different location. They had it suspended below their boat and the suspension lines broke in Deep water. Never to be seen again. Just the story I heard about last year. I have personally never been there, but there was a lot of talk about it last year...

Phil

[skdvr]

I found a thread here (http://forum.scubatoys.com/midwest/2931-best-lake-missouri-dive-3.html), where it is talked about sparatically throught the thread. Apparently there was a VW bus that got dropped in 150ft, no one is sure what happened to the truck. From what someone said, it was to fragile to move so whom ever attempted probably had it fall apart on them during the transport. All just hearsay..

Phil

[scububa]

Wow...I thought threads here were disjointed...that sounded like a bunch of drunks, close to passing out, having a discussion.

Did they say they moved the Henderson Bridge and hide it under the Kimberling Bridge and covered it with catfish they ran over with the tool truck?

[SLIM]

I was just as lost as you were Bubba, WOnt be seeing anyting out of me later tonight. Bubba will have to update me when I see him in Coz. I will be there in less then 20 hours on the island. Oh the first week is work diving. Then the week of FOOFOO diving with Bubba.

SLIM

[scububa]

Here are dives pulled from my computer log from the Henderson Bridge. What I can't say is if I was on the roadbed or the railing. Generally I am at the railing level.

date.........depth temp ACE level
11-Sep-04 ...56 ......64 ...552
19-Aug-06 ...52 ......66 ...547
27-Aug-08 ...69 ......60 ...567
07-Sep-08 ...72 ......60 ...567

[scububa]

I was just as lost as you were Bubba, WOnt be seeing anyting out of me later tonight. Bubba will have to update me when I see him in Coz. I will be there in less then 20 hours on the island. Oh the first week is work diving. Then the week of FOOFOO diving with Bubba.

SLIM

I'll bring you a print out of the new messages :-) That ought to be good for a drink or two. Have a blast, see you in the OW.

[skdvr]

Wow...I thought threads here were disjointed...that sounded like a bunch of drunks, close to passing out, having a discussion.

Did they say they moved the Henderson Bridge and hide it under the Kimberling Bridge and covered it with catfish they ran over with the tool truck?


That one was back and forth and tough to follow....

Phil

[h2odragon1]

No, I got mad when the "magic fingers" bed didn't work.

Ken your supposed to use real quarters not slugs!