Ice Diving

[skippyscuba]

Hi,

I have a really quick question regarding ice diving. Does the term 'Ice diving' typically refer to diving under a sheet of ice, or does it cover any diving where there is ice involved?

Thanks

 

[tursiops]

it usually means ice as an overhead environment.

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[Rhone Man]

It is interesting, in the UK I have heard a soft debate about whether a dive is an ice dive when you dive under a very thin layer of ice, ie. one that a surfacing diver would easily break through. So technically an overhead environment, but not really a barrier as such.

For obvious reasons such dives should be commenced from the side of the lake rather than by heading for the centre with the intention of cutting a hole.

 

[spectrum]

Well a cocktail on the rocks in the hotel pool won't make you an ice diver.

In the classic sense you go out on sturdy ice, cut a hole and dive generally with a buddy, usually with tethers including rope tenders, and safety diver(s) standing by. I think any sanctioned course will follow that format.

In practice divers can enter along the shore if the water is deep and open enough and head out under the ice. The safety precautions are no less, you just don't need to deal with a hole in the ice. We lost a public safety diver who went out free swimming under a freshwater cove and never found his way back to the entry point.

Under no circumstances would I count breaking trough the ice. You only have your buoyancy and fin thrust working for you and ice can be very variable.

Pete

 

[kwinter]

These guys do it right.

Fishing under ice (ORIGINAL) - YouTube

 

[FinnMom]

Ice diving would generally mean that the ice is a real barrier.
I would just add that you shouldn't too easily trust in how easily ice is broken. I've noticed in the springtime that thin ice can be remarkably difficult to break from below.

 

[Mikko Ilari Laakkonen]

It is also considered as ice diving even without ice as an overhead barrier if the conditions are otherwise freezing requiring special equipment and procedures to conduct the dive safely.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

 

[skippyscuba]

It is also considered as ice diving even without ice as an overhead barrier if the conditions are otherwise freezing requiring special equipment and procedures to conduct the dive safely.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

So for example would diving around an iceberg or glacier or something be considered ice diving even if it was technically open water (i.e. no barrier to direct ascent)?

 

[AfterDark]

This is what its always looked like to me.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

It is also considered as ice diving even without ice as an overhead barrier if the conditions are otherwise freezing requiring special equipment and procedures to conduct the dive safely.

- Mikko Laakkonen -

I love diving and teaching others to dive.

Must be a Finnish thing. Here we just refer to that as a cold a$$ day to dive. Yes you need to take special precautions to avoid hypothermia but you still have a direct route to the surface. I have always considered Ice as meaning an actual physical barrier to that.