Ice Diver. What is THAT all about?

[abnfrog]

almost pooped in my drysuit

 

[lowviz]

...//... I gotta bring my A-Game next year, the plan;; This time pack my speedo's to go in the ice hole and come back with Silt ...

Aaaaah!!! Bicycle shorts, man, bicycle shorts!

(@Lex86) Harry, I'm glad you posted. Gives me a chance for some feedback.

I've taken many courses over the years and have interacted with quite a few DM's and divers on their way up the ladder to instructor. In my opinion, DM's come in three flavors. Those logging hours towards their instructor cert, those overly focussed on how their instructor is viewing them, and those (like you and Arturo) who only focus on their diver as their own personal property. Couple that with someone like Steve who comes down hard and fast on deviations from standards and you are nearly there.

The final part is being able to take a hit. We all f****d up a couple of times and we all heard about it in an instant. Immediate, clear, direct, and honest. Suck it up, buttercup. Someone's safety depends on YOU. So when Arturo's reg free-flowed, I hauled his ass in on his signal and held him fixed in the corner. That was my job and I was to do nothing else. Don't get creative and try to solve the free flow. Just secure him. I loved it when I saw him stop finning and use both hands to work on the problem. Implied absolute trust in his line tender, me. My only error was that I was so focused that I didn't call out "Diver in distress!" on his initial signal. I will next time. You and your diver handled the rest. Arturo was back under the ice. Real world training.

You guys don't know this, but I really needed to get away and clear my head. There is a special place in my heart for all you guys and Canada in general. Truly my honor to be your student.

Dennis

 

[abnfrog]

the fact that you guys fixed the problem rapidly , and safely and got the diver back down shows you learned a thing or 2

 

[Stoo]

It sounds like you guys had a great time. My 'only' claim to fame in the dive world is that I anonymously developed the standards for the NAUI Ice Diver course back around 1980. We were the "first" (that we knew of) to use triangular holes. Rectangles had been the standard, but we discovered that the "acute" corners of the triangle worked better for getting in and out. (In truth, we used a manual ice saw a lot of the time, and the triangle saved cutting one edge. The entry thing was kind of an accidental discovery.

I haven't done a legit ice-dive for years... usually we just push the chunks out of the way before solid freeze up. Once that happens, I head to Belize and the only ice I dive near is that which is floating in my mug-'o-rum...

To the guys in the wetsuits, I hope you found your "junk" ok. This is a pic of me diving in the Elora Gorge in 1976 or '77 in a low-waisted wetsuit, and before I had grown any bioprene. My bits emerged again around 1982. ;-)

 

[lowviz]

...//... We were the "first" (that we knew of) to use triangular holes. Rectangles had been the standard, but we discovered that the "acute" corners of the triangle worked better for getting in and out. (In truth, we used a manual ice saw a lot of the time, and the triangle saved cutting one edge. The entry thing was kind of an accidental discovery. ...

That was one of Steve's questions! Why three sides? "Easier to get out." Nope.

What??? That has to be it!

Nope. Easier to cut. And, by the way, easier to get out.

 

[Stoo]

Yup... Pure Genius. We shoulda patented it. (Although I imagine it was being used in other places too...)

 

[abnfrog]

well maybe it was a naui thing stoo.... I started ice diving with Lawrence began in toby around that time !!! and I remember doing a rectangle hole ...... the next year was a triangle

 

[Stoo]

well maybe it was a naui thing stoo.... I started ice diving with Lawrence began in toby around that time !!! and I remember doing a rectangle hole ...... the next year was a triangle

LOL... Good old Bagel... I see him from time to time. He has a place in Tob as well. I don't think he's diving any more but his kid works for the Harbourmaster so I see him a lot.

Once NAUI adopted our standards, the triangle would have been required.

 

[abnfrog]

we called him beggie and if you wanted to p him off larry, I taught with him at submariners in the 70s yeah I heard he moved to toby ....

 

[Stoo]

LOL... I remember the "Larry" thing... Kinda "sensitive" about it I suppose.