Tell me about your experiences ICE DIVING, learned tips & tricks, and things gone wrong...

[sabbe]

part of my course is how you react getting out of the hole and post dive , 1 you get out of the hole with help, you get help stripping gear , and walk into the heated area get dry and then come out to tender /watch .....no hanging around after the dive outside that's when "things freeze" as you already could be cold and would possibly not notice till to late

Hmm, my class missed that post dive stuff. We stayed in our dry suits and stayed on the ice all day dawn to dark watching the other students and waiting for our next dive. In hindsight I would have put some of those insulating boot insoles I used when I worked outdoors in New England in my drysuit. Standing on the ice seemed to suck the heat out of me. Also a pee valve so I could chug hot chocolate or hot anything.

In a perfect world my dry gloves would have arrived a few months earlier so I could make sure they didn't leak.

Lastly, check your regs & to make sure instructor approves it. Our "cold water" rated regs froze first breathe and yes we did it right. Finished class with rentals.

 

[abnfrog]

the nite before the course starts I personally check all the students regs (other regs are checked if the owner want BUT they are certified ice divers mostly from my courses )

 

[Diver-Drex]

A couple of questions for the group.

What are the downsides to the two diver tether? It is how I was taught and I don’t see real disadvantages. I would have no issue running a line, been doing that for years on wrecks. Would you place screws as intermediate tie offs along the way?

I’ve kept my gear outside the night before diving. The thought being to prevent condensation and frost in your regs. I saw above someone recommending keeping stuff indoors and heated. What is the consensus in this?

DD

 

[abnfrog]

2 divers on 1 line is ok but 1 person will be doing all the signals back to the tender 2 persons signaling can get confusing , I don't recommend ice screws (not dog lease screws as I have seen people try to use them ) unless the ice is appropriate and there is a TENDER

 

[Diver-Drex]

Got it. I was asking about using screws on the underside of the ice while running a primary line? I’m visualizing a tie off above the ice, a secondary just inside the hole. This would keep the line from rubbing against the edge of the ice. And then a screw every so often for line management and if there were a break you have something to search for. I’m applying what I do on wrecks, maybe that isn’t the best way to handle ice.

 

[rhwestfall]

Tethered diving is much different. It is a support line to be able to communicate through and drag your but out, not a line to use for traversing/travel... the (proper) line could practically tow a car....

YMMV

 

[rjack321]

Got it. I was asking about using screws on the underside of the ice while running a primary line? I’m visualizing a tie off above the ice, a secondary just inside the hole. This would keep the line from rubbing against the edge of the ice. And then a screw every so often for line management and if there were a break you have something to search for. I’m applying what I do on wrecks, maybe that isn’t the best way to handle ice.

There are places were the line is run on bottom structure ala a cave but its the exception not the rule. Morrison's quarry in Quebec is one of those rare and exceptional sites that's totally divable (by qualified people) as if it were a well lit cave. At nearly all other sites, doing a lost line drill (cut line, dropped reel, buddy not in touch contact with the line in a silt bomb) in a silty flat bottom lake with no tie offs, often not even a bottom you can feel, no viz, and no walls for hundreds of meters around is insane. Hence the tether.

I have never heard of anyone diving on the underside of the ice while running a line. If you really wanted to do this, run 1/4-3/8" polypro rope. Its thick enough to be easy to disentangle, not going to cut, not going to freeze into the underside, and floats. You don't need ice screws then and there's no risk of dropping them. Of course if you are laying rope then just use it as a tether and let the surface folks pay it out vs carrying a giant reel.

 

[Diver-Drex]

@rjack321 and @abnfrog - Thanks. My ice experience is pretty limited and tethered. It makes sense to me and I have no intention of ice diving otherwise. Up thread @ScubaGypsy mentioned running a reel and said that was preferred, so I was trying to understand how/what/why. I have plenty of experience navigating with a wreck reel but I’m scratching my head over using one under ice.
Maybe I’m just over thinking it.

 

[abnfrog]

you have the right mindset drex

 

[Misfit12]

Cave experience and ice diving.... worth watching