Coron Adventure Diving: Wrecks, Caves, Lakes! Trip Report (Jan 21-22)

[Halthron]

Yep, all high-tech stuff so they go out of date quickly. Here's one I did: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...102-1949003-0899358?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

The best any of my books did on Amazon was one stayed in the 700-800th most bought book (worldwide for Amazon) list for a couple of weeks.

 

[paolov]

eric, how about some non-techi book. say like doing adventure stories live Clive Cussler....


and like Megaladon series...

 

[ishbaby]

BRAVO Chip! As always, fantastic trip report!

 

[chip104]

BRAVO Chip! As always, fantastic trip report!

Thanks Ish. Have fun in Singapore this weekend.


Oh, and I only wish I could be a host on a Living Asia Show. I'd love to be sent to places for free!

 

[Spoon]

Dive 2: Barracuda Lake (62 mins)

This spectacular dive starts with some challenging mountain climbing in full diving equipment over sharp limestone cliffs. It is the last and most accessible of the 7 sacred island lakes. Your bangka enters a hidden cove to the entrance – the beginning of your climb. The climb takes about 10-15 minutes and the exertion is worth the dive and not to mention the view. The scenery around the lake is spectacular and the under water terrain has been likened to flying over the surface of another planet. The top layer is fresh water. Below that the water is salt. There are dynamic changes of water temperature in the lake with temperatures ranging from 26 to 38 Celsius. You can even see the thermoclines at different depths. At deeper depths the water changes from crystal clear to tea brown due to the tannic acid in the leaves that fall into the lake.​

id like to add that this is certainly the craziest dive i ever did! it was worth all the sweat and effort. the trek alone was an experience. the lake itself was a sight to behold. very surreal and as bobby put it very tolkien like. but the surface of the lake and its enclosed confines doesnt really prepare you for the experience under. the minute you submerge you immediately feel the calling of barracuda lake. its like stepping into another dimension. For those of you who saw CS. Lewis' "lion the witch and the wardrobe", this would be the underwater equivalent.

the scenery is surreal, jagged peaks of razor sharp rock spiral upwards across the lake like ancient spires. the water was deep aquamarine, top water was brackish and very cold. i registered it at around 64-66f . below 40-50ft you immediately see the mystical halocline. it really is mystical becasue once you break through this barrier everything fades and you are entering some vortex into the etheral realm of middle earth. water is very hot and only gets hotter the more you descend. at its peak i got a whopping 101f. right below the halocline water clears again like gin and you can see the eerie effect of the halocline, like a black mirror trapping you in fantasy land. talk about a bad acid trip, i can imagine why so many people would flip out on this sight

below the halocline the scenery is darn undescribable. its like buck rogers flying over the deserted wastland of mordor. its like Peter jackson dove here before he filmed his fanatsy flick. splitting image! i kept playing with the halocline trying to get half/half my body in the hot and cold region which i did several times. i was like a dolphin on llsd for sure. i dint know that my actions in the halocline would seriously get me messed up after.

after the dive we chilled out somemore and proceded to carry and haul our tanks up the rocky terrain. this time it wasnt as fun anymore and was quite a choir. props to those who carried both their tanks up and down, that alone was a feat. anyway had fun in coron but ended up getting a heatstroke from my excessive sun bathing and got my body's core temp messed up with plaing in the halocline. effect? sick on my freaking birthday! cheers

 

[midwestdvr]

id like to add that this is certainly the craziest dive i ever did! it was worth all the sweat and effort. the trek alone was an experience. the lake itself was a sight to behold. very surreal and as bobby put it very tolkien like. but the surface of the lake and its enclosed confines doesnt really prepare you for the experience under. the minute you submerge you immediately feel the calling of barracuda lake. its like stepping into another dimension. For those of you who saw CS. Lewis' "lion the witch and the wardrobe", this would be the underwater equivalent.

the scenery is surreal, jagged peaks of razor sharp rock spiral upwards across the lake like ancient spires. the water was deep aquamarine, top water was brackish and very cold. i registered it at around 64-66f . below 40-50ft you immediately see the mystical halocline. it really is mystical becasue once you break through this barrier everything fades and you are entering some vortex into the etheral realm of middle earth. water is very hot and only gets hotter the more you descend. at its peak i got a whopping 101f. right below the halocline water clears again like gin and you can see the eerie effect of the halocline, like a black mirror trapping you in fantasy land. talk about a bad acid trip, i can imagine why so many people would flip out on this sight

below the halocline the scenery is darn undescribable. its like buck rogers flying over the deserted wastland of mordor. its like Peter jackson dove here before he filmed his fanatsy flick. splitting image! i kept playing with the halocline trying to get half/half my body in the hot and cold region which i did several times. i was like a dolphin on llsd for sure. i dint know that my actions in the halocline would seriously get me messed up after.

after the dive we chilled out somemore and proceded to carry and haul our tanks up the rocky terrain. this time it wasnt as fun anymore and was quite a choir. props to those who carried both their tanks up and down, that alone was a feat. anyway had fun in coron but ended up getting a heatstroke from my excessive sun bathing and got my body's core temp messed up with plaing in the halocline. effect? sick on my freaking birthday! cheers

Wow!!! Great description. It does sound like a good acid trip (I've never used it nor condone its use, BTW). Sounds like it's a must do when visiting the PI. Sorry to hear about your heatstroke. Sucks to be in that shape during your birthday to boot.

And chip, great trip report. Always enjoyed your commentaries. I didn't even mind wading through all the pasaway comments in between reports . Oh yeah, post more pic of iris, esp. the good ones .

 

[jonix]

@spoon: great description...don't know which to imagine first narnia, lotr or buck rogers

 

[Spoon]

@spoon: great description...don't know which to imagine first narnia, lotr or buck rogers

dont forget planet mars and Pink floyd's dark side of the moon. it was really all that!

 

[Spoon]

The most descriptive way i can explain barracuda lake. a picture really is a thousand words!

 

[chip104]

holy jeeze spoon, your description of barracuda lake did do it justice...now tell them about gunther's cathedral!


@ mid: thanks bro! I'd love to post more pics of iris, but I'd have to get permission first or she'd kill me. She's got some pinay shyness in her.