Subic Bay Diving?

[Statesman]

Three of us are thinking of diving Subic Bay around the end of May this year. It sounds like an interesting place with a good variety of wrecks but I have heard differing reports in regard to the vis - can anyone enlighten me about this? Some reports say it is as little as two metres.

 

[Tortuga68]

The viz there can be pretty variable - there are a number of rivers feeding into the bay, and the volcano above, so in the wet season, it can get a bit mucky with all the runoff. There's also some algae in the shallower inner waters, but out a but further where the wrecks are it's better. Dry season is Nov-May, so you'll be on the cusp.

 

[SCU5]

Go with Boardwalk Dive Center, they're a good operation. When I visited it was slow season and I went out one-one w/ the divemaster for three days straight, was great. Recommend you be at least mildly comfortable w/ penetration.
Vis was variable, I'd say avg around 10 meters plus or minus 5. For the types of diving, wrecks, I didn't find the vis to be an issue.

 

[SCU5]

It's also a great place to rent and try doubles if you haven't already.

 

[mongodives]

In 2007 I spent a few days diving with Johan's wreck divers, good service also had Nitrox. Rooms, food and drinks suprisingly cheap compared with the other diveshop/hotels in the area.
Visibility at the USS New york and a couple of the other wrecks in close to the shore had terrible vis due to algea in the water.

 

[stvbrit]

The only way to describe the vis here in Subic is unpredictable. A lot of people inacurately blame it on the lahar left over by Mt. Pinatubu eruption but in all actuality it is not relevant. As a veteran here of some 26 years I can attest to the real variables that contribute to the variations in the water clarity.
1) Subic Bay is just that "A Bay" w/ little tidle movement during a given period, the water here can be stagnant most of the time. Also the thermodynamics of the waterflow during tidal flows is limited.
2) Inner Basin wich has little water movement even during the ebb and flood tides.
The Kalaklan river runoff especially during rainy season.and its numerous tributaries within the inner basin.
3) Bottom composition, w/c is predominantly mud, fine silt particulate matter.

So, the bottom line is it's typical wreck diving conditions, love it or leave it!!