Line tender

[syntaxerrorsix]

Let me get this straight. Subfreezing air temperatures, near freezing water, an icehole and in you go for less than 15 minutes.

Is there anything to see? Is the visibility good? I have heard of people doing this in wetsuits, is this still common?

Other than the social aspect of diving, what is the attraction? I get this same type question about cave diving when people ask me "What do you see"? I generally answer "Wet Rocks".

I like the exploration factor of diving in general. That has to play into the equation.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I like the exploration factor of diving in general. That has to play into the equation.

Fair enough. I do recall a friend who lives in Minnesota telling me the sunlight coming through the ice is a beautiful hue of blue.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Fair enough. I do recall a friend who lives in Minnesota telling me the sunlight coming through the ice is a beautiful hue of blue.

Wet rocks, wet ice. Or something to that affect

I bet the view is nice.

 

[Cave Diver]

Fair enough. I do recall a friend who lives in Minnesota telling me the sunlight coming through the ice is a beautiful hue of blue.

I've heard of divers doing night dives and making a large circle ringed with small bonfires. The entry hole was cut into the middle of the circle and the bonfires marked the boundaries because they were visible under water. I think at the right spots and under the right conditions ice diving could be an amazing experience. I'm definitely interested in trying it sometime.

 

[jtivat]

Let me get this straight. Subfreezing air temperatures, near freezing water, an icehole and in you go for less than 15 minutes.

Is there anything to see? Is the visibility good? I have heard of people doing this in wetsuits, is this still common?

Other than the social aspect of diving, what is the attraction? I get this same type question about cave diving when people ask me "What do you see"? I generally answer "Wet Rocks".

Well some only go for 15 minutes but I have been down for any hour. The deeper water is warmer usually around 38f here so not really any change from summer.

The vis is much better in most lakes around me and the ice can look very cool from below. Yes I still see lots of wetsuits

 

[rjack321]

For my ice dives, an hour BT was about right. Getting changed in a snow covered parking lot is the worst part. I think it was about +5F

 

[nadwidny]

So is most diving done near the surface, or at depth? And what kind of depth is normally involved?

Depends on the location but the way the LDS's run it it's about 50/50 between at depth and at the ice/water interface. One lake with dive at the dives are at 30' max. The other one folks can get down to 70' but spend most of their time 0-15'.

That's what I was wondering, seems the view of the ice could be the source of entertainment. Otherwise I'm not sure if I'd be yanking that rope 3 times.

For me the ice is the entertainment. Otherwise it's just another dive in our crappy lakes but with better vis.

Let me get this straight. Subfreezing air temperatures, near freezing water, an icehole and in you go for less than 15 minutes.

Is there anything to see? Is the visibility good? I have heard of people doing this in wetsuits, is this still common?

Other than the social aspect of diving, what is the attraction? I get this same type question about cave diving when people ask me "What do you see"? I generally answer "Wet Rocks".

Doing an ice dive in subfreezing air is not the way I like to go. In my experience those that are out there when the air temps are get below -10C (I have no idea anymore what that is in F) just invite problems. If the air temps aren't above -10C then I don't go, whether or not it's an ice dive or the lake is still open. I'll let the young bucks fight physics. I've done my share of diving in stupid conditions and have lost enough times to say "No mas".

Under the ice the viz does get better. I've seen lakes that are normally 5-15' viz open up to 70 or 80 under the ice. Until the dopes on a rope get near the bottom. Then it all goes to crap. I know the Ontario people have fantastic vis in the quarry they dive in.

The attraction? I suppose for some it offers a shore dive access to places that are only available by boat when the ice is off. In my area it is a social exercise; the only way to get wet without driving for 12 hours, and a way for the single tank types to feel like they are at the cutting edge.

My first ice dives were in a wetsuit. They were the typical 15 minutes on a rope dives. I was actually warmer during those dives than I was doing OW ocean dives as the water temp in the lake was around 34 and the ocean at the time was around 29

Fair enough. I do recall a friend who lives in Minnesota telling me the sunlight coming through the ice is a beautiful hue of blue.

The god rays coming through the hole can be spectacular.

I've heard of divers doing night dives and making a large circle ringed with small bonfires. The entry hole was cut into the middle of the circle and the bonfires marked the boundaries because they were visible under water. I think at the right spots and under the right conditions ice diving could be an amazing experience. I'm definitely interested in trying it sometime.

A night ice dive with fire. That just might make for some pretty cool video. I'll bring it up with the group.

Well some only go for 15 minutes but I have been down for any hour. The deeper water is warmer usually around 38f here so not really any change from summer.

When I ice dive I am down for longer than the 15-20 that the recreational types are doing. I've scootered, laid line, etc while on an ice dive. It's pretty much the same as cave without the walls.

 

[rjack321]

I know the Ontario people have fantastic vis in the quarry they dive in.

This is Morrison's Quarry. There's a small fee to dive here (even in winter). In the summer there are hordes of classes and its supposedly a zoo. In winter it was fun and social amongst about 15 of us. That's me on a loaner short Gavin goofing around the plane, depth is maybe 30ft. Vis probably 80ft, the bottom is coarse gravel. Even screwing around trying to blow bubble rings onto the ice in the second pic you can see there really not much silt to stir up, so dope on a rope would really be overkill for someone who's even marginally capable of sharing gas for a couple hundred feet horizontally to get back to the opening.

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

This is Morrison's Quarry. There's a small fee to dive here (even in winter). In the summer there are hordes of classes and its supposedly a zoo. In winter it was fun and social amongst about 15 of us. That's me on a loaner short Gavin goofing around the plane, depth is maybe 30ft. Vis probably 80ft, the bottom is coarse gravel. Even screwing around trying to blow bubble rings onto the ice in the second pic you can see there really not much silt to stir up, so dope on a rope would really be overkill for someone who's even marginally capable of sharing gas for a couple hundred feet horizontally to get back to the opening.

Nice pix.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Thats cool!! Nice visibility in a rock quarry. I have never seen a quarry that clear.