TRIP REPORT – Ice Diving with Stephen Simpson, Temagami, Ontario, Canada
“Team 1” – 3/11 & 3/12 2017
Once again, it has been a really warm winter here at home in New York, and the hopes of an Ice Diving class again were derailed with my LDS. Grrrrr….
One day, while pursuing SB, I come across a thread about an ice diving class in the Ontario, Canada forums. Living at the south boundary of the province, I inquired, and got an immediate “sure, join us”. Well, Ontario Province is pretty big, and when I asked specifically where, I really wasn’t ready for the 6-1/2 hour drive (in good weather) answer of “Temagami”…. I grumbled a little, but when I got the comment “includes lodging”, I just had to do this!
Over the next week or so, some posts, messaging, emails, and phone calls secured spots in the weekend class for not only me, but my buddy too. Yeah baby!
Talking equipment with the instructor Stephen Simpson, I mentioned my desire to dive my Kraken Double Hose, and awaited a “push back”. To my surprise, I got a fairly pleasant acceptance. Turns out Steve has been a diver quite a long time, and knows, respects, and collects double hose regulators. He hadn’t seen a Kraken yet, so it was “game on”.
Travel day finally arrived, and the 6-1/2 hour drive went well (aside from a fender bender in a parking lot), and we arrived, as planned, before dark.
The first evening was just settling in, and getting to know each other. Right from the start, this really looked to be a good time in the making as the other divers and the host were, simply put, good people. The obligatory paperwork was completed, and weary from the travel, sleep took over.
Day two (wow, these guys sleep in) commenced with some on discussion of site selection, ice & ice conditions, and cutting the hole. We them proceeded out to select the spot, shovel our marking likes, and cut the hole. Steve was nervous, but we were able to successfully open up the necessary triangle in the 16” thick ice.
From there, it was back in the warm of the “classroom” (guest cottage) where the lecture took us through the many facets of safe diving practices for ice diving. Steve took it further by teaching us additional skills including knots, rigging, and making your own harness (though we had factory made harnesses for the class). Stepping back outside, we assembled the rope stand, and went through a series of drills solidifying out understanding of the diver/tender relationship.
As the sun set for the day, it was off to the garage to ready our equipment. Steve worked with each diver individually, going over their gear, and adjusting it as necessary. All of us had to modify our rigs a fair amount to meet Steve’s stringent requirements. All that was left was another sleep, and it was time to splash.
Day three began like the others with the guys sleeping in, but once up and going, it was final assembly and verification of gear. With the temps in the teens BELOW ZERO Fahrenheit!, we again had to cut the hole, and after a tasty chili lunch furnished by Roxanne, it was time to suit up and dive!
The mid-day sun gave us great lighting with much of the snow having been wind swept off the ice. Aside from right at the hole, visibility was really pretty good (the water is tannin stained up there, so is yellowish-brown). Despite only 15 feet of depth, the 100 feet of rope gave a whole bunch of distance to get from the hole. I will forever remember my first return to the hole, with the bright sun shining down, catching the kicked up silt, and just making the coolest glowing shaft of light from above. Two dives each, separated by a short floating surface interval, and it was out of the water, and head for the garage to get out of gear, debrief, and set up for the next group.
It all seemed to be over in a heartbeat….. drats!
Steve and Roxanne’s hospitality was phenomenal, and Steve’s demeanor kept us all at ease. We joked, teased, laughed and also learned. Probably one of the most enjoyable classes I have taken.
Bob Westfall
March 17, 2017
