ice diving

[Crush]

I'd like to get into ice diving and plan to take a course before I chop a hole in the ice and jump in. That being said, I would be interested in getting my hands on an ice diving manual to peer through sooner rather than later. The only ice diving course that I am aware of in my area is offered through PADI (they just seem to have a course for everything, don't they?), so I will likely end up with a PADI ice diving manual soon. If I wanted to round-out my knowledge, it would be useful to have an ice diving manual by someone other than PADI. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[orion612004]

The NOAA Dive Manual has a small section on ice diving.

 

[NETim]

I'd like to get into ice diving and plan to take a course before I chop a hole in the ice and jump in. That being said, I would be interested in getting my hands on an ice diving manual to peer through sooner rather than later. The only ice diving course that I am aware of in my area is offered through PADI (they just seem to have a course for everything, don't they?), so I will likely end up with a PADI ice diving manual soon. If I wanted to round-out my knowledge, it would be useful to have an ice diving manual by someone other than PADI. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Amazon.com: Cold Water Diving: A Guide to Ice Diving (Diversification Series) (9780941332521): John N. Heine: Books

 

[Scubadam]

SSI might have one although I have never been ice diving. The dive shop closest to me is SSI and I am pretty sure they have something about ice diving.

 

[solowgregg]

PADI does not have an ice diving manual.

 

[Rocketmahn]

I start my SDI Ice Diver Certification next weekend.

As far as I know only PADI, NAUI, and SDI offer Ice Diver Certification.
I was told that none have a book for Ice Diving.

We were provided with a copy of the US Navy Ice Diving manual and a copy of a long article on Ice Diving to read along with a list of instructor generated questions to answer before the classroom session.

 

[Diver0001]

I liked the IANTD approach better than the PADI approach. In the PADI system you'll be permanently attached to a line. In the IANTD system they treat the environment under the ice like a big cave and you "lay line" to get around. My profile shows a picture of me in the process of laying such a line using the world's biggest primary spool LOL.

The advantage of the IANTD approach is mobility. You can venture further afield and the guideline doesn't get in the way. The disadvantage is that *if* you lose track of the guideline you're in trouble. The course obviously discusses this contingency at some length and there are several methods for dealing with this contingency.

The advantage of the PADI system is exactly the opposite. In many ways the PADI approach is safer because you're always attached to a line being tended by someone on the surface. If you give an emergency signal then you'll be pulled out. The disadvantage to the PADI approach is mobility. The line is typically 50m long and that's it. You can't go any further. Also, in my experience the lines tend to be a bit of a PITA.

R..

 

[Jax]

I'd like to get into ice diving . . .

:shocked2:
In a few moments, your doorbell will ring . . . go meet the nice gentlemen, they have a special jacket just for you . . . they will take you to a special place . . .


Seriously --- why would you want to do that!?!??!

 

[DCBC]

Walt Hendrick wrote a book "Ice Diving Operations" which is excellent. It also offers some insight to diver rescue in these conditions. Case histories are also included on accidents which occurred in Canada. Canada, ice, go figure.

 

[Brian Sharpe]

:shocked2:
Seriously --- why would you want to do that!?!??!

I too would love to take an ice diving course (Maybe it's a Canadian thing) I've seen pictures & video of sites that I dive in the summer with visibility that at best may be 25 ft, in winter it rivals clear blue Caribbean waters.

Ice diving looks like fun, polar bear swims OTOH are insane.