By Kimberly Bowker
Guest Writer, Dive News Network

“Is it worth it?” This seemed to be the most popular question of the day. Passing hikers asked us this as we each hauled more than 80 pounds of diving gear down the steep trail. Ten divers, with two unsuspecting children in tow, hiked 1.1 miles down 700 ft. to reach the shoreline of Crater Lake. The logical question – is it worth it – was asked even more often on the hike back up.

Our group of divers gathered at 6 a.m. in Eugene, Oregon. We were about to set off to dive the deepest lake in the United States. Everyone had different motives; the challenge, the adventure, the distinctive underwater landscape or simply the fact that we could dive the clear, blue lake.

“It’s an iconic place,” said diver Kevin Martens. “It’s such a beautiful place and to see what’s underwater must be even more beautiful.” Diver Ellie Fisher added, “It’s not like going to the ocean and crabbing – it’s something out of the ordinary.”

Arriving at Crater Lake National Park around 9:30 a.m., the caravan of cars pulled over at a scenic lookout. Our assembly of determined divers jumped out of the vehicles and stood on the edge of the drop-off, gazing at the ripples in the blue lake below. Each diver was lost in thoughts of what may lay ahead.

“Ready for a five minute history lesson?” asked one of the comic reliefs of the day, Vito Furnari, a dive master through Eugene Skin Divers Supply. “Once upon a time there was a mountain and the mountain blew up and then there wasn’t a mountain anymore.”
Furnari was correct. Crater Lake, containing 4.6 trillion gallons of water, was once Mount Mazama, rising between 10,000 and 12,000 ft. The volcano erupted 7,700 years ago and formed a volcanic caldera, which filled with water. In 1902, Crater Lake was declared a National Park and now hosts around 483,000 visitors every year. Most visitors travel to the park to see the seventh deepest lake in the world at 1,943 ft. deep.· Few decide to dive it.

“Less than 50 people attempt the dive every year,” said Anne Spillane, park ranger at the National Park. According to Spillane, people dive the lake to be suspended in the crystal blue water and to say that they dove Crater Lake.

Divers are allowed in the lake if weather permits. The season typically runs from the end of June to mid-October before the snow begins to fall. Permits are not required. The lake sits at an altitude of 6,173 ft., so many divers use tables set for 8,000 ft.
At the gift shop we browsed through souvenir sweatshirts, boxer shorts that read ‘bear cheeks,’ stickers and books about knots. All the items provided entertainment as we let our bodies acclimatize to the elevation change.

We drove to the north side of the crater and assembled our gear in the Cleetwood Trail parking lot. Nitrox tanks were attached to BC straps and hoisted onto our backs, weight belts hung securely around our waists and dry suit bags were carefully cradled in our arms. The trees creaked under an overcast sky as we progressed in quick baby steps down the trail. “Even the trees are laughing at us,” Furnari commented.

A surprisingly short 20 minutes later, we made it to the bottom. We decided to dive at Cleetwood Cove. The site is next to a boat dock where visitors are transported to Wizard Island, another possible dive site in the National Park. To the right of the dock is a sheer wall underwater, and to the are large boulders and a gentle drop-off.

We divided into two groups for the dive. Considering the exertion of the hike, the cold water and the altitude, we agreed upon a max depth of about 70 ft. and a three-minute safety stop at 11 ft.· The water lapped against the black boulders of the shoreline as the first group entered the 51 degree water. Forty minutes later they reappeared with smiles on their faces.

“It was amazing,” said Susanne Snyder. “It was a sheer wall and this trout kept following me.”

It was then time for group two to enter the lake. We walked through the typical rocky entry of a Northwest dive site. But the visibility, at about 60 ft., was unlike any other dive location in Oregon. It was so clear, in fact, that it was hard to tell that I was underwater.

Crawdads were abundant and the Rainbow Trout that Susanne spotted earlier also quickly weaved between the divers in our group. He looked excited to find some new friends in the sparse environment.

Oversized boulders and fallen logs were scattered on the underwater terrain as the bottom sloped down until drastically dropping off into the blue. Large chains and barrels – used to keep the dock secure - were strewn along the bottom providing a man-made component to the geologically historic lake.

Turning my head to the right, a vibrant blue color filled the canvas of my vision. I could see nothing but blue. Looking up, 50 ft. above me, I saw rays of sun illuminating the small waves at the surface. Thirty-five minutes later, we also emerged with smiles.
“It was another epic dive,” Paul Furnari said. The dive had fulfilled all the divers’ expectations; the water was a clear blue and the environment was unusual.

The grins quickly dissipated, though, as we looked at the trail looming before us. This is one reason why the dive is an adventurous one.·

We packed up everything we brought down, plus a few additional items found underwater. These included a waterproof watch, a handful of hair ties and, fittingly, a laminated map of the lake complete with depth measurements. For some, the ascent required about 40 minutes to hike out. For others, such as myself, the hike took an hour and a half. We rested on the way up, our tanks banging on the rocks as we tried to comfortably sit down. One diver jokingly threatened to throw herself down the cliff: then Air Life would pick her up and she wouldn’t have to continue the uphill journey.

The thought of a six-pack of beer and a bag of pork rinds encouraged us to crest the hill and crawl back to the parking lot.· Returning to the cars I asked the group, one last time, “was it worth it?” And the question was answered with a loud, resounding “YES!” ■