zero vis

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Today experinced one of the most different scuba dives i have done. As we are in the process of exploring the dive sites in the Philippines, and trying to offer complete padi open water courses here on the base, we wanted to check out the lake at Clearwater resort.
Having been on a crefully monitored drinking session last night, the secret as i ahve found is to always ask for your rum or vodka very weak, as the bars here especially in Mabalacat, really like to get you drunk as quick as they can, and the alcohol is the cheapest part of the equation. strange reverse from drinking in england, where you need to order (and pay for )a double to even taste the alcohol. unfortunately after drinking a few... weak vodkas and rums, got hit by a late punch 3 mammoth b52s courtesy of Tony the manager in Camelot.
Drinking and exploratory (ie stressful) diving dont mix too well, as i know only too well...
So we lugged all our stuff down to Cearwater, pacing around the lake and pools, we were told by various staff that the Lake might be as deep as 30 metres... , and we were very impressed by the pools and lagons for the initial stage of the diving course, plus a nice environment to learn.
Of course as we drive the gear to the edge of the lake everyone stops work to watch and we quickly gather quite a crowd as we suit up and build up our diving gear.
Once we get in the water early signs arent good, as rinsing out our masks we see a soupy green liquid. so we paddle to the middle of the lake, and descend into the soup.. slightly closer together than normal... instantly cant see a thing, i bring my computer up to my mask and cant read it... not good for control freak diving. anyway after a short trip down into darker and darker water my fins touch bottom, i try to locate jospeh, but the soup just plays tricks on your imagination, and quite frankly first dive in these conditions is a lot more scary than night diving, so with no idea of depth or anything else, slowly asced to find josepf already on the surface.
hmmmm, really not promising we chorus.... and i think we clocked a depth of 3 metres... ha!, but really im glad no deeper, on the thrid descent i lay down on the bottom to get the most exact depth reading, and it was completely black, and i couldnt see my computer let alone read it.
so much for that idea, but much respect for these police divers... but its made us hungry for some diving... thinking that a little trip to anilao or maybe an exploratory trip to marinduqe is on the cards for next week.

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Photos

joseph prepares to dive
our diving gear beside the lake in clearwater

the dive site
one of the more unusual dive sites in the philippines

no fishin
one of the more unusual dive sites in the philippines