Ice diving/Winter diving - freeze ups and free flows

[-JD-]

@Jim Lapenta Not a nitpick, but an honest question: Are PSDs typically overweighted compared to free water rec/tec divers to allow them to safely plant on the bottom in moving water (rivers/streams) during searches/recoveries. And does that conditioning then carry over to their "normal" diving.

 

[shurite7]

The other free flows were from inflator valves.

Second, there were weighting issues that required resurfacing for each of these later groups.

Where on the inflator were the leaks coming from? The inflator is one of the most commonly neglected pieces of gear.

Sadly weighting is a problem that can be easily solved by diving in the summer or in the pool with all of gear one will use during the dive.

@Jim Lapenta Not a nitpick, but an honest question: Are PSDs typically overweighted compared to free water rec/tec divers to allow them to safely plant on the bottom in moving water (rivers/streams) during searches/recoveries. And does that conditioning then carry over to their "normal" diving.

In moving water PSD will use additional weight to help keep them on the bottom. It should not, however, carry over to “normal” diving.

 

[Bowers]

@Jim Lapenta Not a nitpick, but an honest question: Are PSDs typically overweighted compared to free water rec/tec divers to allow them to safely plant on the bottom in moving water (rivers/streams) during searches/recoveries. And does that conditioning then carry over to their "normal" diving.

This is a conversation ive had more than once. Ive heard many times that “we overweight for stability.” Ive had members on my team do weight checks and find they have been more than 20lbs overweighted for who know how long.. This simply should not be the norm. When i dive in high flow caves I don’t overweight, instead i use good streamlining and trim. A properly positioned diver can make the water push him down and some screw drivers or a rope system can be used to move about if the bottom has nothing to hold onto in strong currents (which is not the norm as many dives are low flow or have plenty to grab onto.)

 

[off the grid]

The people we had with weight problems were under weighted due to the additional undergarments. Our ice diving last year got postponed due to covid so it had been a while since many had done cold water diving. The inflator valves froze open on two people but both of them had come to the surface before going back down which is where I think the issue is. We are going back out to some open water this weekend so we can have an observer see what happens with the folks who had issues.

 

[abnfrog]

i take great pride in our ice diving activities , that we have VERY FEW free flows, as we check ALL the regs the nite before the dives and adjust accordingly ....it also teaches the students what NOT to do

 

[lowviz]

You never dry breathe your secondaries on the surface.

Get into the hole, dunk your dry 'primary secondary' underwater and keep it there, kiss the water, get onto your air supply, and breathe your air supply before you drop. Once your secondary is wet it has no business on the surface or it will freeze. You might get away with a frozen secondary and then again you might not...

 

[Angelo Farina]

When I was young (40 years ago) I made two dives in an alpin lake under 80cm of ice
I was using a Technisub full face mask and a Scubapro Mark V (MK5+109).
Water temp. was +3 centigrade degrees, air temperature was around -5.
No icing, no free flow.
I did breath through the reg and the FFM for approximately one minute before splashing, for checking that the wired intercom was working properly.
I think that these solid brass second stages, and piston first stages with SPEC, were the best for avoiding problems in cold water.
At the time no BCD was used for these short dives at shallow depth. Hence I was weighted light, I remember I was very streamlined and perfectly neutral in my Rubatex wet suit (no external fabric layer over the neoprene, minimizing water friction).

 

[Subcooled]

multiple freeze ups and free flows mostly related to BC valves

Not a second stage / exhaled air moisture issue then.

How good is your compressor? Does it properly remove moisture from the air? Are your cylinders dry?