Ice diving

[Efka76]

I am quite intrigued to try Ice diving and getting PADI Ice diving specialty. Wanted to ask ice divers whether you still feel icy cold when diving with proper undergarment and dry suits? Also, is it worth to try it?

Currently I reside in Mongolia and there is one diving resort there (near very big Khuvsgul lake). There it is possible to have ice diving and altitude diving simultaneously as lake is 1500 m above sea level.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Today's technology allows you to feel pretty warm when ice diving. Heated undergarments work. Some people need to turn off heaters because they feel too warm. I've done argon flushes and used argon and felt warmer. Most divers will stay in cold water until they are definitely cold. With that pop psychology in mind, the choice of exposure protection whether neoprene or trilaminate drysuit, regular undies or heated undies, diving on the ice itself or protected from the elements in a shelter has more to do with the dive duration before feeling icy cold. Most people who try it love it! It's something unlike other diving activities that gives you a bit of thrill over the winter. The difference between being cool, cold, and miserable is the ability to thumb it before you reach misery.

 

[Bubblesong]

There is also some research that says start your dive cooler than you end it, because cooler you take on less nitrogen, and warmer, you give off more nitrogen, so the recommendation is to turn on heated shirt at last few minutes of bottom time, and ascend warm.
Full disclosure: i am also in research stage of looking into ice diving.

 

[Efka76]

There is also some research that says start your dive cooler than you end it, because cooler you take on less nitrogen, and warmer, you give off more nitrogen, so the recommendation is to turn on heated shirt at last few minutes of bottom time, and ascend warm.
Full disclosure: i am also in research stage of looking into ice diving.

Nice to see that there are more ''crazy" people like me

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Most ice dives are shallow. You can see the bottom anytime. Standing upside down on the frozen surface is the neat part.

 

[Erich S]

Back in 1980 when I got my ice diving certification, the first dive was done in a wetsuit which was quite a shock.

 

[73diver]

In the Great Lakes, bottom temperature can be as low as 40F in mid summer. The water temperature under ice in mid winter is typically 35F. It’s not that bad under ice. Of course the air temperatures are much different. Around here the practice of ice diving varies with the group. Some groups have the buddy team defined as the diver in the water and a tender on the surface. Other groups have two divers tethered together as a buddy team with one diver attached to the tender. With a heavy layer of snow and murky water an ice dive can be very dark. With the snow blown off the ice and clear water it can be incredible. The triangular shaped shaft of sunlight coming through the hole in the ice is an interesting sight. Redundancy is important. Some groups encourage a solo or technical gear configuration. Others encourage a minimum of an ‘H’ valve with two complete regulators. Avoid breathing from 2nd stage above the water (water is usually warmer than the air). Don’t inflate BCD or DS while inhaling as a precaution against a 1st stage free flow. Around here ice diving is a party event as well. Enjoy.

 

[shurite7]

Welcome to ice diving. We have found the greatest factor effecting dive time is our hands. Even with drygloves many of us are getting cold in the 20-30 minute time range. Some people are lucky and can stay under much longer even while wearing wet gloves. Unfortunately I am not one of them.; my hands get bloody cold after 30 minutes and hurt the entire dive, even with drygloves. Last winter I tried the hand warmers and found they worked fairly well so long as I kept my fingers moving to keep the warmer activated.

Like Trace stated, most ice dives are shallow. After all it is the ice that we are diving to enjoy.

 

[Erich S]

I think there are some tec aspects to ice diving.

 

[rhwestfall]

(yep, I'm posting that damn picture again)

It's a whole bunch of fun.

The worst part was out of the water (it was -20 air temp on this dive). Water was "normal" at 36, and what we get normally below the thermocline. No sweating when you are out of the water...

This was my first time, and I didn't hesitate for a minute to go back and do it again last year.....

YMMV