Ice Diving....Your thoughts

[octgal]

I couldn't imagine that happening to me, how horrible! I've seen some divers wear weights around their ankles too, i suppose to help. I know it must be terrible to have happen, but that would look soooo funny from the suface. I could just imagine if i pulled that on a course FAIL FAIL FAIL lol

so has this actually happened to you Aquamaster? or is this something almost everyone goes through at some point learning with dry

 

[captndale]

so whats this I hear with people in dry suits rocketing up to the surface feet first?
Other then looking like a complete idiot (or worse for rocketing) whats the deal with that? How do you pervent it and how/why does it happen. Just wondering

That used to happen with the old Unisuits that were cut like over-sized potato sacks. With the more tailored suits of today it is a simple matter to tuck and roll into a feet-down or horizontal position. Also, if you put just enough gas into the suit to overcome squeeze, it is quite unlikely. There are times when ice divers intentionally invert themselves and over-inflate in order to be able to stand on the underside of the ice. This is one way to play golf with a floating ball. A diver in this position can also signal his tender to "pull me in" and ski upside-down back to the hole. Yes, we get bored down there sometimes.

 

[octgal]

That used to happen with the old Unisuits that were cut like over-sized potato sacks. With the more tailored suits of today it is a simple matter to tuck and roll into a feet-down or horizontal position. Also, if you put just enough gas into the suit to overcome squeeze, it is quite unlikely. There are times when ice divers intentionally invert themselves and over-inflate in order to be able to stand on the underside of the ice. This is one way to play golf with a floating ball. A diver in this position can also signal his tender to "pull me in" and ski upside-down back to the hole. Yes, we get bored down there sometimes.

AWESOME!!!! I will have to try and set that up

 

[mart1]

1) buy a drysuit
2) I don't know when you were going to do your cavern/intro, but you will learn a lot during cave diving you can use for ice diving too
Make no mistake, ice diving is overhead, so you need redundancy as much as in caves.
3) Choose your regulators carefully, buy two with good cold water rating.

ciao, mart

 

[mart1]

4) choose dive team very carefully :14:

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

Hi there! Although a Norwegian, I've only been under ice once. -And in a wet suit... This is not recommendable at all. We didn't really go for an ice dive, but ended up breaking a hole in it by the shore and swimming 50 meters under thin ice in the harbor to get to where we wanted. -Not the way to do it either, I know...

We have rallied some friends + friends of friends for a PADI Ice Diver thing for this winter, so in March 2006 we are 16 newbie ice divers getting together for the weekend.

I've taken this on myself, since I was the one with this "bright" idea. So I'm stuck with pretty much most of the work ahead, like getting hold of the mother of all chainsaws, put up a huge sami lavvu (Like an indian teepee) with a wood stove out on the ice, getting a group rebate on the beers on the local bar...

Now to you here. I feel I should advice you to take something like the PADI Ice Diver course (Or eq.) instead of jumping right into it. You should have an extra air supply, minimum a pony. You shouldn't even consider going ice diving in your wet suit. It will not be comfortable at all, and it may add up to it not beeing such a good experience.
Anyway, when we're all prepared for it we're heading for the mountains for an ice diving weekend up in Femund National Park. This huge lake has crystal clear water, and I can't wait to check it out under the ice! -But somewhat prepared, by getting the proper education for it first...

Lake Femund, Norway



Click the picture for a larger view​

 

[octgal]

Oh of course I am getting proper training I wouldn't just jump under the ice and a way i go lol I am doing it with my dive school. Yeah think i may just do the dry suit as i would hate to have cut my awesome dive short just because i'm cold. Certainly would make me mad, all that work, for a 15 min dive AAH no thanks. I'll have my cave intro by then, so i should be ready for the overhead issue

 

[markfm]

Taken Rescue yet?

 

[octgal]

Taken Rescue yet?

No actually i haven't. I plan on doing it in Tobermory in the early summer. I really want to wait for Toby as the conditions for training are awesome!!! About the most challaging so far (for me), and thats the way i want it. I want them to throw me the hardest possible course at me, and see how i will do. Hey when someone is really panicing, they try and take you right down with them, rip your reg, mask, punch, kick....bring it on!! LOL well at least thats what happened when i had to rescue for real

was that question even directed at me? LOL if not....hehe

 

[markfm]

Just curious -- you're going to do Cave, Ice, apparently before taking Rescue? Perhaps it's not required for the tech classes, but I'd expect it to be a really nice thing before any of the ratchet-it-up-a-notch courses.