Cold Water Diving Skills

[abitton]

The surface support team is also REALLY important: help to gear up, take gear off, provide towels, hot drinks, etc. We sometimes rotate, with divers doing this, but most of the time, some non-diving spouses (or diving ones who also think we're nuts to be doing this in the dead of winter) tag along and help us out.

The St. Lawrence is going to be one of my future destinations (what I read of the wrecks, etc. is impressive). Does the ice make the diving that much more rewarding, or are you mostly extending your season?

For me, ice diving or diving in the winter is about a few things:
1) Extend season
2) Challenge/experience
3) Extending the season
4) I have to amortize the cost of my dry suit!
5) It's cool (pun intended) to talk about it! We spend more time talking about the dives than diving when in the winter - we typically limit ourselves to a 1-hour dive.

Otherwise, the viz is a bit better, but no real big reward. Bubbles dancing under the ice are very pretty, though.

Also, you probably should not do any "official" ice diving in the St. Lawrence, because of currents, etc. It is an activity better suited to lakes and quarries, where the ice thickness is generally more constant.

That being said, there are places in the river that will rarely freeze because of the speed of the current. An example is around the wreck of the Conestoga. However, you should always have a line to lead you to the entry/exit point (free of ice), to make sure you won't get stuck under a moving ice floe (sp?).

I am lucky enough to dive with many very experienced divers, and would never have ventured into these conditions without their guidance. The cold is an important factor, but so are the surface conditions (ice/no ice, etc). You have to know the ways to manage them. I don't (yet)...

Now for the REALLY bad news: the water is actually colder in the river... Dove Morrison's Quarry in February: 39 F. Dove the St Lawrence in January: 33 F...

A good time was had by all.

 

[Gil57usa]

That is a new one to me, thanks. Is there any particular technique for a diver to help control ascent in low viz?

Keep a close eye on your depth gauge. If you have a good computer, it will show ascent rate.

 

[Colliam7]

Mask removal is one huge one frequently overlooked in cold water. That cold water may literally take your breath away causing a panic and a bolt to the surface. Practice breathing witht your face in the water and your reg in your mouth with your mask off in the SHALLOWS while you are standing up or on your knees with a buddy watching you.

Great advice; I 'third' the comment. I dive cold water quarries a lot, and feel very comfortable in cold water. But, I guess I never practiced my no mask breathing skills in the deeper, colder parts. And, breathing without a mask in warm water seemed so easy, I couldn't understand how anyone had a problem. Then, we did the first no mask swim in tec, in 45 degree water, and I COULD NOT do it. Was I embarrassed, annoyed (with myself) etc.? Big time. Pride goeth before the fall. Definitely practice the mask removal and no mask breathing.