BALLARAT duo Paul Bourquin and Tim Forty suited-up in scuba gear yesterday to venture into the murky depths of Lake Esmond.
Tales of abandoned machinery wrecks lured them into the water, but all they uncovered was the renowned crane lodged in the lake bed, a truck wheel and plenty of redfin.
Mr Bourquin said the adventure was still worth the trouble.
"We can't tell anyone what's down there unless we've seen it for ourselves," he said.
Visibility was so poor in their deepest dive of 7.1 metres that they had to surface to find each other.
Even a torch did not improve their underwater picture, with Mr Bourquin shining it into his face to check it was working.
The duo will be back scuba diving at their usual haunts in Queenscliff and Port Lonsdale next weekend.