Ice diving

[lakesdiver]

Geez! The shelters!! I think I'd have to start putting it up Friday to dive by Sunday! The way our ice has been the last couple of years, by Sunday the thing would have fallen through because of our frequent quick-thaws! What a great setup, though.

 

[TCDiver1]

Thanks GDI for bringing up the safety diver, i forgot to post that.
We usually have three harness/line rigs set up. Two for the divers in the water & one for the safety diver waiting on the surface

Ditto on the ice condition lakesdiver. It's been a sucky couple of years for ice diving. Thats the problem with setting up ice dives in advance, you never know if mother nature is going to cooperate by making sure your H2O in hard.

With that said, we have a couple inland lakes in my area, nothern lower michigan, that freeze early and stay froze pretty regularly.
I would be willing to sponsor a ice dive this winter if we got enough bodies to help, which is usually the problem. Can't promise you a nice hootch like on that link but warming tent & warm water for you wet suit divers is a given. Nothing special to see on the dive but we specialize in underwater inverted waterskiing. And if anyone wants the cert, we can do that too.

Any takers?

 

[scubaturek]

Even though we've had very mild winters the last couple years, it always gets cold at altitude. At 10,000 ft, the ice will be over 20" thick even in a mild year.

Two dive shops, one from Denver and one from Colorado Springs, get together in February for a weekend of ice diving at a lake about 2 hrs from here. They got the whole shebang, including the bodies, at least a couple dozen. And yes, they start setting up on Friday. Wish I had some pictures. Roakey, help?

I've also done it with 3 people and bare bones, not recommended, but what a giggle.

This year, we're experiencing extreme drought. Hope we have water to freeze...

Joe

 

[lakesdiver]

gedunk once bubbled...
With that said, we have a couple inland lakes in my area, nothern lower michigan, that freeze early and stay froze pretty regularly.
I would be willing to sponsor a ice dive this winter if we got enough bodies to help, which is usually the problem. Can't promise you a nice hootch like on that link but warming tent & warm water for you wet suit divers is a given. Nothing special to see on the dive but we specialize in underwater inverted waterskiing. And if anyone wants the cert, we can do that too.
Any takers?

My wife and I would be takers, depending on her teaching schedule. Probably a friend of mine, too. Where 'bouts in the northern lower are you? Just thinking if I can stay in my cabin or if I have to fight the snowmachiners for a motel room.

lemme know.

 

[TCDiver1]

lakesdiver once bubbled...


My wife and I would be takers, depending on her teaching schedule. Probably a friend of mine, too. Where 'bouts in the northern lower are you? Just thinking if I can stay in my cabin or if I have to fight the snowmachiners for a motel room.

lemme know.

Scuba North usually tries to dive the Keuka in Charlevoix but ice conditions & logistics are tougher up there. The lake i'm thinking of is Long Lake in TC. Nothing special but the site has a drop off down to about 25' near the shore with plenty of parking & a party store across the street. I could get two or three reliable people to bite. IMO the minimum best number is nine bodies, not everyone has to dive. With two divers in the water, one safety diver and two tenders, you got five involved right there. Two more preparing to dive thats seven and two preparing to tend thats nine. If you have able bodied non-divers, they can lower the number by tending for several consecutive dive groups.
But you know how it goes, everyone is in six months before all the work starts. At least half drop by the day before.

I have a four wheeler to haul gear & a long bar chainsaw to cut ice, i borrow the tent from the local boy scout troop and usually thats not a problem. Can get the harnesses & lines from the LDS, just stop & buy a keeper or something. Also don't have a problem taking a Friday off of work to get a start on the weekend. Basically need help to remove the ice cut from the hole, shovel the wheel, spokes & arrows, set up the tent & we are diving.

What do you think?

 

[roakey]

As requested by scubaturek, here are some pictures from last year’s ice diving at Twin Lakes between Buena Vista and Leadville, Colorado (elevation about 9500’)

In the group picture scubaturek is third from the left, in the black and yellow undergarment holding the clipboard and I’m the fourth from the left, just over his left shoulder (right as you’re looking at him).

http://www.underctek.com/open/ice2001/

Roak

 

[MikeFerrara]

We do a couple weekends of ice diving every year. We usually only teach one class per year due to the fact the ice just doesn't last that long. It's fun and a change of pace but I would rather not need a chain saw to go diving. It's as much a social outing as anything.. A pot of chily is a considered required equipment.

 

[TCDiver1]

You can really hurt yourself with those things. Chili must go with ice diving like chainsaws, we do that too. I have one of those propane fired oil turkey cookers we use for heating water & chili.
It works great.

How about making a trip up here for an ice dive so you can show me your bp/wing setup?

 

[MikeFerrara]

Sound good to me!

 

[lakesdiver]

Sound VERY good to me and the wife. I'm sure I can round up at least one other, maybe two. Might have trouble finding more than that willing to drive that far and rent a room for...

Nothing special but the site has a drop off down to about 25' near the shore with plenty of parking & a party store across the street.

I will, however, ask around for a couple more.

Let us talk further come the fall, eh?

Meanwhile, we're off to Roatan tomorrow.