Line tender

[gitterdun]

For what it's worth, I've had my inflator go on me, when I wasn't even using it, in 35 degree water. I was able to shut down my right post quickly, while dumping with my rear dump valve, which we have found is the easiest method for this failure. For water colder than 35/36, I will disconnect. I find it's one less thing I have to worry about. Orally inflating is not tough to do.

 

[shoredivr]

The second school of thought is to have tow lines, two tenders and two divers in the water. Most often the lines are not secured as the tenders may need to move around the hole to keep the lines clear of one another. Since ice diving is usual shallow with divers tooling around the ice/water interface, circling the hole is common. Moving tenders, multiple unsecured lines, etc increase the risk of a slip and fall by the tender with the possibility of a line being dropped, and if at its maximum extent, being lost in the hole.

On these kind of dives, the group I dive with cuts a small square hole, and pushes a 2 ft long piece of 2x4 with a hole drilled in the middle of it, and the end of the line is pushed through the hole and tied. The 2x4 is pushed down through the square hole, and floats back up under the surface, providing an anchor for the end of the line.

You can see this in the pic, plus the triangular access hole. On this dive, the air temp was considerably below freezing (minus 4 degrees C with a wind chill IIRC), and when I was coming back to the surface I could see isolated ice crystals forming in the water just below the surface.

 

[shoredivr]

Chantelle, can't believe you didn't post the best ice dive video ever

YouTube - wooferbitch's notes on winter diving

Morrison's quarry again.

 

[gitterdun]

Chantelle, can't believe you didn't post the best ice dive video ever

YouTube - wooferbitch's notes on winter diving

Morrison's quarry again.

Lol.. That was a really fun day!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

On these kind of dives, the group I dive with cuts a small square hole, and pushes a 2 ft long piece of 2x4 with a hole drilled in the middle of it, and the end of the line is pushed through the hole and tied. The 2x4 is pushed down through the square hole, and floats back up under the surface, providing an anchor for the end of the line.

You can see this in the pic, plus the triangular access hole. On this dive, the air temp was considerably below freezing (minus 4 degrees C with a wind chill IIRC), and when I was coming back to the surface I could see isolated ice crystals forming in the water just below the surface.

It's an interesting alternative to securing the line with an ice screw.

I don't disagree - I am firmly in the secured line school of thought for that type of ice diving. My point however was that some divers in the "two lines and two divers in the water" camp will use unsecured lines to prevent any entanlgement issues by having the tenders move around the hole. the combination of wet ice, moving tenders and unsecured lines never appealed to me - especially if the future ex-wife was holding the line.

 

[northen diver]

On these kind of dives, the group I dive with cuts a small square hole, and pushes a 2 ft long piece of 2x4 with a hole drilled in the middle of it, and the end of the line is pushed through the hole and tied. The 2x4 is pushed down through the square hole, and floats back up under the surface, providing an anchor for the end of the line.

You can see this in the pic, plus the triangular access hole. On this dive, the air temp was considerably below freezing (minus 4 degrees C with a wind chill IIRC), and when I was coming back to the surface I could see isolated ice crystals forming in the water just below the surface.

There are many divers that are skilled and trained that use teether lines. It is a safer way of ice diving.

I always ice dive with a line. We line out to 130'.

Based off who I am diving with, I had dive with one line one diver with two divers per hole.

Also two divers with one line per hole(the line is "Y" at one end so you only need one line tender) which I dive a lot this way. So all that we need is a team of three. And we also dive one rope one diver per hole (solo), which I like to dive also. If we dive solo, there is a safety diver. We also pull a trailer that is heated for a warming station, for the wet suit divers.

We have no problem diving off a planned date. If the weather is in the single digits, we keep our eqiupment in the warming station in between the dives. It really does add to the fun for us.

 

[northen diver]

On these kind of dives, the group I dive with cuts a small square hole, and pushes a 2 ft long piece of 2x4 with a hole drilled in the middle of it, and the end of the line is pushed through the hole and tied. The 2x4 is pushed down through the square hole, and floats back up under the surface, providing an anchor for the end of the line.

You can see this in the pic, plus the triangular access hole. On this dive, the air temp was considerably below freezing (minus 4 degrees C with a wind chill IIRC), and when I was coming back to the surface I could see isolated ice crystals forming in the water just below the surface.

Once, we forgot our ice screws and we used a log like you set up your 2x4.

I also seen a group auger a hole next to thier entrance hole and ran a rope through the two holes to anchor the line.