SCUBA Diving Clear Lake, Oregon

Clear Lake is located at the headwaters of the McKenzie River.  It sits right around 3000 feet above sea level and the temperature fluctuates from around 35 to 43°F year-round.  The bottom composition and water sources for this lake all contribute to unbelievably clear water.  Rowing on the surface is more akin to flying across an […]

August 25, 2015

Clear Lake is located at the headwaters of the McKenzie River.  It sits right around 3000 feet above sea level and the temperature fluctuates from around 35 to 43°F year-round.  The bottom composition and water sources for this lake all contribute to unbelievably clear water.  Rowing on the surface is more akin to flying across an alien terrain than what you’d typically expect on a mountain lake.  These conditions all contribute to a remarkable albeit challenging SCUBA diving destination.  It is an odd site to see weekenders unloading camping gear alongside divers unpacking tanks and fins.  It’s easy to understand the allure of diving Clear Lake once you drop below the surface.  Exploring the bottom of Clear Lake you will come across a preserved forest frozen in time, carpets of algae, and sunken boats.  Some claim it is possible to experience up to 200 ft. visibility in the lake.  Locals mentioned we were in the midst of a seasonal algal bloom though even so we estimated being able to see over 100 feet.  All of this awe and wonder doesn’t come without a cost.  During our visit the water temperature averaged about 40 °F.  Even with a 7mm semi-dry suit (I was the only non drysuit diver in our group) I was pushing my ability to fight off the cold after 30 minutes underwater.

 P1040283   P1040286

This trip was part of our continuation down the path of becoming AAUS certified scientific divers.  Currently in the middle of production on a film about global coral reef decline (coralreefmovie.org) it became essential for us to develop underwater filmmaking skills.  It has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience thus far.  Diving and shooting in varying conditions has really helped us become quicker to adapt and meet the demands of the shooting situation.  In all honesty capturing images underwater has proven to be far more difficult than we could have anticipated.  Our appreciation for what you see in any given BBC ocean documentary has gone through the roof.  Behind every shot is an incredibly skilled camera operator/ SCUBA diver managing an array of variables to capture the stunning images in the given project.  Our humble efforts have yet to reach that level though each dive gets us a bit closer to our goal.

P1040313P1040304

Equipment Used:

Panasonic GH4

Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm lens

Nauticam NA-GH4 housing

TAGS:

CATEGORIES: General Web Multimedia

28 thoughts on “SCUBA Diving Clear Lake, Oregon”

  1. Awesome freshwater high altitude dive. I did three dives, the last dive being a moon lit night dive. Water so clear the moon gave off reflected colors of red and greens. During the day you could see the tree’s reflection at the surface. 1000 year old petrified forest cool lava formations. Not much life, saw a few fish, and green algae that grows around the craters and vents where the fresh water comes up from deep in the earth.

  9. Sohbet,Sohbet sitesi
    Online Sohbet’e Katıl
    Yeni Nesil Seviyeli sohbet kanalları.
    Onlarca, Yüzlerce insanla birlikte sohbet chat keyfini yaşamaya hazır mısınız? öyleyse kaptan sohbet odalarına hemen üye olmadan bağlanabilir, hemen sohbete başlayabilirsiniz!

  23. Friday Night Funkin is one of the most perfect games I have ever known, the combination of music and vivid images always makes us love it. Enjoy the relaxing moment it brings today.

  24. KBH is a new but perfect site where you can play many of the latest games here. On this site you do not need to register as a member, but you can still play for free many of the latest games that are popular today. Have fun.

  25. Friday Night Funkin is one of the most interesting and most played games today. This is a very fun music rhythm game. This game has a unique gameplay, simple but captivating because it is not easy for you to win it.

  28. wordle online is a game that everyone loves because it has a simple gameplay but it is very difficult to win. This game is a perfect all round game in terms of both entertainment as well as education. In this game, you will have to find the letters in the crosswords to win. The game will suggest you whether the letters you fill in are correct or not through the color displayed. Are you ready to start Wordle?

Comments are closed.