Ice Diving Class Starts Tonight.

[fast5frog]

Nuts! your all nutz!! Can I come??

 

[altitudemike]

Have a blast, the ice looks cool from the other side. I don't get to go until Febuary 10 & 11 have fun. Post again & tell us about it when done!

 

[SteveAD]

I cot certified last year and I'm looking forward to doing some more ice dives this winter. It is really cool to be under the ice looking up at the smooth sheet of ice above you. We dove with a big heated ice shanty that covered the hole, it was almost like cheating!

As far as advice goes, a couple additional things I can think of....
Don't drop the pry bar through the hole in the ice. It is nearly impossible to find when it drops into the silt at the bottom!
Be warry of free flows, you want to minimize breathing on your reg until you are in the water so it does not freeze up.
If you have dove in 37 degree water you know what the cold is like and should not have any problem. Water temp last year on my ice dives as 38. It is more a question of learning the line handling, signals, and considering the overhead environment. Nothing difficult.
You will have a blast, let us know how it goes.

Anything that might get dropped in the hole should either be attached to a safety line or at a minimum have 2 feet of bouyant yellow rope attached to it so that if it does bury itself in the silt the rope will act as a marker.

No one should ever go near the hole unless they are dressed to go in. this includes line tenders. the ice is weakened near the hole and might collapse.

 

[birdwrasse]

if you liked your dive, training, and the experience, please let me know. i'm buying a dry suit and would love to come do the specialty!

what's the name and phone number of your shop?

i love the cold!

cheers!



--c

 

[Mr.X]

I have found it useful as a tender to be standing on a small platform (wooden pallet) with a piece of thick styrofoam on top. Keeps the feet dry and the soles insulated from the ice.

For people who are trying it the first time...it is an experience you will never forget, probably enjoy comraderie immensely and probably not repeat.

X

 

[SwimJim]

I have found it useful as a tender to be standing on a small platform (wooden pallet) with a piece of thick styrofoam on top. Keeps the feet dry and the soles insulated from the ice.

For people who are trying it the first time...it is an experience you will never forget, probably enjoy comraderie immensely and probably not repeat.

X

Hey that styrofoam is a great idea. You could get a sheet of that stuff they nail on buildings for insulation at home depot and eliminate the pallet. For line tending, I always use an old pair of neoprene wetsuit gloves. It keeps the hands warm and toasty.

jim

 

[fast5frog]

Anyplace in PA to go Ice diving?

 

[Mr.X]

Hey that styrofoam is a great idea. You could get a sheet of that stuff they nail on buildings for insulation at home depot and eliminate the pallet. For line tending, I always use an old pair of neoprene wetsuit gloves. It keeps the hands warm and toasty.

jim

The pallet was handy for dragging stuff from shore to the dive site...and yes, it was blue styrofoam (building insulation) that we used. I have used three fingered mitts in the past, but I found that waterproof rubber gloves with a liner worked pretty well as it kept the hands dry. Once water got inside it was all over for me. Surprisingly, there are some folks who seem immune to cold hands!


As per PA...New Hampshire freezes nicely + upstate NY near the 1000 Islands. I know it's a stretch from PA, but the ice seems to get solid there (2-3') vs. the Mid-Atlantic states where it tends to be thinner?


X

 

[MikeFerrara]

No one mentioned the most important thing of all. Don't ice dive with strokes. An ice diving stroke is someone who shows up to the dive site without CHILI!

 

[kidspot]

bummer - wish I could take an ice diving course around here ... but it's been awhile since they offered it

Hope you have a great class, and my advice is to come over here and warm up between dives